Posted by ros on March 21, 1999 at 12:19:10 {MWiPgYg2nZn0g}:
In Reply to: *****Evolutionism and Creationism posted by J.H. on March 21, 1999 at 04:44:12:
Did you experience this yourself? What you says seems very incredible, because 1) it's the kind of challenge that is solved very
easily through mathematical/logical reasoning; and 2) this particular question was so simple the
solution should be immediately
apparent to practically anyone.
Yes, I was in the class. The teacher was demonstrating two things: 1) that some so-called "right brainers" have an aptitude for solving problems that cannot be solve mathematically. And 2) that not all reality is scientifically "provable." For example: prove red to a color-blind person. Prove your mother loves you. There is what is called "abstract reasoning", and some people are more apt than other. Statistically (for lack of a better term at the moment) if you saw the answer to this puzzle immediately, that's a fair indication you are not a sharp mathematician.
When we had the class, I thought the answer was obvious too. I thought the assignment was to prove it mathematically. The whole week, I went around to computer engineers that I worked with, asking for help solving the problem algebraically. I can tell you that very few of them saw the logical answer. Also, they could not solve it algebraically. The next week in class, the more astute mathematicians asked everyone coming into the class: "Did you solve it." When I came in, I said, well the answer is obvious, but I don't know how to prove it. They asked: "What is the answer?" I explained it (of course it was about honest vs. dishonest attorneys rather than JWs and Catholics). They didn't believe me. I couldn't believe it. And that was the point the teacher was showing the class. Since that time I have asked this puzzle of numerous people who are at least fairly good at math, and you'd be surprized how many of them have a difficult time seeing the obvious answer (at least obvious to some of us). In my class, only I and one other person saw the answer as obvious. Strange, but a true story. (I hope you don't think I would lie, Jan. :)
Ros