A silent archive holds three identical identical boxes labeled 'Letters', 'Numbers', and 'Symbols'. Every single label is currently placed on the wrong box. You are allowed to blindly draw only one item from a single box to deduce all correct labels. Which box do you choose?
The box labeled 'Numbers'
Since all labels are wrong, the box labeled 'Letters' contains either numbers or symbols, the box labeled 'Numbers' contains either letters or symbols, and the box labeled 'Symbols' contains either letters or numbers. If you draw from the box labeled 'Numbers', whatever you pull (say, a letter) means that box must be 'Letters'. Knowing that, and knowing the original label was wrong, the remaining two boxes can be instantly sorted.
About this riddle
Logic riddles give you a few facts and ask what must be true. List what you know, cross out what cannot be, and see what is left.
Difficulty: Hard. More like this: Logic riddles with answers or try Einstein's Logic Grid for a different kind of puzzle.
More logic riddles
Five identical boxes are lined up in a row. A prize is hidden inside one of them. Box 1 is to the left of Box 2. Box 3 is to the right of Box 4. Box 5 is to the left of Box 1. Box 4 is to the left of Box 2. In which box is the prize?
In a village of truth-tellers (who always tell the truth) and liars (who always lie), you meet two inhabitants, Pip and Pop. Pip says, 'At least one of us is a liar.' What are Pip and Pop?
Three boxes are labeled 'Apples', 'Oranges', and 'Mixed'. Every box is incorrectly labeled. You may draw only one fruit from one box without looking inside. Which box should you pick from to correctly identify the contents of all three boxes?
Three friends—Alex, Blake, and Casey—wear hats of different colors: red, blue, and green. None of them wears the hat that matches their initials (e.g., Alex does not wear red). Blake looks at Casey, who is wearing the green hat. What color hat is Alex wearing?
You have two hourglasses: a 4-minute timer and a 7-minute timer. Without using any other measuring devices, how can you measure exactly 9 minutes?
You have 12 identical-looking coins. Eleven are genuine, but one is counterfeit and has a slightly different weight (either lighter or heavier). What is the minimum number of weighings on a balance scale needed to guarantee identifying the fake coin AND determining whether it is heavier or lighter?