Wednesday non-political thread - Brainteaser

[Mike Honcho 4,028]

Your co-worker has 5 lunch boxes, lined up in a row on his desk.  Each day he brings in a donut and places it in one of the lunch boxes, but randomly places it in a lunch box that is adjacent to the lunch box from the previous day.  For example, if on day 1, donut was in placed in the third lunchbox, then on day 2, the donut will be placed in either lunchbox 2 or 4.   Each day, he allows you to open any lunch box you want. What strategy can you adopt to guarantee you will eventually get a free donut?

 

Answer correctly and you get to ask the next question.

[dain11279 928]

Wait til Friday

[supermike80 1,285]

15 minutes ago, dain11279 said:

Wait til Friday

Right?  This question doesn't seem to be worded right.

Do you mean get a donut everyday?

[frank 2,144]

Tell Mr. Burns that we need a new safety inspector in sector 7G. 

[Mike Honcho 4,028]

31 minutes ago, supermike80 said:

Right?  This question doesn't seem to be worded right.

Do you mean get a donut everyday?

No, you will only get one donut in this transaction.  

Sorry if there is any confusion. Once you open a lunchbox, if there is no donut, he closes the lunch box---at lunch, he then opens his lunchbox(you will not see this and eats his donut).  The next day he will bring in a new donut and place it into a lunchbox adjacent to the lunchbox it was in the day before.    Again, on day one if he placed it in lunchbox 4, then on day two, it will be in lunchbox 3 or 5.   You don't know the starting lunchbox and when you make your choice each day, all the lunch boxes are closed.   

I hope that clears it up.

[posty 2,296]

47 minutes ago, dain11279 said:

Wait til Friday

Nope...  Because he could start on Monday in #5, then go #4 on Tuesday, then back to #5 on Wednesday, then #4 and #5 to close out the week...

Unless I am misunderstanding the riddle, which is a very high probability...

[Mike Honcho 4,028]

1 minute ago, posty said:

Nope...  Because he could start on Monday in #5, then go #4 on Tuesday, then back to #5 on Wednesday, then #4 and #5 to close out the week...

Unless I am misunderstanding the riddle, which is a very high probability...

You are understanding it very well.  Which is the second time you and i were on the same wavelength in a short period of time...and that worries me very greatly for you!  

 

[posty 2,296]

5 minutes ago, Mike Honcho said:

You are understanding it very well.  Which is the second time you and i were on the same wavelength in a short period of time...and that worries me very greatly for you!  

 

[fandandy 3,311]

Keep choosing the same lunchbox.

[posty 2,296]

1 hour ago, Mike Honcho said:

Your co-worker has 5 lunch boxes, lined up in a row on his desk.  Each day he brings in a donut and places it in one of the lunch boxes, but randomly places it in a lunch box that is adjacent to the lunch box from the previous day.  For example, if on day 1, donut was in placed in the third lunchbox, then on day 2, the donut will be placed in either lunchbox 2 or 4.   Each day, he allows you to open any lunch box you want. What strategy can you adopt to guarantee you will eventually get a free donut?

 

Answer correctly and you get to ask the next question.

Beat up the co-worker and take the doughnut before they place it in the lunch box...

[Mike Honcho 4,028]

10 minutes ago, fandandy said:

Keep choosing the same lunchbox.

No, because as Posty pointed out, he could start at lunch 5, then go to 4, then back to 5, forever.   If you are choosing lunchbox 1, you will get no donut.   

[fandandy 3,311]

6 minutes ago, Mike Honcho said:

No, because as Posty pointed out, he could start at lunch 5, then go to 4, then back to 5, forever.   If you are choosing lunchbox 1, you will get no donut.   

Ah, OK.  Hmmmm....

[jerryskids 5,199]

Presuming we start on the second day (i.e., two adjacent donuts):

Day 2:  Pick box 4.  If no donut, the pair is in either 1 and 2 or 2 and 3.

Day 3:  Pick box 3.  If no donut, the pair is in 1 and 2.  

Day 4:  Pick box 2.  Yahtzee$#@!

This can be done mirror image of course.

[Mike Honcho 4,028]

13 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

Presuming we start on the second day (i.e., two adjacent donuts):

Day 2:  Pick box 4.  If no donut, the pair is in either 1 and 2 or 2 and 3.

Day 3:  Pick box 3.  If no donut, the pair is in 1 and 2.  

