Ok, since the switches were not given in any order(ie. left to right 1-4, top to bottom 1-4, one on north wall one on south wall etc.) There is no way I can tell you a switch and be correct. For this reason I must assume that the switches are irrelevent, which means everything must occur in the room that the lamp is occupying, just tell me if i'm getting warm.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Legolas:
Now we're starting to get somewhere [img]smile.gif[/img]
Stop thinking switches and start thinking lamps [img]smile.gif[/img] <hr></blockquote>

Damn it! I'm getting my own back...

There's a man who's been magically sealed in a stone tower by an evil wizard. There are no doors, no windows, NO exits. All there is, is a wooden chair. The man has no magical powers himself and there is noone else in the room, nor can he contact the wizard.

Yet he escapes...How?

P.S. - it's a lateral answer (a bit silly)

got to go...back in a while [img]smile.gif[/img]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Dresdan:
Ok, since the switches were not given in any order(ie. left to right 1-4, top to bottom 1-4, one on north wall one on south wall etc.) There is no way I can tell you a switch and be correct. For this reason I must assume that the switches are irrelevent, which means everything must occur in the room that the lamp is occupying, just tell me if i'm getting warm.<hr></blockquote>

Warmer than you think.

It's not so much which switch is right, it's about how you determine which switch is right. But do name them 1, 2, 3 and 4 if that suits you.


Leonis: Well, one known 'escape' is death, possibly by suicide. The man could, say, smash the chair against the wall and pick up a leg/stake, then run into the wall stake first. Oh, family foum. I'll be sued for giving children bad ideas in no time now ;)

<font color="red">Ov...er. loa....d I'm l.....os....ing my mind.</font>

Leonis, the only way that I can see for him to get out is death.

Okay, I'm leaving for a bit of rest now too (4 a.m. here. Bad habit! Bad. Bad, yes, but I like it too ;) )

Good night everyone!

Good night Legolas, I shall ponder upon this riddle. Hopefully when you arise, I will have posted the correct answer, if not DOH. Sleep well.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Leonis:


Damn it! I'm getting my own back...

There's a man who's been magically sealed in a stone tower by an evil wizard. There are no doors, no windows, NO exits. All there is, is a wooden chair. The man has no magical powers himself and there is noone else in the room, nor can he contact the wizard.

Yet he escapes...How?

he wakes up?
P.S. - it's a lateral answer (a bit silly)<hr></blockquote>

OK, Leonis. I've read several books on lateral thinking..and I know how silly some of the answers can be.

So, my answer is - the tower is relatively short and open at the top (which wouldn't count as an exit). So,he climbs onto the chair and uses the extra height to either climb or jump out. (you never said the evil wizard was overly smart).

AFA Legolas and SixofSpades are concerned, I figured out the "byproduct of light" approach early on (from a problem in one of the lateral thinking books I have), but you still have me stumped about him entering the room.

At first, SixofSpades says that the spy has to answer as SOON as he enters the room with the lights...then he said the spy DOESN'T have to give the answer the moment he enters. If he can enter the other room as long as the lights are OFF, then I know the answer...otherwise I'll just have to widen this bald spot I'm scratching on my head.

Legolas, yours actually seems harder to me. Still working on it.

For Dresden and all the others, here's the EASY version of this problem (taken from the book I mentioned).

You are in a room with 3 switches. Each switch controls 1 light in the room across the hall. You can enter the room with the lights 1 time before returning to give your answer.

How do you tell which switch controls which light?