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ophiophagus wrote:The guy at the back ( lets call him person 1) yells black if he sees an even number of black hats, or white if he sees an odd number of black hats. He has a 50% chance of dying. The next guy looks at the hats in front of him and counts the number of black hats he sees. If he sees the same type of number of black hats(odd or even) as person 1 saw, he knows his hat is white. The next person uses the same reasoning but also takes into account that person2 had a white hat. Repeating this process, a total of at least nine people can be saved.

robodude wrote:Its really simple. The person at the back can see everyone, so he knows what hat he has on. Then the next person, hearing what hat the last person has on, can deduce what color hat he has on, and so on. Here's a harder version of that puzzle:

A man goes around the world and captures the four smartest people. He then places them in front of a wall in the following way: Man 1 faces one side of the wall. Man 2 faces the other side of the wall. Man 3 faces Man 2's back, and Man 4 faces Man 3's back in such a way: 1> |Wall| <2 <4 The arrows show which way they are facing. The man who kidnapped them then places either a black or red hat on each person, as followes: R |Wall| B R B The hat colors correspond to the first "diagram." Everyone knows that there are 2 red hats and 2 black hats. The man who kidnapped them then gives everyone the following instructions:
"You may not communicate in any manor. If you do, everyone will be killed."
"If you cheat by looking at your hat, everyone will be killed."
"If you turn around or look in any direction other than straight forward, everyone will be killed."
"If no one can correctly figure out the color of their hat in two minutes, everyone will be killed."
"If even one person can figure out the color of their hat, everyone will live."

After a minute and a half, someone correctly shouted out the color of their hat. Who was it, and how did they figure it out?


I hope I was clear enough, I'll answer any questions anyone has.

It was person 3. He could see that 2 had a black hat on. If 3 was wearing a black hat as well, 4 would have been able to see that 2 and 3 both have black hats on, therefore 4 must have a red hat on, and would instantly know the answer. However, since after a minute and a half 4 still did not know, 3 could deduce that himself and 2 had on hats of opposite colors, and therefore his was red.

blue cobra wrote:

robodude wrote:Its really simple. The person at the back can see everyone, so he knows what hat he has on. Then the next person, hearing what hat the last person has on, can deduce what color hat he has on, and so on. Here's a harder version of that puzzle:

A man goes around the world and captures the four smartest people. He then places them in front of a wall in the following way: Man 1 faces one side of the wall. Man 2 faces the other side of the wall. Man 3 faces Man 2's back, and Man 4 faces Man 3's back in such a way: 1> |Wall| <2 <4 The arrows show which way they are facing. The man who kidnapped them then places either a black or red hat on each person, as followes: R |Wall| B R B The hat colors correspond to the first "diagram." Everyone knows that there are 2 red hats and 2 black hats. The man who kidnapped them then gives everyone the following instructions:
"You may not communicate in any manor. If you do, everyone will be killed."
"If you cheat by looking at your hat, everyone will be killed."
"If you turn around or look in any direction other than straight forward, everyone will be killed."
"If no one can correctly figure out the color of their hat in two minutes, everyone will be killed."
"If even one person can figure out the color of their hat, everyone will live."

After a minute and a half, someone correctly shouted out the color of their hat. Who was it, and how did they figure it out?


I hope I was clear enough, I'll answer any questions anyone has.

Has this been answered yet?

Answer (Click to Show Hidden Text)

It was person 3. He could see that 2 had a black hat on. If 3 was wearing a black hat as well, 4 would have been able to see that 2 and 3 both have black hats on, therefore 4 must have a red hat on, and would instantly know the answer. However, since after a minute and a half 4 still did not know, 3 could deduce that himself and 2 had on hats of opposite colors, and therefore his was red.

Things2do wrote:Thread revival nearly eight years in the making.

What 8 letter word can have a letter taken away and it still makes a word. Take another letter away and it still makes a word. Keep on doing that until you have one letter left. What is the word?

Things2do wrote:Thread revival nearly eight years in the making.

What 8 letter word can have a letter taken away and it still makes a word. Take another letter away and it still makes a word. Keep on doing that until you have one letter left. What is the word?

[b]Starting[/b]
Staring
String
Sting
Sing
Sin
In
I

jimmy-bond wrote:

Things2do wrote:Thread revival nearly eight years in the making.

What 8 letter word can have a letter taken away and it still makes a word. Take another letter away and it still makes a word. Keep on doing that until you have one letter left. What is the word?

Starling
Staring
String
Sting
Sing
Sin
In
I
I remember seeing this a while ago... Surprised I still remember the answer

Tailsfan101 wrote:

Things2do wrote:Thread revival nearly eight years in the making.

What 8 letter word can have a letter taken away and it still makes a word. Take another letter away and it still makes a word. Keep on doing that until you have one letter left. What is the word?

Answer (Click to Show Hidden Text)

[b]Starting[/b]
Staring
String
Sting
Sing
Sin
In
I