Have you ever thought you have what it takes to become a spy? Well you can now find out thanks to a puzzle the Central Intelligence Agency posted on Twitter. The tricky brainteaser shows a wintery scene with a caption that reads, 'Put your analysis skills to the test. What time is it in the photo?' They give three options: 3 p.m., 11 a.m. and 7 a.m.
At first glance, the pic just seems to be of a quiet ski resort with nearby homes and snow-covered roads, but looking closer, you might be able to figure out some clues to solve the puzzle.
Oct 21, 2014 For over 60 years the Central Intelligence Agency has cultivated a hardened image, quietly ruling the shadowy world of intelligence. But in June the CIA joined a very different world, blazing in. The posts from the @CIA account include mentions of anniversaries of CIA missions and facts from the 'CIA World Fact Book.' They also highlight real-life James Bond-esque tools of the spy trade.
#TuesdayTrivia
Put your analysis skills to the test.
What time is it in the photo?
Most people who wagered a guess didn't think it was 11 a.m., likely because the shadows would be shorter if that were the time.
A third of the responses were for 3 p.m., with explanations like, 'The snow on the road has been worn down by a days traffic and there are no [snow plows] out. Empty school buses are pulling in and lining up to take kids home. Sun is now in the West - houses are East facing,' and 'The clock tower in the photo says it 3:00 p.m.'
However, more than half the people who tried the puzzle felt it was 7 a.m. for various reasons. One wrote, 'The cars in the parking lot have snow on hoods. Long shadows. Nobody’s skiing yet. Only 1 car on the road. No pedestrians,' while another noted, 'I would say it's 7 a.m. because the streets have not been plowed yet, and seeing evergreen trees I bet they have snowplows and ample snow removal tools ready. I believe that if it was any other time of day the roads would be clearer since it is not currently snowing.' Others commented on how the buses are likely dropping students off at the school.
It turns out, they were right. In a follow-up tweet, the CIA confirmed that 7 a.m. is the correct answer and invited anyone who guessed correctly to apply for a job at the agency.
Most of you guessed correctly. Seems like you all have an eye for this. You should check out our careers page: https://t.co/BnsTZcZxXs#DiscovertheCIA
— CIA (@CIA) December 1, 2020
It's not the first time a spy agency has done some recruiting via social media. A few years ago, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service put out a pretty challenging interactive test people could take online. Learn more about that and find out how to take it here.
Clapper Cia Twitter
Photo: Getty Images
If only the C in CIA stood for “clever.” To mark the 35th anniversary of the start of the Iran hostage crisis, the surprisingly social media-savvy Central Intelligence Agency used Twitter to point out how the Oscar-winning film Argo took creative license with history.
“Today we tell you what’s ‘reel’ vs. ‘real,'” the CIA tweeted Friday before going on a fact-checking spree about what actually happened and what was invented for storytelling’s sake. The differences mostly come down to simplified details (they didn’t go to the Canadian ambassador’s house right away, multiple CIA agents went to Iran) and heightened drama (everything at the airport happened pretty smoothly, actually).
Nsa Twitter
Despite the history lesson, the hashtag-friendly CIA still has lots of love for the film (and isn’t immune to typos): “Real #ARGO: An exciting movie that it kept us on the edge of our seats. Letting @BenAffleck film here? Best bad idea we’ve had. #ThanksBen!”
Check out the whole Twitter stream here.
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Cia Director Gina Haspel Twitter
EDIT POST