Once upon a time... A Puzzle
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@unknownuser said:
Outside a room there are three light switches. Each switch is connected to a different light bulb inside the room.
Each of the three switches can be either 'ON' or 'OFF'.
You are allowed to set each switch the way you want it and then enter the room. you can only do this once.Your task is to then determine which switch controls which bulb. How can you do it?
Flip the switch, then look in the room through the doorway (without entering it).
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@daniel said:
@unknownuser said:
Outside a room there are three light switches. Each switch is connected to a different light bulb inside the room.
Each of the three switches can be either 'ON' or 'OFF'.
You are allowed to set each switch the way you want it and then enter the room. you can only do this once.Your task is to then determine which switch controls which bulb. How can you do it?
Flip the switch, then look in the room through the doorway (without entering it).
nope - the room is light sealed.. no windows etc..
a hint - light bulbs are an important part of the solution.. if the switches were connected to electric fans for instance, you probably couldn't solve it..
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Yes I could, at least with most ceiling fans
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@unknownuser said:
Tomorrow does sheep will be at the same hour and at the same place on the way than today?
You never return to the same time and the same point in space
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@ecuadorian said:
Yes I could, at least with most ceiling fans
oh yeah.. i guess you could figure it out with fans..
i was going to use electric clocks as an example you couldn't do it with but that too would actually work.. an electric Digital clock (meaning - the display turns off instantaneously when the power is shut off) on the other hand - i don't think that would be possible. -
@unknownuser said:
an electric Digital clock (meaning - the display turns off instantaneously when the power is shut off) on the other hand - i don't think that would be possible.
ok, so i thought of a way you could do it with a digital clock as well..(and probably is the easiest of all)
i'll just go ahead and give the answer.. for ease of explanation, let's label the switches 1, 2, & 3:
- set switch 1 & 2 to the 'ON' position
- wait a minute or two
- turn off switch 2 and enter the room
- the light that is on is controlled by switch 1... the light that is off and warm is switch 2... the light that is off and cold is switch 3
and i'm stumped on frenchy's last question
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@unknownuser said:
You never return to the same time and the same point in space
Read more the question
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Once upon a time, I got into a session with a couple of programmers who were trying to find a non obvious way to hide information in a binary format. This is one of the things we came up with.
The following sequence is valid under this scheme:
1 = 1
2 = 110
3 = 111
4 = 100
5 = 101
6 = 11010
7 = 11011
8 = 11000
9 = 11001
10 = 11110Can you see why?
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@unknownuser said:
Outside a room there are three light switches. Each switch is connected to a different light bulb inside the room.
Each of the three switches can be either 'ON' or 'OFF'.
You are allowed to set each switch the way you want it and then enter the room. you can only do this once.Your task is to then determine which switch controls which bulb. How can you do it?
There's window in the wall and you can see the lights inside?
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@unknownuser said:
Each of the three switches can be either 'ON' or 'OFF'.
You are allowed to set each switch the way you want it and then enter the room. you can only do this once.Your task is to then determine which switch controls which bulb. How can you do it?
Model it in Podium.
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@teezer said:
Once upon a time, I got into a session with a couple of programmers who were trying to find a non obvious way to hide information in a binary format. This is one of the things we came up with.
The following sequence is valid under this scheme:
1 = 1
2 = 110
3 = 111
4 = 100
5 = 101
6 = 11010
7 = 11011
8 = 11000
9 = 11001
10 = 11110Can you see why?
Ok, wait, I've solved the first 5 digits. It seems that you have to subtract and then add the relative values of the digits. I'm not a coder, so I might be way off...
2 = 4 - 2 + 0
3 = 4 - 2 + 1
4 = 4 - 0 + 0
5 = 4 - 0 + 1 -
That's why I came up with my own puzzle, Pilou. Anyone wants to give it a try?
@ecuadorian said:
This one is for the Japanese speakers and Japanese language learners in the forum:
3txq
What is the next character in the sequence? -
In Cheating
In fact now with Internet it's very difficult to find new problem
Solution is always somewhere@unknownuser said:
From: Doctor Rob
Subject: Negative basesYes, there are negative bases. They aren't used much, but they are
quite interesting. They allow you to represent both positive and
negative numbers with only positive digits. For example, if the base
is -2, then you have the following equalities:
Base 10... Base -2
-11..... 110101
-10..... 1010
-9..... 1011
-8..... 1000
-7..... 1001
-6..... 1110
-5..... 1111
-4 ..... 1100
-3 ..... 1101
-2 ..... 10
-1..... 11
0..... 0
1 ..... 1
2 ..... 110
3 .... 111
4 ... 100
5 ... 101
6 ... 11010
7 ... 11011
8 ... 11000
9 ... 11001
10 ... 11110 -
@ecuadorian said:
That's why I came up with my own puzzle, Pilou. Anyone wants to give it a try?
@ecuadorian said:
This one is for the Japanese speakers and Japanese language learners in the forum:
3txq
What is the next character in the sequence?I know nothing about Japanese, but congratulations to you and Pilou for seeing that the sequence was base minus two. Most folks have never heard of negative base numbers.
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I had not heard about negative bases either, Tweezer. I just noticed that there was something rhythmic in the alternate subtract-add-subtract-add thing.
Since there seems to be no Japanese language students here, I'll post a (hopefully) less known puzzle:
One morning, Mr. Rich, the richest (and stingiest) man alive, entered a bank in downtown Manhattan. He went directly to the account officer and asked him for a $1 loan. The officer said:
-But Mr. Rich, you have gazillions in our bank. You can withdraw any amount you want.
-No, I want a loan, son. If you don't give it to me, I'll withdraw all my money from this bank and never return!
-Ok, I'll give it to you. You have to sign this paper here, and here.
-Aren't you going to ask me to pawn something?
-Of course not! We've known you for decades, Mr. Rich, we trust you with our lives.
-If you don't allow me to pawn something, son, I'll withdraw all my deposits and all my investments from this bloody bank!
-Fine. What do you want to pawn?
-Perhaps my car. It's right out here.
-Understood. I'll tell the guards to put it inside immediately.
-How much is the interest rate, son?
-It's just a 3% monthly interest rate, Mr. Rich.
-So, if I return this dollar before one month, I have to pay an interest of 3 cents?
-Exactly, Mr. Rich.
-Thank you, son.
And then Mr. Rich left the bank. Now, the question is, why did Mr. Rich do that?
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Not sure but that's by far the cheapest parking rate I've ever seen in manhattan.
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Exactly!
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@unknownuser said:
i'll just go ahead and give the answer.. for ease of explanation, let's label the switches 1, 2, & 3:
- set switch 1 & 2 to the 'ON' position
- wait a minute or two
- turn off switch 2 and enter the room
- the light that is on is controlled by switch 1... the light that is off and warm is switch 2... the light that is off and cold is switch 3
Very nice ... and useful too!
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I had the answer to the light bulb question but i've been out the last few days and missed my chance to answer!
A man is found in a remote mountian shack, hung from a 8 ft beam. The shack is empty of all furniture and there is a puddle beanth the dead man.
How did he kill himself?
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@tobobo said:
I had the answer to the light bulb question but i've been out the last few days and missed my chance to answer!
A man is found in a remote mountian shack, hung from a 8 ft beam. The shack is empty of all furniture and there is a puddle beanth the dead man.
How did he kill himself?
Stood on a block of ice?
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