This is a generalisation of "The three sages"

On a hot summer day, n equally bright philosophers, tired from all that philosophising, were napping in an orchard. A prankster came by, and painted all of their faces black with charcoal.

When the philosophers woke up, they started laughing at the others... until they suddenly realised all of their faces must be black!

How did they come to that conclusion?

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"> <TBODY> <TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"> <TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Since all of them are equally bright, it would come to a point that they would notice that they are laughing because all the others they see have black faces.  It would be safe to say that when they see that they are being laughed upon, they would then realize that they too have black faces.  Add to the possiblity that they could simply touch their faces and know.</TD></TR> <TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"> <TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <BLOCKQUOTE id=34d3642f> <TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"> <TBODY> <TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"> <TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off"></TD></TR> <TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"> <TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></BLOCKQUOTE>

Posted by jon&lilet on 2004-04-16 04:36:29