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Riddle 3: An Arab sheikh tells his two sons to race their camels to a distant city to see who will inherit his fortune. The one whose camel is slower wins. After wandering aimlessly for days, the brothers ask a wise man for guidance. Upon receiving the advice, they jump on the camels and race to the city as fast as they can. What did the wise man say to them? Solution: + Show Spoiler +Switch camels 
Is it just me or this riddle doesn't make sense. Something is up with the structure.
It's like saying:
A single mom has two kids, a boy and a girl. The mother always had a fancy for cake but she never wore blue coloured coveralls.
How old is the bus driver?
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On April 19 2012 02:50 Krowser wrote:Show nested quote +Riddle 3: An Arab sheikh tells his two sons to race their camels to a distant city to see who will inherit his fortune. The one whose camel is slower wins. After wandering aimlessly for days, the brothers ask a wise man for guidance. Upon receiving the advice, they jump on the camels and race to the city as fast as they can. What did the wise man say to them? Solution: + Show Spoiler +Switch camels Is it just me or this riddle doesn't make sense. Something is up with the structure. It's like saying: A single mom has two kids, a boy and a girl. The mother always had a fancy for cake but she never wore blue coloured coveralls. How old is the bus driver?
I don't see what the problem is, but maybe I can clarify: the sheikh has decided to give his fortune to exactly one of his two sons. Who he gives it to will be decided by a competition between the two boys. The competition is a race on camels, but it's not who can get to the city first... it's whoever's camel is slower will be the victor. The two sons must figure out a way to decide that out, as each one wants to obtain the fortune.
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On April 19 2012 01:36 Geo.Rion wrote:damn, i arrived at the right conclusion, + Show Spoiler + 2, but didnt notice it has anything to do with circles, i simply noticed the numbers have a "weight" most of them 0, so i went on and discovered 6, 9, 0 had a "weight" of one, and 8 has "2".
Wow... dude I like your way much better : )
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On April 19 2012 02:55 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:Show nested quote +On April 19 2012 02:50 Krowser wrote:Riddle 3: An Arab sheikh tells his two sons to race their camels to a distant city to see who will inherit his fortune. The one whose camel is slower wins. After wandering aimlessly for days, the brothers ask a wise man for guidance. Upon receiving the advice, they jump on the camels and race to the city as fast as they can. What did the wise man say to them? Solution: + Show Spoiler +Switch camels Is it just me or this riddle doesn't make sense. Something is up with the structure. It's like saying: A single mom has two kids, a boy and a girl. The mother always had a fancy for cake but she never wore blue coloured coveralls. How old is the bus driver? I don't see what the problem is, but maybe I can clarify: the sheikh has decided to give his fortune to exactly one of his two sons. Who he gives it to will be decided by a competition between the two boys. The competition is a race on camels, but it's not who can get to the city first... it's whoever's camel is slower will be the victor. The two sons must figure out a way to decide that out, as each one wants to obtain the fortune.
Ahh ok, I didn't get the part about the slowest camel.
Now I don't understand the answer.
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On April 19 2012 03:03 cmen15 wrote:Show nested quote +On April 19 2012 01:36 Geo.Rion wrote:damn, i arrived at the right conclusion, + Show Spoiler + 2, but didnt notice it has anything to do with circles, i simply noticed the numbers have a "weight" most of them 0, so i went on and discovered 6, 9, 0 had a "weight" of one, and 8 has "2". Wow... dude I like your way much better : )
That's cool Like a whole slew of linear equations, where each digit from 0-9 can be replaced with a variable ^^
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On April 19 2012 03:03 Krowser wrote:Show nested quote +On April 19 2012 02:55 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On April 19 2012 02:50 Krowser wrote:Riddle 3: An Arab sheikh tells his two sons to race their camels to a distant city to see who will inherit his fortune. The one whose camel is slower wins. After wandering aimlessly for days, the brothers ask a wise man for guidance. Upon receiving the advice, they jump on the camels and race to the city as fast as they can. What did the wise man say to them? Solution: + Show Spoiler +Switch camels Is it just me or this riddle doesn't make sense. Something is up with the structure. It's like saying: A single mom has two kids, a boy and a girl. The mother always had a fancy for cake but she never wore blue coloured coveralls. How old is the bus driver? I don't see what the problem is, but maybe I can clarify: the sheikh has decided to give his fortune to exactly one of his two sons. Who he gives it to will be decided by a competition between the two boys. The competition is a race on camels, but it's not who can get to the city first... it's whoever's camel is slower will be the victor. The two sons must figure out a way to decide that out, as each one wants to obtain the fortune. Ahh ok, I didn't get the part about the slowest camel. Now I don't understand the answer.
+ Show Spoiler +If we switch camels, then I'm on your camel and you're on mine.
If I force your camel to go its top speed and you force mine to go its top speed, and if I win the race, then my camel (the one you're riding on) is slower, meaning I win the fortune.
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On April 18 2012 23:02 kochanfe wrote:
You have a jug that holds five gallons, and a jug that holds three gallons. You have no other containers, and there are no markings on the jugs. You need to obtain exactly seven gallons of water from a faucet. How can you do it?
