the chicken from minsk

[EmperorNero]

I just found this book in the library: the chicken from minsk. it's a book about using your logic to solve riddles. the riddle below will probably sound familiar...if you've heard of it and know the answer without figuring it out yourself, don't post it, you'll be spoiling it for everyone.

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you're a prisoner w/ 2 guards, each guarding one door to your cell. one guard always lies and one is always truthful, but you do not know which is which. you may leave your cell by one of the two doors. one door leads to the execution block and death. the other leads to freedom. you may ask only one question, which you may address to either one of the guards but not to both. what question would you ask the guard of your choice?
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btw, I couldn't solve it by myself..my logic isn't good enough .

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

I love these kinda riddles. A shame I suck at 'em.

Sorry.

 

[prodigy]

YGPM.

 

[Zucchini]

darnit, that riddle was in a movie a while back.. too bad i can't remember the answer

 

[EmperorNero]

HINT: you must connect the guards and the doors with your question.

 

[Moogle]

It was in the film Labyrinth a while back I think.

The answer is something like asking either guard what the other guard would say the right exit is. .. and then picking the opposite? Damn my memory is useless Logically I think it works.

 

[EmperorNero]

<< The answer is something like asking either guard what the other guard would say the right exit is. .. and then picking the opposite? Damn my memory is useless Logically I think it works. >>



if you've heard of it and know the answer without figuring it out yourself, don't post it, you'll be spoiling it for everyone

did you not read that part in my post above, moogle?

well, for all who thought long and hard about it, your efforts were wasted by a jackass who insists on spoiling it b/c he heard the answer from a movie. but the answer the book gave me was &quot;would the other guard say the door on the left leads to death?&quot; :|

 

[The Dancing Peacock]

yes, it was labrynith, you're right.

 

[Moogle]

Hey, I remembered the riddle, or a variant, being in Labyrinth.. however I didn't actually remember the answer to the thing, still had to figure it out. My memory is awful, I haven't seen the film for years, and I still had to sit and figure it out.

For what it's worth anyway.

 

[Moogle]

You're probably right.. I shouldn't have posted if I knew the reference to the film, even if not the actual answer itself.

Sorry

I can justify tho :

Doesn't matter which guard you ask.

If the guard you ask is lying, he will lie about the truthful statement from the other guard, and picking the opposite answer will be correct.

If the guard you ask is truthful, he will tell the truth about the false statement from the other guard, and picking the opposite answer will still be correct.

Or (slightly unorthox format):

True .... False

If True(False) Then Answer = False Hence Not Answer = True
If False(True) Then Answer = False Hence Not Answer = True