| Author | Message | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1087 Registered: 10-2001 |
I received an email from a colleague today, informing the entire team about something that might come in very useful one day. Being a lateral thinker you will immediately spot a flaw … I imagine it is an old urban myth that many will be familiar with. However it's a new one on me. | ||
| Superman (Superman)
New member Username: Superman Post Number: 55 Registered: 1-2007 |
something is - tangible? - used for medicine - " finance | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1088 Registered: 10-2001 |
something is - tangible? Yope - used for medicine No - " finance Yesish | ||
| Superman (Superman)
New member Username: Superman Post Number: 59 Registered: 1-2007 |
Should the flaw already be obvious? "Being a lateral thinker you will immediately spot a flaw … " - is there a predecessor of this something already in existence? - is it useful to psychiatrists such as yourself? - is it an object? - software? - an idea for something? The flaw is _____ - infeasibility - an error in logic - a physical error Will you visit my other puzzles? | ||
| Rubberduck (Rubberduck)
New member Username: Rubberduck Post Number: 53 Registered: 3-2006 |
Is the team a sports team? Work team? Team is human? Animals? Is it relevant that the email was only sent to you and not to all the team members? Is the flaw related to the fact that the email was sent to you and yet somehow informed the team of something? Was the email copied (i.e. sent) to the team members? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1089 Registered: 10-2001 |
Superman Should the flaw already be obvious? Noish "Being a lateral thinker you will immediately spot a flaw … " - is there a predecessor of this something already in existence? I honestly don't know - is it useful to psychiatrists such as yourself? It's no more useful to me than John Doe - is it an object? no - software? yope - an idea for something? Yesish The flaw is _____ - infeasibility Yes - especially with one specific detail which you will be looking for - an error in logic In some ways, yes - a physical error noish Will you visit my other puzzles? Yes, I'll have a look Rubberduck Is the team a sports team? Work team? This one. The team isn't important though. The usefulness is to pretty much anybody. Team is human? Yes Animals? no Is it relevant that the email was only sent to you and not to all the team members? The email was sent to everybody. Is the flaw related to the fact that the email was sent to you and yet somehow informed the team of something? No Was the email copied (i.e. sent) to the team members? Yes The most relevant thing is the content of the email and how it is (supposedly) useful information to most people | ||
| Cookie (Cookie)
New member Username: Cookie Post Number: 227 Registered: 10-2003 |
Is the information in the mail about viruses that are sent per email? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1092 Registered: 10-2001 |
Is the information in the mail about viruses that are sent per email? No this is one is a bit different | ||
| Cookie (Cookie)
New member Username: Cookie Post Number: 228 Registered: 10-2003 |
Is this "one day" a specific day? Or just a day in the future when something happens? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1093 Registered: 10-2001 |
Is this "one day" a specific day? No Or just a day in the future when something happens? Yes | ||
| Snoozer (Snoozer)
New member Username: Snoozer Post Number: 56 Registered: 1-2007 |
The thing that is useful: - is it useful for your team - could it be useful for someone else - is it obsolete? Is the email adressed directly to you? Only you? Is it spam? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1094 Registered: 10-2001 |
The thing that is useful: - is it useful for your team Useful to almost anyone at all. Having said that I don't whether it applies to other countries outside of the UK but I suspect that it does - could it be useful for someone else Yes - see above - is it obsolete? No Is the email adressed directly to you? Only you? Is it spam? It was addressed to me and all my colleagues in the team - simply because the sender thought that it would be useful. It was not spam as such. | ||
| Snoozer (Snoozer)
New member Username: Snoozer Post Number: 58 Registered: 1-2007 |
Does this only work if it is sent by email? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1095 Registered: 10-2001 |
Does this only work if it is sent by email? No, it could be communicated in any fashion | ||
| ~damia~ (~damia~)
New member Username: ~damia~ Post Number: 51 Registered: 9-2003 |
is it something like in case of emergency do this? e.g. if your building is ever bombed hide under your desks or something | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1097 Registered: 10-2001 |
is it something like in case of emergency do this? Yes e.g. if your building is ever bombed hide under your desks or something You've got the general idea! | ||
| Snoozer (Snoozer)
