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Topic: Sometimes you're standing behind (Read 647 times) |
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JohanC
Senior Riddler
Posts: 460
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Sometimes you're standing behind
« on: Nov 25th, 2005, 2:11pm » |
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Angela says: "look, John's standing behing Mary !"
But Barbara tells us, "in my view, Mary is standing behind John."
Christine is thinking about how both Angela and Barbera can be right at the same time.
How so?
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JocK
Uberpuzzler
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Posts: 877
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Re: Sometimes you're standing behind
« Reply #1 on: Nov 26th, 2005, 12:50am » |
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John and Mary are standing on opposite sides around a huge sequioa tree. Let's say Mary is standing on the eastern side of the tree facing northwards, John is standing on the western side facing southwards. The observers are standing at some distance facing towards the tree: Angela from the south, and Barbara from the north.
And Christine? She is pondering the meaning of it all on one of the branches high up in the tree. 
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| « Last Edit: Nov 26th, 2005, 12:52am by JocK » |
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solving abstract problems is like sex: it may occasionally have some practical use, but that is not why we do it.
xy - y = x5 - y4 - y3 = 20; x>0, y>0.
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JohanC
Senior Riddler
Posts: 460
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Re: Sometimes you're standing behind
« Reply #2 on: Nov 26th, 2005, 3:45am » |
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Nice try, JocK.
And nice story too.
But I have the impression Christine is contemplating some more straightforward solution, not involving trees.
She does like trees, especially these huge oak trees that witnessed many centuries of history.
Unfortunately, she's very afraid of heights.
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JocK
Uberpuzzler
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Re: Sometimes you're standing behind
« Reply #3 on: Nov 26th, 2005, 3:59am » |
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I can do without a tree, but then I need the whole world (the globe that is...).
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solving abstract problems is like sex: it may occasionally have some practical use, but that is not why we do it.
xy - y = x5 - y4 - y3 = 20; x>0, y>0.
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ChunkTug
Full Member
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Posts: 166
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Re: Sometimes you're standing behind
« Reply #4 on: Nov 26th, 2005, 4:22am » |
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Well, they're not kissing. Though a little affectionate rump rubbing is a possibility.
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| « Last Edit: Nov 26th, 2005, 10:33pm by ChunkTug » |
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JohanC
Senior Riddler
Posts: 460
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Re: Sometimes you're standing behind
« Reply #5 on: Nov 26th, 2005, 4:15pm » |
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ChunkTug does have some thoughts which Christine doesn't dare to think about. She's only four years old.
But she believes the philosophy behind his answer is rather to the point.
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Neelesh
Junior Member
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Re: Sometimes you're standing behind
« Reply #6 on: Nov 27th, 2005, 12:55am » |
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Siamese twins
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JohanC
Senior Riddler
Posts: 460
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Re: Sometimes you're standing behind
« Reply #7 on: Nov 27th, 2005, 2:08am » |
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No, Neelesh, they are not. But it could have been.
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Grimbal
wu::riddles Moderator
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Re: Sometimes you're standing behind
« Reply #8 on: Nov 27th, 2005, 2:42pm » |
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They are standing side by side, on a row, all facing the same direction in the order
Angela, Mary, John, Barbara.
When asking where John is, Angela would point in the direction of Mary and say "behind Mary". Similarily, Barbara would locate Mary by point at John and say "behind John".
I'm not sure it is a proper use of "behind". But in the solution "they stand back to back", Barbara's remark is true but irrelevant. Why would she make that statement?
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JohanC
Senior Riddler
Posts: 460
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Re: Sometimes you're standing behind
« Reply #9 on: Nov 27th, 2005, 2:58pm » |
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Hi, Grimbal,
The solution "they are standing back to back but not necessarily touching " is the correct one.
Although not explicitly stated, Barbara and Angela made their remarks independent, each time with the confused Christine as witness ...
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