Second Problem: You need exactly four gallons. How do you do it?
+ Show Spoiler +Time how long it takes to fill either jug. You now have your water flow rate with respect to time. Timing out 7 gallons is accurately achieved.
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On April 19 2012 00:08 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:Here's a riddle: How do you know when someone cheats and looks online for the solution to a riddle? + Show Spoiler +On April 18 2012 23:33 sc2system wrote:you are presented with 2 doors. one has millions of dollars behind it and the other has a lion that will eat you behind it. there are 2 guards in front of the doors that know what is behind the doors. one of them always tells the truth and one of them always lies, but you don't know which is which. You can only ask one question. What do you ask? Took me like 2 minutes. Solution: + Show Spoiler + You ask "What would your brother say if I asked him behind which door the million dollars are?".
You will get the door where the dragon is.
/thread and I don't care, you took what I wanted to say but made it fun, kudos.
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Okay, I have a really good one. Credit goes to the xkcd forums. I'll post the answer tomorrow. The solution is extremely counterintuitive.
There are 200 people on an abandoned island. 100 have green eyes, 100 have blue eyes. The only thing these people can do, is look each other in the eyes. There is no other form of communication. Therefore, they have no way to know what the colour of their own eyes is.
Every night, a boat comes to the island. If you can tell the captain with certainty what colour eyes you have, you can leave the island.
On day 1, a message is given to all inhabitants on the island: "There is at least one person that has green eyes."
The question is: Who can leave the island, and after how long?
Important notes:
- They are all perfect logicians
- Everyone knows the eyecolour of every OTHER inhabitant at all times. The only thing they don't know, is their own eyecolour.
- This can be solved with pure logic, not by coming up with workarounds like reflection in the water or communication with the captain.
- The only possible eyecolours are green and blue.
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On April 19 2012 03:24 Bahamuth wrote:
Okay, I have a really good one. Credit goes to the xkcd forums. I'll post the answer tomorrow. The solution is extremely counterintuitive.
There are 200 people on an abandoned island. 100 have green eyes, 100 have blue eyes. The only thing these people can do, is look each other in the eyes. There is no other form of communication. Therefore, they have no way to know what the colour of their own eyes is.
Every night, a boat comes to the island. If you can tell the captain with certainty what colour eyes you have, you can leave the island.
On day 1, a message is given to all inhabitants on the island: "There is at least one person that has green eyes."
The question is: Who can leave the island, and after how long?
+ Show Spoiler +No one. Ever. There is no other form of communication other than staring.
Or I guess the captain can, every night.
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On April 19 2012 03:24 Bahamuth wrote:
Okay, I have a really good one. Credit goes to the xkcd forums. I'll post the answer tomorrow. The solution is extremely counterintuitive.
There are 200 people on an abandoned island. 100 have green eyes, 100 have blue eyes. The only thing these people can do, is look each other in the eyes. There is no other form of communication. Therefore, they have no way to know what the colour of their own eyes is.
Every night, a boat comes to the island. If you can tell the captain with certainty what colour eyes you have, you can leave the island.
On day 1, a message is given to all inhabitants on the island: "There is at least one person that has green eyes."
The question is: Who can leave the island, and after how long?
The 200 people don't know there are 200 people with green eyes and blue eyes divided equally?
edit1:Can people communicate with the captain other than stating the color of their eyes?
edit2: Are all the people near each other? Are they separated? Can every person meet the 199 other people?
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On April 19 2012 03:28 solidbebe wrote:
The 200 people don't know there are 200 people with green eyes and blue eyes divided equally?
No they don't. And no, the answer is not that no one ever leaves.
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+ Show Spoiler +On an island, there has to be some form of water they can see their reflection in and know their own eye color.
edit: also, if you say your eye color is blue, just guessing, and the captain doesnt let you leave, then you know you have green eyes and can leave the next time.
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On April 19 2012 03:32 Bahamuth wrote:Show nested quote +On April 19 2012 03:28 solidbebe wrote:
The 200 people don't know there are 200 people with green eyes and blue eyes divided equally? No they don't. And no, the answer is not that no one ever leaves.
+ Show Spoiler +Pretty sure 100 people leave the island by just saying green. Because they have evidence that shows they could. And there is and will nvr be anymore certainty available to any of them. Poor blue eyes  .
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On April 19 2012 03:24 Bahamuth wrote:
Okay, I have a really good one. Credit goes to the xkcd forums. I'll post the answer tomorrow. The solution is extremely counterintuitive.
There are 200 people on an abandoned island. 100 have green eyes, 100 have blue eyes. The only thing these people can do, is look each other in the eyes. There is no other form of communication. Therefore, they have no way to know what the colour of their own eyes is.
Every night, a boat comes to the island. If you can tell the captain with certainty what colour eyes you have, you can leave the island.
On day 1, a message is given to all inhabitants on the island: "There is at least one person that has green eyes."
The question is: Who can leave the island, and after how long?
Important note: They are all perfect logicians.
The original, or at least from where it became somewhat famous can be found here, it's more fleshed out (might be helpful considering the difficulty).
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Hint: you can look at everyones eyes each day. Deduce in what situations people can leave given this.
