Here's an interesting riddle

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Callan S.

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« on: August 12, 2016, 06:35:43 pm »
Multiple Choice: If you choose an answer to this question at random, what is the chance you will be correct?
A) 25%
B) 50%
C) 60%
D) 25%

I went through a few stages on this one, myself.

MSJ

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« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2016, 07:27:43 pm »
Multiple Choice: If you choose an answer to this question at random, what is the chance you will be correct?
A) 25%
B) 50%
C) 60%
D) 25%

I went through a few stages on this one, myself.

50%, because A & D are obviously the same answer?
“No. I am your end. Before your eyes I will put your seed to the knife. I will quarter your carcass and feed it to the dogs. Your bones I will grind to dust and cast to the winds. I will strike down those who speak your name or the name of your fathers, until ‘Yursalka’ becomes as meaningless as infant babble. I will blot you out, hunt down your every trace! The track of your life has come to me,

Wilshire

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« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2016, 07:50:21 pm »
Other answers can be found if you google, but within the spoiler tags below is what I came up with before I did that ;).

(click to show/hide)

Thanks Callan :)
« Last Edit: August 12, 2016, 07:57:00 pm by Wilshire »
One of the other conditions of possibility.

Callan S.

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« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2016, 01:26:25 am »
Wilshire, To be fair...
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« Last Edit: August 13, 2016, 01:32:49 am by Callan S. »

Wilshire

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« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2016, 02:14:15 am »
Wilshire, To be fair...
(click to show/hide)

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One of the other conditions of possibility.

Hogman

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« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2016, 08:14:54 am »
The question states that you should choose an answer at random. It doesn't state that each option should have an equal probability of being chosen. So you can make any of the options the correct answer by suitably defining the probability of each option being chosen. For example, I could make 60% the correct answer by assigning the  following probability distribution to my choice: (A) 40/3% (B) 40/3% (C) 60% (D) 40/3%.  ;)

Callan S.

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« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2016, 01:55:31 am »
Pretty sure that's a dragon way of answering

IS NOT PROBABILITY INFINITE!?

Callan S.

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« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2016, 01:46:34 am »
Here's another

A bat and ball cost a dollar and ten cents. The bat costs a dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

Note: I find this one a bit bogus in how it uses a vague word for a non specific amount right next to a very specific amount. It's like saying 'there were a lot of sheep, 100 of them'.

Somnambulist

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« Reply #8 on: August 17, 2016, 04:09:11 am »
The ball costs 5 cents
No whistling on the slog!

Hogman

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« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2016, 12:17:28 pm »
Here's another

A bat and ball cost a dollar and ten cents. The bat costs a dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

Note: I find this one a bit bogus in how it uses a vague word for a non specific amount right next to a very specific amount. It's like saying 'there were a lot of sheep, 100 of them'.

Which bit of this is vague?

Callan S.

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« Reply #10 on: August 17, 2016, 07:36:22 pm »
'more'

Give some everyday uses of it before saying it's a specific word.

Hogman

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« Reply #11 on: August 18, 2016, 08:38:20 am »
Well, I make no claims about the word "more" being specific or vague because it depends on the context. "The bat costs more than the ball" is vague, but "the bat costs a dollar more than the ball" is specific.
Let me turn the question around: how would you rephrase it to make it more precise? I say it's impossible, because it's already as precise as it could be.

Wilshire

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« Reply #12 on: August 18, 2016, 01:37:59 pm »
The question states that you should choose an answer at random. It doesn't state that each option should have an equal probability of being chosen. So you can make any of the options the correct answer by suitably defining the probability of each option being chosen. For example, I could make 60% the correct answer by assigning the  following probability distribution to my choice: (A) 40/3% (B) 40/3% (C) 60% (D) 40/3%.  ;)

Yeah I saw this online, but I dont like it (and/or dont get it). Ignoring the choices themselves, it's implied that the probability is 25%. Randomly selecting one of  four answers is always 25% unless stated otherwise, because that's how probability works. Assigning whatever values you want doesn't make sense. Flipping a coin give you a 50-50 shot every time. Assigning heads a 75% chance to land up doesn't change the reality that its still 50%.

Well, I make no claims about the word "more" being specific or vague because it depends on the context. "The bat costs more than the ball" is vague, but "the bat costs a dollar more than the ball" is specific.
Let me turn the question around: how would you rephrase it to make it more precise? I say it's impossible, because it's already as precise as it could be.
Agreed. The only way to make it more specific would be to outright say how much the bat costs, but then there is no question.

Here's another

A bat and ball cost a dollar and ten cents. The bat costs a dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

Note: I find this one a bit bogus in how it uses a vague word for a non specific amount right next to a very specific amount. It's like saying 'there were a lot of sheep, 100 of them'.

Which bit of this is vague?
I think the trick is that if you read it quick maybe you are supposed to think the bat costs $1? So then you'd falsely assume the ball was 10c and get the answer wrong on the test?
« Last Edit: August 18, 2016, 01:41:15 pm by Wilshire »
One of the other conditions of possibility.

Hogman

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« Reply #13 on: August 18, 2016, 02:48:15 pm »
The question states that you should choose an answer at random. It doesn't state that each option should have an equal probability of being chosen. So you can make any of the options the correct answer by suitably defining the probability of each option being chosen. For example, I could make 60% the correct answer by assigning the  following probability distribution to my choice: (A) 40/3% (B) 40/3% (C) 60% (D) 40/3%.  ;)

Yeah I saw this online, but I dont like it (and/or dont get it). Ignoring the choices themselves, it's implied that the probability is 25%. Randomly selecting one of four answers is always 25% unless stated otherwise, because that's how probability works. Assigning whatever values you want doesn't make sense. Flipping a coin give you a 50-50 shot every time. Assigning heads a 75% chance to land up doesn't change the reality that its still 50%.

I agree that one should assume each option has an equal probability unless stated otherwise, although I don't think "that's how probability works" is the best choice of words. I'd rather say "that's the convention". Often probability questions do make it explicit ("if a fair coin is tossed...", "if a fair die is rolled..." etc). In my opinion it's fair game to take advantage of a lack of explicitness in a "trick" question like this.

Wilshire

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« Reply #14 on: August 18, 2016, 02:57:40 pm »
I'm not generally one for discussions about semantics (why am I here then...) but I get what your saying. I at least see where your coming from now.
One of the other conditions of possibility.