Critical Thought Experiments

[missnu]

I would start watching my moves more carefully thinking that some weirdo is following me messing up my car hoping I will believe they are psychic. Lol.

 

[cannabineer]

I would start watching my moves more carefully thinking that some weirdo is following me messing up my car hoping I will believe they are psychic. Lol.

You could always reverse the game. When Mr. X runs into you, kidnap him. I mean, here is a guy who just spent millions on postage. A creative investigator with skills of persuasion could end up quite rich. cn

 

[Doer]

Sudoku is my wife's favorite. I have it on XBox, but Defense Grid has flashing lights and explosions!

Very similar to Sudoku in that very little of what you think at first, will work out in the end, though it seems it will. I've never been good with numbers.

 

[cannabineer]

Sudoku is my wife's favorite. I have it on XBox, but Defense Grid has flashing lights and explosions!

Very similar to Sudoku in that very little of what you think at first, will work out in the end, though it seems it will. I've never been good with numbers.

I'm old school. Paper and pencil, a folded Sudoku book in bed, reruns running re'ly, a snootful of Widow and a stem glass of oloroso sherry. ~happy sigh~ cn

 

[Doer]

Sadly, I can only get 9 and some of the numbers, then I'm lost.

 

[Heisenberg]

Storms moved through my area a few weeks ago, knocking out all power. None of the street lights or signals had any power. Just then, I observed a dark truck driving down the street without it's headlights on. An old woman wearing all black with no reflectors stepped onto the street and into the path of the truck. The moon was not shining, the woman had no flashlight or candle, and no generators were used, yet the driver stopped to let her pass. How was the driver of the truck able to see the woman?

Hint: Examine your assumptions...


"The least questioned assumptions are often the most questionable." - Paul Broca

 

[mindphuk]

Storms moved through my area a few weeks ago, knocking out all power. Just then, I observed a dark truck driving down the street without it's headlights on. An old woman wearing all black with no reflectors stepped onto the street and into the path of the truck. The moon was not out, the woman had no flashlight or candle, and no generators were used, yet the driver stopped to let her pass. How was the driver of the truck able to see the woman?

Hint: Examine your assumptions...


"The least questioned assumptions are often the most questionable." - Paul Broca

Spoiler -- Too easy. The sun was out, it was daytime.

 

[cannabineer]

Storms moved through my area a few weeks ago, knocking out all power. Just then, I observed a dark truck driving down the street without it's headlights on. An old woman wearing all black with no reflectors stepped onto the street and into the path of the truck. The moon was not out, the woman had no flashlight or candle, and no generators were used, yet the driver stopped to let her pass. How was the driver of the truck able to see the woman?

Hint: Examine your assumptions...


"The least questioned assumptions are often the most questionable." - Paul Broca

Ooo! I know this one. Not giving it away. cn

 

[Hepheastus420]

OK I'll take a nibble. It is very improbable but still possible that Mr. Psychic threw the dice 26 times and won every time. So while I would be quite impressed, and would need to allow that Mr. Psychic is probably onto something big here, I can't countenance that as proof.

Verdict: inconclusive. cn

No doubt your mind would be blown though.

I know I should think logically about this, but honestly, if he said a stock would fail, I'd listen to him. If he told me that a walmart would blow up on a certain day, I'd avoid it. That's just me though.

 

[Hepheastus420]

Storms moved through my area a few weeks ago, knocking out all power. Just then, I observed a dark truck driving down the street without it's headlights on. An old woman wearing all black with no reflectors stepped onto the street and into the path of the truck. The moon was not out, the woman had no flashlight or candle, and no generators were used, yet the driver stopped to let her pass. How was the driver of the truck able to see the woman?

Hint: Examine your assumptions...


"The least questioned assumptions are often the most questionable." - Paul Broca

I wanna be the kid that screams out the answer..

 

[dashcues]

Can I play? Although,like MP said, you gave away the answer.Or,at least,the logic to find it.

 

[Heisenberg]

Anyone can answer who hasn't heard it before. Sounds like most have it figured out.

 

[Hepheastus420]

He could see because there was daylight out?

 

[Heisenberg]

He could see because there was daylight out?

Absolutely! Good Job.

Sometimes even if all the information we are given is true, we can still be mislead. That is because our brain likes to make assumptions and infer from them. It wouldn't get far in the world if it didn't. Assumptions are something we can't live without, but they can be easily exploited. Our assumptions effect what we infer about the world, and sometimes what we infer can effect assumptions. If you infer from my stress of darkness that the man shouldn't have seen the woman, you assume the sun wasn't out. Of course, when you think about it critically for a minute it becomes apparent.

So if I can use inferences to effect an assumption, then that assumption will effect other inferences. Assuming that the sun was not out (thinking you know) leads to inferring all sorts of silly stuff, like the woman had a glow-stick or a helicopter spotlighted her. These aren't unreasonable explinations, but they are wrong because of an assumption.

The integrity of an assumption directly relates to the quality of the inferences we can make from it.

 

[cannabineer]

Here's one I heard forty years ago and "got" at once. I'm amazed that there sre still folks who don't get this one quickly ... it's all about popular but logically porous assumptions. cn

A father and son have a car accident and are both badly hurt. They are both taken to separate hospitals. When the boy is taken in for an operation, the surgeon says 'I can not do the surgery because this is my son'. How is this possible?

 

[Heisenberg]

Here's one I heard forty years ago and "got" at once. I'm amazed that there sre still folks who don't get this one quickly ... it's all about popular but logically porous assumptions. cn

A father and son have a car accident and are both badly hurt. They are both taken to separate hospitals. When the boy is taken in for an operation, the surgeon says 'I can not do the surgery because this is my son'. How is this possible?

Good one. I was robbed at the chance to figure this one out. The person who told me followed with the answer almost immediately.

 

[mindphuk]

Good one. I was robbed at the chance to figure this one out. The person who told me followed with the answer almost immediately.

What do you call a black man that flies a plane?


Answer - A pilot you fucking racist!

You can uncover the answer like in my previous post by merely selecting it.

 

[Heisenberg]

What do you call a black man that flies a plane?


Answer - A pilot you fucking racist!

You can uncover the answer like in my previous post by merely selecting it.

Heh, I heard the question before, but being from a redneck state they were looking for a different answer.

 

[dashcues]

Here's one I heard forty years ago and "got" at once. I'm amazed that there sre still folks who don't get this one quickly ... it's all about popular but logically porous assumptions. cn

A father and son have a car accident and are both badly hurt. They are both taken to separate hospitals. When the boy is taken in for an operation, the surgeon says 'I can not do the surgery because this is my son'. How is this possible?

What is-didn't say the father in the accident was the father of the son in the car accident.Surgeon was the father of the son in the accident.Father in the accident could be anybody's father.Doesn't say.
Correct?
Pornography for $200 Alex

 

[Heisenberg]

What is-didn't say the father in the accident was the father of the son in the car accident.Surgeon was the father of the son in the accident.Father in the accident could be anybody's father.Doesn't say.
Correct?
Pornography for $200 Alex

This is true neer, your wording left it open. Such sophistry!