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 Post subject: A Classic Problem in Team Play, With Hypothetical Funerals
PostPosted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 10:27 pm 
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Lotsa Posta

Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2016 9:33 am
Posts: 710
QUESTION 15:

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS IS *NOT* PRIME?

1. FIVE
2. THREE
3. SEVEN
4. TWO
5. ONE

Before we proceed any further, the reader should be brought up to speed. Half an hour earlier, no fewer than five Cats had wedged their way through the front door of Big Itchy's Saloon, and had announced to Doc Wakley, Steve, and Theory that, "We're here to show you how it's done."

Cats are large, and can be noisome creatures. The arrival of these Cats, on motorcycles no less, must have awakened half the spirits in Old Church Cemetery. Steve and Theory were altogether taken aback. Doc knew a couple of them from his sessions in Minneapolis, and thought they were idiots.

"How did you find us?" he asked, in all innocence. "You guys couldn't find St Paul to attend your own funerals."

"Maybe not, but we can find Mouse Hollow to attend yours." And, what was even more sinister:

"Your Cousin Pluton gave us directions. Said he'd be in this afternoon."

"Get me a growler of Surly, Babe," the largest of the Cats requested of Soxpet, who seemed not to be in a flirtatious mood. In less threatening circumstances, Theory might not have been able to stifle his laughter. (A Cat ordering a Growler of Surly? Oh, please!)

Soxpet produced a goblet capable of swallowing a football, a handful of baseballs, and enough golf balls to sooth a 40 handicap golfer to, say, his wife's funeral. Everyone in Big Itchy's gasped at its monstrosity. None of us had ever seen one before.

Although Cousin wasn't in situ, the huge bikes parked in front of Big Itchy's had attracted the notice of the Beloved Leader, a flaneur who fancied himself a student of novelty. In a matter of minutes he had parked himself at the end of the rail, where he usually sits. So from back to front, it was the Leader, Steve, Doc, Theory, and, several seats downwind, the Cats. The Beloved Leader hadn't so much as uttered a greeting when the above-going question appeared on screen, and as soon as the drop down box appeared, he primly declared, "That would be five."

"Really?' one of the Cats asked, incredulously. "FIVE is prime! Are you sure it isn't TWO?" Then the clues appeared:

SEVEN HAVE FLED
NOT THREE TO TANGO
ONE FOR THE MONEY

"One?" a Cat screamed in agony, as if being bathed. "One isn't prime? One means prime!

THE MATH IS TOO COMPLEX FOR US TO GO INTO HERE, Buzztime apologized.

The scoring was predictable. All the Mice collected 1000 points on the question, while the Cats were all over the place, none of them collecting more than 900. Top honors went to Doc, as it often does. Naturally the Cats were furious with the Beloved Leader, and demanded to know the obvious. But the Leader, being the Leader, wasn't going to give them what they wanted, but rather something else.

"The fundamental issue, Guys, is that there is no smaller integer by which ONE might be divided. That's the arithmetic issue. The algebraic position is that ONE, considered as a function, has no value."

"So how come all of you got a thousand points on that question? I clearly heard you say "FIVE'!'"

"No you didn't," the Leader smiled. "You heard me say '5'."


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 Post subject: Re: A Classic Problem in Team Play, With Hypothetical Funera
PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 10:24 am 
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King or Queen Postsalot
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Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 8:59 pm
Posts: 2218
GONE D wrote:

"So how come all of you got a thousand points on that question? I clearly heard you say "FIVE'!'"

"No you didn't," the Leader smiled. "You heard me say '5'."


It's been a while since the last Mouse Hollow update--thanks!

This kind of question often causes almost comic circumlocutions among Fellowship members, e.g., "Choose selection number five!" "The fifth choice down on the screen!" "Choice number five, not value five!"

_________________
Anon
"He may seem like Mr. Rogers but a dark spirit lies beneath."


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