The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

POCKET CALCULATOR PUZZLE/RIDDLE

THE NUMBER 71,077,345 IS PUNCHED OUT ON THE CALCULATOR KEYBOARD
SO THAT IT APPEARS ON THE READOUT. THE FOLLOWING QUESTION IS THEN
ASKED WHILE SHOWING THE NUMBER TO THE PERSON QUESTIONED: "WHAT
BIG OIL COMPANY MADE THIS AMOUNT IN PROFITS LAST YEAR?" WHEN
THE PERSON QUESTIONED INDICATES HE OR SHE DOESN'T KNOW THE ANSWER,
THE CALCULATOR IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. THE NUMBER ON THE
READOUT WILL NOW SPELL OUT THE WORDS "SHELL OIL."

Submitter comment: THE ABOVE ONLY WORKS WHEN THE NUMBER IS DISPLAYED ON A CALCULATOR
VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL SEGMENTS (LINES),
VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICLE SEGMENTS (LINES).
THAT IS, A SEVEN-SEGMENT READOUT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 00-00-1979