Thinking Outside the Box

[Gnarf]

I think I know the answer... is it "Yes."?

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Yes... but I know how it works, so someone else should answer this one.

[Stratos]

A wild guess, so bear with me...there are only two light switches in the basement; one for all three lights in the attic and one for something else.

[Bungleau]

Good point, Gnarf. Okay, how can you determine which switch goes to which light while making only one trip up and downstairs?

I should also mention that you're alone, with no fancy technology. And you can't see the attic either, so you can't just flip on the lights, look up, and see what happened. And no leaving a webcam set up to monitor the results, no having a friend watch and tell you, no outside assistance at all. It's just you, the switches, the lights, and several flights of stairs.

How would you do it?

[Gnarf]

I should also mention that you're alone, with no fancy technology. And you can't see the attic either, so you can't just flip on the lights, look up, and see what happened.

Not at all? Not even just a little? Kinda see it, in a way...-ish? No? (if I could see wether or not any lights were on, it'd just be to take the bulb out'a one'a em, try switches 'till you found the one that didn't do anything, then switch one of the other two and go up to see which light had been turned on... but... arghh)

[Bungleau]

That's the point. Down in the basement, you can't see what the switches are doing.

And I missed your comment, Stratos. Nice thought, but not so easy. Each switch goes to one (and only one) of the lights in the attic. Flip a switch, the light goes on. Flip it again, the light goes off. And you can't see or hear the difference (so no replacing the bulb with an electric socket and plugging in a radio turned to full volume, either)

[Melusine]

Flip the first switch, leave it on for an hour then flip it off again. Flip the second switch, leave it on. leave the third switch alone.
Now go to the attic. One light is on, two are out of which one bulb is hot to the touch and the other isn't. Right?

[Gnarf]

How long does them lightbulbs last? If you stay in the basement, with one of the switches turned on, so long that you're sure the lightbulbs not working any longer, you can then turn another switch on and go up. You can then see what light is on, and do some switcharoo with them bulbs to see what light you turned on first. Would take forever tho [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Edit: Awh... screw you, Mel! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Edit the seccond: I'll argue that my way, tho you'll be eating rats to survive'n such, is way better than Mel's, as my doesn't involve burning yourself on that hot bulb.

[ 05-13-2004, 04:10 PM: Message edited by: Gnarf ]

[Melusine]

Originally posted by Gnarf: Edit: Awh... screw you, Mel! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

No thanks, I'm already spoken for [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Edit: Nope, because you could simply bring your hand NEAR the bulb if you were quick enough up the stairs, and then you'd feel the heat radiating off without burning yourself. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[ 05-13-2004, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: Melusine ]

[Gnarf]

Originally posted by Melusine: Edit: Nope, because you could simply bring your hand NEAR the bulb if you were quick enough up the stairs, and then you'd feel the heat radiating off without burning yourself. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

...
... I have my own little box, it seems, and I'm not thinking outside of it. (Actually, I have quite recently checked if "that was the plate I just turned off" by touching it. It was, and it kinda woke me up.)

On a side note, 9 out of 10 Gnarfs are not Gangrell.