Viral Parking Space Puzzle
What is the number of the parking space covered by the car?
Introduction: A Six-Year-Old’s Challenge That Stumped Adults Worldwide
Have you ever been outsmarted by a puzzle designed for children? In 2015, a deceptively simple parking space problem from a Hong Kong entrance exam went viral after adults worldwide struggled to solve it. The most astonishing part? This puzzle was given to six-year-old children who had just 20 seconds to find the answer. While seasoned mathematicians and puzzlers scratched their heads, many young children quickly saw the solution that eluded their parents.
This mind-bending puzzle challenges our assumptions about problem-solving and reveals how conventional thinking can sometimes be our greatest obstacle. In this article, we’ll explore why this parking space puzzle captivated the internet, uncover its elegant solution, and examine what it teaches us about approaching problems from fresh perspectives. Whether you’re a puzzle enthusiast or simply curious about viral brain teasers, you’ll discover why this particular challenge continues to fascinate people years after it first appeared.
Table of Contents
- The Puzzle That Went Viral
- The Original Context: A Hong Kong Entrance Exam
- Why Adults Found It So Challenging
- The Brilliant Solution Revealed
- The Psychology of Problem-Solving
- Similar Viral Puzzles That Challenge Perception
- How to Develop Lateral Thinking Skills
- Teaching Children Flexible Problem-Solving
- What This Puzzle Reveals About Learning
- FAQs About the Parking Space Puzzle
The Puzzle That Went Viral
The puzzle presents a simple image of a parking lot with six spaces. Five of the spaces are labeled with the numbers 16, 06, 68, 88, and 98. A red car is parked in the sixth space. The question asks: “What is the number of the parking space covered by the car?”
At first glance, this seems like a straightforward sequence problem. Many adults immediately began looking for mathematical patterns—trying to determine if the numbers were following an arithmetic sequence, geometric progression, or some other mathematical pattern. Some analyzed the differences between consecutive numbers, while others looked for binary conversions or other numerical tricks.
The puzzle quickly spread across social media platforms, forums, and news sites, with countless proposed solutions and heated debates. What made this puzzle particularly viral was the combination of its apparent simplicity, the claim that it was for young children, and the diversity of answers adults confidently proclaimed as correct.
The Original Context: A Hong Kong Entrance Exam
This puzzle wasn’t just a random internet challenge—it appeared on an admissions test for a primary school in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong’s competitive education system, entrance exams for prestigious schools often include questions designed to test creative thinking and problem-solving abilities rather than just rote knowledge.
The time constraint—just 20 seconds to solve the puzzle—is particularly revealing. Questions that require extensive calculations typically allow more time. This time limitation was a clue that the solution required a simple insight rather than complex computation—something that children, with fewer preconceived notions about how to approach math problems, might actually be better equipped to see.
Educational experts note that this reflects a broader emphasis in many East Asian education systems on developing flexible thinking and viewing problems from multiple angles—skills increasingly valued in our rapidly changing world.
Why Adults Found It So Challenging
The difficulty adults experienced with this puzzle stems from several cognitive biases that affect how we approach problems:
Functional fixedness: When we see numbers, we immediately think they must be manipulated mathematically. This mental rigidity prevents us from considering alternative interpretations.
Expertise paradox: Sometimes, more knowledge can be a hindrance. Adults with mathematical training instinctively look for complex patterns, whereas children might approach the problem more literally.
Overthinking: Adults often assume that challenging problems must have complicated solutions, leading them to ignore simpler possibilities.
Contextual assumptions: When told this is a “math problem,” we frame our thinking within mathematical constraints, limiting creative approaches.
These cognitive biases explain why many highly educated adults spent hours trying to solve a puzzle that some children could solve in seconds. It’s a humbling reminder that intelligence and education don’t always translate to superior problem-solving in all contexts.
The Brilliant Solution Revealed
The elegant solution to this puzzle requires no mathematical calculations whatsoever. The answer is 87.
Why 87? Because when viewed upside down, the parking lot numbers aren’t forming a mathematical sequence—they’re simply parking space numbers. If you flip the image (or your perspective), you’ll see that:
- 16 upside down looks like 91
- 06 upside down looks like 90
- 68 upside down looks like 89
- 88 upside down looks like 88 (it remains the same)
- 98 upside down looks like 86
Following this sequence, the missing number—the parking space with the car—must be 87.
This solution demonstrates the power of perspective shift. Instead of seeking complex patterns in the numbers as presented, the key insight is realizing that the viewpoint itself needs to change. This type of lateral thinking—approaching a problem from an unexpected angle—often leads to the most elegant solutions.
