Philosophy, Riddles and complete mind[bleep]s

[Zygimantas]

There are three princesses. In the morning, you are to marry one of them.

 

I'd like to see you try and make me.

Dude, the youngest one is like 15, and you should see her bod. I've always thought the middle one is the best looking, to be honest, but you've got to follow the rules of the riddle. Anyways, you inherit the throne, so quit being so picky about it.

I'd pick at random. Honestly. Less thinking.

[Saru Inc]

I'm missing the actual dilemma of the question. It's too open.

 

edit: nvm didnt read the entire post, just the quote. :)

Edited November 10, 2010 by bonkers

[Dupin]

This just in: The middle sister was lying about being a princess. She's actually a prince.

 

Not so lazy about our life choices now, are we?

[Guest Rob]

If they're real, then there should be an infinite amount of them - meaning everything possible would be happening this moment, in a parallel universe. Everything.

 

So, somewhere in a parallel universe, you are king of the world, and have enslaved the human population. You live in a castle, built out of solid gold. And then every other scenario you could think of.

 

So, somewhere in a parallel universe, parallel universes don't exist?

 

I don't think infinity implies everything will happen. If we flipped a coin an infinite amount of times, it is theoretically possible that it will never be heads. Or a more realistic example, if someone were to ask someone to say the word "no" and had an infinite amount of time, it is possible that he would never say "no".

 

That's arguable - eventually it would happen. If I made a bet with you, say, that if I flipped this coin an infinite amount of times it wouldn't land on heads, I would actually just be flipping it until it landed on heads.

[Zygimantas]

This just in: The middle sister was lying about being a princess. She's actually a prince.

 

Not so lazy about our life choices now, are we?

Then shes not a she..... and therefore I'll pick one of the other two.

[Dupin]

This just in: The middle sister was lying about being a princess. She's actually a prince.

 

Not so lazy about our life choices now, are we?

Then shes not a she..... and therefore I'll pick one of the other two.

The point was that you don't know which is which. So you don't know who's the middle sister (brother), and have to solve the riddle to avoid marrying him.

[Zygimantas]

This just in: The middle sister was lying about being a princess. She's actually a prince.

 

Not so lazy about our life choices now, are we?

Then shes not a she..... and therefore I'll pick one of the other two.

The point was that you don't know which is which. So you don't know who's the middle sister (brother), and have to solve the riddle to avoid marrying him.

So much work. Well, I think I can work it out with a guy.. I mean I'll just avoid sexual confrontation :P

[Dupin]

Alright, it looks like either I've butchered the delivery here, or all TIFers are daft. It's a riddle. You don't know which sister is which, and you have to ask this one question to determine who is who. The ages make no difference, except that they are different. The goal is to avoid marrying the middle sister. Let me say it again: You don't know which sister is which. It's not a philosophical question, it's a riddle.

[Zierro]

That's arguable - eventually it would happen. If I made a bet with you, say, that if I flipped this coin an infinite amount of times it wouldn't land on heads, I would actually just be flipping it until it landed on heads.

 

The probability of it being heads is 1/2. This is a constant that will never change no matter how many times you have flipped it. To say it will eventually land on heads is an extremely accurate assumption, but still an assumption nonetheless.

 

Let's use a more realistic scenario though: making a bunch of monkeys typing for an infinite amount of time doesn't necessarily ensure that they will eventually type one of Shakespeare's stories. It is possible that they could just happen to never type that.

[Dupin]

That's arguable - eventually it would happen. If I made a bet with you, say, that if I flipped this coin an infinite amount of times it wouldn't land on heads, I would actually just be flipping it until it landed on heads.

 

The probability of it being heads is 1/2. This is a constant that will never change no matter how many times you have flipped it. To say it will eventually land on heads is an extremely accurate assumption, but still an assumption nonetheless.

 

Let's use a more realistic scenario though: making a bunch of monkeys typing for an infinite amount of time doesn't necessarily ensure that they will eventually type one of Shakespeare's stories. It is possible that they could just happen to never type that.

Actually, not "never", but never within reasonable time. If they were given infinite time (infinite being infinite) they would eventually type it. However, the chance is so low that you can safely say it won't happen.

[Zierro]

What makes you so sure of that assumption though? The claim sounds very much like a non-sequitur. I mean, I do believe it's completely possible that they can do it, but I don't see how having an infinite amount of time to type ensures their eventual success. It is completely impossible for them to always/infinitely type something that is not Hamlet?

