who can answer either of these questions? warning tough Q's?

Question

draw nine dots on a bit of paper in a pattern of 3 by 3. paper then put you pen on a dot and connect the remaining dots in the minimum number of straight lines, without taking your pen off the paper.
How many lines?



If 3 men, wearing white coats, rowed out into a lake.

they didn't have a paddle or a boat.
the nearest quantity of water greater than 1 Litre was 5 m away.
Their coats are not covered in white paint it is made from white cotton.

1) where are they
2) what are they doing
3) what colour are there coats when they finish.

no they are not mental patients.
no the coats are not still white.
no they are not trying to escape.
no you can do it in a lot less then 4 lines.

the nine dots can be connected using a minimum number of 0 lines however you can create answers from 0 to any number, to get 0 you use fold the bit of paper and stab your pen through all nine dots at once voila. 2 the men have had a row as in a fight into a lake (which is a reddy purple dye) so there coats are reddy purple, they are fighting and somewhere where you will find dye many different answers are excepted its the 2nd and 3rd questions that are focused on. Its a lateral thinking puzzle hence why you work backwards through the questions to get to the correct answer

Answer 1

I've seen the 9 dots one before. here's the solution:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/300913/nine_dot_riddle_you_must_see_this/

...still thinking about the men in white coats!

edit: 23 hours later and still thinking about it dammit! I have no idea what the answer is. I thought they could be cleaning an oil slick (which would be the 'lake') but that's dumb. then I though they could be on the moon or in space - hence the white [space]suits and no water - but that doesn't make sense. so I'm stuck.

you'd better post the answer or I will hate you forever.

oh, and there's no way you can connect those 9 dots with less than 4 straight lines - let alone 'a lot less'! unless you cheat by folding, tearing or otherwise moving the paper.

Answer 2

Q1: 4 lines
Q2: 3 people in a mental house

Answer 3

ok 4 lines
1mental patiants
2 trying to escape
3 coats are still white

Answer 4

first one is 5 to touch all or 6 to connect the last and first

Answer 5

5


in a lake
sitteng on a boat
white

heck i dont knw

Answer 6

Wow those are hard