The Psychology of Problem-Solving
This parking space puzzle illuminates fascinating aspects of human cognition and problem-solving:
Pattern Recognition vs. Perspective Shifting
Our brains are pattern-recognition machines, constantly looking for familiar structures in information. This ability serves us well in many situations but can become a liability when a problem requires us to break established patterns. The parking space puzzle specifically exploits this tendency—it presents what looks like a number sequence but actually requires spatial reasoning.
Children’s Cognitive Flexibility
Young children often outperform adults on certain types of puzzles because they haven’t yet developed rigid problem-solving frameworks. Their thinking remains fluid and adaptable, allowing them to consider unconventional approaches. Research in developmental psychology suggests that while children have less knowledge to draw from, they sometimes demonstrate greater cognitive flexibility when approaching novel problems.
The “Aha!” Moment
The moment of insight when you finally see the upside-down numbers illustrates what psychologists call the “Aha!” or “Eureka” moment. This sudden comprehension occurs when our brain makes a new connection that instantly transforms our understanding of the problem. These moments are characterized by:
- A feeling of suddenness and clarity
- Confidence in the solution
- A sense of pleasure or satisfaction
- The inability to “unsee” the solution once discovered
This puzzle is particularly effective at generating this satisfying moment of insight, which partly explains its viral appeal—people enjoy sharing experiences that trigger this positive emotional response.
Similar Viral Puzzles That Challenge Perception
The Hong Kong parking puzzle belongs to a category of brain teasers that challenge conventional perception. Here are other notable examples:
The Missing Dollar Riddle
Three people check into a hotel room that costs $30. Each pays $10. Later, the manager realizes there was a special rate of $25 for the room and sends a bellhop to return $5 to the guests. The bellhop decides to keep $2 and returns $1 to each guest. Now each guest has paid $9, totaling $27, and the bellhop has $2, totaling $29. Where did the other dollar go?
The riddle works by confusing addition and subtraction operations. The correct accounting is that the guests paid $27 total ($9 each), of which $25 went to the hotel and $2 went to the bellhop.
The 9 Dots Puzzle
Connect nine dots arranged in a 3×3 grid using only four straight lines without lifting your pen from the paper. The solution requires drawing lines that extend beyond the implied boundary of the grid—literally “thinking outside the box.”
The Impossible Elephant
A drawing that appears to have an impossible number of legs, depending on how you count them. This visual illusion exploits ambiguities in our perception of overlapping elements.
These puzzles share a common theme with the parking space challenge: they require breaking from conventional thought patterns and considering alternative perspectives to find the solution.
How to Develop Lateral Thinking Skills
The ability to approach problems from multiple angles—often called lateral thinking—can be developed through practice. Here are strategies to enhance this valuable skill:
1. Challenge Assumptions
When facing a problem, explicitly identify and question your assumptions. Ask: “What am I taking for granted here?” For the parking space puzzle, the key assumption was that the numbers should be read right-side up.
2. Reverse Your Perspective
Deliberately look at problems backward, upside down, or from different angles. This technique is particularly useful for spatial and visual puzzles.
3. Use “What If” Scenarios
Generate alternative approaches by asking “What if?” questions. What if these aren’t sequential numbers? What if this isn’t a math problem at all?
4. Seek Diverse Inputs
Discuss problems with people from different backgrounds and expertise areas. A child’s perspective, an artist’s viewpoint, or an engineer’s approach might provide the insight you need.
5. Practice with Puzzles
Regular engagement with diverse puzzles and brain teasers exercises your mental flexibility. Puzzles like Sudoku, lateral thinking problems, riddles, and optical illusions all help develop different aspects of problem-solving.
These techniques not only help with puzzles but also translate to real-world problem-solving in professional and personal contexts.
Teaching Children Flexible Problem-Solving
The Hong Kong entrance exam puzzle highlights an important educational principle: developing flexible thinking is as important as building knowledge. Here’s how parents and educators can nurture this ability:
Encourage Multiple Solution Paths
When children solve problems, ask them to find alternative approaches. Questions like “Can you solve this another way?” or “Is there a simpler method?” promote flexible thinking.
Normalize Mistakes as Learning Opportunities
Create an environment where experimental approaches are encouraged, and incorrect answers are valued as steps toward understanding. This reduces fear of failure that can inhibit creative problem-solving.
Expose Children to Diverse Problem Types
Introduce puzzles that require different thinking styles—logical reasoning, spatial awareness, pattern recognition, and creative thinking. This builds a more versatile cognitive toolkit.
Model Thinking Aloud
Demonstrate your own problem-solving process verbally, including moments of confusion, hypothesis testing, and perspective shifts. This helps children understand that complex thinking is rarely linear.
Ask Open-Ended Questions
Instead of “What’s the answer?” ask questions like “What do you notice about these numbers?” or “What happens if we look at this differently?” Such questions encourage exploration rather than fixation on a single approach.
