Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Probably what *this* should be called.
User avatar
groff_enthusiast
The original good boy.
Cardboard Robot
Posts: 1096
Joined: Oct 20, 2021

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by groff_enthusiast » Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:23 pm

Doug wrote: Thu Nov 18, 2021 4:25 pm I heard an amazing math "trivia" question yesterday

A basketball player has a free-throw percentage of less than 75 percent early in the season.

By season's end, his free-throw percentage has risen to above 75 percent.

Is it necessarily true that his free-throw percentage was ever exactly 75 percent?
A man starts walking up a mountain on a well worn path at 7:00AM. He reaches the top at nightfall and spends the night in a Cabin. The next day, he picks up a large rock as a momento and begins walking down at 7:00AM. Is there a time when was in the exact same location on the path at the exact same moment of the day on both days?
Ashenai wrote: Sat Jul 16, 2022 5:08 pmoh no

User avatar
groff_enthusiast
The original good boy.
Cardboard Robot
Posts: 1096
Joined: Oct 20, 2021

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by groff_enthusiast » Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:26 pm

Crunchums wrote: Thu Nov 18, 2021 5:21 pm
Doug wrote: Of course this is exactly the issue

S(n)/n < 3/4 < (S(n) + 1)/(n + 1)

has solutions for n, but none of them are integers. Isn't that neat
probably people understand this already, but just in case:
when I said "is there a rational number a/b..." I was being imprecise; what I meant was "are there rational numbers a and b such that a/b..."
Rylinks jumped on my imprecision as an opportunity for trolling (or at least that was my read of his post)
:robert:

You were being quite precise, just not in the way you wanted.

:robert:
Ashenai wrote: Sat Jul 16, 2022 5:08 pmoh no

User avatar
Doug
Has anybody seen my parrot
Forum Elf
Posts: 20552
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Doug » Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:31 pm

groff_enthusiast wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:23 pm
Doug wrote: Thu Nov 18, 2021 4:25 pm I heard an amazing math "trivia" question yesterday

A basketball player has a free-throw percentage of less than 75 percent early in the season.

By season's end, his free-throw percentage has risen to above 75 percent.

Is it necessarily true that his free-throw percentage was ever exactly 75 percent?
A man starts walking up a mountain on a well worn path at 7:00AM. He reaches the top at nightfall and spends the night in a Cabin. The next day, he picks up a large rock as a momento and begins walking down at 7:00AM. Is there a time when was in the exact same location on the path at the exact same moment of the day on both days?
Is it nightfall when he arrives back at the bottom
It's your turn in Cthulhu Wars
It's your turn in Squirrel Wars
It's your turn in Demon Wars
It's your turn in Wall Street Wars

http://devilsbiscuit.com/

User avatar
groff_enthusiast
The original good boy.
Cardboard Robot
Posts: 1096
Joined: Oct 20, 2021

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by groff_enthusiast » Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:32 pm

Doug wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:31 pm
groff_enthusiast wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:23 pm
Doug wrote: Thu Nov 18, 2021 4:25 pm I heard an amazing math "trivia" question yesterday

A basketball player has a free-throw percentage of less than 75 percent early in the season.

By season's end, his free-throw percentage has risen to above 75 percent.

Is it necessarily true that his free-throw percentage was ever exactly 75 percent?
A man starts walking up a mountain on a well worn path at 7:00AM. He reaches the top at nightfall and spends the night in a Cabin. The next day, he picks up a large rock as a momento and begins walking down at 7:00AM. Is there a time when was in the exact same location on the path at the exact same moment of the day on both days?
Is it nightfall when he arrives back at the bottom
Maybe a little before, or a little after, the rock was so heavy it's hard to remember
Ashenai wrote: Sat Jul 16, 2022 5:08 pmoh no

User avatar
Doug
Has anybody seen my parrot
Forum Elf
Posts: 20552
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Doug » Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:39 pm

