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Topic: The box paradox (Read 461 times) |
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alien2
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The box paradox
« on: Sep 30th, 2019, 3:44am » |
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Two friends like to puzzle one another. At one occasion one says to another: "If you open this box, you’ll find a pencil inside; yet the pencil is not in this box. How can this be?!" After a bit of pondering, he answers correctly. What was his answer?
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towr
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #1 on: Sep 30th, 2019, 8:53am » |
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Inside could mean inside the room, instead of inside the box.
Or the speaker could just throw the pencil in the box as it's opened by the other person.
Or, there might just be a pencil lead (the pencil's inside) in the box.
Or he might answer "correctly"
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alien2
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #2 on: Sep 30th, 2019, 10:47pm » |
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No intended answer as of yet; but thanks for participating.
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| « Last Edit: Oct 1st, 2019, 7:43am by alien2 » |
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Grimbal
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #3 on: Oct 4th, 2019, 9:37am » |
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He opened the box, and ...
He half-expected a pencil lying there, but he discovered his friend lying.
or
It is physically impossible to open the box. Therefore any sentence like "if you open the box then ..." is true.
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| « Last Edit: Oct 4th, 2019, 9:38am by Grimbal » |
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alien2
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #4 on: Oct 5th, 2019, 1:46am » |
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on Oct 4th, 2019, 9:37am, Grimbal wrote:He opened the box, and ...
He half-expected a pencil lying there, but he discovered his friend lying.
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Nice try. He wasn't lying though. You're thinking too much. The answer is pretty transparent, and it concerns an omitted fact.
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towr
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #5 on: Oct 5th, 2019, 11:31am » |
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Are you hinting that the bottom om the box is transparent and the pencil is underneath the box?
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alien2
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #6 on: Oct 5th, 2019, 11:51am » |
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Not at all. It is an ordinary box.
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Grimbal
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #7 on: Oct 5th, 2019, 1:15pm » |
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The box is a TV set.
Or it is a zen paradox. Is a piece of wood and lead a pencil if nobody knows it is there, nobody identifies it as a pencil and nobody knows it can be used to draw?
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| « Last Edit: Oct 5th, 2019, 1:19pm by Grimbal » |
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Grimbal
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #8 on: Oct 5th, 2019, 1:19pm » |
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"correctly".
I don't know if it was the intended answer, but I answered the question correctly.
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alien2
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #9 on: Oct 6th, 2019, 3:03am » |
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It is an ordinary pencil in an ordinary box. Uberpuzzlers of your caliber baffle me. You are able to solve quite difficult mathematical riddles, whatnot, an then you bog down regarding this pretty simple riddle. Yes. There is an omitted fact, but it is not a TV or a satellite or whatever. No technology is involved. Star Trek is alright, unless it becomes a habit. At the moment we are not that technologically advanced.
This might be a hint: Russia, something about it (or from it), considering a certain association, analogous to this riddle, in a way.
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| « Last Edit: Oct 6th, 2019, 3:42am by alien2 » |
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towr
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #10 on: Oct 6th, 2019, 10:22pm » |
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on Oct 6th, 2019, 3:03am, alien2 wrote:| You are able to solve quite difficult mathematical riddles, whatnot, an then you bog down regarding this pretty simple riddle. |
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Difficult mathematical puzzles generally have a way for solving them, whereas this "pretty simple riddle" requires reading your mind. There isn't a systematic way to arrive at an answer here. Well, I suppose I could name every word or pair of words in the English dictionary and hope the answer is among them, but that's still guesswork.
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| « Last Edit: Oct 6th, 2019, 10:22pm by towr » |
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alien2
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #11 on: Oct 7th, 2019, 9:58am » |
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You needn't use the English dictionary, not at all. This was a hint.
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Grimbal
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #12 on: Oct 12th, 2019, 2:02am » |
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You hint not an English dictionnary.
You hint Russian.
Pencil in russian is karandash.
So it is not a pencil in the box, it is a karandash.
Or like russian dolls, in the box there is not a pencil but a box. In THAT box there is a pencil.
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alien2
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Re: The box paradox
« Reply #13 on: Oct 12th, 2019, 8:01am » |
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on Oct 12th, 2019, 2:02am, Grimbal wrote:
(...)
Or like russian dolls, in the box there is not a pencil but a box. In THAT box there is a pencil. |
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Yes!
I knew that you, Grimbal, would NOT disappoint me. In a sense, sometimes I feel as though I am your wife, even though I am not gay. I feel a certain connection between us, which transcends our international differences. Thank You again. And: you're welcome!
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