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

I've not met anybody yet who has not been confused by this... see www.h2g2.com/P47026 and rate your intelligence! (or at least your lateral thinking skills)

I've seen these sorts of brain teasers before, and the answer is quite true. As the you have two doors to choose from whereas your original choice stands at 1 in 3. Furthermore it matters if the prize door is chosen at random or not. If it was a random choice it is a one in two chance, if the door was chosen it is a 1 in 3!
Try and work that one out!

Erg... nope, sorry, you're going to have to explain that one a bit more before my brain explodes

Here is a hint,
If the doors are chosen at random, the host will open a door for you. but because he does'nt know which door has the prize and therefore could open the prize door (but doesn't) he has therefore changed the odds.
P.S having thought about your original question I now disagree, as soon as the host offers for you to change your mind you have a 1 in 2 chance for both doors.

Hehe... wrong!

Consider: the prize is behind door one.

Strategy: always stick with the original door you pick.
You pick one: you win.
You pick two: you loose.
You pick three: you loose.
Chance of winning: one in three.

Strategy: Always change doors.
You pick one: you loose.
You pick two: you win.
You pick three: you win.
Chance of winning: two in three.

This holds whichever door the prize is behind; you have a one in three chance of getting it right if you stick with your original choice - you have to have picked the right door in the first place. You have a two in three chance if you change doors - you have to have picked the wrong door in the first place.

Trust me, I'm absolutely sure about this one

Hello.

Hi Elizabeth, I'm afraid you've dropped in on a very fiece debate here. In reply your explanation does seem to make sense but it still seems daft. hmm.... yes alright I believe you.
Can we move on to another question?
I've got an easy lateral thinking question....
A man walks into a bar, and asks the barman for a glass of water. The barman stares at him for a moment and pulls out a gun on him.
The man thanks the barman and leaves. Explain.
P.S not to sound picky but spelling is lose.

I agree entirely; it seems daft but it's true. That's why it's so much fun

As to your PS... I'm flabbergasted. I'm shocked. I looked it up and it appears that's another word (along with shure and freind) that I've been spelling wrong all these years... thanks for telling me.

My best guess about the puzzle is that the bloke running into the bar thinks he's in some rough part of the world, but isn't sure. When the barman pulls a gun he confirms what he'd though - thus the thanks. I'm probably wrong, but it's the best I can come up with in the time allowed (five minutes online on weekdays...) If I think of any better ideas I'll post them...

Okay, here's a good one:

Forwards I'm heavy, backwards I'm not. (you're looking for a single word)

I'm to going to see if I can dig up that book I have on counter-intuitive maths puzzles...

The Guy's having hiccups for godssake! The barman cures him of his hiccups by scaring him with a gun!
(the question would have been better if you'd not mentioned it was water he asked for at the bar)

The Guy's having hiccups for godssake! The barman cures him of his hiccups by scaring him with a gun!
(the question would have been better if you'd not mentioned it was water he asked for at the bar)

The Guy's having hiccups for godssake! The barman cures him of his hiccups by scaring him with a gun! (ok, so i knew the answer already)
(the question would have been better if you'd not mentioned it was water he asked for at the bar)

You should really get some practice posting to forums...

Hehe, like the answer to the puzzle. But did you work mine out yet?

Actually, I think I've heard that one before also... but I couldn't remember the answer.

Hey I have the answer(I think )- forwards 'ton' backwards 'not'. Is that right?

Lookit what I started! Actually there was quite a bit more to my post, but I didn't seem to want to post.
So here's an even more daft puzzle to relate to the first one!

2 Nuns walked into a bar, the second should have ducked; why?

It was a metal bar?

It was indeed! and it must have hurt...

A tree doubled in height each year until it reached its maximum height over the course of ten years. How many years did it take for the tree to reach half of its maximum height?

And here's 2 strange ones!

If it takes 6 men 6 days to dig 6 holes, how long will it take 1 man to dig half a hole?

How far can a dog run into the woods?

Have fun!

You are correct the ratios support it.

the tree would reach half of its max height in nine years, right? And one man digging a half hole would be three days? and how far does a dog run into the wood anyways? Also the first mind bender about the game show I think is correct in ratios. It first is one third. picking one door out of three. When the host opens a door and nothings there, and the person doesn't change their answer the ratio stays the same. If the person changes it the ratio changes to 2/3 because one of the doors has been knocked off. That is all most likely wrong but in my head atleast it explains everything and allows me to believe that it is theoretically possible to change higher your chances of winning by changing the answer. (Still most likely explained wrong by yours truly)

the tree would reach half of its max height in nine years, right? And one man digging a half hole would be three days? and how far does a dog run into the wood anyways? Also the first mind bender about the game show I think is correct in ratios. It first is one third. picking one door out of three. When the host opens a door and nothings there, and the person doesn't change their answer the ratio stays the same. If the person changes it the ratio changes to 2/3 because one of the doors has been knocked off. That is all most likely wrong but in my head atleast it explains everything and allows me to believe that it is theoretically possible to change higher your chances of winning by changing the answer. (Still most likely explained wrong by yours truly)