X is time, Y is position

Day One is 0,0 to 1,1

Day Two is 0,1 to 1,0

These must intersect
It's your turn in Cthulhu Wars
It's your turn in Squirrel Wars
It's your turn in Demon Wars
It's your turn in Wall Street Wars

http://devilsbiscuit.com/

User avatar
groff_enthusiast
The original good boy.
Cardboard Robot
Posts: 1096
Joined: Oct 20, 2021

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by groff_enthusiast » Mon Nov 22, 2021 4:13 pm

Doug wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:39 pm X is time, Y is position

Day One is 0,0 to 1,1

Day Two is 0,1 to 1,0

These must intersect
You can also imagine both trips taking place during the same day.
Ashenai wrote: Sat Jul 16, 2022 5:08 pmoh no

User avatar
Rylinks
her skirt got quite a lot smaller,
but her heart is still the same
size it was before
Forum Elf
Posts: 12359
Joined: Jun 13, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Rylinks » Mon Nov 22, 2021 4:13 pm

what if the rock is actually a teleporter and the positions aren't continuous

User avatar
Khaos
They should have sent a poet.
Forum Elf
Posts: 16862
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Khaos » Mon Nov 22, 2021 4:14 pm

groff_enthusiast wrote:
Doug wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:39 pm X is time, Y is position

Day One is 0,0 to 1,1

Day Two is 0,1 to 1,0

These must intersect
You can also imagine both trips taking place during the same day.
that's a good way to explain it

User avatar
Rylinks
her skirt got quite a lot smaller,
but her heart is still the same
size it was before
Forum Elf
Posts: 12359
Joined: Jun 13, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Rylinks » Mon Nov 22, 2021 4:14 pm

thanks, khaos

User avatar
Khaos
They should have sent a poet.
Forum Elf
Posts: 16862
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Khaos » Mon Nov 22, 2021 4:14 pm

Rylinks wrote:thanks, khaos
got em

User avatar
Doug
Has anybody seen my parrot
Forum Elf
Posts: 20552
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Doug » Mon Nov 22, 2021 4:35 pm

Of course I want to make it a trick question

A man sets off at dawn from the bottom of a mountain, and spends all day climbing to the top, arriving at sunset and spending the night. The next day, he sets off at dawn back down the mountain, and arrives back at the bottom of the mountain at sunset. Is it necessarily true that there is a time of day when he was in the exact same location on the path at the exact same moment of the day on both days?
Spoiler!
No -- it's possible that dawn on the second day was one minute earlier (7:00) than it was on the first day (7:01), and that on the second day he fell all the way down the mountain path in only a few seconds, arriving at 7:00:30
It's your turn in Cthulhu Wars
It's your turn in Squirrel Wars
It's your turn in Demon Wars
It's your turn in Wall Street Wars

http://devilsbiscuit.com/

User avatar
Crunchums
Forum Elf
Forum Elf
Posts: 16116
Joined: Aug 24, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Crunchums » Mon Nov 22, 2021 5:10 pm

groff_enthusiast wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:23 pm a large rock as a momento
"memento" >: 3
u gotta skate

User avatar
Crunchums
Forum Elf
Forum Elf
Posts: 16116
Joined: Aug 24, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Crunchums » Mon Nov 22, 2021 5:12 pm

groff_enthusiast wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:23 pm A man starts walking up a mountain on a well worn path at 7:00AM. He reaches the top at nightfall and spends the night in a Cabin. The next day, he picks up a large rock as a memento and begins walking down at 7:00AM. Is there a time when was in the exact same location on the path at the exact same moment of the day on both days?
possibly, but not necessarily, i think?
u gotta skate

User avatar
Crunchums
Forum Elf
Forum Elf
Posts: 16116
Joined: Aug 24, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Crunchums » Mon Nov 22, 2021 5:13 pm

groff_enthusiast wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:26 pm :robert:

You were being quite precise, just not in the way you wanted.

