Unsolvable Riddle #1

einax17 · Post by **einax17** » 31 Jul 2009, 20:19

You stand at a fork in the road. Next to each of the two forks, there stands a guard. You know the following things:

1. One path leads to Paradise, the other to Death. From where you stand, you cannot distinguish between the two paths. Worse, once you start down a path, you cannot turn back.

2. One of the two guards always tells the truth. The other guard always lies. Unfortunately, it is impossible for you to distinguish between the two guards.

You have permission to ask one guard one question to ascertain which path leads to Paradise. Remember that you do not know which guard you're asking -- the truth-teller or the liar -- and that this single question determines whether you live or die. The question is: What one question asked of one guard guarantees that you are led onto the path to Paradise, regardless of which guard you happen to ask?

moudy · Post by **moudy** » 01 Aug 2009, 11:57

ummmm

you might ask the guard if he would like to come along with you

LOL joking

dunno about it, might just return from where I came in the first place

Post by **computathug** » 01 Aug 2009, 14:04

Ask one what day it is

leetnigga · Post by **leetnigga** » 01 Aug 2009, 14:14

computathug wrote:Ask one what day it is

And then choose your path depending on the day?

n3rd · Post by **n3rd** » 01 Aug 2009, 14:18

"What would the other one say", and go the other way

done.

Post by **ayu** » 01 Aug 2009, 14:48

yeah, you would ask "Which way would the other guard say is to paradise?", and go the other way, because if you are asking the guard who always tells the truth he would say the wrong path because that is what the lying guard would say. And if you asked the lying guard, he would also say the wrong way because the truth teller would say the right way, and the lying guard would want to lie and tell the opposite.

Post by **DNR** » 01 Aug 2009, 20:18

yea I agree, its going to be how you interrogate the guard, and you direct them against each other.
sort of like the true or false paradox:

"The following sentence is false.

The preceding sentence is true.

Are these sentences true or false?"

DNR

einax17 · Post by **einax17** » 01 Aug 2009, 21:14

I smell a cake served with a side of CHEAT.
J/k.
and yes that's the correct answer ;D

DNR wrote:"The following sentence is false.

The preceding sentence is true.

Are these sentences true or false?"

Both are false.

Am i correct?

Post by **Gogeta70** » 01 Aug 2009, 23:34

Neither is true or false. That's the whole meaning of a paradox - denying the factuality of the other.

Post by **DNR** » 02 Aug 2009, 07:51

and the tactic was applying one guard against the other.
the tactic to solving the true/false paradox required the same thing, one
sentence is applied against the other sentence.

BTW - making the guard come with you was a reasonable idea - you could look for signs of happiness or dispair in the guard's expression - happy if he is going to paradise with you, upset - if he is going to hell with you..

DNR