Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Another one
Two people are talking long distance on the phone; one is in an East Coast state, the other is in a West Coast state. The first asks the other "What time is it?", hears the answer, and says, "That's funny. It's the same time here!" How is this possible?
Bob is in the know
Bob's answer is correct. I forget that Bob has an advantage because his father in law loves to ask these types of questions.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
A new one
Babies E and F (names have been shortened to protect the innocent) have 8 tupperware cups full of rice puffs. They know that one of the cups has a brownie in the bottom, but don't want to waste time eating the puffs to find it. The cups are the special kind with the lid that keeps the contents inside when inverted, so they can't just dump the cups out, although they certainly try.
They have a balance that they've learned how to use, and so they can weigh the cups against each other. They're getting quite impatient to find the brownie, and want to find it as quickly as possible. What is the minimum number of weighings that is required to find the brownie? They can weigh any combination of the 8 cups.
For example, they can put 1 cup at a time on each side of the scale until they find two cups that don't balance and they know the cup with the brownie is the heavy one. This of course is the incorrect solution, because it is only efficient if they get lucky and guess right the first time. The correct solution will work every time regardless of how they randomly select the cups to weigh.
-The Krunchy Krab
They have a balance that they've learned how to use, and so they can weigh the cups against each other. They're getting quite impatient to find the brownie, and want to find it as quickly as possible. What is the minimum number of weighings that is required to find the brownie? They can weigh any combination of the 8 cups.
For example, they can put 1 cup at a time on each side of the scale until they find two cups that don't balance and they know the cup with the brownie is the heavy one. This of course is the incorrect solution, because it is only efficient if they get lucky and guess right the first time. The correct solution will work every time regardless of how they randomly select the cups to weigh.
-The Krunchy Krab
And the nuns make it on time!
Here is the solution:
Sister Speedy and Sister not quite so speedy go across (2 minutes total)
Sister Speedy returns (3 minutes total)
Sister at least I'm not the slowest and Mother Superior cross (13 minutes total)
Sister not quite so speedy crosses by herself (15 minutes total)
Sister Speedy and Sister not quite so speedy cross (17 minutes total)
Alternatively, Sister not quite so speedy can go back in the second step, and Sister Speedy crosses by herself in the fourth step with the same result.
Sister Speedy and Sister not quite so speedy go across (2 minutes total)
Sister Speedy returns (3 minutes total)
Sister at least I'm not the slowest and Mother Superior cross (13 minutes total)
Sister not quite so speedy crosses by herself (15 minutes total)
Sister Speedy and Sister not quite so speedy cross (17 minutes total)
Alternatively, Sister not quite so speedy can go back in the second step, and Sister Speedy crosses by herself in the fourth step with the same result.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Thursday, May 18, 2006
oh yeah
I'm writing this post from our new laptop :) just got it yesterday. Very nice, kills my desktop computer.
I'm also sitting in a kitchen in Sacramento that I've never been in before. We're on our way down to the LA area. Drove to the Portland area Wednesday night, then today (Thursday) we drove to Sacramento. It was a surprisingly easy drive, took 12.5 hours with stops.
Anyway, we're here now and I get to play with the laptop for awhile. I need to install a game on here so I can see how it handles.
-The Krunchy Krab
I'm also sitting in a kitchen in Sacramento that I've never been in before. We're on our way down to the LA area. Drove to the Portland area Wednesday night, then today (Thursday) we drove to Sacramento. It was a surprisingly easy drive, took 12.5 hours with stops.
Anyway, we're here now and I get to play with the laptop for awhile. I need to install a game on here so I can see how it handles.
-The Krunchy Krab
Friday, May 12, 2006
It's not exactly right, but it's still very cool. Or maybe I'm just more tired.
Check it out. Some guy in a high school talent show re-enacts the original super mario bros game. Very well done.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2139555376132383479
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2139555376132383479
It's getting lighter
I have a small flat oval of foam on my desk that has adhesive on the back. Surely there's something fun I can do with this.
Zzzzz....
