Thinking/Logic Riddle

[dycdan]

Just doing this from memory so bear with.

There is an island full of monks. They all have brown eyes. Without prior notice, their god would randomly appoint a certain number of to die signified by changing the color of their eyes from brown to red. Now say the god appointed 6 people to die.. then after 6 days all of the monks who's eyes have changed color from brown to red would kill themselves. (Appoint 3 people to die , 3 days later they all kill themselves, etc.)

There are no reflective surfaces or whatnot on this island.. but they can all see each other. How do they know if they should kill themselves or not?

 

[fatfrank]

Couldn't they just ask each other what color there eyes are?
I mean the other monks can't really lie to them and tell them they should commit suicide when they have brown eyes, because then they'd go to hell and there'd be no point in being a monk.

Then just count up all the people with red eyes, ask someone about your own.
Wait the number of days equal to the total number of red-eyed monks then kill yourself if you have red eyes, or do a recheck once all the red-eyes kill themselves if you have brown eyes.

 

[dycdan]

Ohshi, forgot to mention that you cannot communicate with each other about the color of your own eyes, or the other's eyes as it is taboo in this religion.

So basically the monks have no way to find out what color their own eyes are, and only know the color of each other's. Remember that the total # of red eyes = the # of days before the red eyes all suicide.

 

[bbwMax]

look into each others eyes maybe?

 

[C.Ronaldo]

Use a mirror???

 

[Lost]

<div class="quote_poster">dan Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Just doing this from memory so bear with.

There is an island full of monks. They all have brown eyes. Without prior notice, their god would randomly appoint a certain number of to die signified by changing the color of their eyes from brown to red. Now say the god appointed 6 people to die.. then after 6 days all of the monks who's eyes have changed color from brown to red would kill themselves. (Appoint 3 people to die , 3 days later they all kill themselves, etc.)

There are no reflective surfaces or whatnot on this island.. but they can all see each other. How do they know if they should kill themselves or not?</div>

Read Ronaldo.....

 

[C.Ronaldo]

<div class="quote_poster">Lost Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Read Ronaldo.....</div>

Soz. I didnt read that bit lol

In that case...this is quite a toughy...

 

[micmania1]

Take 1 eye out and look a it using the other?

 

[dycdan]

Incorrect. This isn't some tricky junk. There's an actual working solution to how to figure out if you are supposed to kill yourself.

 

[micmania1]

<div class="quote_poster">dan Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Incorrect. This isn't some tricky junk. There's an actual working solution to how to figure out if you are supposed to kill yourself.</div>

It's not a situation im faced with everyday surprisingly but I wont give up

It is only against your religion (taboo) if you say something or do something offensive, so technically, they could just ask each other but im guessing its not that easy.

 

[DragonSlayer]

erm, you can't be monks if you have brown eyes.

 

[micmania1]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Generosity: the monk must always help other people, even if they do not want to. </div>

They cannot speak to the other monk as it is against their religion however it is not against their religion to help them by pointing etc. They have to help the other monk as it is their religion, meaning they have to give some sort of signal that the monks eyes have turned red.

 

[C.Ronaldo]

mcmania has had sleepless nights over this lol. Good idea...

Is he right Danno?

 

[micmania1]

I doubt it lol

Not the 1 he's looking for anyway.