prison puzzle
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Johnspex

Original Poster:

5,258 posts

214 months

Friday 16th November 2018
quotequote all
A man is held in the condemned cell. With him are 2 guards,
One, he knows, is a compulsive liar and cannot possibly tell the truth.
The other, he knows, is incapable of telling a lie. But not which is which
Each guard knows what the other is capable of doing and not doing. That is, the liar knows the truth-teller cannot lie and vice versa.
Two doors lead from the cell, one to freedom, the other to execution. The prisoner knows this but not which is which. The guards do know which is which.
He is allowed to ask one question of one of the guards to establish which is the freedom door./

What is the question and which guard does he ask?

Mr Obertshaw

2,187 posts

260 months

Friday 16th November 2018
quotequote all
Ask the one who can't tell the truth is it this door? As he "can't possibly tell the truth if he says no you know it is that door. If he says yes, use the other door?

Johnspex

Original Poster:

5,258 posts

214 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Mr Obertshaw said:
Ask the one who can't tell the truth is it this door? As he "can't possibly tell the truth if he says no you know it is that door. If he says yes, use the other door?
He doesn't know which guard us which. Blimey, I hope I said that.

Johnspex

Original Poster:

5,258 posts

214 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Yes, I did say that.

Mr Obertshaw

2,187 posts

260 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
I missed that bit.

DIW35

4,205 posts

230 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Ask either guard "which door would the other guard say leads to freedom", then go through the opposite door.

Teppic

8,085 posts

287 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
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It doesn’t matter which guard he asks. The question is “if I were to ask your colleague which door was the one to freedom, which would he choose?”

If the guard asked was the liar, he would try to deceive you and claim that his colleague would point to the door to execution. If the guard were the one telling the truth, he would indicate that his colleague would be lying by also pointing to the door that leads to execution.

You choose the door that they don’t point to.

Johnspex

Original Poster:

5,258 posts

214 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
That didn't take long, did it?

Some Gump

13,018 posts

216 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Johnspex said:
A man is held in the condemned cell. With him are 2 guards,
One, he knows, is a compulsive liar and cannot possibly tell the truth.
The other, he knows, is incapable of telling a lie. But not which is which
Each guard knows what the other is capable of doing and not doing. That is, the liar knows the truth-teller cannot lie and vice versa.
Two doors lead from the cell, one to freedom, the other to execution. The prisoner knows this but not which is which. The guards do know which is which.
He is allowed to ask one question of one of the guards to establish which is the freedom door./

What is the question and which guard does he ask?
Have you seen labrynth?

Butter Face

34,893 posts

190 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
A riddle as old as time itself hehe

John is200sport

117 posts

125 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
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Can't you just wait until shift change and see what door they go out of.

FredClogs

14,041 posts

191 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
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Inconceivable.

Jasandjules

72,607 posts

259 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
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FredClogs said:
Inconceivable.
Both doors led to execution he just spent years building up immunity to novocain?

Some Gump

13,018 posts

216 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
One of the doors leads to certain death.

the other leads to bowie's bulge.

Which do you choose?

SCEtoAUX

4,119 posts

111 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
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Surely both have the same amount of contamination?

TwigtheWonderkid

49,115 posts

180 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
Johnspex said:
A man is held in the condemned cell.
This can't be legal. Why has the cell been condemned. Is it about to collapse or something?

Jasandjules

72,607 posts

259 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
This can't be legal. Why has the cell been condemned. Is it about to collapse or something?
It looked a little like this?


WhisperingWasp

1,774 posts

167 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all