Missing Number

Originally posted by mwmiller
When I invert the string and look at it I see :86:--:88:89:90:
The missing number is 87 when I follow that sequence.

So maybe I needed to present the original puzzle better.

Here's the version I saw:

A child at school sees the following sequence painted on the ground on the asphalt of the parking lot:

06 68 88 __ 98

She can't read the number between 88 and 98 because the paint has been worn away. What number goes in the space?

She's of course reading the parking space numbers upside down.

On the presentation I saw, the numbers were just hand-written on a piece of paper with vertical lines used as separators. Nothing was said to misdirect anyone about the orientation of the paper and numbers. The paper was just set down in front of a couple of persons and they were asked to furnish the missing number in the sequence. They saw it upside down (as presented here) but assumed it was right side up. They were unable to figure out the number, but upon giving up the paper was rotated for them and it was forehead slapping time. 🙂

Originally posted by mwmiller
When I invert the string and look at it I see :86:--:88:89:90:
The missing number is 87 when I follow that sequence.

So maybe I needed to present the original puzzle better.

It's a physical thing. You need to have the sequence on paper to show someone and then turn it over. That worked for me, generated a nice groan🙂

96

sweet...didn't see that