Solve Enjoyable Enigmas with Mr.E's Challenge

[zoobyshoe]

That would work...

Probably not, now that I see how it's done. You need some momentum.

 

[consciousness]

Monks With Eye Problems PART 2-

There is an island of monks where everyone has either brown eyes or red eyes. Monks who have red eyes are cursed, and are supposed to commit suicide at midnight. However, no one ever talks about what color eyes they have, because the monks have a vow of silence. Also, there are no reflective surfaces on the whole island. Thus, no one knows their own eye color; they can only see the eye colors of other people, and not say anything about them. Life goes on, with brown-eyed monks and red-eyed monks living happily together in peace, and no one ever committing suicide.

These monks will believe anything others say, as long as it isn't certain that they are lying.

Then one day a greedy and evil logician comes to the island. He recognizes that this system is very unstable and decides to take advantage of it. He wants the entire island to himself, but he knows that if he speaks an obvious lie the monks will kill him.

Think of a statement he can make to get all of the monks on the island to kill themselves as quickly as possible.
-------------------------------
This is much harder than the first because there we had to find the consequences of a statement while here we have to make the statement. I suggest trying the first one before this(its on page 35).

Clarification- The logician can go away making the statement and come back later to find an empty island. The main thing is that the monks shouldn't immediately realize that he was lying.

 

[consciousness]

This is too hard so I will provide some help.

How to start with the problem-

Spoiler

Suppose that there are n Red Eyed Monks(REM) and m Blue Eyed Monks(BEM).

Now, every REM knows that there are either (n-1) or n REMs and correspondingly m or (m+1) BEMs.
Every BEM knows that there are either m or (m-1) BEMs and correspondingly n or (n+1) REMs.

How to proceed with it-

Spoiler

The tricky part is to convince a BEM that he is a REM without saying an obvious lie. In most solutions a REM can infer that he is a REM when a BEM kills himself.

There two ways to do this- Imply that there are (m-1) BEMs or that there are (n+1) REMs.

We have to imply it in such a way that REMs can't immediately know that we are lying.

For example- "There are (m-1) BEMs" and "There are (n+1) REMs" don't work.

Now all you need is a stroke of insight!

 

[consciousness]

Did I kill this thread?

The answer was-

Spoiler

"The number of REMs is odd" if n is even or "The number of REMs is even" if n is odd. Similar thing with the number of BEMs also works.

 

[Enigman]

Hang on or Let Go?

A painter (you) is high up on a ladder, painting a house, when unfortunately the ladder starts to fall over from the vertical. What to do:
let go of the ladder right away and fall to the ground, or hang on to the ladder all the way to the ground?

 

[zoobyshoe]

A painter (you) is high up on a ladder, painting a house, when unfortunately the ladder starts to fall over from the vertical. What to do:
let go of the ladder right away and fall to the ground, or hang on to the ladder all the way to the ground?

Spoiler

Under the circumstances, the tip of the ladder will be going faster than the velocity of its center of gravity when it hits the ground. So, your best bet is to let go.

Spoiler

On the other hand, I just realized that you holding onto the ladder creates a thing with a different center of gravity than the ladder alone, so I'm not sure which way gets you injured less.

 

[Enigman]

Spoiler

Under the circumstances, the tip of the ladder will be going faster than the velocity of its center of gravity when it hits the ground. So, your best bet is to let go.

Correct.
This was used in a psychological study:
You are given with the following task: how to fix a lit candle on a wall (a cork board) in a way so the candle wax won't drip onto the table below. To do so, one may only use the following along with the candle:

1. a book of matches
2. a box of thumbtacks

 

[zoobyshoe]

Correct.

Only if you are massless, I think. See my second spoiler above.

Spoiler

Edit after more thinking: Yes, by holding onto the ladder you are shifting its (the human-ladder system's) COG up and retarding the descent of the tip. The ladder, though, is shifting your COG down, such that it is still slightly better to let go of it.

 

[Enigman]

Oh dear, did I give my answer away too soon?

Spoiler

The total impact energy is going to be the potential energy at the start. So either you absorb the impact of both masses or just one mass. The most elegant solution however is to try and slide down the ladder reducing the impact to minimal

 

[drizzle]

Correct.
This was used in a psychological study:
You are given with the following task: how to fix a lit candle on a wall (a cork board) in a way so the candle wax won't drip onto the table below. To do so, one may only use the following along with the candle:

1. a book of matches
2. a box of thumbtacks

Psychological study you say... Now I'm afraid to give my answer.

Spoiler

Pin the candle totally perpendicular to the wall using the thumbtacks and then lit it. Oh just do it under the table surface' level, so the wax won't drip on it.

 

[Enigman]

Psychological study you say... Now I'm afraid to give my answer.