:robert:
yeah that's why it was a fair cop :cuck:
u gotta skate

User avatar
Crunchums
Forum Elf
Forum Elf
Posts: 16116
Joined: Aug 24, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Crunchums » Mon Nov 22, 2021 5:17 pm

groff_enthusiast wrote:
Doug wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:39 pm X is time, Y is position

Day One is 0,0 to 1,1

Day Two is 0,1 to 1,0

These must intersect
You can also imagine both trips taking place during the same day.
oh neat
i wonder where my intuition went astray
u gotta skate

User avatar
groff_enthusiast
The original good boy.
Cardboard Robot
Posts: 1096
Joined: Oct 20, 2021

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by groff_enthusiast » Mon Nov 22, 2021 5:52 pm

Crunchums wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 5:10 pm
groff_enthusiast wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:23 pm a large rock as a momento
"memento" >: 3
mementos are small, mo'mentos are big
Ashenai wrote: Sat Jul 16, 2022 5:08 pmoh no

User avatar
Doug
Has anybody seen my parrot
Forum Elf
Posts: 20552
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Doug » Mon Nov 22, 2021 6:04 pm

A memento is so you can remember; momentous means you'll never forget
It's your turn in Cthulhu Wars
It's your turn in Squirrel Wars
It's your turn in Demon Wars
It's your turn in Wall Street Wars

http://devilsbiscuit.com/

User avatar
groff_enthusiast
The original good boy.
Cardboard Robot
Posts: 1096
Joined: Oct 20, 2021

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by groff_enthusiast » Mon Nov 22, 2021 6:07 pm

Well yeah, your memory keeps moving forward thanks to mementum
Ashenai wrote: Sat Jul 16, 2022 5:08 pmoh no

User avatar
Jeb Bush 2012
Posting Automaton
Posting Automaton
Posts: 2520
Joined: Jun 24, 2020

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Jeb Bush 2012 » Sun Dec 12, 2021 1:49 am

when britain mobilized for WW1, the colonels-in-chief of the 1st royal dragoons and the 1st king's dragoon guards did not report for duty. why not?
Spoiler!
because they were kaiser wilhelm II of germany and kaiser franz joseph of austria-hungary, respectively

User avatar
Doug
Has anybody seen my parrot
Forum Elf
Posts: 20552
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Doug » Sun Dec 12, 2021 3:18 am

That is wonderful
It's your turn in Cthulhu Wars
It's your turn in Squirrel Wars
It's your turn in Demon Wars
It's your turn in Wall Street Wars

http://devilsbiscuit.com/

User avatar
Doug
Has anybody seen my parrot
Forum Elf
Posts: 20552
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Doug » Fri Jan 07, 2022 2:25 pm

Which weighs more, a pound of heavy cream or a pound of light cream
Spoiler!
Heavy cream is more expensive in both the UK and US, so if you spend the same money on either, you will get less heavy cream than you would get light cream, regardless of whether you spend pounds or dollars
It's your turn in Cthulhu Wars
It's your turn in Squirrel Wars
It's your turn in Demon Wars
It's your turn in Wall Street Wars

http://devilsbiscuit.com/

User avatar
Luna
...but history refused to change
...but history refused to change
Posts: 2000
Joined: Feb 28, 2020

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Luna » Fri Jan 07, 2022 10:11 pm

Doug wrote:Which weighs more, a pound of heavy cream or a pound of light cream
Image

User avatar
Jeb Bush 2012
Posting Automaton
Posting Automaton
Posts: 2520
Joined: Jun 24, 2020

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Jeb Bush 2012 » Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:30 am

Doug wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 2:25 pm Which weighs more, a pound of heavy cream or a pound of light cream
Spoiler!
Heavy cream is more expensive in both the UK and US, so if you spend the same money on either, you will get less heavy cream than you would get light cream, regardless of whether you spend pounds or dollars
which weighs more, a pound of gold or a pound of feathers
Spoiler!
a pound of feathers; the troy pound used for weighing precious metals is lighter than the avoirdupois pound used for most other purposes

User avatar
Crunchums
Forum Elf
Forum Elf
Posts: 16116
Joined: Aug 24, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Crunchums » Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:36 am

which has more letters, banana or pineapple
Spoiler!
it depends what language you're using [last two panels of this comic]
u gotta skate