[Alg]

There are three princesses. In the morning, you are to marry one of them. You may choose which one. The oldest always tells to the truth. The youngest always lies. The middle sister will sometimes lie and sometimes tell the truth. You want to marry either of the ones who remain constant, but not the middle sister. You may only ask one question, and only to one sister, and only once. What do?

Flip a coin, show them the result. Listen to the responses? Of course, doesn't work if I can only ask one. One will always lie, one will always tell the truth, one goes both ways, so the odd answer out is bound to be from one of the consistent ones, as there are only two possible responses.

 

Alternatively, This.

[Dupin]

What makes you so sure of that assumption though? The claim sounds very much like a non-sequitur. I mean, I do believe it's completely possible that they can do it, but I don't see how having an infinite amount of time to type ensures their eventual success. It is completely impossible for them to always/infinitely type something that is not Hamlet?

I completely understand what you're saying here, but the problem is the word "infinite". If they type for an infinite amount of time, they would never stop until they did type it. Therefore, they can't not type it in infinite time, because the time wouldn't end and you wouldn't be able to look at it and say they didn't do it - so, while they may not type it in billions of years, they would not not type it, by the definition of infinity.

 

There are three princesses. In the morning, you are to marry one of them. You may choose which one. The oldest always tells to the truth. The youngest always lies. The middle sister will sometimes lie and sometimes tell the truth. You want to marry either of the ones who remain constant, but not the middle sister. You may only ask one question, and only to one sister, and only once. What do?

Flip a coin, show them the result. Listen to the responses? Of course, doesn't work if I can only ask one. One will always lie, one will always tell the truth, one goes both ways, so the odd answer out is bound to be from one of the consistent ones, as there are only two possible responses.

 

Alternatively, This.

Nice thinking, but you can only ask one, and it has to be a question.

 

By the way, in that guard thing, you could just ask each guard "What color are you", or, if the rules are more like those in the princess puzzle, ask only one guard what color he is. It's the third, random variable that makes the equation difficult.

[Zierro]

I do understand that it is semantically impossible to "fail" because they would always still be trying infinitely. But what boggles me is the assertion that they are sure to achieve it. That it's an impossible scenario for them to try, and try, and try, and try, and try...--->>>

 

As for the princesses, ask one which of her two sisters are younger and pick that one. If you ask this to the oldest one, she will truthfully tell you that the youngest one is younger, therefore you should pick the younger one. If you ask this to the youngest one, she will lie and tell you that the oldest one is younger, therefore you should pick the "younger" one. If you ask this to the middle one, it doesn't matter - you've already taken her out of the picture. So you're always safe in picking the "younger" of the two sisters.

[Saru Inc]

I'd just take the best sandwich maker.

 

 

But I do agree as well, they could by trying for infinity, but it IS a leap to say it WILL achieve to land on heads. People may say "but it's just a coin flip" extrapolate that to all the other kinds of things in life that are "50/50"...

 

ON that matter, I do not believe in infinite universes, I believe in one.

 

 

I have a question, would you steal from a beggar to feed your family? (ok so I stole this from a show)

[Dupin]

I do understand that it is semantically impossible to "fail" because they would always still be trying infinitely. But what boggles me is the assertion that they are sure to achieve it. That it's an impossible scenario for them to try, and try, and try, and try, and try...--->>>

 

As for the princesses, ask one which of her two sisters are younger and pick that one. If you ask this to the oldest one, she will truthfully tell you that the youngest one is younger, therefore you should pick the younger one. If you ask this to the youngest one, she will lie and tell you that the oldest one is younger, therefore you should pick the "younger" one. If you ask this to the middle one, it doesn't matter - you've already taken her out of the picture. So you're always safe in picking the "younger" of the two sisters.

The man is a wizard.

 

And yes, they are sure to achieve it at some point, as infinity applies that they would not stop until they do. The fact that it's a possiblity makes it true, for given "infinity" to accomplish the task, all possible outcomes would occur.

 

But I do agree as well, they could by trying for infinity, but it IS a leap to say it WILL achieve to land on heads. People may say "but it's just a coin flip" extrapolate that to all the other kinds of things in life that are "50/50"...

 

I have a question, would you steal from a beggar to feed your family? (ok so I stole this from a show)

If you flip a coin an infinite number of times, you can say, with complete certainty, that it will land on heads at some point (technically, half the time).

 

As for your question, yes. Self-interest runs the world, and I refuse to let some distorted sense of "morality" keep me from my twinkies. That beggar was probably an addict anyways.

[Bows]

I have a question: If a tree falls on a woman, what is a forest doing in the kitchen?

 

I'm only kidding, it wasn't meant to be serious. I know someone will take it literally.

