Wednesday, October 11, 2006

At this point, I'm just making you people look bad

Even in an Outlaw Camp, I continue my onslaught of posting....

(Also, to inspire you, I am changing the picture, motto, and quote. Hope you like them)


I happened to get a copy of Sunday’s Parade Magazine, and saw the Marilyn vos Savant questions. (Does anybody else have a hard time buying her as the smartest person in the world?)


(I'll bet she doesn't know all the words to Don Gato)


Anyway, one of the questions sent to Marilyn was so astonishingly easy I goggled. It took me about 12 seconds, and that’s counting that I went back to double-check the answer, thinking it could not possible be that simple, and I had overlooked some important detail. Marilyn seemed to indicate that many would have trouble with it. Here it is, and you decide for yourself.


”At a small grade school Class Reunion (fewer than 24 people), two thirds of the men are married to three fifths of the women. How many people are single?

I don’t want you to put the answer in the Comments (as to ruin it for others, but tell me this: is this question difficult? Are we such a Math-Phobic culture that we freeze up at the mere mention of numbers?

What say you?

4 comments:

tiff said...

Easy as pie. If you like pie. And I don't. Not this kind.

My brain starts into totally tangential questions like: were there equal numbers of males and females to start out with, and how many fewer than 24 people are there, and do widowed people count as single or married?

Thus my C in algebra.

Even so, it took me about 2 minutes to get through the tangents and figure out the answer. Much to my surprise, might I add.

lost goddess said...

I spend more than 29 minutes there :D

Skittles said...

I was in the algebra club in school but my answer is quick and easy - like I care?!? (Nope, I don't.)

Lady Jane Scarlett said...

She soooo does not look like the smartest person on the planet.