Friday, February 24, 2006

Riddle Me This

Here's an interesting riddle to ponder over the weekend:

You are in a room with three light switches. Way down the hall is a room with a light bulb that one of these switches controls. You can't see the other room or the light from the other room from the room you are in.

All three light switches are off and the light bulb is also off. Now, you can fiddle with the light switches any way you want. Then, you can go into the room down the hall where the light bulb is and come back to the original room where the switches are.

There is one specific way you'll know for certain which switch controls that light bulb.

This isn't a trick question at all, but you might have to think outside the box to get the right answer. I've never met anybody yet who got it.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Turn switch #1 on and leave it on for awhile. Turn it off and switch on switch #2. Proceed to the room. If the light bulb is off but hot, it was switch #1. If the light bulb is on, then it is switch #2. If the light bulb is off and cold, then it is switch #3.

akjn westside said...

thanks for making me think too much...I am going to agree with anonymous...i was just waiting for someone else to put an answer up :)

PokerPro said...

I think I messed up the riddle. There are 3 bulbs, 3 different rooms and you can only go from the switch room to each of the bulb rooms once! OOPS!

akjn westside said...

since chuck did a reprint of one of his blogs, I request that you do the same...I did think about these damn lightbulbs through the weekend, and need to have the riddle in it's correct context :)
....you can tell us the answer, too!

Chuck said...

Since anonymous got it right, but responded anonymously, I am going to submit the same answer - therefore getting credit (because it was actually me earlier, but due to technical reasons I couldn't log in).

Anonymous said...

Anonymous will cede all credit for solving the faulty riddle to Chuck. However, Chuck should refer to anonymous as "mi amigo anonymoso"

Chuck said...

Mi amigo anonymoso has made me feel guilty for taking credit where it isn't deserved, so I will admit I did not solve the riddle.

However, I know nothing about any recently fallen cherry trees.

cns said...

um...it's march now
tomorrow is march 9

is there anywhere to play blackjack around here?