What is Mystery: Definition and 912 Discussions

Mystery is a fiction genre where the nature of an event, usually a murder or other crime, remains mysterious until the end of the story. Often within a closed circle of suspects, each suspect is usually provided with a credible motive and a reasonable opportunity for committing the crime. The central character is often a detective (such as Sherlock Holmes), who eventually solves the mystery by logical deduction from facts presented to the reader. Some mystery books are non-fiction. Mystery fiction can be detective stories in which the emphasis is on the puzzle or suspense element and its logical solution such as a whodunit. Mystery fiction can be contrasted with hardboiled detective stories, which focus on action and gritty realism.
Mystery fiction can involve a supernatural mystery in which the solution does not have to be logical and even in which there is no crime involved. This usage was common in the pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s, whose titles such as Dime Mystery, Thrilling Mystery and Spicy Mystery offered what were then described as complicated to solve and weird stories: supernatural horror in the vein of Grand Guignol. That contrasted with parallel titles of the same names which contained conventional hardboiled crime fiction. The first use of "mystery" in that sense was by Dime Mystery, which started out as an ordinary crime fiction magazine but switched to "weird menace" during the later part of 1933.

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  1. Math Is Hard

    Mystery of the Penguin Blowhole: What I Saw at the Aquarium

    I saw penguins swimming at an aquarium yesterday. They swam deep underwater and they had streams of bubbles escaping from a spot on their backs. My mom thinks that penguins have some sort of a blowhole, but I've never heard of this. What was that?:confused:
  2. R

    Gravity Effects Across Mountains: A WWII Mystery

    I asked why a bomb going off on one side of a mountain would seemingly affect gravity for people on the other side of the mountain about a year ago. Experienced in Nam with valley floors about 2 miles apart. That's a lot of rock and soil seperating those who experienced this from the explosion...
  3. 6

    The Banker's Offer: Unsolved Mystery in the US

    I just saw this show, I know it has been on in europe for a while but it just started here in the US. I was wondering what the equation they were using for the offers from the "banker", anyone figured it out yet? Goooooogle turned up very little.
  4. L

    Solving for y(t): The Mystery Revealed

    (t*y'(t))' = t*Dirac(t-2), t>0 we know that y(t) = 1 lim t--> o+ solve for y(t) the solution says that by using f(t)*Dirac_a(t) = f(a) * Dirac_a(t) we get (t*y'(t))' = 2*Dirac(t-2) Dont see how they get that
  5. F

    Mysterious Circular Reference Toolbar: Solving the Mystery

    I consider myself a pretty advanced user of Excel, but this one has me stumped. I don't deal with toolbars very often, so I am in uncharted territory. I have a group of macros. At one time, when I ran one of the macros, I realized I had a circular argument and it created an error. No biggie...
  6. T

    Unraveling the Mystery of Clockwise and Counterclockwise

    The question goes as follows: Why are clockwise and counterclockwise referred to as "senses" rather than directions? It should be obvious, right? But I just can't seem to figure out what they are talking about. I mean, senses are touch, taste, hearing, seeing, smelling. What does...
  7. B

    The Mystery of the Upright Bicycle: Exploring Balance

    This question has been bothering me for time. How does a moving bicycle manage to stay upright? but when it slows down it tends to fall to a side. Can someone please explain?
  8. M

    Unlocking the Mystery Behind Tuning a Radio

    hi does somebody knows why we hear a noise when tuning a radio? I mean when you turn the radio tuner to find a station. not for a typical station. during turning the knib. I know it's becouse of a electromagnetic wave. but I don't know that wave and its source. tnx.
  9. P

    The Mystery of Free Electron Theory

    In free electron theory, electron doesn't feel any potential due to ions r co-electronsm they r totally free..then why don't they fly off from the metal boundaries?
  10. R

    Solving the Mystery of an Air-Lift: Exploring the Theory Behind It

    Thanks for any replies in advance. I am currently trying to discern the theory behind an air-lift. A very large group of people are currently debating exactly how an air-lift works. Imagine a pond with a pipe in it. An airstone is place at the bottom end of the pipe and air is pumped...
  11. H

    Unravelling the Mystery of an Optical CPU

    A few days ago a buddy of mine showed me a two year old article, telling that Israel have developed an optical CPU. I did check i further and it is true, but I can not understand how such a device can work.. Is there anyone who could explain it to me?
  12. K

    Red vs Re: Clarifying an Equation Mystery

    Hi, this is going to sound very stupid. Is Red the same as Re? Its just that in some equations, I have Red, and then in others Re. It might not sound like much of a problem, but I'd really appreciate if someone could clear things up for me. Thanks!
  13. siddharth

    The Mystery of Bicycle Wheel Sizes: Stability or Ease of Use?

