| Author | Message | ||
| dryman (Dryman)
|
I recently met an extraordinarily bright young man who had earned a degree in mechanical engineering by the age of 4! How can this be? could go quick - email me your early spioler! | ||
| Eliot (Eliot)
|
e-mailed | ||
| dryman (Dryman)
|
Eliot Does the "premature" puzzler by any chance involve leap years? no If so I'm afraid I'm out. not just yet! | ||
| Eliot (Eliot)
|
Oh wonderful! Has this person literally been on Earth for only four years? Has he taken all courses necessary for the degree? Has he gone to college? (I feel like an irate superintendant of some sort.) Oh, or is the degree not a piece of paper certifying expertise in a certain subject? Do many children have this degree? | ||
| dryman (Dryman)
|
Has this person literally been on Earth for only four years? no Has he taken all courses necessary for the degree? yes Has he gone to college? yes (I feel like an irate superintendant of some sort.) Skinnerr!! Oh, or is the degree not a piece of paper certifying expertise in a certain subject? it is Do many children have this degree? no | ||
| John Morahan (Wunderland)
|
e-mailed | ||
| dryman (Dryman)
|
John M. is precociously correct!  | ||
| Ed Mason (Logician)
|
I have also sent an e-mail | ||
| Lynne (Lynne)
|
Are these Martian years? | ||
| dryman (Dryman)
|
Logician does he belong to a religion / culture where he only "ages" once he reaches a certain age no Lynne Are these Martian years? no | ||
| Eliot (Eliot)
|
"the age of 4": Is this referring not to his age but to the age of something/ someone else? The length of time he was in college? Relevant that it's a mechanical engineer degree? | ||
| dryman (Dryman)
|
Is this referring not to his age but to the age of something/ someone else? no The length of time he was in college? no Relevant that it's a mechanical engineer degree? no | ||
| Eliot (Eliot)
|
Is "the age of four" not four years but four decades, or something similar? | ||
| dryman (Dryman)
|
Is "the age of four" not four years but four decades, or something similar? no | ||
| Fred Z (Dref)
|
Is he a child prodigy? | ||
| dryman (Dryman)
|
Is he a child prodigy? no | ||
| Johanna (Buzzard)
|
About to send an email | ||
| dryman (Dryman)
|
Buzzard has got it too! | ||
| Eliot (Eliot)
|
Of course she has. ;) I must be overlooking the obvious. If I saw this young man, would I think, "4 years old"? Is he four years old, for that matter? Relevant who gave him the degree? | ||
| Ed Mason (Logician)
|
Was he actually 24 years old, perchance? | ||
| Ed Mason (Logician)
|
Was he 24? | ||
| Ed Mason (Logician)
|
lol, a bit of premature clicking there ;) | ||
| dryman (Dryman)
|
Eliot If I saw this young man, would I think, "4 years old"? no Is he four years old, for that matter? no. nevertheless what I wrote was factually correct Relevant who gave him the degree? no Logician Was he actually 24 years old, perchance? exactly right.. and yet, he was far younger than 24! care to provide the spoiler? | ||
| Ed Mason (Logician)
|
If you insist... The '4!' means 4 (factorial), which means 4x3x2x1, and equals 24 - a perfectly reasonable age to get a degree. | ||
| Eliot (Eliot)
|
Aha! ([Aha]x[aha-1]x[aha-2]...) | ||
| dryman (Dryman)
|
*** SPOILER *** See answer above. And see link below for more terrible math(s) humo(u)r. My factorial legal scam |
