A better brain teaser

[SgtMaj]

Ok, here's one that's a little harder, but still easily solvable.

There are 4 guys as pictured below, only with 2 red and 2 blue shirts (randomly placed) lined up (we'll call them from left to right, A, B, C, and D). None of them can see their own shirts. They are all 4 in a line and the one to the far right is behind a brick wall that can not be seen through, over, around, or under and can not see any of the others. The other three to the left are all looking right and can not look any other direction. The one on the far left can see both the two in the middle but not the one on the far right.

The one closest to the left side of the wall has a red shirt on. Now they are all challenged to figure out and say what color shirt they have on. Those who can't figure it out within 5 minutes will be fed to cannibals while those who can figure it out will be set free. At least one of them did not figure it out and at least two of them did figure it out. Who figured it out, what color were their shirts, and how did they figure it out?

Here's a diagram of the situation...

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: A better brain teaser

Thems some ugly fellows for sure.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: A better brain teaser

Thems some ugly fellows for sure.

Well, that doesn't go to answer the riddle, but at least you were able to figure out what I don't do for a living (artist)

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: A better brain teaser

Well, that doesn't go to answer the riddle, but at least you were able to figure out what I don't do for a living (artist)

Heck, your better than I am.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: A better brain teaser

uuuhhh! I need more coffee for this one...

 

[i386]

Re: A better brain teaser

Can they hear what each other say? How about the guy behind the wall, can he hear them?

 

[Don S]

Re: A better brain teaser

A & D have blue shirts.
B & C have red shirts

A says the 2 guys in front of him have red shirts. That only leaves the possibility of blue for the other 2

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: A better brain teaser

Can they hear what each other say? How about the guy behind the wall, can he hear them?

Yes they all can hear what each other says, however they can only say what color shirt they have on and can not tell someone else in front of them what color shirt that person has on.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: A better brain teaser

A & D have blue shirts.
B & C have red shirts

A says the 2 guys in front of him have red shirts. That only leaves the possibility of blue for the other 2

That would work, except that if that were the case, all 4 would have figured it out and survived, but at least one of them did not. So keep trying.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: A better brain teaser

Oh come on, someone should have figured this out by now... I practically told you that B must have had a blue shirt on because if he had a red shirt on, they would have all survived...

Ok, fine, I'll tell you how it happened...
either A or D was eaten by cannibals while the other one of A or D survived, as did B and C who were guaranteed survival.

You see, when A didn't anser at first, B knew he couldn't answer, that could only mean one thing, he saw two different colors in front of him, and since B could see that C had on a red shirt, he knew he must have had on a blue shirt. So B answered first that he had a blue shirt on. After B answered, C realized that A hadn't answered because of the aforementioned reason, and since C now knew that B had on a blue shirt, that meant that he must have had on a red shirt. So C answered second that he had on a red shirt. Now that A and D were the only two left, and knowing that there was no way to tell what color shirts they were wearing, and knowing that both would be killed if they didn't correctly identify their shirt colors, they both answered that they were wearing the same color shirt, thus guaranteeing that one of them would be saved.

 

[mudmagnet63]

Re: A better brain teaser

Were they on a treadmill while they were eatin each other