I just don't understand it!

Blackboar · 01-18-2003, 05:07 PM

My brother told me paradox thing, I don't understand it so he told me to post it here so:

A man travels back in time, he goess to see his Grandma when she was a child.He then kills her.This means that he can't have existed so who killed the Grandma?

I don't know the answer andd keep going round in circles trying to work it out.

What do you say to that?

Disscus!!!

Miranda · 01-18-2003, 05:37 PM

Sounds like one of those unsolvable riddles or proverb things! Like if a tree falls in a forest and no-one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? I'm afraid I can't help you! I'm useless at riddles etc, would never do well against Gollum! Mx

Huan · 01-18-2003, 05:46 PM

It is unsolveable. That's why it's a paradox. If he goes back in time and kills his grandmother, not only could he not have existed to go back in time, he could not have killed his grandmother, so she would not have been killed, except she was, wasn't she? Or wasn't she?

kiwi · 01-18-2003, 05:46 PM

i'm not very good with riddles either so sorry but I can't help you out.

Lady of Rohan · 01-18-2003, 06:39 PM

hmmm..........I have no idea! But it does sound like an impossible riddle.

kiwi · 01-18-2003, 06:40 PM

thats what i thought. My grandad used to be very good at these sort of things.

Elf Girl · 01-18-2003, 07:27 PM

It is indeed unsolvable. Here's another one:

A barber in a village in Southern Greece shaves all the men who do not shave themselves. Does he shave him self?

And another:

Is the following bolded statement true or false: this statement is false.

Or this one:

I have an index card. One side says "the statement on the other side is true." The other side says "the statement on the other side is false". Which side is true and which is false? (it helps to actually make the card for this one.

A paradox is a statement which goes around in circles in your head. Avoid all I have posted, they will keep you awake at night!

Falagar · 01-18-2003, 08:07 PM

Must...not...twist brain!

*poff*

Elf Girl · 01-18-2003, 08:11 PM

*twist brain into a pretzel over a paradox and then untwists it* My brain is double-jointed.

Coney · 01-18-2003, 08:20 PM

PLEASE IGNORE THIS POST

Falagar · 01-18-2003, 08:27 PM

[off topic]*still waiting

*[/off topic]

Elenka · 01-18-2003, 08:43 PM

I have a true story thats not exactly a riddle but it's weird and kinda complex:

A man jumps off the top of a building. He's commiting suicide. As he passes the sixth floor, a bullet flies out from a window and kills him. But the police still would rule it as suicide 'cause he was gonna die anyway. Then, they find that there is some construction going on at the fourth floor, and a safety net was strung up. The man would not have died 'cause he would have hit the net. Now it's a murder.
The person who shot the gun that fired the bullet was an elderly man. He was having a fight with his wife. He never loaded the gun, just threatened her with it.
The couple were the suicidal's parents. The mother had decided not to supply the man with any more money. The man had then loaded his dad's gun, hoping his dad would shoot his mom when they were fighting.
But the man's dad missed his mom, and instead hit his son while he was falling by the window. Because the son had loaded the gun.....The police ruled that it was a suicide. The man had killed himself.

Crazy, isn't it?

Elf Girl · 01-18-2003, 08:51 PM

Even my double-jointed brain is not capable of wrapping itself around that one...

Elenka · 01-18-2003, 09:15 PM

Seriously...It took my dad about three tries until I half got it...

BeardofPants · 01-18-2003, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Elenka
I have a true story thats not exactly a riddle but it's weird and kinda complex:

That was in the beginning of Magnolia as well. Interesting, because it was a true story. Weird.

Elenka · 01-18-2003, 09:39 PM

Sure, whatever....My dad said it was true...I dunno, maybe he was wrong...

Lanelf · 01-19-2003, 12:18 AM

The old man was guilty of manslaughter! *looks proud* See, because even if it was an accident, he still shot the suicidal, right? and the suicidal can't be held responsible because he did nothing more than load the gun, though he could be an accomplice to his own murder.
Ok, I've just watched way too much TV. I am in no way a legal expert, though I did watch Legally Blonde. But hey! it was fun.

And please - don't even start on the temporal paradoxes. Hey, what is the plural of paradox? Paradi? *hits self in head* Ah, that's better. There was a temporal paradox in a star trek episode I watched - at the end, one says to the other: You know what I say about temporal paradoxes? Don't even try to understand them. [inaccurate quote there].
Lanelf.

