Okay, so the rules are these: Rock beats scissors; scissors beat paper; paper beats rock. And what beats Doctor E? NOTHING beats Doctor E, for it is time for the next question of his contest, open to any UNI student or Iowa high school student, with top prizes of $60, $40 and $20, with handsome certificates, suitable for framing, going to all with sufficiently high scores.
Turning in the correct solution to this week's puzzle by March 30th will earn 2 puzzle points. Turning in the correct solution, along with a two syllable word that becomes a one syllable word when you add a letter will earn 3 puzzle points.
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Clarissa Dalloway, her husband Richard, and her friend Peter have a gift exchange every year. They each put their name on a piece of paper, and put the papers in a hat. Clarissa draws a name - if it is her own she redraws until she gets someone elses. Then Richard draws, if he gets his own name he similarly redraws, and then Peter gets what is left. This game usually works. There is only one case where it doesn't - if Clarissa draws Richard's name, and then Richard draws Clarissa's name. Peter is then left with only his own name in the hat. Over the years, they realize that the game works 3/4 of the time, and fails 1/4 of the time. Miss Kilman wants to join their gift exchange. Clarissa is hesitant - what if she ruins it? What is the probability that the game will work if the gift exchange expands to four people?
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The deadline for sending in solutions has expired. But feel free to take some time to work on this one, and click here to see the answer. Alternatively, click here to see the current challenge.
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