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Cole

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Petals around the Rose

This is a fun puzzle. The number of rolls it takes until you can correctly answer every time is said to be evident of the type of thinker you are. A person who thinks in a more analytical manner will take longer to figure it out. Apparently computer and math nerds such as Bill Gates are horrible at discovering the answer.

Do not post the answer or any clues once you figure it out (you haven't figured it out unless you can correctly answer every time). It's much more rewarding when a person figures it out entirely on his own.

(I added an "s" to the end of the thread name before posting this, in hope that people will post more of these types of things)

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Apparently computer and math nerds such asĀ  Bill Gates are horrible at discovering the answer.

Well, you caught my attention with that--math was my favorite subject at school and I write software for a living. I figured the game out after one wrong guess, though. (So much for my dream of making billions selling software... :);))

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Well, you caught my attention with that--math was my favorite subject at school and I write software for a living. I figured the game out after one wrong guess, though. (So much for my dream of making billions selling software... :);))

I did the same thing...and I am in the same boat....apparently we are screwed. The answer wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected it to be.

Edited by PennDrago
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I couldn't figure it out until I read this part of the story about Bill Gates:

However, we'll give you one line of Bill's program as it is written in pencil on the napkin (which is safe in our vault for evidence). Bill's written program makes us feel much better about dealing with a smart guy who can not only program but can remember all those throws of the dice. Things do even out. The line reads:

PRINT "THE NAME OF THE GAME IS PEDAL AROUND THE ROSES"

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Apparently computer and math nerds such as Bill Gates are horrible at discovering the answer.

You got me hooked too by this particular phrase and I did have a hard time figuring out the answer!! It took me about 10 minutes to figure it out! I'm not sure if I should be happy or go and whack my head against the wall for taking so much time!!!

Dinesh.

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A lightbulb is turned on by one of three switches, but you cannot see

the bulb from the switches. How can you determine which switch turns

on the bulb if you only want to go from the switches to the bulb once?

Assume that the switches are clearly marked indicating which

orientation is on, that the lightbulb is an ordinary household

incandescent bulb, that you do not have assistants or apparatus such as

mirrors available, and in general that this is not a trick question.

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A lightbulb is turned on by one of three switches, but you cannot see

the bulb from the switches.Ā  How can you determine which switch turns

on the bulb if you only want to go from the switches to the bulb once?

Assume that the switches are clearly marked indicating which

orientation is on, that the lightbulb is an ordinary household

incandescent bulb, that you do not have assistants or apparatus such as

mirrors available, and in general that this is not a trick question.

Are you looking for someone to post an answer? Or do we become part of a special fraternity? :P

Petals Around the Rose just might be the most ridiculous "brain teaser" created. It has no significance whatsoever.

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What type of significance were you expecting? The computer shows you an answer, and asks you to examine the evidence presented so that you can determine how the answer was derived. It is not intended to be a math equation. The purpose of the game is to examine characteristics and determine relationships.

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A lightbulb is turned on by one of three switches, but you cannot see

the bulb from the switches.Ā  How can you determine which switch turns

on the bulb if you only want to go from the switches to the bulb once?

Now this is tricky for computer guys, who are easily misled to think of the light bulb as one bit! :thumbsup:

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What type of significance were you expecting? The computer shows you an answer, and asks you to examine the evidence presented so that you can determine how the answer was derived. It is not intended to be a math equation. The purpose of the game is to examine characteristics and determine relationships.

The underlying purpose of the game is to figure out the relationship based on an arbitrary set of rules determined by the puzzle inventor (in this case, the programmer). Recognizing the relationship only proves that for that moment, the solver was able to think like the originator did when creating the puzzle. It is not any deeper than that.

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The underlying purpose of the game is to figure out the relationship based on an arbitrary set of rules determined by the puzzle inventor (in this case, the programmer).Ā  Recognizing the relationship only proves that for that moment, the solver was able to think like the originator did when creating the puzzle.Ā  It is not any deeper than that.

Is this not the case for any brain teaser?

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Haha, I just got it. Took me longer than I like to admit.Ā  Ā  Does that mean I'm a *Bill Gates*

:whistle:

What is that supposed to mean ?

I'll take it that you mean I'm too brilliant to have been that stumped by it

;)

I like these sort of things, I way overthought this one though, and they even warn you not too a million times. I think I wanted it to be harder than it was so I refused to check that option until I had exhausted other possible theories. Silly Silly me :D It was fun though and now I sent it to all my friends to see how long it takes them.

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