Blackboar · 01-19-2003, 04:13 AM

Well, I guessed that kinda aswered my question

My brother gave me another one, this one I can explain.

A cat is in a box, it is neither dead or alive.

My brother explained this one (I can't understand it propaply, he tryed to make it simple for my tiny little brain but he is a professor in phsics so he must have found it hard

)

He explained it in 2 ways: One the cat is in neither state until you open the box and it collapses into one.
Two, In one parallel universe the cat is dead and in the other it is alive, once you open the box you'll know what universe you are in. A bit like the movie called "Sliding Doors"

Blackboar · 01-19-2003, 04:13 AM

Well, I guessed that kinda aswered my question

My brother gave me another one, this one I can explain.

A cat is in a box, it is neither dead or alive.

My brother explained this one (I can't understand it propaply, he tryed to make it simple for my tiny little brain but he is a professor in phsics so he must have found it hard

)

He explained it in 2 ways: One the cat is in neither state until you open the box and it collapses into one.
Two, In one parallel universe the cat is dead and in the other it is alive, once you open the box you'll know what universe you are in. A bit like the movie called "Sliding Doors"

Blackboar · 01-19-2003, 04:13 AM

[edit]Why did I post this 3 times?

01-18-2003, 05:07 PM	#1
Blackboar Legolas's beloved sister and Queen of the Wood Elves of Mirkwood Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Under the hill at Bag-end, Hobbiton the Shire Or Rivendell,I can't remember!!!!!!!!!! Posts: 1,086	I just don't understand it! My brother told me paradox thing, I don't understand it so he told me to post it here so: A man travels back in time, he goess to see his Grandma when she was a child.He then kills her.This means that he can't have existed so who killed the Grandma? I don't know the answer andd keep going round in circles trying to work it out. What do you say to that? Disscus!!!

01-18-2003, 05:37 PM	#2
Miranda 'Bohemian princess of Covent Garden Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The Mill Posts: 544	Sounds like one of those unsolvable riddles or proverb things! Like if a tree falls in a forest and no-one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? I'm afraid I can't help you! I'm useless at riddles etc, would never do well against Gollum! Mx __________________ There's only us, there's only this, forget regret or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way, no day but today.

01-18-2003, 05:46 PM	#4
kiwi Elven Warrior Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: The Land Of The Un-Known Posts: 173	i'm not very good with riddles either so sorry but I can't help you out. __________________ FEAR can hold you prisoner.............................But HOPE can set you free!

01-18-2003, 06:40 PM	#6
kiwi Elven Warrior Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: The Land Of The Un-Known Posts: 173	thats what i thought. My grandad used to be very good at these sort of things. __________________ FEAR can hold you prisoner.............................But HOPE can set you free!

01-18-2003, 07:27 PM	#7
Elf Girl Lurker Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Lothlórien Posts: 3,419	It is indeed unsolvable. Here's another one: A barber in a village in Southern Greece shaves all the men who do not shave themselves. Does he shave him self? And another: Is the following bolded statement true or false: this statement is false. Or this one: I have an index card. One side says "the statement on the other side is true." The other side says "the statement on the other side is false". Which side is true and which is false? (it helps to actually make the card for this one. A paradox is a statement which goes around in circles in your head. Avoid all I have posted, they will keep you awake at night! __________________ There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium...

01-18-2003, 05:46 PM	#3
Huan Elven Warrior Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Oxford, MS Posts: 274	It is unsolveable. That's why it's a paradox. If he goes back in time and kills his grandmother, not only could he not have existed to go back in time, he could not have killed his grandmother, so she would not have been killed, except she was, wasn't she? Or wasn't she?

01-18-2003, 06:39 PM	#5
Lady of Rohan Doughy Elf Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 1,006	hmmm..........I have no idea! But it does sound like an impossible riddle.

01-18-2003, 08:07 PM	#8
Falagar Death of Mooters and [Entmoot] Internal Affairs Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 2,870	Must...not...twist brain! poff __________________ Fëanor - Innocence incarnated Still, Aikanáro 'till the Last battle.

01-18-2003, 08:11 PM	#9
Elf Girl Lurker Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Lothlórien Posts: 3,419	twist brain into a pretzel over a paradox and then untwists it My brain is double-jointed. __________________ There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium...

