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Topic: Winter's breath (Read 1141 times) |
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alien2
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Winter's breath
« on: May 4th, 2007, 8:53am » |
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SMQ
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #1 on: May 4th, 2007, 9:18am » |
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He fell into a not-quite-frozen pond and hit his head on a rock on the bottom rendering him unconscious -- he drowned. However, the very cold water caused his body to shut down from hypothermia, mitigating the effects of oxygen deprivation until help arrived. (This phenomenon actually can be quite dramatic with winter drownings, especially with children, with successful resuscitation sometimes 20-to-30 minutes after the drowning occurred!)
--SMQ
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--SMQ
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Grimbal
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #2 on: May 4th, 2007, 9:30am » |
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He was rescued by Santa Claus himself. 
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alien2
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #3 on: May 4th, 2007, 12:10pm » |
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Nope.
on May 4th, 2007, 9:18am, SMQ wrote:He fell into a not-quite-frozen pond and hit his head on a rock on the bottom rendering him unconscious -- he drowned. However, the very cold water caused his body to shut down from hypothermia, mitigating the effects of oxygen deprivation until help arrived. (This phenomenon actually can be quite dramatic with winter drownings, especially with children, with successful resuscitation sometimes 20-to-30 minutes after the drowning occurred!)
--SMQ |
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Reminds me of a similar scene from the movie Abyss. Not bad, but the answer is not that extreme. 
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Death
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #4 on: May 4th, 2007, 3:43pm » |
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He slipped on a patch of ice - if he hadn't slipped he would have walked into the oncoming truck.
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The theory goes that a million monkeys typing at a million typewriter will produce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the internet, we know that's not true.
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alien2
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #5 on: May 4th, 2007, 3:44pm » |
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..................nope.
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Slartibartfast
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #6 on: May 4th, 2007, 5:15pm » |
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Could it be as simple as the rock was covered in a thick layer of snow?
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alien2
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #7 on: May 6th, 2007, 5:59am » |
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I specified that he hit his head on the rock, not the thick layer of snow. So you see, I can't accept your answer.
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denis
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #8 on: May 6th, 2007, 8:54am » |
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The rock was near a snowmobile or ski trail which is only used in winter.
He was rescued by a snowmobiler or skier passing by.
Alternatively, he fell unconscious on top of the frozen lake which otherwise would have been liquid had it not been winter, in which case he would have drowned. He came to a few minutes later and went on his way.
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| « Last Edit: May 6th, 2007, 8:54am by denis » |
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alien2
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #9 on: May 6th, 2007, 9:10am » |
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Not bad. If there is an alternative answer, I suspect this is it. Although it is not what I am looking for. But keep thinking like that, and note that this riddle is a snack, so no need to go to deep analysis.
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Grimbal
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #10 on: May 6th, 2007, 11:18am » |
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on May 4th, 2007, 8:53am, Iceman wrote:| A boy fell and hit his head on a rock. If it weren't winter, he would've died. What happened? |
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It's a snowman.
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| « Last Edit: May 7th, 2007, 12:24am by Grimbal » |
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alien2
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #11 on: May 6th, 2007, 11:24am » |
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I like your answer, alas he's not snowman.
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denis
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #12 on: May 6th, 2007, 11:26am » |
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The boy was wearing a thick winter hat with lots of padding which softened the blow to his head.
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alien2
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #13 on: May 6th, 2007, 11:31am » |
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Not bad, aside from the fact that it is a bit farfetched. He did hit head, quite badly.
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| « Last Edit: May 6th, 2007, 12:03pm by alien2 » |
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denis
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #14 on: May 6th, 2007, 7:14pm » |
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-the boy was able to eat snow to keep hydraded until he got rescued. If it was summer, he would have died of thirst.
-the bears, snakes, scorpions, black widow spiders and other deadly critters were either hybernating or were burrowed in their winter shelter. If it were summer, they would pounce on him.
-the boy was not able to get up but could throw snowballs at the passing cars thus getting their attention.
-the boy could not walk but could slide down the mountain side to safety on the snow surface. If it were summer, he would be stuck near the top of the mountain.
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| « Last Edit: May 6th, 2007, 7:32pm by denis » |
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Grimbal
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #15 on: May 7th, 2007, 12:24am » |
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It all happened in a ski resort. In winter there are plenty of people skiing with mobile phones, and there is a well-trained rescue team eager to intervene. In summer there is just the occasional wanderer, and as it happens he would have been the one who needs help.
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| « Last Edit: May 7th, 2007, 12:27am by Grimbal » |
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alien2
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #16 on: May 7th, 2007, 2:20am » |
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The boy was unconscious. And it wasn't the ski resort.
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Grimbal
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #17 on: May 7th, 2007, 2:45am » |
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Would the death in non-winter have been a consequence of hitting the head on a stone?
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Grimbal
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #18 on: May 7th, 2007, 2:50am » |
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A question of logic: When you say: "If it weren't winter, he would've died.", should we infer that it was winter and he did not die?
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Archae
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #19 on: May 7th, 2007, 4:19am » |
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Because it was winter, it was cold enough to freeze the boy's blood from the wound. So the blood froze and prevented him from bleeding to death, whereas such a blow in any other season would have killed him.
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alien2
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #20 on: May 7th, 2007, 5:26am » |
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on May 7th, 2007, 2:50am, Grimbal wrote:| A question of logic: When you say: "If it weren't winter, he would've died.", should we infer that it was winter and he did not die? |
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Yep.
on May 7th, 2007, 4:19am, Archae wrote:| Because it was winter, it was cold enough to freeze the boy's blood from the wound. So the blood froze and prevented him from bleeding to death, whereas such a blow in any other season would have killed him. |
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This is similar to what SMQ suggested. Not bad, but not the answer I am looking for.
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denis
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #21 on: May 7th, 2007, 8:00am » |
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Ice, in your scenario, does the boy get rescued by someone else or does he get "saved" by some other means.
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alien2
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #22 on: May 7th, 2007, 8:04am » |
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The former.
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denis
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #23 on: May 7th, 2007, 8:09am » |
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Is the boy rescued because he is easier to spot with his colorfull winter clothing against the white snow background?
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alien2
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Re: Winter's breath
« Reply #24 on: May 7th, 2007, 8:14am » |
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Nope. That's not the case. This time I am dead set on the intended answer.
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