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Topic: tough puzzle (Read 5022 times) |
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skeptic1000
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Re: tough puzzle
« Reply #25 on: Apr 30th, 2008, 1:54pm » |
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on Apr 30th, 2008, 1:22pm, BenVitale wrote:
Why? I'm sorry but I don't see how this could be interpreted as a tricky question. I see it as a simple question. |
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So you are saying that "simple" and "tricky" are mutually exclusive? That is tough to prove, because certainly sometimes the simplest things can be tricky. (Have you ever tried to put together anything from IKEA?) And in this case the question is, by definition, tricky since you are trying to trick someone.
*EDIT: Maybe a better way to explain a "tricky question" would be to say that you are planning to use the response for a purpose other than the direct information that it contains.
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| « Last Edit: Apr 30th, 2008, 3:19pm by skeptic1000 » |
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towr
wu::riddles Moderator
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Some people are average, some are just mean.
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Re: tough puzzle
« Reply #26 on: Apr 30th, 2008, 2:02pm » |
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on Apr 30th, 2008, 11:40am, skeptic1000 wrote:| Sure, but then the joke is on the person rather than on the joke. So you are insinuating that it is funny to make a fool of someone else on the board? |
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I don't think it makes a fool out of anyone. Besides, it's not directed at anyone in the first place. It's just having fun together being weird.
And if someone comes along that, understandably, doesn't get it, that hardly reflects badly on them; it just means their sanity is intact (nothing we can't fix  ).
Quote:in which case I would be the one not getting the joke.  |
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I have to admit, the apparent exasperation in your first post of this thread still makes me smile involuntarily.
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skeptic1000
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Re: tough puzzle
« Reply #27 on: Apr 30th, 2008, 3:05pm » |
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on Apr 28th, 2008, 2:36pm, BenVitale wrote:| There doesn't seem to be a limit on the number of questions you can ask. |
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Yes, there are a lot of things this one-frame comic doesn't specify. In the original riddle it is specified that the only thing you are allowed to do is ask one question. But by your logic, since the comic doesn't say that, then you can pretty much do anything. So when in Rome...
Why not just order the guards to ask your tricky questions for you? An order is not a question so you don't have to worry about getting stabbed that way, and since they are guards they are probably used to taking orders, right?
So you order one guard to ask the other guards "What door would the other guards tell me to pick?" Then the stabber either kills himself if you were lucky enough to pick him to ask the question (in which case you now know the answer based off of the solution to the original puzzle) or the stabber kills the guard who asked the question (thus exposing the stabber's identity). In the latter case you now order the stabber to ask the other living guard "Is the stabber alive"? The remaining guard answers and then the stabber kills himself upon realizing the implications of that question. If the guard answered "yes", then he tells the truth so now you just use your one question to ask him the correct door. If the guard answered "no", then you know he lies. And you already know one of the doors that isn't correct from his very first response, so now you use your one question to ask about one of the other two doors. (The stabber is dead now so you don't have to worry about him knowing that you are intentionally tricking the lying guard).
This answer only uses one question as the original riddle requires, and it stays true to the additional rule of the stabber always killing whenever any question is asked with an ulterior motive (a.k.a. tricky). The only additional assumption is that you can give out orders before you ask your one question.
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| « Last Edit: Apr 30th, 2008, 3:11pm by skeptic1000 » |
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Benny
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Re: tough puzzle
« Reply #28 on: Apr 30th, 2008, 4:41pm » |
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on Apr 30th, 2008, 3:05pm, skeptic1000 wrote:
.... Why not just order the guards to ask your tricky questions for you? An order is not a question so you don't have to worry about getting stabbed that way, and since they are guards they are probably used to taking orders, right?.... |
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That's tricky! I don't believe that would work. The guard will perceive it as a tricky situation, he will see it as you're trying to trick you. Hence he may stab you.
Do you agree?
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If we want to understand our world — or how to change it — we must first understand the rational choices that shape it.
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skeptic1000
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Posts: 36
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Re: tough puzzle
« Reply #29 on: May 1st, 2008, 6:21am » |
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on Apr 30th, 2008, 4:41pm, BenVitale wrote:
That's tricky! I don't believe that would work. The guard will perceive it as a tricky situation, he will see it as you're trying to trick you. Hence he may stab you.
Do you agree?
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I agree that ordering the guards to do things is tricky, but it specifically says the third guard stabs people that ASK tricky questions. You can BE tricky without ASKING a tricky question. The guard might perceive it as tricky a situation, but when he realizes there's no question mark involved he won't be able to stab you.
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| « Last Edit: May 1st, 2008, 6:21am by skeptic1000 » |
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