Aliens have taken you aboard their ship. You will be asked to make a statement. If the statement is true you will be blasted into atoms. If it is false you will be ejected into space. One statement can get you out alive. What is it and how does it spare you?

The classic answer to questions such as this is, 'This statement is false.' (This statement is synonymous to 'I will be ejected into space, as many others have suggested already.)

This reminds me of an episode of the original Star Trek, in which Kirk and Bones defeat an android by first telling it, 'Kirk always lies,' then Kirk telling it, 'I'm lying.' As the android ponders the resulting paradox of logic, they beam it into space, where it blows up, I assume from a super-overheated circuit. I guess the moral to this story is: don't work too hard on solving logic problems, or your head will explode! :P

Posted by Bryan on 2003-03-16 13:29:18