Logic, IQ, and Lateral Thinking Problems.

[ET, the Extra Terrestrial]

This was one of the better ones - had potential to evolve into Vizzini's discourse to Wesley just before he drank the poison.

[Rainswept]

Gone kind-of quiet since the prize incentive disappeared...

You make two cups of tea. Both cups are exactly the same size, made of the same material, sitting the same environment (a kitchen at room temperature); you use exactly the same amount of boiling water from the same kettle, so we can assume all things are equal so far.

You take the milk out of the fridge, and add an amount of cold milk to one cup. You return the milk to the fridge, and leave both cups to stand for 10 minutes. Then you take the milk back out of the fridge and add exactly the same amount of cold milk to the other cup.

You now have two cups of tea. Which one is hotter? Why?

This one seemed really obvious to me. I read it 3 times just to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding

[daftbeaker]

I'm really glad I missed this discussion.

Someone tell him the one about the revolver with 3 bullets and choosing to spin it or not

[Roy Hunter]

This one seemed really obvious to me. I read it 3 times just to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding.

It seemed really obvious to me too. But I have heard it argued through several times by people who don't get thermodynamics, and apparently it is counterintuitive: they seem to think the milkless tea will stay hotter because it starts hotter.

[pieces o'nine]

I'm really glad I missed this discussion.

Someone tell him the one about the revolver with 3 bullets and choosing to spin it or not

YE NOTTY.
YE BANNED.

[Rev. Rowan Redbeard]

I'm really glad I missed this discussion.

Someone tell him the one about the revolver with 3 bullets and choosing to spin it or not

YE NOTTY.
YE BANNED.

Very notty. It's a revolver with 6 chambers and 2 adjacent bullets.

[pieces o'nine]

I swear...DO NOT START THAT SHIT UP AGAIN.

I will... I will... I will do something drastic.

[Helium Hands]

Statistically, the fact that the bullets are adjacent shouldn't make a difference if you spin, right?

;-)

[Rev. Rowan Redbeard]

Statistically, the fact that the bullets are adjacent shouldn't make a difference if you spin, right?

;-)

It's: point, *click*, pause, "Do you want me to pull the trigger now, or spin the chambers first?"

[Helium Hands]

Oh, well if you're spinning between each pull of the trigger then it doesn't make a difference. The chances of you blowing your brains out is the same in each pull of the trigger, assuming a spin in between. The only time the bullets being adjacent will matter is if you keep pulling without a spin.
Of course, I am very likely wrong as statistics was never my strong suit.
Oh, and the supersupersupersuperhighmaniawhichIshouldprobablybehospitalizedforisn'thelpingatallbecausemybrainisgoingwaywaywaywaywaywaywaytoofastformetostopandthink.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaa...

[Rev. Rowan Redbeard]

Oh, well if you're spinning between each pull of the trigger then it doesn't make a difference. The chances of you blowing your brains out is the same in each pull of the trigger, assuming a spin in between. The only time the bullets being adjacent will matter is if you keep pulling without a spin.
Of course, I am very likely wrong as statistics was never my strong suit.
Oh, and the supersupersupersuperhighmaniawhichIshouldprobablybehospitalizedforisn'thelpingatallbecausemybrainisgoingwaywaywaywaywaywaywaytoofastformetostopandthink.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaa...

If you pull and miss, there are only 4 chambers you could have attempted to fire from. Three of those chambers are followed by another empty chamber. One is followed by a chamber with a bullet in it.

So that gives you a 3 out of 4 chance of having another empty chamber if you don't spin. (3/4)

If you spin, assuming total randomness, you have a 2/6 chance of having a chamber with a bullet in it. (2/6 = 1/3)

So you have a 3/4 chance of not being shot if you don't spin, or a 2/3 chance of not being shot if you do spin.

Since 3/4 (.75) is larger than 2/3 (.66), you have a greater chance of not being shot (assuming you survived the first trigger pull) if you do not spin.

[DavidH]

I'm with Pieces. This must be eradicated. Maybe I'll sneak up on the bugger and load all six. That'd larn him.

[black bart]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

[ET, the Extra Terrestrial]

I hear a distant muted thumping... could it be the sound of Pieces pounding her head on her desk?

[PKMKII]

Statistically, the fact that the bullets are adjacent shouldn't make a difference if you spin, right?

;-)

Actually the uneven weight distribution does effect the spin. In Russian roulette, it does make it less likely that the bullet will be aligned with the chamber on the first spin as the weight of the bullet makes it more likely to settle on the bottom.