A little riddle...

MooZilla · Post by **MooZilla** » April 27, 2004, 7:21 pm

Got this from a friend.

In a high-class, white-collar prison, a new warden has arrived. He decides to give every prisoner a hat, either red or white. However, all mirrors and reflective surfaces will be removed from the prison and the prisoners will not be allowed to communicate about the colour of their hats.

On the first day, the prisoners line up to recieve their hats. Each one recieves a hat, yet they do not see it as it goes onto their head. Hence, every prisoner has either a red or white hat, but they don't know their own colour. They can, however, see the colour of the hats on other prisoners' heads (they cannot commmunicate this information).

The warden states that any prisoner with a red hat may leave - they will be set free. Anyone wearing a white hat will be shot if they try to leave. By the end of the first day, five white hatted prisoners are dead from trying to escape.

On the second day, the warden brings all prisoners into the common area for ten minutes. He allows them to look around and survey the other prisoners - but they cannot communicate in any way. When the ten minutes is up, he asks if anybody would like to leave. Nobody moves.

On the third day, he repeats the process - brings everyone into a common room for ten minutes with no communication. When the ten minutes has expired, he again asks if anyone would like to leave. Again, nobody moves.

On the fourth day the process is repeated again. They are brought into the common room and allowed to look around for ten minutes. Again he asks if anyone would like to leave. This time, every prisoner with a red hat gets up and leaves.

The question: How many prisoners had red hats, and how did they know?

If you find the answer, make sure you put *ANSWER BELOW* in big bold letters so you dont spoil it for the people who need some self satisfaction.

Splatter · Post by **Splatter** » April 27, 2004, 9:16 pm

ANSWER BELOW

0, they looked around and didn't see any red hats.

Asheran Mojomaster · Post by **Asheran Mojomaster** » April 27, 2004, 9:50 pm

Splatter wrote:ANSWER BELOW

0, they looked around and didn't see any red hats.

Thats what I was thinking, but from what he said at the end, someone had to get up and leave...unless he just put that in there but still meant no one left because if there were no red hats, 0 would be all with red hats.

Mplor · Post by **Mplor** » April 28, 2004, 3:45 am

My guess is 1. Imagine you are looking around the room and everyone else is wearing white hats. You know that at least one person has a red hat, so obviously it must be you!

Splatter · Post by **Splatter** » April 28, 2004, 9:02 am

Yeah, 1 would be a good answer too, but I wouldn't take that chance if I thought I was the one with the red hat

. I would be more likely to believe the warden was a sick fuck playing a joke on us and there were no red hats. Except for the ones stained red from getting shot the first day

Dexail · Post by **Dexail** » April 28, 2004, 9:59 am

I'll take a guess and say half of them left (not taking into account the 5 that were shot). First two days you could observe the ratio of white to red hats. This is assuming the warden distributed them on a 1:1 red to white hat ratio.

Neziroth · Post by **Neziroth** » April 29, 2004, 7:08 pm

BUMP

Answer plz!!

Spang · Post by **Spang** » April 30, 2004, 2:10 am

they all had red hats. none of them got shot when they left...cept for the first 5, they had white hats.

Tenuvil · Post by **Tenuvil** » April 30, 2004, 2:37 am

All the Linux guys had red hats, naturally. The Microsoft guys all had white hats and subsequently were all shot.

Taly · Post by **Taly** » April 30, 2004, 8:05 pm

GUESSING BELOW

Gonna say 5 and go on assumption that there were 10 prisoners. 5 were shot dead. and guessing he handed out the colors evenly amonst them

emmer · Post by **emmer** » May 13, 2004, 6:42 pm

WHATS THE FUCKING ANSWER ALREADY

Rasspotari · Post by **Rasspotari** » May 13, 2004, 7:19 pm

it's a prison, you dont let prisoners leave, all had white hats, 5 first took a chance and died, rest didn't like the determination and never tried to leave.

the end sentence "everyone with a red hat stood up and left" doesn't imply that number had to be more then 0. if 0 had red hats. and 0 stood up , that means everyone with a red hat stood up, in a sense.

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » May 13, 2004, 7:21 pm

I support Rasspotari's interpretation.

Ceredwin · Post by **Ceredwin** » May 13, 2004, 11:54 pm

*answer below*

Only red hat was the Warden's, he left.

suppin · Post by **suppin** » May 14, 2004, 1:21 am

Ceredwin wrote:*answer below*

Only red hat was the Warden's, he left.

riddle wrote: On the first day, the prisoners line up to recieve their hats. Each one recieves a hat, yet they do not see it as it goes onto their head. Hence, every prisoner has either a red or white hat, but they don't know their own colour. They can, however, see the colour of the hats on other prisoners' heads (they cannot commmunicate this information).

The warden states that any prisoner with a red hat may leave - they will be set free. Anyone wearing a white hat will be shot if they try to leave. By the end of the first day, five white hatted prisoners are dead from trying to escape.