The answer to yesterday's Whackadoodle Riddle
Did you figure it out what question to ask the guards?
Yesterday’s riddle:
Our hero is facing two guarded doors. One door leads to his heart’s desire. One door leads to his death. One of the guards will always answer with the truth. One of the guards will always answer with a lie. Our hero is allowed one question. What single question will help him to his heart’s desire?
Today’s answer:
To solve the riddle, you must ask one guard (it doesn’t matter which one) which door the other guard would say leads to the heart’s desire. Both guards will indicate the same door, which will be the door that doesn’t lead out. One is lying, the other is telling the truth.
Yeah, I know. It needs an explanation before you can remember it.
The trick is asking the guards what they would say about each other’s doors. In other words, you ask one of the guards, “Which door is that other guard going to tell me is the safe door?”
Scenario one: The guard you ask is the one who lies.
If the guard you asked is the one who lies, then he will lead you astray by telling you (falsely) that the other guard—the truthful guard—will point you towards door B. This makes door A the safe door.
Scenario two: The guard you asked is the one who tells the truth.
If the guard you ask is the one who tells the truth, he will tell you (honestly) that the other guard—the lying guard—will point you towards door B. This makes door A the safe door.
In the end, we head through door A and find our heart’s desire.
It’s a lesson in critical thinking and logic. Love it.