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Topic: Reflection 2: nosferatu (Read 1206 times) |
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alien2
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Reflection 2: nosferatu
« on: Nov 21st, 2006, 4:05am » |
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Dorian is naked in a rectangular room, which has no openings. There are only two things in it: a new 60 W standard bulb screwed in the ceiling socket and switched on, and a bigger mirror on the wall. So Dorian is standing right near the mirror, looking at it, but he doesn't see his reflection, even though he has 20/20 eye vision. Why?
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jollytall
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #1 on: Nov 21st, 2006, 4:24am » |
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An easy solution: They fixed the mirror on the wall with the reflecting side turned towarsds the wall.
A more sophisticated. He stands near the mirror, and looks at it form an angle.
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TheNumberScott
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #2 on: Nov 21st, 2006, 9:26am » |
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Dorian is clearly some sort of ghost, or vampire, or invisible man. Judging by the title, I'd go with option b.
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There once was a man who hurt his shins. So he went to the doctor to get some help, and they gave him shins of rebar!
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Sameer
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #3 on: Nov 21st, 2006, 12:07pm » |
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Dorian is Dracula...
Dorian has 20/20 vision but he is not very bright... he is looking the other way to see his reflection (read virtual image  )
Dorian is temporarily blinded by looking for 2 minutes into the bright lamp.
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"Obvious" is the most dangerous word in mathematics.
--Bell, Eric Temple
Proof is an idol before which the mathematician tortures himself.
Sir Arthur Eddington, quoted in Bridges to Infinity
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alien2
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #4 on: Nov 21st, 2006, 1:57pm » |
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No to all.
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Icarus
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #5 on: Nov 21st, 2006, 4:02pm » |
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It is a "two-way" mirror, installed to allow Dorian to be under constant surveillance. But the workmen messed up and installed it backwards. What Dorian sees are very confused observers.
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"Pi goes on and on and on ...
And e is just as cursed.
I wonder: Which is larger
When their digits are reversed? " - Anonymous
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Bamaboys
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #6 on: Nov 21st, 2006, 4:38pm » |
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does Dorian have
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Sameer
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #7 on: Nov 21st, 2006, 5:23pm » |
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Why is Dorian naked? 
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"Obvious" is the most dangerous word in mathematics.
--Bell, Eric Temple
Proof is an idol before which the mathematician tortures himself.
Sir Arthur Eddington, quoted in Bridges to Infinity
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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #8 on: Nov 21st, 2006, 6:45pm » |
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How long has Dorian been in this room? I hope it hasn't been too long, with there not being any way to breathe and all.
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"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei
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alien2
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #9 on: Nov 22nd, 2006, 3:34am » |
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No winner yet.
on Nov 21st, 2006, 5:23pm, Sameer wrote:| Why is Dorian naked? |
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Just so you don't come up with a silly solution.
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Desert Lizard
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #10 on: Nov 22nd, 2006, 3:43am » |
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It's a 220 V bulb and the socket is 110 V. The light isn't bright enough to see by... Our silly PX only sells 220 V bulbs. 
Or the other way around and the bulb blew up when the light was switched on.
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Grimbal
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #11 on: Nov 22nd, 2006, 5:26am » |
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Maybe the room is not empty but full of soil. Yep. It is a tomb.
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alien2
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #12 on: Nov 22nd, 2006, 6:29am » |
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No to both.
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Grimbal
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #13 on: Nov 22nd, 2006, 9:05am » |
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The room is a huuuge room. The ceiling is so hight that the light bulb looks like a lonely star, it hardly brings any light. Dorian is near the mirror, but in relative terms only. Given the size of the room, it is still a few 100s of meters away. This is too far to see his image, especially considering that Dorian is a flea. (nosferatu.., flea... you got it?)
[edit]alternate possibility: Dorian is a mosquito [/edit]
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| « Last Edit: Nov 22nd, 2006, 9:07am by Grimbal » |
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Bamaboys
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #14 on: Nov 22nd, 2006, 1:43pm » |
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| hidden: | | The mirror is too dirty or broken to see anything in it? |
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cchris
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #15 on: Nov 22nd, 2006, 2:48pm » |
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The light is too bright for him to see his reflection.
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Initiate: My wife ate two hamburgers, initiate a bag of potato chips.
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Three Hands
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #16 on: Nov 23rd, 2006, 4:45am » |
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Might be a bit tough to do but maybe Dorian is blocking the light coming into his eyes, or is standing so close to the mirror that the light from behind him doesn't illuminate him sufficiently to cause him to see his reflection (although he might see his silhouette)
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alien2
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #17 on: Nov 25th, 2006, 4:13am » |
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Grimbal got it.
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Grimbal
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #18 on: Nov 25th, 2006, 4:51pm » |
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I got it? Is D a flea or a mosquito? Is the room about 1km across?
Or is it that a mosquito looking at a mirror would mainly see an empty room with a tiny speck somewhere that could be just a bit of dirt on the wall?
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alien2
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #19 on: Nov 25th, 2006, 4:52pm » |
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on Nov 25th, 2006, 4:51pm, Grimbal wrote:| I got it? Is the room about 1km across? |
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Yep. Something like that. 
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Grimbal
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #20 on: Nov 25th, 2006, 4:56pm » |
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Mmmm, hmmm.
I guess you need a larger room to put a bigger mirror.
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Sameer
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #21 on: Nov 25th, 2006, 10:53pm » |
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Is it the Iceman Mansion on planet Saturn?
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"Obvious" is the most dangerous word in mathematics.
--Bell, Eric Temple
Proof is an idol before which the mathematician tortures himself.
Sir Arthur Eddington, quoted in Bridges to Infinity
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alien2
Uberpuzzler
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Posts: 6991
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #22 on: Nov 26th, 2006, 5:58am » |
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I made a rookie err.  It sounds like an unrealistic situation, plus there is no need for the mirror to be big, and Dorian does not have to be naked. So, moderators, think of my impeccable reputation, and delete this riddle. Thank you.
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Icarus
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #23 on: Nov 26th, 2006, 12:20pm » |
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It is better to admit our errors and move on than to pretend they didn't happen.
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"Pi goes on and on and on ...
And e is just as cursed.
I wonder: Which is larger
When their digits are reversed? " - Anonymous
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Sameer
Uberpuzzler
Pie = pi * e
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Posts: 1261
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Re: Reflection 2: nosferatu
« Reply #24 on: Nov 26th, 2006, 12:24pm » |
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on Nov 26th, 2006, 12:20pm, Icarus wrote:| It is better to admit our errors and move on than to pretend they didn't happen. |
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As the earthly saying goes "we learn from our mistakes" ... how does it go in the alien world??
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"Obvious" is the most dangerous word in mathematics.
--Bell, Eric Temple
Proof is an idol before which the mathematician tortures himself.
Sir Arthur Eddington, quoted in Bridges to Infinity
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