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TheDeath
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
with serious business
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posted May 19, 2007 07:28 PM |
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One question: Were the switches sorted in some order (like ascending with floor level?)
If so, then she takes the middle one first, then one of the other ones based on how the lights showed up in the first attempt.
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Binabik
Responsible
Legendary Hero
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posted May 19, 2007 07:28 PM |
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Can we assume that one switch is for the floor the switches are on? If so, you can eliminate the one for that floor. Then there's a 50-50 chance.
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alcibiades
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
of Gold Dragons
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posted May 19, 2007 08:24 PM |
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Answer to both of you, actually:
She doesn't remember anything about how the switches are sorted, and there are no signs.
Addition: You are not supposed to call anybody and ask them. Let's say nobody knows which switch goes to where, and they are random.
Binabik > Also a clarification for you: There are three switches, but the problem cannot be solved 100 % by going only once although there's always the odd chance of being lucky on first go. So the question is to solve it so that you will have to go no more than twice.
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What will happen now?
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Tenaka
Famous Hero
Makes sense
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posted May 19, 2007 09:10 PM |
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Are the switches on the ground floor, or the basement?
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alcibiades
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
of Gold Dragons
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posted May 19, 2007 09:26 PM |
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Doesn't really matter, but she cannot see the office from the switch room. Let's assume it's in the basement.
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What will happen now?
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friendofgunnar
Honorable
Legendary Hero
able to speed up time
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posted May 19, 2007 09:40 PM |
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Kooka sets the coffee maker going on her floor. (even with the power off)
Then she goes down to the basement and flips the first switch on for 5 minutes, turns it off, then flips on the third switch.
When she gets back if the lights are, she's in business. If the lights are off but she has fresh coffee, it's the first switch. If the lights are off and there's no coffee, it's the second switch she needs.
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kookastar
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted May 19, 2007 09:41 PM |
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why can't I just switch all of them at once? 
If I switch two on to start with... hang on I need that 5 min to think...
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uhuh
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kookastar
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted May 19, 2007 09:43 PM |
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WoW foggy 
I hope it was the first switch because I really need some coffee...
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uhuh
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baklava
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Mostly harmless
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posted May 19, 2007 10:47 PM |
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Quote:
why can't I just switch all of them at once?
Quote:
...Kooka recalls that there are in fact three safety switches, of which only one can be turned on at a time...
Don't ask me, those are the rules...
But if only one switch can be turned on at the time (not two or all three) then the riddle can't be solved with 100% chance if you can't use any gadgets...
Wait!
Do animals count as gadgets?
____________
"Let me tell you what the blues
is. When you ain't got no
money,
you got the blues."
Howlin Wolf
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angelito
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
proud father of a princess
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posted May 20, 2007 12:18 AM |
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She runs downstairs, turns on the first switch for a longer time and turns it off again...the second one for a shorter time on and then off again ...the third is turned on and stays on.
Now she goes back in her loft. If the lights work, it is switch number 3 and she doesn't have to run downstairs again at all.
If the lights don't work, she will touch a bulb. If it is pretty hot, the first switch is hers, if it is just a bit warm, the second one is hers. So she just have to go downstairs one more time to turn on one of these 2 remaining switches and turn off the 3rd one again.
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Better judged by 12 than carried by 6.
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alcibiades
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
of Gold Dragons
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posted May 20, 2007 12:23 PM |
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Quote:
Kooka sets the coffee maker going on her floor. (even with the power off)
Then she goes down to the basement and flips the first switch on for 5 minutes, turns it off, then flips on the third switch.
When she gets back if the lights are, she's in business. If the lights are off but she has fresh coffee, it's the first switch. If the lights are off and there's no coffee, it's the second switch she needs.
Correct! 
A slightly simpler solution which doesn't require a coffee maker has her wait in the basement for 5 minutes after turning on the first switch, then turning it off and turning on the second switch, going back to the office and feel the temperature of the light bulb if the lights are turned off. But the principle is the same, so thumbs up for originality.
@ Angelito: Your solution is not fool-proof because it might be difficult to asset whether the light bulb is "very hot" or only "a bit hot" - especially because running up and down the stairs will take some time, possibly causing the light bulb to cool down from very hot to just slightly hot. The better solution is therefore to leave the one switch untouhed - then you just have to separate "hot" from "cold" which is much more precise.
New riddle please. 
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What will happen now?
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angelito
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
proud father of a princess
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posted May 20, 2007 08:23 PM |
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Edited by angelito at 20:23, 20 May 2007.
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A man is driving with his car from home to his work and listens to the radio.
After 2 minutes he stops and shoots himself in the head.
Why?
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Better judged by 12 than carried by 6.
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baklava
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Mostly harmless
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posted May 20, 2007 08:44 PM |
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Cause they played some song by "my chemical romance"
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"Let me tell you what the blues
is. When you ain't got no
money,
you got the blues."
Howlin Wolf
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Spectrum
Famous Hero
Plan B
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posted May 20, 2007 08:46 PM |
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The nice man in the radio told him to?
One of his relatives died?
The "What's hot?" programme told him that it's so in shooting yourself in the head?
He ate a bad nut and the radio has nothing to do with the answer?
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Aculias is like the male nipple of HC, TNT being the other one -Baklava
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angelito
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
proud father of a princess
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posted May 20, 2007 09:16 PM |
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Same answer to all of these questions: No
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Better judged by 12 than carried by 6.
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Spectrum
Famous Hero
Plan B
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posted May 20, 2007 09:45 PM |
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Damn. I really was counting on that nut one...
Well. Maybe he really wanted to win an award and heard that he hadn't?
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Aculias is like the male nipple of HC, TNT being the other one -Baklava
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Geny
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
What if Elvin was female?
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posted May 20, 2007 10:18 PM |
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angelito
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
proud father of a princess
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posted May 21, 2007 12:36 AM |
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Could we continue that thread like it is meant to be?
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Better judged by 12 than carried by 6.
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EliteKill
Promising
The Starless
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posted May 21, 2007 06:49 AM |
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Did he hear somethig on the radio that made him shoot himself?
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angelito
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
proud father of a princess
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posted May 21, 2007 10:11 AM |
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Quote:
Did he hear somethig on the radio that made him shoot himself?
Yes.
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Better judged by 12 than carried by 6.
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