    Why are Bicycle wheels the same size? Is it because it is easier to manufacture and maintain or does having same wheel sizes in the front and back offer added stability when compared to having a bigger wheel at the back (like the early models)?
  14. T

    Investigating the Mystery of Optical Illusion Silliness

    You can just google it so I won't get in trouble for linking to it. Anyone ever looked at it? It looks like just optical illusion silliness to me but is there any possibility of some other sort of thing going on? Was just wodering if anyone ever did anything meaningful there in the way of...
  15. T

    Can Philosophy Solve This Murder Mystery?

    Hey everyone, I was referred to this forum by CeeAnne, and I'm really hoping I can get some help. I have a series of clues for a murder mystery. There are 8 total clues, and all of them seem to point to different people who commited the crime. I'm stumped at the moment. The author of the clues...
  16. J

    Solving the Mystery of the Sealed Room's Temperature

    A colleague has just posed this question and I need some help. There is a sealed room in space that has no external infulences. Inside the room is a fridge. The fridge is powered on and its door is open. The question is, what happens to the temperature of the room ?
  17. T

    Integrating a Complex Integral: Solving the Mystery of the Missing Factor 3

    I'm trying to perform the following integral \pi \int\limits_0^\pi {e^{2x} } \left( {\frac{1}{2} - \frac{1}{2}\cos 2x} \right)dx I split the integral and temporarely ignore the Pi so that I get \frac{1}{2}\int {e^{2x} dx} - \frac{1}{2}\int {e^{2x} \cdot \cos } \left( {2x} \right)dx...
  18. wolram

    Uncovering the Mystery of Troy: Historical Evidence and the Trojan War

    I had little interest in some thing written by Homer 500yrs after the fact, prefering to think the Trojan war a myth, however archealogical evidence is giving some bones to the the myth, i guess we will never know if there was a "wooden horse" or if the characters in Homers story took part in...
  19. TheStatutoryApe

    Mystery Political Call: Is Blocking Numbers Legal?

    Today I received a phone call from one of those automated political telephone campaign recordings. The number was blocked though! That really suprised me. As far as I know businesses of any sort must be listed and can not block their number. I realize that political campaigns, legally...
  20. M

    Finding k to Make Matrix Singular: Solving the Mystery

    Hello everyone I'm suppose to find a k, that will make this matrix singular, well i looked up what that ment, and it means i have to make the determinant 0. So i the matrix is: -3 2 1 -9 8 3 (9+k) 2 0 so i found a random minor, say M13.. so i would have -9 8 (9+k) 2 det = (-9)(2) -...
  21. I

    Has Dark Matter's Mystery Finally Been Solved?

    Hello All, Here is an article we have just published on a very interesting development concerning dark matter: http://www.isracast.com/tech_news/061005_tech.htm Comment are most welcome. Iddo
  22. R

    Understanding Graviton Spin: Unveiling the Mystery of Spin 2

    How do we know that a graviton has to be spin 2?
  23. Ivan Seeking

    "What Could It Be?" Mystery Game

    I thought we might try another variation of "What was it?". http://img345.imageshack.us/img345/603/idbadge8il.jpg
  24. G

    Medical Exploring the Mystery of Deja Vu: What Causes It?

    Can somebody explain how and why Deja Vu happens?
  25. D

    BillG, MichaelD & "Googler": Who's the Mystery Man?

    I am watching television, seeing BillG, MichaelD, and google. But anyone can tell me who google man is? The News is about business competition. That "googler" looks like an Arabian or S.American. What is his name ? I just don't think it is google's manager. Please tell me, i also want to...
  26. A

    Unraveling the Mystery of Dark Matter

    Hey guys, what is dark matter?what is it made up of and where is it?can any theory explain this? can string theory explain this? so please frendz help me out of this.
  27. A

    Uncovering the Mystery of Bracelets Claimed to Have "Special Energy"

    I see commercials for these every now and then. It is some metalic braclet that someone where that grants them some special energy or something. I cannot make out what exactly it does because the commercials are so damn vague. The commercials consist of people just saying how great the bracelet...
  28. Ivan Seeking

    Mystery Bulge in Oregon Still Growing

    http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/ap_050906_sisters_bulge.html
  29. N

    Solving the Mystery of the 3 Girls' Ages

    I have no idea... A man has three daughters. His friends want to know how many years old the daughters are. The man gives them a hint. HINT #1 The product of their ages is 72. The friends say this is not enough information so the man gives them a second hint. HINT #2 The sum of...
  30. T

    Unraveling the Mystery of Solving Square Roots

    I'm just wondering about something, look at this: \[ \begin{array}{l} \sqrt {3 + x} + \sqrt {2 - x} = 3 \\ \left( {\sqrt {3 + x} } \right)^2 + \left( {\sqrt {2 - x} } \right)^2 = 3^2 \\ 3 + x + 2 - x = 9 \\ 5 = 9 \\ \end{array} \] Obviously something isn't right...
  31. D

    Uncovering the Mystery of Spinning CDs: Why the Edge Isn't Moving Faster

    Please help me answer my son's question: It seems as though the outside edge of a spinning CD is moving faster than the middle of a CD. This can't be true, right? Why is it not true mathematically speaking? Thank you. Donna
  32. F

    Mystery of Large Cloud Bottoms: Why Are They Flat?