These educational strategies help develop the cognitive flexibility that would allow a six-year-old to quickly solve the parking space puzzle while many adults remain stumped.
What This Puzzle Reveals About Learning
Beyond its entertainment value, the viral parking space puzzle offers valuable insights about learning and education:
The Limitations of Traditional Education
Many educational systems prioritize computational skills and memorization over creative problem-solving. This puzzle demonstrates how individuals with strong traditional mathematical skills can still struggle when problems require unconventional thinking.
The Value of Perceptual Skills
Visual and spatial reasoning abilities—often underdeveloped in traditional curricula—can be crucial for solving certain types of problems. The parking space puzzle specifically requires visual-spatial transformation, a skill set that deserves more educational attention.
Cultural Differences in Educational Emphasis
The origin of this puzzle in a Hong Kong entrance exam reflects cultural differences in educational priorities. Many East Asian educational systems place greater emphasis on visual-spatial reasoning and non-standard problem-solving compared to Western approaches.
The Connection Between Play and Learning
The playful nature of this puzzle—the surprise of the upside-down perspective—reminds us that enjoyment and learning are deeply connected. Puzzles and games create engaging contexts for developing serious cognitive skills.
These insights can inform both personal learning approaches and broader educational policy decisions, emphasizing the need for diverse thinking styles in our increasingly complex world.
Practical Applications Beyond Puzzles
The cognitive skills highlighted by the parking space puzzle have real-world applications:
Innovation and Design Thinking
Many breakthrough innovations come from reframing problems rather than incremental improvements within existing frameworks. Companies like IDEO explicitly use perspective-shifting techniques similar to those required by this puzzle.
Scientific Discovery
Major scientific advances often result from looking at familiar data from new angles. For example, the discovery of the structure of benzene came to August Kekulé in a dream about a snake eating its own tail—a complete perspective shift.
Conflict Resolution
Many interpersonal and organizational conflicts persist because parties remain fixed in their viewpoints. Techniques that encourage seeing situations from multiple perspectives can lead to unexpected solutions.
Digital Transformation
As businesses navigate digital transformation, the ability to reimagine processes rather than simply digitizing existing ones often determines success. This requires precisely the kind of perspective shift demonstrated in the parking space puzzle.
By developing and valuing the cognitive flexibility showcased in this simple puzzle, we can better address complex challenges in professional and personal domains.
Conclusion: The Power of Shifting Perspective
The viral Hong Kong parking space puzzle serves as a powerful reminder of how our mental frameworks can both help and hinder our problem-solving abilities. What appeared to be a complex mathematical problem to many adults was, in reality, a simple exercise in changing perspective—something that young children, with fewer established mental patterns, could more easily accomplish.
This puzzle’s enduring appeal lies not just in its cleverness, but in the lesson it teaches: sometimes the key to solving our most challenging problems isn’t working harder within our existing perspective, but stepping back and considering an entirely different viewpoint. Whether in education, business, or personal development, this capacity for perspective-shifting represents a valuable skill worth cultivating.
The next time you encounter a seemingly impossible problem, remember the parking space puzzle. The solution might not require more information or more complex analysis—it might simply require looking at what you already have from a completely different angle.
FAQs About the Parking Space Puzzle
Was this really given to six-year-olds in Hong Kong?
Yes, this puzzle appeared on an entrance exam for a Hong Kong primary school. The education system there often includes tests of creative thinking and problem-solving abilities, even for young children.
Why is it easier for children to solve this puzzle than adults?
Children often have greater cognitive flexibility and fewer established problem-solving patterns that might limit their approach. They’re also less likely to overcomplicate problems and may take the instruction to find the “number” more literally than adults who immediately look for mathematical patterns.
Are there other benefits to solving puzzles like this?
Regular engagement with puzzles that require perspective shifts has been linked to improved cognitive flexibility, enhanced creative problem-solving abilities, and even delayed cognitive aging. These mental exercises create new neural pathways that can be useful in various real-world situations.
How can I improve my ability to solve perspective-shifting puzzles?
Practice with diverse puzzles, deliberately question your assumptions when problem-solving, discuss challenging problems with others who think differently, and consciously try different approaches rather than persisting with a single strategy.
Are there educational programs that specifically develop this type of thinking?
Yes, educational approaches like Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and various STEM/STEAM programs often incorporate activities that develop flexible thinking and perspective-shifting abilities. Many coding and computational thinking curricula also emphasize looking at problems from multiple angles.
Is this type of thinking related to IQ?
While traditional IQ tests measure certain aspects of intelligence, they don’t fully capture the kind of cognitive flexibility required for perspective-shifting puzzles. Some highly intelligent individuals (by conventional IQ measures) may struggle with these puzzles if they’re too fixed in analytical thinking patterns.
