Posted on 12/29/2011 6:16:52 AM PST by LibWhacker
"If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it?"
That was the head-scratcher asked during a job interview for a product marketing post at Hewlett-Packard.
Technology firms featured heavily in this year's list of the 25 most oddball questions compiled by the US employment website Glassdoor.
Careers experts said the questions were intended to make a candidate display a thoughtful approach to problem-solving.
As well as HP's brain-acher, interviewees at other companies were asked:
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Dirk Nowitzki and Detlef Shrempf?
Because the manholes, themselves, are round and any other shape for the covers would be silly.
No more reasons are needed.
None. The hungry people stole the flowers and ate them.
a=b=1
aa=ab
aa-bb=ab-ab
(a+b)(a-b)=b(a-b)
a+b=b
2=1
bookmark
’ Name at least 5 reasons why manhole covers are round.’
1. Can’t fall thru its circular opening.
2. Rotational position doesn’t matter when installing.
3. Can be rolled to transport.
4. Ease of manufacturing, perfect circle after being on a lathe.
5. Greater dispertion of force loading on the edges.
6. Round manholes are the strongest and most material-efficient shape against the compression of the earth around them.
7. A round cover is cheapest to make because it requires the least amount
of metal to produce the largest area (opening).
I’ll stop explaining why but there are more reasons.
You’re the guy I’d hire!
It can’t be solved. The correct answer is something like, “I want to say three, as that would mean all but two flowers are a rose, all but two are a daisy, and all but two are a tulip. However, you note that I had to revert to using the singular in each instance. There is no bouquet of any size where all but two can be roses plural etc.”
That’s the whole point to the vast majority of this type of interview question. There is no solution, and they’re looking to see if you can articulate why.
Manhole covers are cast, not machined.
1. So they can’t fall in the hole if you tilt them the wrong way.
2. So you can roll them along the ground and move them more easily.
3. So the thermal expansion and contraction is more uniform and causes less stress on the cover.
4. A circular manhole cover requires less metal than a square manhole cover of the same diameter, so it’s cheaper.
5. No sharp corners to cause wear and tear or punctures to vehicle tires.
Uhhh, because manholes are round?
Many manhole covers appear to be machined, after they are cast.
Impossible yes.
We know there are 2 daisies, 2, roses and 2 tulips.
What we do not know is what other flowers and how many of each are also in the bouquet.
They are cast and no machining is done to them. Absolutely no reason to do it. What kind of tolerances so you think they need to meet?
“Dirk Nowitzki and Detlef Shrempf?”
Dolph Schays?
“How would you cure world hunger?” (Amazon)
I’m guessing that “Kill all the hungry people.” would not be considered an acceptable answer.
___________________________
I would have said, “I would cure world hunger with food. BOOM! Problem solved. When do I start?”
With the Germans, I was going to say you could measure their beds, but that would show how long they are, not how tall they are.
....and so that people that steal them can roll them right up in the truck bed..?? :)
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