New member Username: Snoozer Post Number: 80 Registered: 1-2007 |
Do you work with handling emergencies? The same kind of emergencies as was mentioned in the email? | ||
| ~damia~ (~damia~)
New member Username: ~damia~ Post Number: 54 Registered: 9-2003 |
ok so is the potential emergency a bombing? nuclear explosion? gas leak? natual disaster? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1098 Registered: 10-2001 |
Snoozer Do you work with handling emergencies? The same kind of emergencies as was mentioned in the email? My work isn't relevant, the information in the email is supposedly useful to everybody Damia ok so is the potential emergency a bombing? nuclear explosion? gas leak? natual disaster? No to all - but kep exploring | ||
| ~damia~ (~damia~)
New member Username: ~damia~ Post Number: 56 Registered: 9-2003 |
ok would the potential emergency involve you getting physcally hurt? everyone/some people in your building hurt? the building damaged? the whole city being targeted? | ||
| Sebastepistis (Sebastepistis)
New member Username: Sebastepistis Post Number: 25 Registered: 12-2006 |
Would it be "Check your email in case of power outages" - even though you wouldn't have electricity? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1099 Registered: 10-2001 |
Damia ok would the potential emergency involve you getting physcally hurt? Noish - potentially it could but this is not the primary concern in the scenario everyone/some people in your building hurt? As above - the scenario would only occur to one individual at any given time the building damaged? the whole city being targeted? No to both Sebastepistis Would it be "Check your email in case of power outages" - even though you wouldn't have electricity? No but thanks for contributing that one! | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 316 Registered: 8-2006 |
Happy New Year Simon! So having read this mail, you will behave differently in case of a certain emergency, right? Is the emergency something you have allready experienced? How many of us are likely to have experienced it: All? most? several? few? very few? Does the emergency involve technology? if yes, something that has been used by humans for 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? 50 years? 100 years? 200 years? 500 years? Does the emergency involve the loss of something? of money? In case of this emergency is there a third person involved? a bad guy? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1100 Registered: 10-2001 |
Happy New Year Simon! Hi Tobias - I hope you are keeping well! So having read this mail, you will behave differently in case of a certain emergency, right? That is the idea - yes Is the emergency something you have allready experienced? No How many of us are likely to have experienced it: All? most? several? few? very few? Very few Does the emergency involve technology? Yes if yes, something that has been used by humans for 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? 50 years? 100 years? 200 years? 500 years? About the last twenty years 20 - 30 years Does the emergency involve the loss of something? of money? Yes In case of this emergency is there a third person involved? Yes a bad guy? Yes! Excellent progress! | ||
| Snoozer (Snoozer)
New member Username: Snoozer Post Number: 96 Registered: 1-2007 |
Is it electronic technology, such as a computer or an ATM? Are you being suggested a backup solution in case the technology is out of order? Not there when you need it? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1101 Registered: 10-2001 |
Is it electronic technology, such as a computer Yes or an ATM? YES! Are you being suggested a backup solution in case the technology is out of order? Not there when you need it? No | ||
| Snoozer (Snoozer)
New member Username: Snoozer Post Number: 102 Registered: 1-2007 |
Is it something like "Protect your ATM code at all times from strangers (bad guys) to see it" or "if you give your ATM code to this (bad) guy, he will retrieve it for you if you would ever lose it or forget it" | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1102 Registered: 10-2001 |
Is it something like "Protect your ATM code at all times from strangers (bad guys) to see it" or "if you give your ATM code to this (bad) guy, he will retrieve it for you if you would ever lose it or forget it" No it's something else but as you have already established it does involve: 1. ATM machines (or Cash Points, as we call them in the the UK) 2.A "bad guy". | ||
| Snoozer (Snoozer)
New member Username: Snoozer Post Number: 106 Registered: 1-2007 |
Is it something about the bad guy that is useful? Something he can do for you? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1103 Registered: 10-2001 |
Is it something about the bad guy that is useful? No Something he can do for you? No | ||
| Zephyr14 (Zephyr14)
New member Username: Zephyr14 Post Number: 12 Registered: 1-2007 |