+ Show Spoiler +The first day everyone knows that if there was only one person with green eyes then they would leave.
Since nobody leaves they know that there are at least 2 people with green eyes.
Now the second day happens and everyone knows that if there are only 2 people with green eyes then they will leave since they will see only one other person with green eyes and will know that they can leave. Since they don't leave, now there must be three people with green eyes.
This process continues until the 100 green eyed people leave on the 100th night.
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On April 19 2012 03:24 Bahamuth wrote:
Okay, I have a really good one. Credit goes to the xkcd forums. I'll post the answer tomorrow. The solution is extremely counterintuitive.
There are 200 people on an abandoned island. 100 have green eyes, 100 have blue eyes. The only thing these people can do, is look each other in the eyes. There is no other form of communication. Therefore, they have no way to know what the colour of their own eyes is.
Every night, a boat comes to the island. If you can tell the captain with certainty what colour eyes you have, you can leave the island.
On day 1, a message is given to all inhabitants on the island: "There is at least one person that has green eyes."
The question is: Who can leave the island, and after how long?
Important note: They are all perfect logicians.
+ Show Spoiler +I think we're missing some information here, can everybody see every one elses eye color? if so, the message on day 1 is irrelevant, because everyone will see at least 99 people with green eyes.
Also whats the punishment for answering wrong? Everyone could just guess state "blue" as their eye color on day 1, and then "green" on day 2
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On April 19 2012 03:43 khanofmongols wrote:Hint: you can look at everyones eyes each day. Deduce in what situations people can leave given this. + Show Spoiler +The first day everyone knows that if there was only one person with green eyes then they would leave.
Since nobody leaves they know that there are at least 2 people with green eyes.
Now the second day happens and everyone knows that if there are only 2 people with green eyes then they will leave since they will see only one other person with green eyes and will know that they can leave. Since they don't leave, now there must be three people with green eyes.
This process continues until the 100 green eyed people leave on the 100th night.
I don't understand why it has to be that complicated. The blue-eyed people are screwed because they will nvr be able to know they have blue eyes so in a logical manner everyone would just say they have green eyes because they know its a possibility.
Now if there was a possibility of more information becoming available or something then sure no need to bother risking your chance to get off the island.
I think its possible that 100 people leave on 1 day and 100 are trapped forever since in this scenario they seem to be trapped regardless.
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On April 19 2012 03:24 Bahamuth wrote:
Okay, I have a really good one. Credit goes to the xkcd forums. I'll post the answer tomorrow. The solution is extremely counterintuitive.
There are 200 people on an abandoned island. 100 have green eyes, 100 have blue eyes. The only thing these people can do, is look each other in the eyes. There is no other form of communication. Therefore, they have no way to know what the colour of their own eyes is.
Every night, a boat comes to the island. If you can tell the captain with certainty what colour eyes you have, you can leave the island.
On day 1, a message is given to all inhabitants on the island: "There is at least one person that has green eyes."
The question is: Who can leave the island, and after how long?
Important note: They are all perfect logicians.
I thought this one led to a paradox ? Or at least there are two solutions and both are disputable.
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On April 19 2012 03:17 Alpino wrote:Show nested quote +On April 19 2012 00:08 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:Here's a riddle: How do you know when someone cheats and looks online for the solution to a riddle? + Show Spoiler +On April 18 2012 23:33 sc2system wrote:you are presented with 2 doors. one has millions of dollars behind it and the other has a lion that will eat you behind it. there are 2 guards in front of the doors that know what is behind the doors. one of them always tells the truth and one of them always lies, but you don't know which is which. You can only ask one question. What do you ask? Took me like 2 minutes. Solution: + Show Spoiler + You ask "What would your brother say if I asked him behind which door the million dollars are?".
You will get the door where the dragon is.
/thread and I don't care, you took what I wanted to say but made it fun, kudos.
Haha thanks
On April 19 2012 03:41 kuresuti wrote:Show nested quote +On April 19 2012 03:24 Bahamuth wrote:
Okay, I have a really good one. Credit goes to the xkcd forums. I'll post the answer tomorrow. The solution is extremely counterintuitive.
There are 200 people on an abandoned island. 100 have green eyes, 100 have blue eyes. The only thing these people can do, is look each other in the eyes. There is no other form of communication. Therefore, they have no way to know what the colour of their own eyes is.
Every night, a boat comes to the island. If you can tell the captain with certainty what colour eyes you have, you can leave the island.
On day 1, a message is given to all inhabitants on the island: "There is at least one person that has green eyes."
The question is: Who can leave the island, and after how long?
Important note: They are all perfect logicians. The original, or at least from where it became somewhat famous can be found here, it's more fleshed out (might be helpful considering the difficulty).
Yeah, that's how I heard it once before.
My math friends and I went back and forth with brain teasers until I was given this one, and we worked it out using a much simpler case (like 1 blue and 1 green first, then moving upwards).
Also, I think it's important to note that the inhabitants don't know how many people of each eye color there are. Otherwise, you could just line everyone up and count, and figure out which color you should be (as one color would be one short).
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/LYebe.png)
