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        riddles >> what happened >> One way out
        
(Message started by: alien2 on Nov 27th, 2014, 10:34am)
Title: One way out
Post by alien2 on Nov 27th, 2014, 10:34am

There is a concrete cubic room, with a side 5 m long. It has only one square opening at the center of the ceiling, with a side 1 m long. A gymnast is inside the room. The only objects at his disposal are sweat suit, sneakers, underpants and socks he is wearing. He manages to get out of the room all by himself. How?
Title: Re: One way out
Post by dudiobugtron on Dec 3rd, 2014, 4:39pm
Maybe the gymnast [hide]Waits until it rains?[/hide]
[hide]And if that won't work, perhaps it happens to flood![/hide]

Another option: [hide]The gymnast ties one of his sneakers to the end of his sweatsuit, using shoelaces if needed.  Then he throws the sneaker up through the hole until it wedges in one of the corners.  As long as the gymnast climbs from directly under the sneaker, it won't shuffle forward and slip off.  Hopefully the sneaker is strong enough not to bend in half completely as the gymnast climbs up his sweatsuit to freedom.  The combined length of the sweatsuit should be enough for the gymnast to grab it from below by jumping, although he may need to use his underwear and socks as well to increase the length slightly.  He has a spare shoelace if more things need tying.[/hide]
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Dec 4th, 2014, 3:20am
Nope.


on 12/03/14 at 16:39:23, dudiobugtron wrote:
Maybe the gymnast [hide]Waits until it rains?[/hide]
[hide]And if that won't work, perhaps it happens to flood![/hide]

No rain, snow or flood.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by Grimbal on Dec 4th, 2014, 7:11am
That cube is a cistern.  It is full of water already.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Dec 4th, 2014, 7:46am
There is nothing in the unusual room except for above gymnast and air.

At first glance the riddle sounds impossible to solve.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by Grimbal on Dec 5th, 2014, 5:34am
Except if the cube is on the moon.

Or in free fall.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Dec 5th, 2014, 5:43am
No. The puzzle is happening on the Earth.  
Title: Re: One way out
Post by Grimbal on Dec 5th, 2014, 5:50am
Are the concrete walls something like 5mm thick?
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Dec 5th, 2014, 6:56am
The walls are 20mm thick.  
Title: Re: One way out
Post by towr on Dec 5th, 2014, 8:31am
That's not a lot, are you sure you don't want to add another zero? Or change mm to cm?
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Dec 11th, 2014, 7:20am
My bad. I meant to say that the walls are 20cm thick. To err is alien.

Not everything is as it seems at first glance.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by dudiobugtron on Dec 15th, 2014, 8:53pm
Perhaps the room is [hide]lying on its side, so the ceiling is actually where you'd expect one of the walls to be?[/hide]
Title: Re: One way out
Post by towr on Dec 15th, 2014, 11:24pm
Maybe it [hide]only has one square opening, but also several round ones that are more accessible[/hide]
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Dec 16th, 2014, 4:28am

on 12/15/14 at 20:53:26, dudiobugtron wrote:
Perhaps the room is [hide]lying on its side, so the ceiling is actually where you'd expect one of the walls to be?[/hide]

Nope.


on 12/15/14 at 23:24:05, towr wrote:
Maybe it [hide]only has one square opening, but also several round ones that are more accessible[/hide]

If there is an alternative answer, this has to be it. The room has [hide]only one opening[/hide] regarding the intended answer.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by Grimbal on Dec 16th, 2014, 6:28am

on 11/27/14 at 10:34:31, alien2 wrote:
The only objects at his disposal are sweat suit, sneakers, underpants and socks he is wearing.

The long ladder standing in the middle of the room and sticking out of the opening is NOT at his disposal.  It is there but it is NOT for him to use.  But he doesn't care.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Dec 16th, 2014, 8:11am

on 12/16/14 at 06:28:32, Grimbal wrote:
The long ladder standing in the middle of the room and sticking out of the opening is NOT at his disposal.  It is there but it is NOT for him to use.  But he doesn't care.

Nah. No unmentioned objects have a role in the riddle.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Jan 11th, 2015, 10:24am
THE CLUE: [hide]His exit from the room lasts a few seconds.[/hide]
Title: Re: One way out
Post by Grimbal on Jan 12th, 2015, 9:56am
As initial conditions, do you have the man stationary on the floor of the room, or does he have a large upward momentum of undisclosed origin (and about which we should not bother since it happens before the start of the riddle)?
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Jan 13th, 2015, 9:50am
The gymnast isn't Superman but keep thinking like that.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by Grimbal on Jan 14th, 2015, 3:48pm
That doesn't answer the question.

The sneakers have VERY thick soles?  They are magic boots?  Rocket sneakers?  Spring-loaded sneakers?
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Jan 18th, 2015, 5:48am
He doesn't have a large upward momentum of undisclosed origin and the sneakers are standard. Only the room is unusual, nothing else.


on 01/12/15 at 09:56:59, Grimbal wrote:
As initial conditions, do you have the man stationary on the floor of the room...

[hide]No.[/hide]


on 12/15/14 at 23:24:05, towr wrote:
Maybe it [hide]only has one square opening, but also several round ones that are more accessible[/hide]

After consulting the alien committee for riddles, which has its headquarters in Alienopolis on Alpha Centauri Bb, I have decided to accept this alternative answer.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Feb 7th, 2015, 9:59am
I have advanced telepathic abilities, and I have sensed all the way from Alpha Centauri Bb that towr knows the answer, but he wants to give other riddlers a chance to solve the riddle. I think that this time you should put your selflessness and modesty aside, towr, and prove once again what a great puzzler you are. After all, my telepathic abilities are legendary throughout the Alpha Quadrant and Beta Quadrant, so I am certain that you know the expected answer. Am I right!? If you respect me as a riddler as much as I respect you, I am certain that you will enounce Urbi et Orbi the solution.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by towr on Feb 8th, 2015, 2:42am
Look, I'm not going to pretend you didn't tell me the answer late last year just in case you couldn't be on the forum anymore.

Anyway, Grimbal was already pretty close.

Maybe people should wonder how the guy got in the cube in the first place.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Feb 21st, 2015, 6:04am
He was in the cube [hide]for about 20 seconds.[/hide]
Title: Re: One way out
Post by Grimbal on Feb 23rd, 2015, 8:00am
He has a large *downwards* mementum due to the fact that he jumped in the room from the hole.
And the floor is a trampoline.
Title: Re: One way out
Post by alien2 on Feb 28th, 2015, 4:53am
Nah. The answer is surprisingly simple.

Spoiler: Zeljko Vela ironically nicknamed Wladimir Klitschko [hide]Dr. Steelhanger.[/hide]
Title: Re: One way out
Post by cheesepuff on Jun 5th, 2015, 1:08pm
[hide]Bungie jumping[/hide]


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