The Riddle of the Alchemist's Scales
Empiric, the plague doctor, entered the study of a renowned but eccentric alchemist known for his challenging riddles. In the center of the room stood a table with two scales. On one scale, there were six identical-looking stones. The alchemist explained, "One of these stones is slightly heavier than the others. Using the scales just twice, determine which stone is the heavier one."
Empiric observed that there were no weights to use for balancing and that the scales could only tell if one side was heavier or lighter compared to the other.
The Riddle:
How does Empiric find the heavier stone using the scales only twice?