15 Mar 04
A man was on a treck across Asia. Along the way he was caught by robbers. Thay ordered them to make a statement about himself. If he told a trouth he would be hanged, but if he told a lie they would shoot him. After a few min. of thought he uttered something that confussed the robbers so much that they let him go. What did he say? If you can't getit messege me.
16 Mar 04
Originally posted by DumDum81"What i am saying now isn't true"
A man was on a treck across Asia. Along the way he was caught by robbers. Thay ordered them to make a statement about himself. If he told a trouth he would be hanged, but if he told a lie they would shoot him. After a few min. of thought he uttered something that confussed the robbers so much that they let him go. What did he say? If you can't getit messege me.
16 Mar 04
3 edits
Originally posted by DumDum81he says, "i will be killed by bullets [or by being shot]".
A man was on a trek across Asia. Along the way he was caught by robbers. Thay ordered him to make a statement about himself. If he told a truth he would be hanged, but if he told a lie they would shoot him. After he spoke, they let him go. What did he say? If you can't get it messege me.
the robbers are thus faced with a paradox:
if they take his statement as true, then they hang him and the statement has been rendered false. if they take the statement as a lie, then they shoot him, making the statement true!
the robbers thus have no choice but to release the wily trekker.
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23 Mar 04
2 edits
Originally posted by BarefootChessPlayerClearly sensible bandits would then balance the man on a chair - set up the noose round his neck, and then shoot at the chair legs until it collapsed. It's somewhat safer for him to state "I won't be killed by hanging".
he says, "[b]i will be killed by bullets [or by being shot]".
the robbers are thus faced with a paradox:
if they take his statement as true, then they hang him and the statement has been rendered false. if they ta ...[text shortened]...
the robbers thus have no choice but to release the wily trekker.[/b]
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23 Mar 04
1 edit
Originally posted by DumDum81Or he could say - "My sister's name is Joanne". Seeing as the robbers would have no way of verifyiing / disproving this statement they would again have to let him go. Or would they? Most robbers would decide the man had either lied or told the truth and would hang him AND shoot him - since they never stated they wouldn't do both.
A man was on a treck across Asia. Along the way he was caught by robbers. Thay ordered them to make a statement about himself. If he told a trouth he would be hanged, but if he told a lie they would shoot him. After a few min. of thoug ...[text shortened]... ey let him go. What did he say? If you can't getit messege me.
24 Mar 04
Originally posted by iamatigeri like that!
Clearly sensible bandits would then balance the man on a chair - set up the noose round his neck, and then shoot at the chair legs until it collapsed. It's somewhat safer for him to state "I won't be killed by hanging".
frankly, if i found myself in such a predicament, i'd be unlikely to come up with a suitable statement.
here is a slightly different concept:
in logic, a statement is any assertion that is either true or false.
what is the shortest english assertion that is not a statement?
(imperative sentences such as "go" and vague answers to specific questions such as 'i am[ not]", "i do[ not]", and "i will[ not]" are not assertions.)
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24 Mar 04
Originally posted by BarefootChessPlayerHmm, I don't really know what qualifies as a statement but I'll have a go anyway...
i like that!
frankly, if i found myself in such a predicament, i'd be unlikely to come up with a suitable statement.
here is a slightly different concept:
in logic, a statement is any assertion that is either true or false.
what is the shortest english assertion that is not a statement?
(imperative sentences such as "go" and ...[text shortened]... ific questions such as 'i am[ not]", "i do[ not]", and "i will[ not]" are not assertions.)
"This isn't a statement"?
24 Mar 04
Originally posted by iamatigeri would classify that as a false assertion and therefore a statement.
Hmm, I don't really know what qualifies as a statement but I'll have a go anyway...
"This isn't a statement"?
in order for an assertion not to be a statement, it would have to be both true and false simultaneously, be neither (which is usually not an assertion at all), or be a paradox whose truth or falsity is indeterminate.