The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsThree Question Test To Evaluate Intellect
2. 5 machines produce 5 details within 5 minutes. How many minutes will it take for 100 machines to produce 100 details?
3. There are water lilies growing in a pond. They grow quite fast doubling the distribution area each day. It will take them 48 days to cover the pond fully. How many days do water lilies need to cover half of the pond?
The idea of the test is that wrong answers come to mind first. The wrong answers are most often given by people with an intuitive mindset, while the ones with a more rational type of thinking give better answers on average.
Besides testing these people for their cognitive abilities, the scientists also asked them about one more thing. Those interviewed were offered $3,400 now or $3,800 in a month. As it turned out, most people who got a low score in the test didnt agree to wait and preferred to get a smaller amount instantly. Conversely, people with high results in testing demonstrated the strong willpower that helped them to get a better remuneration.
FYI, I got them all right and yet I would take the $3,400 now.
brush
(53,467 posts)Response to brush (Reply #1)
Squinch This message was self-deleted by its author.
Squinch
(50,773 posts)TexasBushwhacker
(20,043 posts)lapfog_1
(29,166 posts)SCantiGOP
(13,855 posts)1) 4 cents (there is a 20% off Xmas sale on tennis balls today)
2) Don't know, but you can correct that if you take the detail to a retail shop
3) Can't answer without taking into account the impact of global warming on lily pad growth
What do I win?
Shrike47
(6,913 posts)unblock
(51,974 posts)lostinhere
(78 posts)1. Ball is 5 cents and the tennis racket is $1.05.
2. 5 minutes (the amount of time it takes to make one detail)
3. 47 days.
Answers may vary depending on your reality.
brush
(53,467 posts)lastlib
(22,978 posts)The next day (day 47) half the pond will be covered, and on day 48, it's all covered.
I recall a story about a king who asked his advisor to teach him to play chess, which the advisor did. The king aasked the advisor what he wanted for payment. The advisor thought, and asked the king to spread out the payment over 64 days. On day one, he wanted one piece of silver on the first square of the chessboard. On day two, he wanted to double the previous payment on the second square, and to continue doubling the previous amount on each successive square, until all 64 squares on the board were covered. The king thought this sounded reasonable, and agreed to it. His kingdom went bankrupt before the board was half-covered.
By day 21, he was paying a million pieces of silver a day; by day 31, he was paying over a billion pieces a day.
brush
(53,467 posts)CloudWatcher
(1,831 posts)The problem states that it takes 48 days to cover the pond. We don't know how big (on average) the lily pads are, nor how big the pond is nor what the starting population is .. but if it's done by 48 days, then it is half-done by 47.
But let's assume you start with one lily pad. How big must the pond be? Roughly?
Since 2^48 is 281474976710656 ... the pond must be pretty big or the lily pads must be very very small.
For grins ... let's assume each lily pad is about 3x3 inches ... how big must the pond be?
3x3 ---> 9 sq inches per lily pad
9 * 281474976710656 ---> 2533274790395904 sq inches for the pond
2533274790395904 / (12 * 12) ---> 17592186044416 sq feet for the pond
17592186044416 / ( 5280 * 5280) ---> 631032 sq miles for the pond
sqrt(631032) ---> the pond, if square, would be 794 miles on each side
That's a decent size "pond"
brush
(53,467 posts)Thanks for indulging me with the calculations. You're a math person?
CloudWatcher
(1,831 posts)Yes, BS/MS in Computer Science, but my mother .. and daughter ... are math geeks
Disaffected
(4,503 posts)your answers are correct.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)lastlib
(22,978 posts)not $1.10, as the problem stated.
TlalocW
(15,358 posts)Tennis Racket = T
Tennis Ball = B
T + B = 1.10
T = B + 1.00
Substitute second equation into first
B + B +1.00 = 1.10
2B + 1.00 = 1.10
2B = 0.10
B = 0.05
T= 0.05 + 1.00
T= 1.05
TlalocW
Cartoonist
(7,297 posts)Nothing about science or human interaction, so it looks rather limited.
If I take the money now, I can invest it and earn more than the difference in one month. Here's another math question.
What percentage of interest is needed to close that gap?
Disaffected
(4,503 posts)And where are you going to get that kind of return (assuming a reasonably secure investment - going to Vegas doesn't count)??
SCantiGOP
(13,855 posts)and get back millions in tax breaks and in lax enforcement of the rules governing your coal mine, toxic waste dump, tainted food supplier, big beautiful wall construction company, etc etc
Disaffected
(4,503 posts)I stand corrected (but, I doubt $3,400 would get you much).
42bambi
(1,753 posts)do I have an even stronger willpower to take the money now? Either way - it's still struggle - knowing that if you wait you may not live long enough to ever receive the $$$. Maybe if I were a young person my thinking would be different.
hunter
(38,264 posts)You can't trust anyone who believes mankind evolved from monkeys or that human activities could change the climate.
It's just common sense.
Xipe Totec
(43,872 posts)So, just answering the questions ...
Wounded Bear
(58,437 posts)5 cents, 5 minutes, 47 days.
The choice of money now or money later probably depends more on my current financial situation than anything else. I'm sure a lot of people living paycheck to paycheck (or worse) can identify with that.
lastlib
(22,978 posts)how many ants does it take to kick the seeds out of a pickle?
(anybody who can answer that correctly is TRULY a "stable genius"!)
rampartc
(5,263 posts)and I am capable of delaying gratification but as for the money, I have no idea if you will be alive in a month, or remember your offer. give me the money now.
Miguelito Loveless
(4,438 posts)is not necessarily unless the people conducting the test controlled for pressing financial need of the subject.
If I can have $3,400 now, or $3,800 in a month, and I am broke and my rent is due now, will power has nothing to do with the issue.
Cicada
(4,533 posts)I think there is a 20 word vocabulary test which correlates .8 with score on a standard IQ test.