I have a real life puzzle for you, first let me describe the area of event.

1. There is a room which has no windows and only one door.
2. There is a light in the centre of the ceiling, (lampshade/bulb)
3. Outside the room there are 3 switches A, B and C, you cannot see them from inside
4. You can position the switches any way you wish
5. You enter the room only ONCE and must stay inside untill you correctly answer
6. You are on your own with no assistance in any way

Starting at the switches, A is off ,B is off, C is off.

Which switch activates the light? well ill give a little clue, it could be any of them, so the question really is how would you work it out!

Have fun.

I can think of a way that would work with incandescent bulbs and another that would work with fluorescent bulbs. Does the investigator know which it is?

Just an ordinary filament bulb.

Hahaha it's an old classic...

What are the rules?
Do you get to switch the switches?
When?

Start at the switches, flick the switches on/off any way you wish, enter the room when you are ready to do so, advise which switch activated the light and the method you used to work it out.

CLUE: What does a light bulb produce besides light?

I have the answer....are we supposed to tell?
Seattle guys would get this right away

PM'd you.

Fredd

I think everyone knows but doesn't want to spoil it for anyone who doesn't!

I'd never thought about flourescent bulbs and am interested in what Mr Townsend's solution for them is.

Real life puzzle? Can anyone think of any reason for rule 5 to be appropriate in a real life situation?

George

George,

You are really lazy?

0pus

If you turned on two switchs & left them on awhile, then turned one off & touched the bulb, that would tell you right?

I know the method for flourecent lights. Its the same, you just have to wait longer, say an hour as opposed to a filament where a minute should suffice.

As for rule #5 in real life situations, maybe not. But movie situations like Saw, Saw 2, and Saw 3, are life death puzzles. Come to think of it, how many movies are out there where people are forced to solve puzzles to save their lives. Every episode of Batman fighting the Riddler has this.

MR

Yes and No. You turn on one switch for a while, turn it off. Then you switch on the second switch and leave it on. You do not even touch the third switch. Walk into the room and you will have all the information you need to solve the puzzle.
MR

That pretty much sums up what elmago said, doesn't it? One switch on, one switch on then off and one switch untouched. The timing is slightly different than his but the outcome should be the same.

One switch on for a long time....Turn it off and turn on the second switch and enter the room. That's all you need to do. You don't need to touch the third switch.

Oh YEA! Go Dad! I learned this one in 3rd grade! Yea! Everyone in seattle knows this one! Oh, and for George, what if you locked yourself in the room on accident, and had to wait for the police to get there, or maybe someone told you to do this puzzle in real life, wouldnt that practically make every puzzle "real life" possibe if that makes any sense!?

:cuteangel:

Hey Bean...when you gonna get a picture. I like the one on my phone

Don't go inside the room, keep the door open and watch if the light turns on when you flick the switch.

First, you get yourself a really large hammer. Then you take aim at the wall...!