The Riddles Thread

[Borachio]

Ah yes! I can work this one out on my own, I think.

Spoiler :

Liverpool

Apropos of nothing at all:

Introduction to the game: Who wants to be a Milliner?

Our next game is inspired by TV's Who Want's To Be A Millionaire?, and that's 'inspired' in the sense of 'Ali Baba And The Forty Inspirers'. I'm fascinated by the program, but I expect like me you occasionally find yourself shouting 'Idiot!' at the screen and wondering how on earth such a witless imbecile managed to get on the show...then he introduces the contestants...

But I digress.

As English is a rich and complex language, it's often difficult to understand the subtle but important differences in meaning between certain terms. For example, many people don't appreciate the difference between a 'napkin' and a 'serviette'. Well, those of us who benefitted from a private education know that a 'napkin' is a square piece of cloth or paper that's used to wipe the mouth or protect the clothes when eating, whereas a 'serviette'...

Spoiler :

was a bloke from Communist Russia..

.

 

[Arakhor]

Yeah, I got that this time.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Subscribed.

I'm too stupid to think of good riddles and too lazy to search for some good historical riddles.

Anyways, I totally dig the one in Prossack's OT, even more so because it's s medieval one.

 

[Borachio]

What's the difference between murals and frescoes?

Spoiler :

'murals' are images or representations painted in water- or oil-based media directly onto the porous plaster of, specifically, walls and porticos, whereas 'frescos' is

Spoiler :

where I get my potatoes...

 

[El_Machinae]

This one was wild fun one afternoon in chemistry lab

Shown above are four men buried up to their necks in the ground. They cannot move, so they can only look forward. Between A and B is a brick wall which cannot be seen through.

They all know that between them they are wearing four hats--two black and two white--but they do not know what color they are wearing. Each of them know where the other three men are buried.

In order to avoid being shot, one of them must call out to the executioner the color of their hat. If they get it wrong, everyone will be shot. They are not allowed to talk to each other and have 10 minutes to fathom it out.

After one minute, one of them calls out.

Who and why?

 

[Timsup2nothin]

This one was wild fun one afternoon in chemistry lab

Shown above are four men buried up to their necks in the ground. They cannot move, so they can only look forward. Between A and B is a brick wall which cannot be seen through.

They all know that between them they are wearing four hats--two black and two white--but they do not know what color they are wearing. Each of them know where the other three men are buried.

In order to avoid being shot, one of them must call out to the executioner the color of their hat. If they get it wrong, everyone will be shot. They are not allowed to talk to each other and have 10 minutes to fathom it out.

After one minute, one of them calls out.

Who and why?

Spoiler :

C calls out black. He can see B's white hat, and he knows D can see B's white hat as well as his own. If his hat were also white, then D would have seen two white hats and called out that his own was black. Since D hasn't called out after a minute C knows that his must be black.

 

[Arakhor]

So, can C see B's hat and D see B & C's hat?

 

[Perfection]

Spoiler :

You can very quickly ascertain it must be C because he's the only one who sees a different number of white hats than black hats

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Spoiler :

You can very quickly ascertain it must be C because he's the only one who sees a different number of white hats than black hats

Spoiler :

Hypothetically, switch the hats on C and D. Now C and D both see different numbers of white and black hats, but only D can get the answer. I'm not sure that your correct observation that only C sees a different number actually relates to C being the best choice to be able to answer.

 

[Perfection]

Spoiler :

Hypothetically, switch the hats on C and D. Now C and D both see different numbers of white and black hats, but only D can get the answer. I'm not sure that your correct observation that only C sees a different number actually relates to C being the best choice to be able to answer.

Spoiler :

The different number of hats criteria is necessary but not sufficient. If someone sees the same number of hats of each color they have no basis to choose one color over the other.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Spoiler :

The different number of hats criteria is necessary but not sufficient. If someone sees the same number of hats of each color they have no basis to choose one color over the other.

Spoiler :

True, but I think it steers away from the actual solution. In the end, it doesn't matter who sees a different number for different colors, what matters is that D sees the most hats and therefore has the most direct access to information, making him the only one who could have sufficient information to solve the problem directly. The fact that D can't solve the problem gives C the second hand information he needs to solve the problem.

 

[onejayhawk]

Who goes next and why?

J

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Who goes next and why?

J

Technically it is my turn but I already burnt my stock, so I pass it to you.

 

[onejayhawk]

Technically it is my turn but I already burnt my stock, so I pass it to you.

My bad. Which of the four in the riddle speaks next and why?

J

 

[Timsup2nothin]

My bad. Which of the four in the riddle speaks next and why?

J

Oh. I spoilered it, but the answer is...up there somewhere...first post under the question.

 

[onejayhawk]

Oh. I spoilered it, but the answer is...up there somewhere...first post under the question.

No. That was a different question.

One person has correctly answered. Who speaks next and why?

J

 

[El_Machinae]

I did. Because I'm answering your riddle

 

[onejayhawk]

I did. Because I'm answering your riddle

No. You are not A, B, C, OR D.

J

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Oh. I spoilered it, but the answer is...up there somewhere...first post under the question.

Spoiler :

C calls out black. He can see B's white hat, and he knows D can see B's white hat as well as his own. If his hat were also white, then D would have seen two white hats and called out that his own was black. Since D hasn't called out after a minute C knows that his must be black.

Right there J...I shouldn't have quoted the image I guess, because the one spoilered line under it sort of got lost in the shuffle.

 

[El_Machinae]

No. You are not A, B, C, OR D.

J

But I did speak next! You can see my post right after yours!

(only B knows the color of his hat after C yells out)