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Math Puzzles’ Oldest Ancestors Took Form on Egyptian Papyrus
The New York Times ^ | 06 Dec 2010 | PAM BELLUCK

Posted on 12/08/2010 5:21:59 AM PST by Palter

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To: Jemian
However, before I do that, I have to try to recreate my thinking and that can be challenging at times.

I was watching a TV show last night, on the NatGeo channel I think, and it discussed a new law enforcement interviewing concept call Cognitive Reenactment. It helped witnesses and victims do exactly that - reexamine their thinking to the point of including all their senses in their recollections of the event. You may be on the leading edge here. :-)

21 posted on 12/08/2010 9:02:09 AM PST by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done needs to be done by the government.)
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To: Jemian

Ahhh, but in accordance with modern physics, we must ask, “If a tree falls in the forest and there’s nobody to observe it, is there really a tree?”


22 posted on 12/08/2010 9:29:45 AM PST by Erasmus (Personal goal: Have a bigger carbon footprint than Tony Robbins.)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot
I at first agreed with Erasmus but I now retract that.

SILENCE! I DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO RETRACT THAT!

All seriousness aside, I consider the St Ives problem also to be based on semantics, because the natural meaning of the question statement, both implied by the riddler and meant to be taken by the riddlee, is that the others met by the traveler were going his way.

Even though the riddle can be posed with a Zen-like pedagogical intent, it's still a classic form of trick question.

23 posted on 12/08/2010 9:39:21 AM PST by Erasmus (Personal goal: Have a bigger carbon footprint than Tony Robbins.)
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To: Erasmus
You rang? There are 4 possible answers:

1
2,802
2
0

As I was going to St. Ives I met a man with seven wives.

24 posted on 12/08/2010 9:42:17 AM PST by semantic
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To: Erasmus; semantic
All seriousness aside, ...

Sounds like a Brother Dave Gardner fan.

I now agree with Semantic as what he says was part of my original consideration and the reason I settled on Conundrum. Just because the man he met had 7's there is no indication they were with him at the time. So, that leaves the 1, 2, 2802 possibilities but, Semantic, I don't see the 0. After all, the narrator says he was on his way to St. Ives, making at least 1 a given.

25 posted on 12/08/2010 10:32:59 AM PST by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done needs to be done by the government.)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot

Actually, Steve Allen, who helped to make me into the mass of aberrations I am today.


26 posted on 12/08/2010 10:52:18 AM PST by Erasmus (Personal goal: Have a bigger carbon footprint than Tony Robbins.)
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To: Palter

I got 16,807 (7*7*7*7*7) for the Egyptian House Question. How did she come up with 19,607?


27 posted on 12/08/2010 5:43:48 PM PST by 1010RD (First Do No Harm)
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