Society
Just gently touch my face (above) with your forefinger. Then try to answer these questions
Published 20 December 1999
This summer I was sitting by a campfire when one of my companions said that there was a red squirrel on the trunk of the oak tree by the edge of the clearing. I couldn't see it. That was because the squirrel was on the far side of the trunk. I was determined to see the squirrel, so I got up and started to walk round the tree. But the squirrel was peculiarly clever. He also scampered round the trunk so that he always kept himself on the far side from me, and so I couldn't catch a glimpse of him however fast I ran round the tree. The question is: did I go round the squirrel?
In the past few years of New Statesman Christmas issues I've tried to spare readers my views on the festive season, and this year I will be even more generous by sparing you my views on the millennium. Instead, I've tried to provide a ramshackle quiz culled from bits of my reading over the year. That was question one, which is more something to try out on people and discuss than to provide a simple answer for.
Two: A friend of mine has two dogs. At least one of them is male. What are the chances that both are male?
Three: Another friend of mine has two dogs. I met him going for a walk one day with one of them. I noticed it was male, as one does. What are the chances that both are male?
Four: Curiously, I have come across the following problem in four different books published over the past couple of years. It's spreading like a disease. Imagine a very simple game show indeed. You are the contestant and you are faced with three closed boxes. One of them contains £100,000, while the other two are empty. You select the box that you are going to open, but you do not open it yet. The host of the show then opens an empty box (obviously at least one of the two remaining boxes must be empty). At this point, you have the option of altering your choice to the other closed box. Is there any rational reason for changing, or should you stick with your original choice, or does it not matter either way?
You may be feeling tired at this moment, so how about a small magic trick. If you're sad and middle-aged like me, you'll probably need a bright 12 year old with a piece of paper and a pencil or, failing that, a calculator. Sit comfortably and clear your mind. Think of a three-digit number. Then write it down followed by itself, thus creating a new six-digit number. Now lean forward and gently touch my face at the top this page with your forefinger. Stroke it gently. Well, I'm sorry, but I sit at home in front of a screen and even the thought of something like that is pathetically exciting to me. Anyway, a psychic connection established, we can return to the trick. Divide this six-figure number by seven. The answer has no remainder. Divide it by 11. The answer has no remainder. Divide it by 13. What answer do you get? You are amazed, I can sense it. I'm sorry, I cannot tell you. Sean French never reveals his secrets.
Five: Imagine, if you will, a rather tedious game that is being played by Bill and Ben. They are going to toss a coin 100,000 times. If it falls tails, Bill gets a point; if heads, Ben gets a point. A running tally of the points will be kept on an electronic scoreboard for the benefit of the large audience. Some audience members are so bored by the prospect of this startlingly tedious spectacle that they start arguing not about who is going to win this contest, but how many times the lead will change during the course of the contest. Here is a list of possible numbers of times that this change might occur: 0, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 10,000, 25,000, 50,000. Can you rank them in order of likelihood?
Six, and finally: Consider the number described as follows: the smallest number not describable in fewer than 11 words. What's the problem?
I can't imagine any Christmas family gathering - however sullen, fractious or plain abusive - that won't be made just a little worse by working through these posers. But if anybody wants to send me an answer, then it may be that the best few will be rewarded with an item from my remaindered back catalogue, I mean, from my archive of first editions, signed, so you can't sell it (as if anyone would buy it). You can send answers to me via the New Statesman or, better still, by e-mail at seanicci@dircon.co.uk.
Post this article to
We want to encourage people to comment on our content and to exchange views with other readers and hope this will be done on a courteous basis. However, if you encounter posts which are offensive please let us know by emailing comments@newstatesman.co.uk and we will take swift action where necessary.