Is it about stealing of the PIN code? Stealing the card? Stealing money from the card? There used to be some rumor about a clever method used by thieves, to install a third party sensor inside the ATM's slot, and thus to be able to read your card and code and everything as you use the ATM? Or maybe, thinking along the same line, installing of fake ATMs? Some kind of theft that would cost the thief more than he would possibly gain? (even though we all know that crime doesn't pay...) Or maybe, is the bad guy impersonating a security guard from the bank? | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 318 Registered: 8-2006 |
Tout va bien chez moi! Does the bad guy try to: get a credit/money card? get a credit/money card number/code? imitate a signature? imitate a credit/money card? steal money from a cash point? Does he transfer money to his bank account? get cash? get goods? Does he use a computer? use the internet? operate near a cash point? Does he physically meet his victims? Does he harm his victims recurring? non-recurring? Is the amount of money taken relevant? | ||
| Snoozer (Snoozer)
New member Username: Snoozer Post Number: 113 Registered: 1-2007 |
By following the useful information, would you break the law? Is it, for instance, an instruction how to trick the cash point? and possibly get some extra money without registering the withdrawal? | ||
| Tobasi (Tobasi)
New member Username: Tobasi Post Number: 319 Registered: 8-2006 |
Oh, sorry for double questions, I was writing my questions while Zephyr14 was posting. | ||
| Rubberduck (Rubberduck)
New member Username: Rubberduck Post Number: 57 Registered: 3-2006 |
Does it have to do with being forced by the bad guy to use your ATM to withdraw money? The urban myth of reversing your PIN to notify police? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1104 Registered: 10-2001 |
Zephyr14 Is it about stealing of the PIN code? Stealing the card? Stealing money from the card? The money There used to be some rumor about a clever method used by thieves, to install a third party sensor inside the ATM's slot, and thus to be able to read your card and code and everything as you use the ATM? No - I've heard of something similar too Or maybe, thinking along the same line, installing of fake ATMs? No - but nice idea Some kind of theft that would cost the thief more than he would possibly gain? (even though we all know that crime doesn't pay...) :-) Or maybe, is the bad guy impersonating a security guard from the bank? No Snoozer By following the useful information, would you break the law? No (but good question) Is it, for instance, an instruction how to trick the cash point? No and possibly get some extra money without registering the withdrawal? No Tobasi Tout va bien chez moi! je suis heureux Does the bad guy try to: get a credit/money card? get a credit/money card number/code? Money imitate a signature? imitate a credit/money card? steal money from a cash point? This is nearest Does he transfer money to his bank account? get cash? get goods? Does he use a computer? use the internet? operate near a cash point? Yesish Does he physically meet his victims? Yes Does he harm his victims recurring? non-recurring? Is the amount of money taken relevant? Not relevant Oh, sorry for double questions, I was writing my questions while Zephyr14 was posting. aucun problème Rubberduck Does it have to do with being forced by the bad guy to use your ATM to withdraw money? The urban myth of reversing your PIN to notify police? YES! | ||
| Beccaann (Beccaann)
New member Username: Beccaann Post Number: 869 Registered: 6-2006 |
Would the flaw be the not so unordinary circumstance of a palindromic PIN? | ||
| Beroean (Beroean)
Moderator Username: Beroean Post Number: 1105 Registered: 10-2001 |
Would the flaw be the not so unordinary circumstance of a palindromic PIN? YES! (Well at least that was line of thought!) Well done everyone for getting there so quickly. ***************** SPOILER ***************** Here is the text of the email sent to me, word for word: This sounds too good to be true but was sent to me by a friend Subject: GOOD TO KNOW PIN NUMBER REVERSAL (GOOD TO KNOW) If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse. For example if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321. The ATM recognizes that your pin number is backwards from the ATM card you placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you. This information was recently broadcasted on TV and it states that it is seldom used because people don't know it exists. Please pass this along to everyone possible Rubberduck established the content of the email, (confirming for me that it is an urban myth) and Beccaann established the immediate flaw: what if your PIN is a palindrome e.g 2222? | ||
| Zephyr14 (Zephyr14)
New member Username: Zephyr14 Post Number: 14 Registered: 1-2007 |
Well, Snopes does mention that in the draft for this project they allegedly had workarounds for that case, though I couldn't imagine any discrete, obvious ones. They rightly say, though, that when you're in danger, it's not that easy to recall your PIN number and reverse it in your head! |
