You like riddles, right? Sure, we all do. Well, I bring you one today that's an old favorite of mine. Whoever gets the right answer can consider themselves the proud owner of The Fountain of Useless Knowledge Award. The last time I offered this award it was such a rousing success that I figured I'd drag it out again. Luckily, this time you don't need to go scouring the internet for answers (in fact, you better not.) All you need to do is get some of those rusty cogs and gears working in you brain. So, clear out the cobwebs and see if you can't figure this out.
Okay, so you're trapped in a room for some reason. There are two doors through which you can exit this room. One door leads to freedom, the other door leads to a certain, horrifying death that probably involves several sharp, rotating blades. The doors are marked, "Door A" and "Door B", but unfortunately you have no idea which one leads to freedom and which one to death. However, there are two computers in the room with you that you can turn to for helpful information. These computers are marked "Computer 1" and "Computer 2", and they will answer any question you have, but you can only ask one question. And there's a catch. One of the computers always tells the truth without fail, and the other one always lies without fail, and again, you don't know which is which. So how can you use your one question to lead you to freedom?
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| One of these men is a liar. |
As before, I'll hold off on posting the comments, and I'll wait a few days before posting the answer in the comments myself if no one gets it. I'll give it, say, to the end of the month. Enjoy!
I would use either computer, break it down into several parts and use these parts to heave into each door. The one with the slicing grinding metal noises would be the door to avoid.
ReplyDeleteBased on your set up, I would ask the computer if it believed in my god and if it said yes, I would chose the other door, because, clearly, it would be the one telling you the truth and not caring either way if you lived or died, because God was waiting and who doesn't want to see that guy?
Whoops. I just realized that I wasn't supposed to post the comments.
ReplyDeleteWell, now that's it here, we might as well talk about it. You, ummm, took an interesting approach, but not the answer I was looking for. As for you theological query, the problem is that you used up your one question asking it about God. You never learned anything about the doors.
You ask one of the computers "Do you believe in my God?", and then you go through the "other door."? Which other door? You never asked about the doors.
I would ask one computer which door the other computer would recommend. On the basis that truth + lie = lie, it wouldn't matter which computer lied. So whatever the computer said, I would know it was the other door.
ReplyDeleteThat is as I understand it the classic answer. But the classic question is about two men. One always tells truth, one always lies. Computers are notoriously unreliable, so I would not take the risk that they both remain true to form. The safest thing would be stay in the room till someone rescued me.
There's also a chance that the deadly mechanisms behind the wrong door weren't switched on. I might try to reinforce that possibility by fusing the power supply.
But most realistically of all, I think I would pray to my guardian angel to "get me out of here like you always have done before - thankyouthankyouthankyou!" If that didn't work I would have to accept it philosophically, and reflect that I have lived a charmed life till now, and there comes a time when the sharp rotating blades of Death have your name written on them.
@Vincent: Yep, that's it exactly (your first answer that is, not the rambling that followed). Although, it sounds like you may have heard the riddle before, I give you full credit. Well done sir.
ReplyDeleteAh, I assumed computer 2 was for door 2. I cannot remember the outcome of this riddle (I recall hearing it some years back) I do know David Bowie fooled the heroine into thinking she had the right door, which was the wrong door. Speaking of doors, I have to post this Mark Twain piece I came across the other day over at FARNC. It's...interesting.
ReplyDelete@Scott: Remembering to keep you incognito this time.
ReplyDeleteMark Twain is good. Just tell him to watch his language ;)
Whoop! Reading those unexpected replies almost made me forget my answer.
ReplyDeleteI would ask computer #1: "Are you computer #1 or computer #2?" Then I would ask computer #2 which door led to freedom.
I'm sure I have heard this or something like it before. But I have slept since then.
@Rev: But you only get one question. Although, you can have as much sleep as you want.
ReplyDeleteCan I use a condition before the question? Like IF 2+2=4,use yes as yes, if not use it as jes for the next question. Which is the right door? Or is it specifically only one simple question that needs to be asked?
ReplyDeleteI suppose reprogramming them to only tell the truth would be cheating?
ReplyDeleteI would ask the Mac "Would he tell me that this door leads to a certain death?"
