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Topic: The Safe (Read 781 times) |
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denis
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John, Gary and Peter's father passed away. He kept his valuables in standard mechanical safe with rotating combination knob with numbers 1 to 30 and a lever to open the door. The will contained the following note:
I leave all the valuables to the first one of my children who can open the safe. Here is the combination: l3r27l6. My children each get one try starting with John, then Gary and finally Peter. If neither can open the safe even when I give them the combination, it is only fitting that all my valuables go to charity
John goes first. He guesses that the 'r' means to turn the knob to the right - clockwise and that is applies to the 27: He turns the knob counterclockwise to 13 then clockwise to 27 then counterclockwise to 16. He turns the lever. CLUNK! The lever did not open the safe.
Gary laughed, saying "You're supposed to go over the second number at least once. Allow me to demonstrate". He turns the knob counterclockwise to 13 then clockwise a full revolution past 27, stops the next time he arrives at 27 then counterclockwise to 16. He turns the lever. CLUNK! It did not open the safe.
Peter did his turn dialing the knob back and forth while hiding with the other hand what he was doing. Finally, he turned the lever. CLANG! The safe is opened! How did he do it?
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| « Last Edit: Mar 21st, 2008, 2:07pm by denis » |
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Ghost Sniper
Senior Riddler
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #1 on: Mar 21st, 2008, 2:53pm » |
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For the first number, you turn clockwise twice or more past it, then stop on it. After that, you turn counterclockwise once past the second number, then stop at it the second time around. Lastly, you turn clockwise and stop at the third number
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*sob* I miss my mommy... *blows nose* huh, I'm on? oh right.
(thinks to self) Time for my speech to these college kids.
"Reason is more important than all emotions..."
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denis
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #2 on: Mar 21st, 2008, 3:16pm » |
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on Mar 21st, 2008, 2:53pm, Ghost Sniper wrote:| For the first number, you turn clockwise twice or more past it, then stop on it. After that, you turn counterclockwise once past the second number, then stop at it the second time around. Lastly, you turn clockwise and stop at the third number |
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CLUNK! the safe does not open.
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Ghost Sniper
Senior Riddler
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #3 on: Mar 21st, 2008, 6:04pm » |
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Hehe... just trying normal locker combinations.
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*sob* I miss my mommy... *blows nose* huh, I'm on? oh right.
(thinks to self) Time for my speech to these college kids.
"Reason is more important than all emotions..."
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FiBsTeR
Senior Riddler
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #4 on: Mar 22nd, 2008, 8:32am » |
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Perhaps 'r2' refers to Gary's idea of going past the second number twice, so start by going counterclockwise to 13, then past 7 clockwise, then stop again on 7 the second time, then finally counterclockwise to 16.
EDIT: Or '3r' refers to going past the second number three times, so counterclockwise to 1, past 27 twice then stopping on it the third time, then counterclockwise to 16. Why stop there? 'r27' could refer to going past a second number 27 times, and the combination is 13-1-6 or 1-3-16. Or 'r271' and the combination is 1-3-6. 
But then again, I should only get one try. 
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| « Last Edit: Mar 22nd, 2008, 8:36am by FiBsTeR » |
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denis
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #5 on: Mar 22nd, 2008, 9:33am » |
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on Mar 22nd, 2008, 8:32am, FiBsTeR wrote:| Perhaps 'r2' refers to Gary's idea of going past the second number twice, so start by going counterclockwise to 13, then past 7 clockwise, then stop again on 7 the second time, then finally counterclockwise to 16. |
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CLUNK! The safe does not open.
on Mar 22nd, 2008, 8:32am, FiBsTeR wrote:
EDIT: Or '3r' refers to going past the second number three times, so counterclockwise to 1, past 27 twice then stopping on it the third time, then counterclockwise to 16. |
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CLUNK! the safe does not open.
on Mar 22nd, 2008, 8:32am, FiBsTeR wrote:
Why stop there? 'r27' could refer to going past a second number 27 times, and the combination is 13-1-6 |
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CLUNK! the safe does not open.
on Mar 22nd, 2008, 8:32am, FiBsTeR wrote:
CLUNK! the safe does not open.
on Mar 22nd, 2008, 8:32am, FiBsTeR wrote:
Or 'r271' and the combination is 1-3-6. |
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CLUNK! the safe does not open.
on Mar 22nd, 2008, 8:32am, FiBsTeR wrote:
But then again, I should only get one try. |
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There are no imposed limits to the riddlers in this community. Shoot away at will. The limit applied only to the three sons in the riddle.
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| « Last Edit: Mar 22nd, 2008, 9:40am by denis » |
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denis
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #6 on: Mar 22nd, 2008, 9:35am » |
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on Mar 22nd, 2008, 7:37am, Iceman wrote:
Time is not relevant here.
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Grimbal
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #7 on: Mar 22nd, 2008, 3:57pm » |
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Can't you guys read?
left 2 turns to 3, right 1 turn and some to 27, left to 6 and and CLANG!
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denis
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #8 on: Mar 22nd, 2008, 7:33pm » |
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on Mar 22nd, 2008, 3:57pm, Grimbal wrote:Can't you guys read?
left 2 turns to 3, right 1 turn and some to 27, left to 6 and and CLANG! |
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CLANG! The safe is opened!
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mikedagr8
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #9 on: Mar 23rd, 2008, 12:12am » |
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I'm confused how you got that. 
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"It's not that I'm correct, it's that you're just not correct, and so; I am right." - M.P.E.
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Grimbal
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #10 on: Mar 23rd, 2008, 5:34am » |
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on Mar 21st, 2008, 11:34am, denis wrote:| ... Here is the combination: l3r27l6. ... |
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FiBsTeR
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #11 on: Mar 23rd, 2008, 7:34am » |
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Gah, curse you teletype font!
Nice trick, btw; gives me second thoughts about my literacy.
EDIT: Ignore this: 1 l L
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| « Last Edit: Mar 23rd, 2008, 7:36am by FiBsTeR » |
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alien2
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #12 on: Mar 23rd, 2008, 7:47am » |
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I like it. Font can be funny after all. It reminds me of cynicism of Heinrich Heine.
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denis
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #13 on: Mar 23rd, 2008, 11:59am » |
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The idea came from an Isaac Asimov short mystery story called "The Three Numbers". Basically, the combination was written on a old typewriter where the 1 and lower case L share the same symbol.
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| « Last Edit: Mar 23rd, 2008, 12:03pm by denis » |
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alien2
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #14 on: Mar 28th, 2008, 7:54am » |
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Are you talking to me? Have you ever been to Lolland? Btw, you sound like a nice bloke, so here is my number: 098/l67lll99l.
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gotit
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Re: The Safe
« Reply #15 on: Mar 28th, 2008, 8:09am » |
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on Mar 28th, 2008, 7:54am, Iceman wrote:| so here is my number: 098/l67lll99l. |
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What's that. This seems to be the Courier New font.
And it does not have the same symbol for 1 and l
Did you note the difference? 
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| « Last Edit: Mar 28th, 2008, 8:10am by gotit » |
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