There nothing like watching the darkness outside turn to light. Ok, I guess watching paint dry is similar.
The alternative is trying to figure out what I changed my TSA lock combination to. So far I've checked 0 through 200.
Gone forever are the days when this was my prime working state. I used to be able to pump out hundreds of lines of code, draw up schematics, and solve differential equations when I felt like this. Now I stare out the window, sipping tea, and contemplate whether I should put my contacts in or not.
I get massive amounts of enjoyment right now from my calculator sitting on my desk that I got at a job fair. You push a button on it, and the plastic cover over the screen silently rotates around from the front to the back, eventually pushing the calculator up to rest at an angle so you can see it on the desk. I know it's just a cheap spring inside, but still it's cool. I close it and open it again and again. My tea is gone.
The alternative is trying to figure out what I changed my TSA lock combination to. So far I've checked 0 through 200.
Gone forever are the days when this was my prime working state. I used to be able to pump out hundreds of lines of code, draw up schematics, and solve differential equations when I felt like this. Now I stare out the window, sipping tea, and contemplate whether I should put my contacts in or not.
I get massive amounts of enjoyment right now from my calculator sitting on my desk that I got at a job fair. You push a button on it, and the plastic cover over the screen silently rotates around from the front to the back, eventually pushing the calculator up to rest at an angle so you can see it on the desk. I know it's just a cheap spring inside, but still it's cool. I close it and open it again and again. My tea is gone.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Ok, here's another one
And if you look this one up on the intertron, you will always be disappointed in yourself.
Four engineering nuns have a meeting that starts in 17 minutes and they must cross a bridge to get there. All four nuns begin on the same side of the bridge. It is night, and the nuns only have 1 flashlight for all of them. The nuns can travel across the bridge 1 or 2 at a time, and the flashlight must go across with each group. They can't throw the flashlight across the bridge.
Each nun walks at a different rate. If a pair of nuns goes together, they walk at the rate of the slower nun.
Sister Speedy takes 1 minute to cross
Sister not quite so speedy takes 2 minutes to cross
Sister at least I'm not the slowest takes 5 minutes to cross
Mother Superior takes 10 minutes to cross
For example, if Sister Speedy and Mother Superior walk across first, they take 10 minutes. If Mother Superior then returns to guide her nuns back across, they have taken 20 minutes total and they miss their meeting and are excommunicated.
Four engineering nuns have a meeting that starts in 17 minutes and they must cross a bridge to get there. All four nuns begin on the same side of the bridge. It is night, and the nuns only have 1 flashlight for all of them. The nuns can travel across the bridge 1 or 2 at a time, and the flashlight must go across with each group. They can't throw the flashlight across the bridge.
Each nun walks at a different rate. If a pair of nuns goes together, they walk at the rate of the slower nun.
Sister Speedy takes 1 minute to cross
Sister not quite so speedy takes 2 minutes to cross
Sister at least I'm not the slowest takes 5 minutes to cross
Mother Superior takes 10 minutes to cross
For example, if Sister Speedy and Mother Superior walk across first, they take 10 minutes. If Mother Superior then returns to guide her nuns back across, they have taken 20 minutes total and they miss their meeting and are excommunicated.
Ok.
Apparently it IS lame to think up problems when you're bored. So here's the answer. The balls will not reach the end at the same time. They will however have the same velocity when they exit the "bump" in the track.
The ball which goes downhill first and then uphill will finish first, since its speed will never drop below the speed it started out with. It will speed up down the hill, and then slow down to its original speed when it goes up the other side.
The other ball will slow down initially when it goes up the hill, and then will speed up again to its original speed when it goes down the other side. Unfortunantly, it will finish last. But of all the balls that finished last, it was the best.
The ball which goes downhill first and then uphill will finish first, since its speed will never drop below the speed it started out with. It will speed up down the hill, and then slow down to its original speed when it goes up the other side.
The other ball will slow down initially when it goes up the hill, and then will speed up again to its original speed when it goes down the other side. Unfortunantly, it will finish last. But of all the balls that finished last, it was the best.
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