2, 3, 5, 9, 17, _ What is the next number in the sequence?

In a rainy season, one day 3 huge ladies walked under a normal-sized umbrella.
The umbrella is not huge enough to accommodate all 3 ladies yet not a single lady got wet. Why?

Today, I celebrated my 32nd birthday but I was born in 1972.
How is this possible?

Solve the mathematical equation in the picture below.

What goes through cities and fields, but never moves?

Which number comes next in the number series?

2, 9, 30, 93, ?

500 women soldiers are arranged in an array of ten rows and fifty columns in accordance with their respective heights. Now, the tallest woman from each row is asked to move out in the front. From them, the shortest one is labelled as Alpha. They are then asked to resume their original position.

Now, the shortest woman in each column is asked to come out in front. The tallest among them is labelled as Beta.

Can you find out if Alpha will be taller or Beta?

Sherlock Holmes was challenged to make a pre-drawn line smaller without erasing it. He did it in fractions of seconds. How?

Your job is to measure 45 minutes if you have only two cords and matches to light the cords.

1. The two cords are twisted from various materials, so their different segments can burn at different rates.
2. Each cord burns from end to end in exactly one hour.

Describe your way of measuring the 45 minutes.

Arrange the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 above and below the division line in a manner that the thus formed fractions equal to 1/3.

(You can use one number only once)