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The Pregnant Secretary (Posted on 2004-02-21) Difficulty: 3 of 5
The secretary at a computers company is pregnant! It may have been one of the three partners' fault, or maybe someone else's. If a partner was the guilty party, he knows it... but he doesn't want the others to know it was him.

The three partners agree that they must know whether it was one of them who made the girl pregnant (thus possibly allowing a suit against the company) or if it was someone else.

How can they decide if one of them is to blame, without anybody having to accept being the father, if that was the case?

(Some notes: They might just write on papers either "I DID IT" or "I WASN'T IT", but the handwriting might give the guilty party away. Putting a white or black marble in an urn (white=innocent, black=guilty) might work, but someone could possibly see what color was being put in; also, if the guilty one went first, the second could peek inside and realize the answer. The optimum solution should not require much --or any-- extra equipment, and should "resist" inquisitive partners. And, of course, being all of them quite capable hackers, computers are out of the question!)

See The Solution Submitted by Federico Kereki    
Rating: 4.0000 (8 votes)

Comments: ( You must be logged in to post comments.)
  Subject Author Date
Puzzle Thoughts K Sengupta2023-02-21 23:46:56
Solutionlol...easy...i want a cookie2005-07-16 07:26:36
Another SolutionMike2004-12-07 03:26:36
re: Two solutionsMike2004-12-07 03:19:41
SolutionTwo solutionsJon2004-09-10 05:54:26
ahaDevin2004-04-16 10:21:22
re: Sperm BankPenny2004-04-12 21:46:19
Sperm BankBrittany2004-04-12 02:12:15
re: The Pen solution is incorrect !Jack McBarn2004-04-05 14:26:48
The Pen solution is incorrect !Guy Soffer2004-03-25 04:29:56
QuestionNo SubjectThoughtProvoker2004-02-29 04:55:38
SolutionA possibilitye.g.2004-02-23 14:49:09
summary, of sortspleasance2004-02-23 12:41:28
Solutionre(2): Is there a method that doesn't involve whispering ?Aaron2004-02-23 11:27:47
re: Is there a method that doesn't involve whispering ?TomM2004-02-23 06:38:06
QuestionIs there a method that doesn't involve whispering ?Penny2004-02-23 05:36:42
re(2): Or more simply.....Penny2004-02-22 03:29:03
re: Or more simply.....Sam2004-02-22 02:55:36
SolutionOr more simply.....Penny2004-02-22 02:39:01
re: A better solution just came alongPenny2004-02-21 22:50:41
SolutionA better solution just came alongPenny2004-02-21 19:38:34
SolutionUntil a better solution comes along... :-)Penny2004-02-21 18:59:47
re(2): What's up with the new website ?Penny2004-02-21 17:00:28
re: What's up with the new website ?TomM2004-02-21 16:47:55
What's up with the new website ?Penny2004-02-21 16:04:59
Problems:Gamer2004-02-21 14:48:39
SolutionHere is a seminal idea...Penny2004-02-21 12:01:10
LoopholePenny2004-02-21 11:38:41
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