If he answers yes and Mac is the liar then the answer is really no, the PC wouldn't tell me that the Mac's door lead to certain death. So then I'd know the door behind the Mac is safe. If the Mac was telling the truth, then the PC would be lying and then I'd know the door behind the Mac was safe. Or rather, that door B is safe and door A is really certain death.
Explaining that thought process was not easier. But in the end I'd ask the question and find out which was safer.
Ah. I thought you could ask each computer one question. Pfui. Dammit.... Now I gotta think again.... grumble grumble...
ReplyDelete@Rev: Sorry, back to the drawing board.
ReplyDelete@Chanel: I had a little trouble following you at first, but I think you've got the gist of it. Nice!
@Martin: Sorry. Only one question. It's not necessarily a simple question, but it does have a simple answer. So, you can't cheat by asking compound questions either like, "Is *blah* *blah* this AND can I get a ride afterwards AND did anyone ever tell you that you look like the HAL 9000?" Nope, it's one question with one answer.
So, that's two!!!
What if you ask the computer which door would the other computer say leads to freedom? If the computer were lying it would answer the door that leads to death. If it were telling the truth it would once again lead to the door of death. Either way, the best option would always be the opposite door which each computer answers.
ReplyDelete@Martin: Now you got it!
ReplyDeleteThat's three.
I will ask computer A: "If I asked computer B if door #1 was the way out, what would it say?"
ReplyDeleteIf I'm thinking this correctly, if door #1 was the way out, the answer would be "NO" and I would know it was the correct door. If door #2 was the correct door, the answer would be "YES".
I think.
Now my thinky thing hurts.
@Rev: Yes, that's it. I think you got it.
ReplyDeleteThat's four.
I love riddles but rarely figure out the answers without assistance. Riddle writers are really clever! Anyhow, I'm going to use the excuse that I'm at work and therefore can't dedicate time to pondering the answer. Yeah, that's it. That's why I'm not taking a guess. :)
ReplyDelete@Rachel: Darn, and I was hoping to see the answer expressed in rhyme. Well, I guess another place, another time.
ReplyDeleteIt's the end of the month, so I've reinstated the comments.
ReplyDeleteThe winners are: Vincent, Chanel, Martin Redford, and Jerry Matthers as "The Rev"
The answer is : "Ask one of the computers which door the other computer would say led to freedom...and then take the other door.", or some close variation thereof. The important thing is to involve both the computers in the question in some way, because as Vincent pointed out "Truth + Lie = Lie." Either the computer you're asking will lie to you about the truth the other computer would tell you, or the computer you're asking will tell you the truth about the lie the other computer would tell you. Either way, the answer it gives you will be a lie.
Congratulations folks!
(I'll have to pick a tougher one next time)
Jerry Mathers?
ReplyDeleteAw! Gee, Pop!
Sorry if I revealed your true identity there, Beave
ReplyDeleteI liked that riddle when I was a kid. Also, you could ask, "Am I wearing wearing a blue shirt?" or "Are you a computer?" Something with a clear answer. That is an easy way to figure which one is lying.
ReplyDeleteToo slow to win the award, though. Poor me.
--Doug Cheese for President! He's slow to respond, therefore by the time he reacts to a crisis it will be too late for him to do any harm!--
Shoot, I only get one question. Nevermind. My answer was useless and wrong.
ReplyDelete--Doug Cheese for President! He doesn't follow directions well.--
Gee, I wonder who this "anonymous" is. Guess, we'll never know.
ReplyDeleteYou don't need two computers for this riddle. One is sufficient, although whether or not it tells the truth remains unknown. The question then becomes "If I were to ask you whether Door A leads to freedom, would you answer 'yes'?"
ReplyDeleteI think you missed a trick by formulating this riddle with computers doing the lying and truth-telling, because this merely takes account of logical lying. With a human agent, it's possible to introduce the artistic liar, whose sole purpose is to deceive. Mechanically reversing the truth value of an expression scarcely qualifies as lying in my book. I leave it to whoever reads this to come up with an appropriate question to ask someone who may be an artistic liar rather than a mere computer, but given that intention to deceive, no question is foolproof.
I had to think about that for a minute, but yes, you're right. You could do by just asking the one computer. Nicely done.
ReplyDelete