David Likely wrote:
> Very nice puzzle! I've never seen it with four people before,
> but the three person scenario has been around for a long
> time. I think it's traditionally a two-eyed man, a one-eyed man
> (just to differentiate the two sighted characters) and a blind
> man. The hats are red or white. The two-eyed man says he
> can't tell, the one-eyed man ditto, and the blind man says
>
> "Though I have lost my use of sight,
> >From what my friends with eyes have said,
> I plainly see my hat is _____"
Yes, it's a fun puzzle. Using my example, C comes up with the answer. C
knows that D is in back, and _if_ B and C were wearing the same color, D
should have the answer. But D must be silent because he sees a white and a
black in front of him. The silence of D leads C to conclude he and B must be
wearing different hats. Since B is Black, C knows he is White. As David
correctly noted, this has a "theory of mind" component to it.
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John W. Kulig [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Psychology http://oz.plymouth.edu
Plymouth State College tel: (603) 535-2468
Plymouth NH USA 03264 fax: (603) 535-2412
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"The only rational way of educating is to be an example - if
one can't help it, a warning example." A. Einstein, 1934.
