Quiz time

[duckman]

Doesn't count (pun), misspelt

Gum has been chewed for some time now, how old is the oldest piece of chewing gum

Dunno, but I'm betting that its lost its flavour.

Hang on, and I'll check my bedpost.

[hexbaz]

OK, it's been too quiet here for a couple of weeks!.....

Who's going to be the first to solve the riddle below? Try to do it without google!
(Hint: The answer is mathematical)

Sir, I bear a rhyme excelling
In mystic force and magic spelling
Celestial sprites elucidate
All my own striving can't relate

[Ivan in Oz]

Eight,
NOT ate as in consume.
Though I'm on the fang at the moment.

Ivan in Oz
Home 'Poota up and running next week
WHEN I GET A POWER SUPPLY :mad:

[hexbaz]

Eight,
NOT ate as in consume.
Though I'm on the fang at the moment.

Ivan in Oz
Home 'Poota up and running next week
WHEN I GET A POWER SUPPLY :mad:

Sorry - no. Interestingly, 8 is the same answer that my brother gave (great minds think alike). I see why that might be a reasonable answer, but the answer is more complex than that. It will be obvious when you do get it - and it does have a very vague connection with woodwork!

[simon c]

Maybe Ivan's "consume" is more relevant to the real answer than he thinks?

[hexbaz]

Maybe Ivan's "consume" is more relevant to the real answer than he thinks?

... Sounds like you know the answer, Mr. C!

[simon c]

yep, I remember learning them from school. although I'm a bit of a mathematician so I actually found it easier to remember the real thing rather than the mnemonic!

Simon

PS I'm trying not to get it right so I don't have to come up with another one as I'm going away for the weekend

[hexbaz]

yep, I remember learning them from school. although I'm a bit of a mathematician so I actually found it easier to remember the real thing rather than the mnemonic!

Yeah me too!

I loved your construction sign by the way (saves me replying to that thread!). It is doing the rounds in UK now.

Have a great weekend.

[simon c]

OK i'll "bite"

The answer is that it is a mnemonic for pi. Where the number of letters in each word signify the digits (ie 3.14159 etc). The one I learned at school was Now, I wish I could recollect pi. But that would have been no good for the quiz as the answer was in the question.

So my turn

[simon c]

This is quite famous but a good one as it is so counter-intuitive. It took me a day of thinking about it before I could get the emotional side of the brain to accept what the logical side was telling me. I even had to try it a few times.

You are a contestant on a game show. You are shown three doors. Behind one door is a car, and behind each of the other two is a goat (the goal is to get the car!). You get to pick one of the doors. Then the host (who knows what is behind the doors) opens one of the doors that you did not pick and shows you a goat. The host then gives you the option to stick with your current door or switch to the other door. Do you stick or switch and what difference to your chance of winning does it make?

Simon

[duckman]

Ok I'll take a swing at this.

Personally, I'd take the goat and run but that's not one of the options.

Your odds are reduced from 1 in 3 to 1 in 2 by the removal of one door.
From that point the chances of winning are the same ( 1 in 2) whether you stay with your current choice or change. :confused:

[simon c]

Hi duckman, that's the intuitive answer but isn't actually the right one. Set up a little experiment and try it.

[duckman]

If I've selected a 'goat door' then the host will select the second 'goat door' leaving the car door unselected. Naturally I would want to change my selection, but, I don't know that I've selected a 'goat door', so I'm no better off.

OTOH, if I've selected the car door then the host can select either of the two 'goat doors' leaving just one 'goat door'. In this case I would want to keep my currrent selection, but again, I don't know that I've selected the car door.

I'm going to have to think about this some more.

Hooroo for now...

[hexbaz]

You say that the host knows what is behind the doors. This has a big bearing on the answer, I think - he will avoid opening the door with the car, for game show suspense purposes.

This really slews the probabilities - I am not great at mathematics, but I would say you have a better chance of winning, given the above facts, if you were to change your mind.

[simon c]

Just to clarify, the host knows what is behind the doors and always reveals a goat leaving one goat and the car remaining.