planetdan

Thursday, February 28, 2008 :::

Get Smart

I want to move that gooey pooey rat heap in the previous post down a notch or two, so here's an interesting little quiz for you:

I'll wait a tad before revealing the answer in the comments.

And here is another interactive logic quiz that my brother in law sent me a while back. I figured it out pretty quickly because I'm such a smart cookie, but it was still a little tricky. Unfortunately it is an MS Excel file, so I don't know if everyone will be able to open it or not...

::: posted by dan at 11:34 PM :: [ link ] :: (19) comments

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19 previous comments:

http://freeweb.siol.net/danej/riverIQGame.swf

Here is a link for a non-excel version

By

Anonymous, at 12:19 PM

OK. D sees that B and C have two different colored hats. So, he's not sure what color hat is behind the wall. C is a smart guy. He assumes that if D hasn't said anything after a few minutes, then the two hats D sees must be different. So, C deduces that his hat color is black, which os the opposite of B (white). C calls out "black" and no one gets shot.

By

Jim, at 2:12 PM

It's C, and god it's hard not to read the other comments before answering.

C can ask the guy behind him what color the hat is. And C can also see the guy in front of him.

This is presuming that D can't see in front of C, which wasn't made clear.

I better be right, because I'm going to brag right now how I aced this portion of the GRE.

By

Joy, at 3:48 PM

Damn, I missed that whole part about "not being able to talk to each other." I switch to D.

I hate blogger's comment page, not being able to see the post and all.

By

Joy, at 3:51 PM

If they can't look around, how does C know that D is facing him, or isn't behind a brick wall?

By

dummy, at 4:32 PM

I would pick either a or b, because sometimes brick walls can display a hint of color, enough to know what color hat you're wearing....I'm gonna be up all night. Thanks Dan!

By

Jacobpants, at 11:05 PM

C knows he's black because A)the KKK escorts won't stop reminding him and B) there are no black people in Gnome Land.

By

Anonymous, at 12:34 PM

C can see that there is a white hat in front of him. He yells out black because he knows that if his hat was white D would have yelled out black being able to see two white hats in front of him.

By

HoseQueen Lover, at 9:26 AM

Hose Queen Lover you are a genius! Now tell me how to get everyone across the river...
I don't know what's more disturbing - the fact that I can't figure it out or that the mom will hit the boys if left alone with them. What is up with that?

Amy

By

Anonymous, at 12:08 PM

If the sun is beating down on them, wouldn't it be possible for them ALL to absolutely know which hat they each have based on whether or not their heads get hot? I'm from south TX and it will only take seconds wearing a black hat in the summer sun for your head to get unbearably hot!

By

Anonymous, at 6:06 PM

Anyone solve the river one yet? I did it in less than 10 minutes. (brag, brag, brag!)

By

Anonymous, at 11:15 PM

RE: boat challenge
I've done this in 17 steps (17 one-way trips).
Anyone else do it in less? I have a feeling I've made it too complicated.

By

Cynthia, at 11:39 PM

I got 17 too... I think that's the fewest you can do.

By

K, at 6:21 AM

I finally did the raft/river thing. it sucks and I hate it. Took me three days. I've never been any good at those sorts of things. It was discomfiting that the parents would beat their own kids like that, given the slightest opportunity. Why wouldn't the prisoner run away if left alone? I'd assumed that, but leaving the prisoner alone is essential in solving it (HINT).

-toddbee

By

Anonymous, at 3:31 PM

Why do they hit themselves in the face when I get them all across the river?

By

otimak, at 4:56 PM

DAN!!! Please post the answer to the four gnomes. I am dying here.

By

Anonymous, at 1:59 PM

Jim and Hosequeen Lover had the hat problem solved.

To put it another way, D can see a hat of each color in front of him, so he says nothing (because his could be either color). C can only see a white hat in front of him, so he initially doesn't say anything either. But after thinking about it for a few moments, he realizes that if D can see both B and C, but he hasn't said anything, then B and C must be wearing different colors. Therefore, C must be wearing a black hat.

By

Anonymous, at 7:10 PM

I agree with Dummy's point. The question should specify that all four know who can see whom, otherwise it's not safe for C to assume that D can see both him and B.

By

Anonymous, at 9:21 AM

From what I understand, the official answer is C for the exact reasons that everyone already mentioned, except that explanation presupposes the fact that all four people know their own position.

By

dan, at 1:56 PM

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