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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
For those, like my own sef, who want to hear the probably bogus answer in loco[sic], here's the web site where you can find if and at what time on the weekend your local NPR affiliate carries the show. The answer will also be posted on the site and furriners can also hear it in a variety of ways: http://cartalk.cars.com/show/
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
I guess I'm a little curious what a theoretical computer science problem has to do with cars.
k
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
You've obviously never heard the program, FF. I don't know from cars, don't care about them, but I wouldn't miss this weekly show unless I absolutely had to! Please give it a try; it's hilarious. Cars are just the excuse, or the casus radii, if you will.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
They will occasionally have a Puzzlah, that's explicitly automotive (or at least quasi-automotive) just to keep some semblance of propriety.
Check what Ænigma did with quasi-automotive. And we thought she was dumb.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,819
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,819 |
If you have any questions about Car Talk just write their lawyers at the firm Dewey, Cheatham and Howe.
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
Well, all I heard back from my bro to whom I sent this puzzle, was that he would try to work on it when he had some time, and a suggestion: i would try to solve the problem for the case of 3 prisoners and then see if it is possible to extend or modify the method for larger numbers.
But but but....With only three prisoners, it's easy, is it not? The three agree among them which one will use the B switch - only one of them - and then the other two use the A switch.
Say I am the prisoner who gets to use the B switch. I go into the room. Both switches are up. I put B down. Okay, this ain't gonna work either, ais it?
Damn! Damn!
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Near as we can tell, we have another week to puzzle this one out. We heard little bits and pieces of the weekly broadcast from one of our available NPR stations (the one that is entirely funded by the host college) and it would appear that either no one has come up with an answer or they were intending a two week puzzle in the first place. Our standard NPR station is in the throes of fund drive and was running an old show that was fine-tuned for money raising. They didn't even touch the Puzzlah. We have to wait till Monday before it shows up on the web site. One thing we did catch was that Ray suggested solving for three prisoners (let's hear it for mg's bro). Tommy mentioned that this puzzle had been given to some MIT engineering types and they wasted a bunch of time figuring that the fact that 23 is prime had something to do with it.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636 |
What if the 23 prisoners were to agree to ask the question once a year, drawing straws to determine the asking order? They might lose a few to the alligators, but eventually the rest would be freed.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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What if the 23 prisoners were to agree to ask the question once a year
The way I interpret the problem, if the first prisoner says, "We've all been here," and is wrong then they all get fed to the gators. That's "what if" the way I interpret it.
I am told you can go to tsuwm's link and get the problem; you have to click on another link within that link to get the answer.
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