Day 4:  Pick box 2.  Yahtzee$#@!

This can be done mirror image of course.

There are not two adjacent donuts, he eat's his donut at lunch.  You have one shot in the morning to eat the donut.  Sorry, if I was not clear, each day there is only 1 donut for you to get.

It starts in a random box, if you don't guess where it is...he eats it at lunch and then next day, the donut be place in a lunchbox that is adjacent to the one where it was on the previous day. 

So 1 donut---5 lunch boxes each day.   Your only clue is that today, that donut is in a lunch box either to the left or right of the lunchbox it occupied yesterday.   And of course you know your failed guess from yesterday.

 

Again I apologize, this brainteaser was given to me visually-and it's easier to see the problem then explain...and let's face it, I'm not a wizard with words.   

[jerryskids 5,199]

2 minutes ago, Mike Honcho said:

There are not two adjacent donuts, he eat's his donut at lunch.  You have one shot in the morning to eat the donut.  Sorry, if I was not clear, each day there is only 1 donut for you to get.

OK...

Day 1:  Open all of the boxes.  Jack off on the donut.  Close boxes.  Pick a different box. 

[Cruzer 1,992]

Wait, what kind of donut?

I don't like chocolate or coconut.

[Mike Honcho 4,028]

16 minutes ago, Cruzer said:

Wait, what kind of donut?

I don't like chocolate or coconut.

Well from the previous post ---I'm say it's glazed.   

[fandandy 3,311]

Ya'll need easier riddles so I can play too.

[Mookz 1,287]

Was working different scenarios in my head, and this one seemed to work eventually no matter what the dude did:  choose box 2 the first day, box 3 the next day, box 4 the next day, then keep repeating that sequence until donut is found.

Also that co-worker seems a little OCD.  

[Mike Honcho 4,028]

11 minutes ago, Mookz said:

Was working different scenarios in my head, and this one seemed to work eventually no matter what the dude did:  choose box 2 the first day, box 3 the next day, box 4 the next day, then keep repeating that sequence until donut is found.

Also that co-worker seems a little OCD.  

You are absolutely correct!   There are a couple of mirror scenarios you can do (432432, 234432...) but you have it.   
Apologies again if I explained it poorly, but a big congrats to Mookz!  

Here is the solution explained:  

 

[Mookz 1,287]

Going to defer back to you for the next one though, cuz I got nothin'. 

[fandandy 3,311]

2 minutes ago, Mookz said:

Going to defer back to you for the next one though, cuz I got nothin'. 

A Prisoner Is Told:

If you tell a lie, we will hang you and if you tell the truth, we will shoot you.

What did the prisoner say to save himself?

[Mookz 1,287]

4 minutes ago, fandandy said:

A Prisoner Is Told:

If you tell a lie, we will hang you and if you tell the truth, we will shoot you.

What did the prisoner say to save himself?

Nothing.  

 

[fandandy 3,311]

1 minute ago, Mookz said:

Nothing.  

 

Nope.

[Mookz 1,287]

24 minutes ago, fandandy said:

Nope.

How about something like "I will live to be 100".

[fandandy 3,311]

3 minutes ago, Mookz said:

How about something like "I will live to be 100".

No.  He says You will hang me.  

 

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,583]

Mike my first thought was, and you didnt say this wasnt allowed, but pick up each lunchbox and whichever weighs more (assuming you can tell the difference in OZ's)

[Mookz 1,287]

2 hours ago, fandandy said:

No.  He says You will hang me.  

 

I like it.  

Okay, I do have one for you geeks, but it involves a visual aid.  In the picture below, four guys are buried up to their necks in sand.  A is on one side of a wall and B, C and D are on the other.  All four face the wall and cannot move.  They are told that two of them are wearing blue hats, and two are wearing red, but given no other information.  Nobody can see their own hat, but they can see the hats in front of them, i.e. D can see B's and C's, and C can see B's.
They are told that within 2 minutes, one of the four must state the color of his own hat correctly, or all four will be shot.  
As time was about to expire, one of the four yelled out the color of his hat, and was correct.  All four were freed.  Which guy answered, and how did he know? 

http://prntscr.com/pqbqe9

[Mike Honcho 4,028]

2 minutes ago, Mookz said:

I like it.  

