You are to meet with two brothers. You know that one of them, named Bob, has a very important package for you. Unfortunately, you never saw Bob or his brother, and don't know who is who.

To make the matter worse, one of the brothers is a pathological liar who never tells the truth, while the other never lies. Not only do you not know which is the liar and which tells the truth, but also, you do not know wether Bob is the liar or not.

Upon meeting the brothers, you can ask one short question of either of the brothers (but not both) to establish with certainty which of the two is Bob. (It is possible to do this with a question of four to five words.)

What question would you ask?

First of all, what is my punishment for not using 5 words and using a question? I lose? Boo-freaking-hoo. Look and see which one has a package.

Secondly, if you've never seen the two brothers, how can you tell them from the other million people that are walking around, and how do they know they're supposed to give the package to you?

Lastly, whoever told you they gave it to Bob obviously must know which one Bob is, so ask him/her.

Posted by Mike on 2002-05-10 15:48:19