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Whose Hair Turned White? (Posted on 2013-07-11) Difficulty: 3 of 5
Captain Lafoot spied a merchant ship and prepared to give chase. Again the pirates were interrupted, as a giant octopus rose from the depths and fastened its powerful tentacles on the pirate ship.

Just as the ship was about to be pulled beneath the surface by the octopus, a further menace, the sea serpent, appeared. It attacked the giant octopus, which released the pirate ship, enabling it to flee to safety.

The two monsters were so large and ferocious and the experience so frightening that, of Captain Lafoot and his four mates, the hair on the heads of two of them turned white.

From the statements 1 to 6 that follow, whose hair turned white?
  1. If Will Kidd’s hair turned white, then Red Beard’s hair turned white.
  2. If Black Jack’s hair turned white, then Red Beard’s hair did not turn white.
  3. If Long John’s hair turned white, then Captain Lafoot’s hair did not turn white.
  4. Will Kidd’s hair turned white, if Captain Lafoot’s hair turned white.
  5. If Red Beard’s hair turned white, then Long John’s hair did not turn white.
  6. If Captain Lafoot’s hair did not turn white, then Black Jack’s hair did not turn white.

See The Solution Submitted by K Sengupta    
Rating: 2.6667 (3 votes)

Comments: ( Back to comment list | You must be logged in to post comments.)
Solution White Herrings (spoiler) | Comment 1 of 5
Assume Captain Lafoot.  From (4), Will Kidd, and from (1), Red Beard. 
But this is too many, so not Captain Lafoot.

Then from (6), not Black Jack.

So the hairs that turned were two of Will Kidd, Red Beard, and Long John.
From (1), if Will Kid, then Red Beard.
From (5), if Red Beard, then not Long John, therefore Will Kidd.

Since Will Kidd implies Red Beard and Red Beard implies Will Kidd, these can be the only two that turned.  Final answer.

Warning: Red Beard may be called White Beard in future puzzles.
Note: Clues 2 and 3 were not necessary.

  Posted by Steve Herman on 2013-07-11 11:52:42
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