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These two puzzles appeared in the 'Skeptical Adversaria' (the newsletter of ASKE, the Association for Skeptical Enquiry), September 2005.
Some puzzles have such a simple solutions that, if we do not spot them immediately, when we do so or when it is pointed out to us, we may exclaim, ‘Oh! Yeah!’, elongated and intonated to mean ‘Of course, I should have realised that’ (and not to be confused with ‘Oh yeah?’ which means something like the converse).
We often have such experiences as children. When I was at primary school we would end each morning session by standing and, with eyes solemnly closed and palms pressed together, praying and giving thanks for the meal to come. On one occasion, scarcely had the word ‘Amen’ escaped our lips when the unmistakable voice of Jacqueline Shuttleworth piped up and announced, ‘Miss, Sheila Braithwaite `ad `er eyes open’. Alas, Jacqueline’s triumph was short-lived. Sharp as ever, her rival immediately delivered the obvious repost. How Sheila ever managed to fail her 11-plus I’ll never know.
No, really. I was quite impressed by her reply, as I hadn’t, in the time available, thought of it myself. As a result, I had that ‘Oh! Yeah!’ sensation when you feel you’ve learned or understood something about the world that was there all the time. You want to give others the same experience so they will be grateful to you. Accordingly, for some time afterwards I would now and again peep during prayers in the hope that someone would pull me up about it. Nobody ever did.
A variant of the following story once provided me with an ‘Oh! Yeah!’ sensation. It was told to me by a school pal who always insisted on giving you the answer to a joke or puzzle before you had time to work it out yourself. I have jazzed the story up a bit.
All but one member of the History class were listening attentively to a lecture on the French Revolution. The exception was Dick Thomson. The previous night’s revelries were exacting their toll; his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, the lecturer’s voice gradually faded away, and Dick fell asleep. And as his sleep deepened he began to dream. It was a vivid and terrifying dream. The year was 1793 and Dick was a French aristocrat being transported in a tumbrel with other unfortunates on their way to the guillotine! The shouting and jeering of the crowd grew ever louder, the tumbrel halted, its occupants were pulled out, and Dick was the first to be dragged onto the platform. He was thrust forwards; his head positioned, and the signal was given to release the blade. Just as the blade was making its swift descent, the student sitting behind Dick, concerned by his audible, rapid breathing, tapped him on the back of the neck. To everyone’s horror, Dick Thomson slumped forward, dead! A true and tragic story. Or is it?
Here’s another puzzle with a deceptively simple solution. I haven’t had a game of chess for years. Yet I’m confident that even now I could play six simultaneous games, each opponent being a grandmaster, give a creditable performance in all of them, and probably even beat one or more of my opponents. I don’t need any help from any person or machine. How can I do this?
The solutions to the puzzles are as follows.
The answer is that there is no possible way of knowing if this story is true or not, as only Dick Thomson knew what he was dreaming, if anything at all, and he died before waking up. It might be true unless, say, a medical expert were able to prove that it is impossible. But then you may ask, ‘How can you prove that it is impossible?’
On the first game, my opponent makes the first move. I immediately go to my second opponent and copy my first opponent’s move. I then see what move he makes and I go back to my first game and copy this move. I keep doing this. I do the same with my third and fourth opponents and with my fifth and sixth opponents. Hence I am simply pairing one grandmaster against another. I can even do it by being told the moves without looking at any of the boards. And I don’t even have to know how to play the game!
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