The famous puzzle: a bat and a ball cost $1.10 together.
The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball.
Everyone shouts their answer in 3 seconds. Then we work it out properly!
The quick answer is wrong — that's the point
Almost everyone says 10¢. Tempting... and wrong.
Check it: if the ball is 10¢, the bat is $1.10 — together $1.20. Oops. The real answer: ball = 5¢, bat = $1.05. Together, $1.10.
That instant "10¢!" is your brain's fast lane — great for dodging a bus, terrible for math. Slow lane wins here. Catching your own fast answer IS critical thinking.