Your Question of the Week

[Kan' Sharuminar]

Not too long ago, due to convenient chance I found myself in a hotel in a room that was specifically designed for folk with disabilities. I did not realise this. When I was in the bathroom I discovered a cord hanging from the roof. I did not know what this red cord was for, I did not know I was in a specially designed room, I did not know that there were certain devices in this room that I should not touch.

This cord was red.

Without thinking, without asking the person who was with me, I immediately pulled the cord. Within seconds the room was getting phone-calls asking if we were alright, and we had set off alarms across the entire building that wouldn't stop for half an hour. At 1am in the morning. Looking back, of course it was designed for disabled people who may have been in trouble. Of course I shouldn't have pulled it without asking what it was for, and of course it didn't have any ordinary purpose.

But it was red.

 

[Cutlass]

Smash the timer with a rock....

 

[NickyJ]

I'm afraid you've posed this hypothetical in such a way that that I'm having difficulty understand what you driving at. Maybe you could elaborate?

How do you stop the nuclear bomb from sending half the United States back to the Stone Age? (If you hate the U.S. and want it to detonate, then pretend it's in the country you're living in. If you're living in U.S. and you hate it, then pretend it's in a country you don't hate. )

 

[azzaman333]

Why would I be in the US? And why would I be standing next to a nuclear bomb that's about to blow up?

 

[NickyJ]

Why would I be in the US? And why would I be standing next to a nuclear bomb that's about to blow up?

Your plane going over the U.S. was about to crash and you had to jump out of the plane in your parachute. You landed next to the barrel, and for the rest of the story, you refer to post number one.

 

[Zelig]

How do you stop the nuclear bomb from sending half the United States back to the Stone Age? (If you hate the U.S. and want it to detonate, then pretend it's in the country you're living in. If you're living in U.S. and you hate it, then pretend it's in a country you don't hate. )

No, that is exactly what you asked, which isn't the point of a hypothetical scenario.

 

[NickyJ]

Okay, extra-ultra-abridged version:

To stop an exploding thing from exploding, do you cut its red wire, blue wire, green wire, or put a smaller exploding thing on it?

 

[Perfection]

If the two wires are the only conductive paths between the two points it cannot matter which one I pick because one must carry the return current of the other.

 

[NickyJ]

So which do you cut, then?

 

[Perfection]

Whichever is less awkward for my cutting tool.

 

[Zelig]

Okay, extra-ultra-abridged version:

To stop an exploding thing from exploding, do you cut its red wire, blue wire, green wire, or put a smaller exploding thing on it?

That doesn't help, it still lacks any point.


This is essentially the same scenario:

You have three wires, red, blue and green. If you cut any of the wires, nothing happens. If you cut none of the wires, nothing happens. Their are no consequences to any action or inaction. What do you do?

 

[Valka D'Ur]

What is a string trimmer?

Which half of the United States is getting blown up?

 

[NickyJ]

That doesn't help, it still lacks any point.


This is essentially the same scenario:

You have three wires, red, blue and green. If you cut any of the wires, nothing happens. If you cut none of the wires, nothing happens. Their are no consequences to any action or inaction. What do you do?

Umm, yeah, there is a consequence if you don't cut a wire: The exploding thing explodes and sends half of the U.S. back to the Stone Age, and you along with it.

What is a string trimmer?

 

[swimandciv]

Never cut the red, white, and blue

 

[Cutlass]

What is a string trimmer?

Also known as a weed-whacker.

 

[Zelig]

Umm, yeah, there is a consequence if you don't cut a wire: The exploding thing explodes and sends half of the U.S. back to the Stone Age, and you along with it.

It's irrelevant to the question though, since the expected result of either of your actions are identical.

 

[Synobun]

Also known as a weed-whacker.

Hm, it's called a whipper-snipper here.

 

[NickyJ]

It's irrelevant to the question though, since the expected result of either of your actions are identical.

It is relevant. To stop a bomb from exploding, you have four options. One of those four options will work. Which do you think it would be?

Geez louise, you wouldn't think it would be so hard for someone to understand something so simple.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Hm, it's called a whipper-snipper here.

No wonder Canadians have now outpaced Americans in average household income. We make it sound like we are masturbating weeds.

 

[Ajidica]

Also known as a weed-whacker.

I've never heard it described as anything else.
String Trimmer sounds like some sort of arts&crafts or electrical tool.