Spoiler

Pin the candle totally perpendicular to the wall using the thumbtacks and then lit it. Oh just do it under the table surface' level, so the wax won't drip on it.

Won't work, wax is too soft and the candle will just fall down, roll towards the legs of the table and set the table on fire.

 

[drizzle]

Won't work, wax is too soft and the candle will just fall down, roll towards the legs of the table and set the table on fire.

Spoiler

Fine then, use the matches to form two words 'LIT CANDLE' and pin them on the wall using the thumbtacks.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Didn't you already post this candle enigma?

 

[drizzle]

Did he?... *checks the previous enigmas*

 

[zoobyshoe]

It seems familiar, but I can't find it. Anyway...

Spoiler

If the thumb tack box were suitably shaped, I would try pinning it to the corkboard from the inside, sticking out like a little shelf, and put the candle on it.

 

[drizzle]

I KNEW the box thing has to do something here.

 

[Enigman]

Didn't you already post this candle enigma?

Nope, but it's pretty popular with self-help authors.

Follow these steps and see if you can figure this out.

1) Get a brown, cardboard box.
2) Get purple, orange, and turquoise paints.
3) Paint the box orange.
4) Paint on purple spots.
5) Paint on turquoise stripes.
7) Turn it upside down.
8) Lie on your side.

What is missing from this sequence?

 

[zoobyshoe]

What is missing from this sequence?

Spoiler

Step # 6

 

[zoobyshoe]

Here's what I was saying about the ladder:

Video:
[Youtube]BV7TPvk__kE[/youtube]

Explanation:

http://www.darylscience.com/Demos/Faster g.html

Get a film clip of a falling industrial chimney. This is the explanation of why they snap in half BEFORE they hit the ground. At the chimney begine to topple over, it's center of mass accelerates at 10m/s2. This, however, tries to force the TOP of the chimney to accelerate FASTER than 'g'! This causes tremendous strain on the structure and it crumbles on the way down. Cool!

 

[Jonathan Scott]

Oh dear, did I give my answer away too soon?

Spoiler

The total impact energy is going to be the potential energy at the start. So either you absorb the impact of both masses or just one mass. The most elegant solution however is to try and slide down the ladder reducing the impact to minimal

Yep, I can confirm that sometimes works!

 

[zoobyshoe]

Follow these steps and see if you can figure this out.

1) Get a brown, cardboard box.
2) Get purple, orange, and turquoise paints.
3) Paint the box orange.
4) Paint on purple spots.
5) Paint on turquoise stripes.
7) Turn it upside down.
8) Lie on your side.

What is missing from this sequence?

After two days I still haven't the faintest idea. Need a clue.

 

[Enigman]

After two days I still haven't the faintest idea. Need a clue.

You already answered it...

Another psych enigma
You are given 2 cords hanging from the ceiling, and a plier. You must connect the cords, but they are just far enough apart that one cannot reach the other easily.

 

[zoobyshoe]

You already answered it...

WOW! I was authentically just being a wise-***!

You must confirm or deny, or no one really knows what sort of answer is required.

 

[zoobyshoe]

You already answered it...

Another psych enigma
You are given 2 cords hanging from the ceiling, and a plier. You must connect the cords, but they are just far enough apart that one cannot reach the other easily.

I have seen this one before, so I'll recuse myself. I bet Gad can answer this one.

 

[drizzle]

I have seen this one before, so I'll recuse myself. I bet Gad can answer this one.

Spoiler

Cut the cords with the plier then tie them together?

 

[drizzle]

I guess I'm not psychic enough to hang myself.

 

[Enigman]

Er...noooo...Don't cut the cords.

 

[drizzle]

No! I'm not using my cloths to connect them.

 

[Enigman]

No! I'm not using my cloths to connect them.

*Shakes his head pendulously*

 

[zoobyshoe]

*Shakes his head pendulously*

Yes, I was going to suggest to Gad she ponder what young Galileo was pondering in church that fateful day.

 

[drizzle]

The ceiling is flat, what are you talking about? Bend the ceiling? Take off the ceiling and break it? ARGHH! I hate these puzzles that show just how dump I am.

 

[Enigman]

If it makes you feel any better, I didn't get it too.
#901 shows some promise...(no, you can't hang me.)

 

[zoobyshoe]

The ceiling is flat, what are you talking about? Bend the ceiling? Take off the ceiling and break it? ARGHH! I hate these puzzles that show just how dump I am.

Galileo wasn't pondering the ceiling when the light bulb, or in those days, chandelier, appeared over his head.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Maybe Enigman should write one of those word riddles for Gad, the solution being the clue word we've both been trying to feed her for the rope enigma.

 

[Enigman]

Answer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_fixedness#Two-cord_problem