01-18-2003, 08:20 PM	#10
Coney The Buddy Rabbit Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Trapped in the headlights.. Posts: 3,372	The terror of auditors everywhere (well, diskworld anyway) PLEASE IGNORE THIS POST __________________ Blessed are the cracked, they let the light in Beatallica

01-18-2003, 08:27 PM	#11
Falagar Death of Mooters and [Entmoot] Internal Affairs Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 2,870	[off topic]still waiting [/off topic] __________________ Fëanor - Innocence incarnated Still, Aikanáro 'till the Last battle.

01-18-2003, 08:43 PM	#12
Elenka The Negative Soul of Entmoot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The Middle Distance Posts: 651	I have a true story thats not exactly a riddle but it's weird and kinda complex: A man jumps off the top of a building. He's commiting suicide. As he passes the sixth floor, a bullet flies out from a window and kills him. But the police still would rule it as suicide 'cause he was gonna die anyway. Then, they find that there is some construction going on at the fourth floor, and a safety net was strung up. The man would not have died 'cause he would have hit the net. Now it's a murder. The person who shot the gun that fired the bullet was an elderly man. He was having a fight with his wife. He never loaded the gun, just threatened her with it. The couple were the suicidal's parents. The mother had decided not to supply the man with any more money. The man had then loaded his dad's gun, hoping his dad would shoot his mom when they were fighting. But the man's dad missed his mom, and instead hit his son while he was falling by the window. Because the son had loaded the gun.....The police ruled that it was a suicide. The man had killed himself. Crazy, isn't it? __________________ W00T for the M00T!! War doesn't determine who is right - war determines who is left.

01-18-2003, 08:51 PM	#13
Elf Girl Lurker Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Lothlórien Posts: 3,419	Even my double-jointed brain is not capable of wrapping itself around that one... __________________ There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium...

01-18-2003, 09:15 PM	#14
Elenka The Negative Soul of Entmoot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The Middle Distance Posts: 651	Seriously...It took my dad about three tries until I half got it... __________________ W00T for the M00T!! War doesn't determine who is right - war determines who is left.

01-18-2003, 09:39 PM	#16
Elenka The Negative Soul of Entmoot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The Middle Distance Posts: 651	Sure, whatever....My dad said it was true...I dunno, maybe he was wrong... __________________ W00T for the M00T!! War doesn't determine who is right - war determines who is left.

01-19-2003, 12:18 AM	#17
Lanelf Elven Warrior Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: The Second Drawer Down Posts: 407	The old man was guilty of manslaughter! looks proud See, because even if it was an accident, he still shot the suicidal, right? and the suicidal can't be held responsible because he did nothing more than load the gun, though he could be an accomplice to his own murder. Ok, I've just watched way too much TV. I am in no way a legal expert, though I did watch Legally Blonde. But hey! it was fun. And please - don't even start on the temporal paradoxes. Hey, what is the plural of paradox? Paradi? hits self in head Ah, that's better. There was a temporal paradox in a star trek episode I watched - at the end, one says to the other: You know what I say about temporal paradoxes? Don't even try to understand them. [inaccurate quote there]. Lanelf. __________________ Hey, I'm back! resounding silence You didn't even notice I was gone, did you? Well, I'm back now anyway. Artemis Fowl must find Mulch Diggums! You'll never shut down the real Napster

01-19-2003, 04:13 AM	#18
Blackboar Legolas's beloved sister and Queen of the Wood Elves of Mirkwood Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Under the hill at Bag-end, Hobbiton the Shire Or Rivendell,I can't remember!!!!!!!!!! Posts: 1,086	Well, I guessed that kinda aswered my question My brother gave me another one, this one I can explain. A cat is in a box, it is neither dead or alive. My brother explained this one (I can't understand it propaply, he tryed to make it simple for my tiny little brain but he is a professor in phsics so he must have found it hard ) He explained it in 2 ways: One the cat is in neither state until you open the box and it collapses into one. Two, In one parallel universe the cat is dead and in the other it is alive, once you open the box you'll know what universe you are in. A bit like the movie called "Sliding Doors"

01-19-2003, 04:13 AM	#20
Blackboar Legolas's beloved sister and Queen of the Wood Elves of Mirkwood Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Under the hill at Bag-end, Hobbiton the Shire Or Rivendell,I can't remember!!!!!!!!!! Posts: 1,086	[edit]Why did I post this 3 times? Last edited by Blackboar : 01-19-2003 at 04:14 AM.