Riddle - The 12 beads

[Deathcricket]

I'm sad to admit I worked on this for an hour and declared it unsolvable. I then googled it and saw I was very wrong...


* There are 12 beads, each a different color.
* 11 of the beads weigh the same.
* 1 of the beads is either heavier or lighter than the rest.
* You have an unmarked balance scale.
* Using the scale only 3 times, determine which bead is different and whether it is heavier or lighter than the rest.

[Cirrus2000]

I'm sad to admit I worked on this for an hour and declared it unsolvable. I then googled it and saw I was very wrong...


* There are 12 beads, each a different color.
* 11 of the beads weigh the same.
* 1 of the beads is either heavier or lighter than the rest.
* You have an unmarked balance scale.
* Using the scale only 3 times, determine which bead is different and whether it is heavier or lighter than the rest.
Wow, my head hurts. You have way more perseverance than I do. I Googled it, too. Damn! Never would have come up with it.

[Ride On]

I turn polar bears white
And I will make you cry.
I make guys have to pee
And girls comb their hair.
I make celebrities look stupid
And normal people look like celebrities.
I turn pancakes brown
And make your champagne bubble.
If you squeeze me, I'll pop.
If you look at me, you'll pop.

Can you guess this riddle?
97% of Harvard graduates couldn't, but 84% of kindergarten students could in less than 6 minutes