    Why are the bottoms of large clouds flat?
  33. JamesU

    Mystery Calls from Quebec & Ontario

    for the past week or so, we've received random calls from quebec. sometimes at midnight. all these calls are are a series of beeps. well, today, I got the same call, except it was from ontario...
  34. P

    Orbit & Orbital: Unraveling the Mystery

    orbit n orbital! hi, what is the difference between Orbit and Orbital? when electron is moving so fast, how can we assume of arranging them in an arbital? I am unable to get the actual concept!
  35. G

    Unravelling the Mystery of Clever Joe's Ticket Numbers!

    I wanted to catch the latest action show with my girlfriend, so I went to buy 2 movie tickets. Walking away from the counter, I bumped into a friend Clever Joe. Clever Joe was interested to know my movie ticket numbers, but I cheekily refused to tell him the answer directly, telling him...
  36. I

    Chuckee Cheese's Mystery Hand Stamps

    Every year when I was a young child my aunt would take my siblings and I to Chuckee Cheese. Earlier today I was reminiscing about the great times when I remembered that everyone would receive a small and invisible stamp upon entering the restaurant. Since they did not charge an admission fee...
  37. Y

    What is SLI? Unravel the Mystery of Gaming PCs

    What is SLI? Many crazy gamers like to make a SLI computer, what is SLI? Do you know?
  38. Ivan Seeking

    What happened to the crew of the Mary Celeste?

    http://www.maryceleste.net/
  39. zoobyshoe

    Hot Rock Mystery Near Santa Barbara - Earthfiles.com

    They haven't figured out what is causing these anomalous hot spots near Santa Barbara: Earthfiles.com Address:http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=938&category=Environment
  40. D

    Viewership Numbers: Uncovering the Mystery

    how do they figure out how many people have watched a certain show/event?
  41. G

    Uncovering the Mystery of Who Reads Books

    well, don't know if anyone reads the books... but one way to find out... who reads them eh? well, my girls at camp are doing "wizarding for muggles" which is a harry potter themed two weeks at camp. its been loads of fun. the other day the 6th book came out and we went to Borders in Keene to...
  42. S

    Solving the Mystery of Ideal Gases

    hello,i have question to ask here. :smile: 1. which of the following is not correct for an ideal gas? A. the average kinetic energy of the gas increases with temperature B. the force of repulsion between molecules is proportional to the distance between them C. the gas...
  43. A

    Exploring the Mystery of Gann's Square of Nine

    g'day everyone... i was wondering the significance of Mr Gann's square of nine, and how he could just find this "magical" thing and then apply it to the markets... Also, what is the mathematics behind it? I've looked it up on google but it doesn't have anything about either of these...
  44. M

    Solving the Chemistry Mystery: 2NO2 <---> N2O2

    Hi, I know this is a physics/math forum, but I'd really like some help on this equilibrium question. :frown: Consider this reaction: 2NO2 <---> N2O2 If I increase the pressure, then the system will shift to the right, and thus the forward reaction rate will increase. After awhile, a...
  45. B

    Unraveling the Mystery of Dimensional Analysis

    Hello I've been learning the basics of physics over the past few weeks and thought I knew what they meant when they would refer to the dimensions of something for instance if you asked me what are the dimensions of acceleration I'd say 'change in velocity/time'' or 'v2-v1/T' but I came across a...
  46. C

    Mystery of Jupiter's Red Dot: Uncovering the Cause

    why does the red dot on Jupiter i think its like a storm or something or a hurricane but does anybody know why it does not stop? and the cause of it ? thak u craig
  47. R

    Unraveling Spaceman #1's Atomic Pop Gun Mystery

    I have been playing around with an idea for a few years and I am interested in receiving any feedback. I am an amateur, so if there are any issues with my logic, please feel free to straighten out my thoughts. First, imagine 2 astronauts floating in space. The first astronaut has an atomic...
  48. JamesU

    Unraveling the Mystery of Encrypted HTML

    this is probably in the wrong forum but... I've seen how paypal and other sources encrypt HTML. but how exactly does it work? how does a browser read the encrypted text and know what to display. I must admit that google has failed me on this one :frown:
  49. C

    Mystery of the Missing Dollar

    Three guys walk into a hotel. The Bell boy charges them 30 dollars for the room. Each of the thee men pay 10 dollars. The Bell boy gives the money to the manager but is repremanded as the room only costs 25 dollars, he is told to give 5 dollars back. To make things easier he gives each man...
  50. G

    Solving the Mystery: Identifying the Faulty Bag of Balls

    try this, there are eight bags. each bag contains 10 balls. one of those bags contains balls weighing 2 kg(all balls weigh the same). All the other balls weigh 1 kg. you have a weighing machine (not a balance). in one weighing u have to find out which bag contains the faulty balls.
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