[Dupin]

What makes you so sure of that assumption though? The claim sounds very much like a non-sequitur. I mean, I do believe it's completely possible that they can do it, but I don't see how having an infinite amount of time to type ensures their eventual success. It is completely impossible for them to always/infinitely type something that is not Hamlet?

I completely understand what you're saying here, but the problem is the word "infinite". If they type for an infinite amount of time, they would never stop until they did type it. Therefore, they can't not type it in infinite time, because the time wouldn't end and you wouldn't be able to look at it and say they didn't do it - so, while they may not type it in billions of years, they would not not type it, by the definition of infinity.

 

There are three princesses. In the morning, you are to marry one of them. You may choose which one. The oldest always tells to the truth. The youngest always lies. The middle sister will sometimes lie and sometimes tell the truth. You want to marry either of the ones who remain constant, but not the middle sister. You may only ask one question, and only to one sister, and only once. What do?

Flip a coin, show them the result. Listen to the responses? Of course, doesn't work if I can only ask one. One will always lie, one will always tell the truth, one goes both ways, so the odd answer out is bound to be from one of the consistent ones, as there are only two possible responses.

 

Alternatively, This.

Nice thinking, but you can only ask one, and it has to be a question.

 

By the way, in that guard thing, you could just ask each guard "What color are you", or, if the rules are more like those in the princess puzzle, ask only one guard what color he is. It's the third, random variable that makes the equation difficult.

 

which one can make sammiches the best. is how i would choose.

 

and here is my one question.

 

The 3 sisters are lined up in a random order (so i have no idea who is telling the truth or not)

 

Sister A on the left. Sister B in the middle. And sister C on the right.

 

I would ask Sister A, if Sister B is a good sammich maker or is Sister C a bad sammich maker.

 

If the answer is "yes", marry sister B; otherwise marry sister C.

What if Sister A is the liar/ the random one, and then you would be marrying a bad sandwich maker. It makes me shiver just to think about it.

[Giordano]

I have a question, would you steal from a beggar to feed your family? (ok so I stole this from a show)

Uh, no. That's counter-productive really. I'll steal the guy the beggar's begging from. :thumbup:

 

I have a question: If a tree falls on a woman, what is a forest doing in the kitchen?

=D>

[Guest Rob]

That is quite interesting - an interesting read anyways.

 

What is the point of life? Or, rather, how do you live it to its fullest?

[Zygimantas]

That is quite interesting - an interesting read anyways.

 

What is the point of life? Or, rather, how do you live it to its fullest?

Basically, by just living it and enjoying the moment.

[Giordano]

That is quite interesting - an interesting read anyways.

 

What is the point of life? Or, rather, how do you live it to its fullest?

Basically, by just living it and enjoying the moment.

Most of TIF'ers go or have gone to school.

 

I'm pretty sure we all had that one boring class.

 

Thus, we couldn't enjoy that moment.

 

Thus we cannot live it to the fullest.

 

:sad:

[Zygimantas]

That is quite interesting - an interesting read anyways.

 

What is the point of life? Or, rather, how do you live it to its fullest?

Basically, by just living it and enjoying the moment.

Most of TIF'ers go or have gone to school.

 

I'm pretty sure we all had that one boring class.

 

Thus, we couldn't enjoy that moment.

 

Thus we cannot live it to the fullest.

 

:sad:

I really don't think the past has to do with not living life to the fullest. Its not about what you didn't do or how you lived before, its about making the best out of the situation and having the most fun right now.

[TTanT]

That is quite interesting - an interesting read anyways.

 

What is the point of life? Or, rather, how do you live it to its fullest?

Basically, by just living it and enjoying the moment.

Most of TIF'ers go or have gone to school.

 

I'm pretty sure we all had that one boring class.

 

Thus, we couldn't enjoy that moment.

 

Thus we cannot live it to the fullest.

 

:sad:

I really don't think the past has to do with not living life to the fullest. Its not about what you didn't do or how you lived before, its about making the best out of the situation and having the most fun right now.

Sweet. I am totally becoming an art theif right now.

[Zygimantas]

That is quite interesting - an interesting read anyways.

 

What is the point of life? Or, rather, how do you live it to its fullest?

Basically, by just living it and enjoying the moment.

Most of TIF'ers go or have gone to school.

 

I'm pretty sure we all had that one boring class.

 

Thus, we couldn't enjoy that moment.

 

Thus we cannot live it to the fullest.

 

:sad:

I really don't think the past has to do with not living life to the fullest. Its not about what you didn't do or how you lived before, its about making the best out of the situation and having the most fun right now.

Sweet. I am totally becoming an art theif right now.

Good for you ;)