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The hungry donkey paradox
#98224
11/10/06 07:20
11/10/06 07:20
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,131
Matt_Aufderheide
OP
Expert
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OP
Expert
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,131
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Now this is a real paradox...
Imagine a plain room, with white walls, floor and cieling, it is lit by some diffuse light that cant be seen.
A poor old donkey is stuck in the middle, and he is very hungry. Lucky for him there is some hay on the floor. Two piles in fact.
One pile of hay is to the donkey's right, the other to his left, both are equal in size and appear to be exactly the same. They are both equal distances from the donkey, and he has nothing wrong with his legs or eyes.
Will the donkey choose the left or right pile to start eating? Or will he starve to death, because he can't choose?
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Re: The hungry donkey paradox
[Re: Matt_Aufderheide]
#98225
11/10/06 07:27
11/10/06 07:27
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,506 Germany
fogman
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Expert
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,506
Germany
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I would say, if he´s left-handed he would choose the left side and if he´s right handed he would choose the right side. I´m pretty sure that right and left handed also exists when it comes to animals. But I don´t know it for real.
Last edited by fogman; 11/10/06 07:27.
no science involved
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Re: The hungry donkey paradox
[Re: Matt_Aufderheide]
#98231
11/11/06 11:49
11/11/06 11:49
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 8,177 Netherlands
PHeMoX
Senior Expert
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Senior Expert
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 8,177
Netherlands
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Well, I don't think it would not decide for one of them. So, there's a 50/50 chance? I am not sure, but if both are equal as good, then there's no point in making a weighted choice, so it's okey to choose whichever the donkey likes most, even if it's purely random. Perhaps a straw of hay points straight towards it and got his attention first, you can't focus on all straws of hay at the same time, so ... Cheers
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Re: The hungry donkey paradox
[Re: PHeMoX]
#98232
11/11/06 19:52
11/11/06 19:52
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,181 Austria
Blattsalat
Senior Expert
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Senior Expert
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,181
Austria
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since i am right handed i would pick the right stack. simple reason is the approach to it and the fact that i would first grab into the hay (empty rooms, hay stacks.... have seen too many saw movies to igore the obvious ). so the sollution is simple: it will pick the other one cheers
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