h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Damn right. That's the poorest reasoning I've seen for a while.

Let's go back to first principles, shall we? How were you injured? Why were you brought here?

B

"whispers in your ear"

He must have whispered VERY loudly then.

Injured in your first sky-dive, landed hard, fractured ankle, military ambulance nearby, takes you to field hospital.

Well, the fact that there's a military ambulance waiting there seems a little odd. Does it mean that the injured party is military as well?

So it's not so much a skydive as a parachute drop? In training for the SAS are we?

Or actually in the SAS are dropping into enemy territory?


Geggs

Also, what's the likelihood of senior ranks performing surgery? Would anyone above Sergeant want to get there hands dirty?


Geggs

All doctors in the army are officers.

Ah, so it's actually there other way around? No Sergeant or below will be performing surgery?


Geggs

You appear to have stumped us, Mu Beta. Possibly because:

1. Firstly, you say, "You will need to use principles of logic to get the answer here." Post 5.

Then you say, "Using pure logic to get there would probably be a mistake. It is a silly question, after all." Post 25.

Then you say, "Try reverting to your logical reasoning." Post 39.

2. Post 1.

You then tell us that the above musing should be taken as a statement (Posts 17, 21 & 23) without saying whether the 'statement' should be read as 'your ambulance driver has been leading you astray and he is a liar' or the opposite.

3. Post 1. Yet he whispers SO loudly into 'my' ear that Sergeant Bash is able to hear it.


Looking at the problem another way: in Posts 8/9 and 31/32, you have confirmed that all but the following people are liars:

A) Major Jump: Post 1. Major Jump might have said ANYTHING - except 'I am a liar' [he might even have said that Mu Beta is a liar, or that my football team has already been relegated (true ) ].

B) Private Parts: Post 1. Which could be true or false... but not irrelevant.

You were right about one thing; it is a silly question.

1) Your logic is faulty in your conclusion above. Although you are close to an important logical point which will reveal the correct answer.

2) There is a combination of logic and other parallel thinking required.

3) The setting and back-story, as I have already hinted, is not irrelevant.

Keep plugging away now, boys and girls.

B

Oh, and 4) The whispering is not relevant. That was just to break up the narrative.

B

"Your logic is faulty in your conclusion above." Which conclusion?

As things stand (according to information you have supplied) either Major Jump mumbles something true - in which case he is my man; or false - in which case Private Parts is the one. I see no other alternative.



Ps I'm reserving these for you, Mu Beta, just in case you decide to disappear (again) without providing the solution.

There is one reason that you cannot correctly assume that the Major or the Private is a truth-teller. Elaborate on that reason and you might find yourself closer to the right answer.

B

If it is not one of those two, then you have misled us.

No. I most definitely have not.

**sigh**

How many clues do you need?

All logical conclusions in this puzzle are rendered redundant by one particular link. What is the link, and what is the connection to your ankle?

B

Have a performed a major jump?


Geggs

I'd hope you'd give me a LITTLE bit more credit than that.

B

Or do I require major surgery?

Geggs

I'm not denying that some wordplay is involved, but it's a little more sophisticated than that.

Think carefully. In decreasing order of importance: Whose statement makes no sense? Why? What were you doing? Why are the military involved?

What might all this have to do with trying to shoot a tortoise?

B

Shooting a tortoise is, according to one of Xeno's paradoxes, impossible. Despite the fact that it is completely possible, though the arrow may rebound off the shell.


Geggs

Well, thanks for that.

Now exercise more brain and less Google.

B