A hole in the brain?

[taxman]

Try this: ask the following 2 questions to someone, telling them to give the first answer that comes to his/her head:

1) You´re in a race and you pass the runner that is in 2nd place. In what place are you now?

2) You´re in a race and you pass the runner that is in last place. In what place are you now?

I bet that 90% of the people will answer "1st place" to question 1 and "the place before last" to question 2.

But both the answers are wrong... right?

[ Jun 09, 2003, 04:27 PM: Message Edited By: taxman ]

[MonaMe577]

Originally Posted By taxman:
Try this: ask the following 2 questions to someone, telling them to give the first answer that comes to his/her head:

1) You´re in a race and you pass the runner that is in 2nd place. In what place are you now?

2) You´re in a race and you pass the runner that is in last place. In what place are you now?

I bet that 90% of the people will answer "1st place" to question 1 and "the place before last" to question 2.

But both the answers are wrong... right?<font size="2" face="Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif">Okay, I got it. graemlins/lightbulb.gif

If you pass the person in 2nd place, then you will be in 2nd place; the person you passed will be in 3rd place.

Second, it would be impossible to pass the person in last place -- if you were behind the person in last place, then they wouldn't have been in last place to begin with, you would have. It's impossible to pass yourself.

Right?

[ Jun 09, 2003, 11:27 PM: Message Edited By: MonaMe577 ]

[bearkat77]

You are right, taxman. If you pass the 2nd place runner, you would now be in 2nd. You cannot pass the last place runner, since you are behind him that makes you the last place runner to begin with.

[Paolo Meccano]

Originally Posted By bearkat77:
You cannot pass the last place runner, since you are behind him that makes you the last place runner to begin with.<font size="2" face="Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif">Unless of course, you're lapping them...

[Beatle Neil]

I thought this post just may have been about when John was seriously considering the trepanning treatment, meaning actually having a small hole bored into his head - meant to be some form of stress relief I believe. Tried to talk Paul & Linda into it over dinner too. Bloody hell, I'd think you'd need that like you'd need a hole in the....the...
er...oh yeah.
A - hem.
graemlins/psycho.gif

[Johnna Lynn]

Originally Posted By Beatle Neil:
I thought this post just may have been about when John was seriously considering the trepanning treatment, meaning actually having a small hole bored into his head - meant to be some form of stress relief I believe. Tried to talk Paul & Linda into it over dinner too. Bloody hell, I'd think you'd need that like you'd need a hole in the....the...
er...oh yeah.
A - hem.
graemlins/psycho.gif <font size="2" face="Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif">Do you think that was Yoko's idea? I I bet she would'nt give a run of the mill answer to that one. I'd like to ask her.

[taxgirl]

I think this topic will fit better in 'Here, There and Everywhere', so I'm moving it...