User avatar
groff_enthusiast
The original good boy.
Cardboard Robot
Posts: 1096
Joined: Oct 20, 2021

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by groff_enthusiast » Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:46 am

Jeb Bush 2012 wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:30 am
Doug wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 2:25 pm Which weighs more, a pound of heavy cream or a pound of light cream
Spoiler!
Heavy cream is more expensive in both the UK and US, so if you spend the same money on either, you will get less heavy cream than you would get light cream, regardless of whether you spend pounds or dollars
which weighs more, a pound of gold or a pound of feathers
Spoiler!
a pound of feathers; the troy pound used for weighing precious metals is lighter than the avoirdupois pound used for most other purposes
That is fantastic. I've always used the notion that if you're not in a vacuum the feather weight is counting air.
Ashenai wrote: Sat Jul 16, 2022 5:08 pmoh no

User avatar
Doug
Has anybody seen my parrot
Forum Elf
Posts: 20552
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Doug » Sat Jan 08, 2022 4:11 am

Jeb Bush 2012 wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 2:30 am
Doug wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 2:25 pm Which weighs more, a pound of heavy cream or a pound of light cream
Spoiler!
Heavy cream is more expensive in both the UK and US, so if you spend the same money on either, you will get less heavy cream than you would get light cream, regardless of whether you spend pounds or dollars
which weighs more, a pound of gold or a pound of feathers
Spoiler!
a pound of feathers; the troy pound used for weighing precious metals is lighter than the avoirdupois pound used for most other purposes
Well

Sarnathed
It's your turn in Cthulhu Wars
It's your turn in Squirrel Wars
It's your turn in Demon Wars
It's your turn in Wall Street Wars

http://devilsbiscuit.com/

User avatar
Doug
Has anybody seen my parrot
Forum Elf
Posts: 20552
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Doug » Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:02 pm

How many horsepower is a horse?
Spoiler!
A horse is capable of around 24 horsepower for a brief burst, and 15 horsepower for a sustained amount of time.
It's your turn in Cthulhu Wars
It's your turn in Squirrel Wars
It's your turn in Demon Wars
It's your turn in Wall Street Wars

http://devilsbiscuit.com/

User avatar
seathesee
Sentient Keyboard
Sentient Keyboard
Posts: 5459
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by seathesee » Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:42 pm

Spoiler!
horse is power of run. horse is power of eat. horse is power of jump. horse is power of love. horse is four horsepower.
with love, your good friend, seathesee

User avatar
Doug
Has anybody seen my parrot
Forum Elf
Posts: 20552
Joined: Aug 23, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Doug » Thu Feb 03, 2022 2:08 pm

What sort of language test do you have to pass to join the French Foreign Legion?
Spoiler!
If you attempt to join, you will be interrogated in the language you claim as your native language. If you're unable to answer questions coherently in this language, you can't join. That's the extent of it -- you do not have to pass a French language test right away. (Although you will be taught and grilled on French throughout boot camp.)
It's your turn in Cthulhu Wars
It's your turn in Squirrel Wars
It's your turn in Demon Wars
It's your turn in Wall Street Wars

http://devilsbiscuit.com/

User avatar
Crunchums
Forum Elf
Forum Elf
Posts: 16116
Joined: Aug 24, 2018

Re: Doug's Fiendish Trick Trivia Questions

Post by Crunchums » Thu Apr 07, 2022 4:47 pm

in chess, is it possible to reach the starting position except it's black's move instead of white?
Spoiler!
no

if a pawn moves forward it's then impossible for its starting square to ever be occupied by a pawn of that color. so pawns can't move
knights can move, and then that lets the rooks move. but knights always move from a light square to a dark square or vice versa, and rooks can only move back and forth between their starting square and their adjacent knight's starting square, which means that any sequence of knight/rook moves that ends with the pieces both back on their starting squares will be an even number of moves. but in order to reach the starting position where it's black's move you would need black to make an odd number of moves that results in all of black's pieces being back in their starting position
u gotta skate

Post Reply