Okay, I do have one for you geeks, but it involves a visual aid.  In the picture below, four guys are buried up to their necks in sand.  A is on one side of a wall and B, C and D are on the other.  All four face the wall and cannot move.  They are told that two of them are wearing blue hats, and two are wearing red, but given no other information.  Nobody can see their own hat, but they can see the hats in front of them, i.e. D can see B's and C's, and C can see B's.
They are told that within 2 minutes, one of the four must state the color of his own hat correctly, or all four will be shot.  
As time was about to expire, one of the four yelled out the color of his hat, and was correct.  All four were freed.  Which guy answered, and how did he know? 

http://prntscr.com/pqbqe9

I know this one, it's really good.   Good luck gents, I failed hard trying to figure it out.  

[edjr 5,564]

whatever happened to the time to make the donuts guy?

[Gladiators 1,904]

10 minutes ago, Mookz said:

I like it.  

Okay, I do have one for you geeks, but it involves a visual aid.  In the picture below, four guys are buried up to their necks in sand.  A is on one side of a wall and B, C and D are on the other.  All four face the wall and cannot move.  They are told that two of them are wearing blue hats, and two are wearing red, but given no other information.  Nobody can see their own hat, but they can see the hats in front of them, i.e. D can see B's and C's, and C can see B's.
They are told that within 2 minutes, one of the four must state the color of his own hat correctly, or all four will be shot.  
As time was about to expire, one of the four yelled out the color of his hat, and was correct.  All four were freed.  Which guy answered, and how did he know? 

http://prntscr.com/pqbqe9

C.  He knows that B is blue.  If his hat was also blue, D would have known his hat was red and stated it.

 

Mike, it looks like Jerry answered your question correctly first, unless I'm missing something.

[Mookz 1,287]

33 minutes ago, Gladiators said:

C.  He knows that B is blue.  If his hat was also blue, D would have known his hat was red and stated it.

 

Mike, it looks like Jerry answered your question correctly first, unless I'm missing something.

Very good.  

[Mike Honcho 4,028]

35 minutes ago, Gladiators said:

C.  He knows that B is blue.  If his hat was also blue, D would have known his hat was red and stated it.

 

Mike, it looks like Jerry answered your question correctly first, unless I'm missing something.

 

7 hours ago, jerryskids said:

Presuming we start on the second day (i.e., two adjacent donuts):

Day 2:  Pick box 4.  If no donut, the pair is in either 1 and 2 or 2 and 3.

Day 3:  Pick box 3.  If no donut, the pair is in 1 and 2.  

Day 4:  Pick box 2.  Yahtzee$#@!

This can be done mirror image of course.

He sort of got it right, but I think the poor ass way I initially set up the problem confused him into thinking there were 2 donuts available to find which isn't correct,  so 'I awarded him no points and may God have mercy on his soul'.  

[Gladiators 1,904]

2 minutes ago, Mike Honcho said:

 

He sort of got it right, but I think the poor ass way I initially set up the problem confused him into thinking there were 2 donuts available to find which isn't correct,  so 'I awarded him no points and may God have mercy on his soul'.  

BASTAGE!!!!

I was thoroughly confused as well.  Between the multiple posts, I thought after day 2 it restarted.  Based on that, I couldn't find a solution.

[Mike Honcho 4,028]

Just now, Gladiators said:

BASTAGE!!!!

I was thoroughly confused as well.  Between the multiple posts, I thought after day 2 it restarted.  Based on that, I couldn't find a solution.

From now on I promise to only copy and paste the brainteasers, because clearly, what we got here is a failure to communicate.   

[Gladiators 1,904]

13 minutes ago, Mike Honcho said:

From now on I promise to only copy and paste the brainteasers, because clearly, what we got here is a failure to communicate.   

It’s all in good fun. It’s not you, it’s...never mind...it’s you.

[jerryskids 5,199]

3 hours ago, Mike Honcho said:

 

He sort of got it right, but I think the poor ass way I initially set up the problem confused him into thinking there were 2 donuts available to find which isn't correct,  so 'I awarded him no points and may God have mercy on his soul'.  

After that I suspected it had something to do with odds and even; your stupid focking donut alternates between them and your patterns seem to exploit that, but I had to step away from the computer.

[shorepatrol 1,737]

5 hours ago, edjr said:

whatever happened to the time to make the donuts guy?

He banged the where's the beef lady and lived happily ever after