HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ts@cup.portal.com (Tim W Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Problematic smurfs!
Date: Tue,  1 Sep 92 00:56:28 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

I've heard the problem stated in terms of a village of perfect logicians.
Each has either a red dot or a blue dot on the back of his neck.

Each does not know the color of his own dot.  Furthermore, anyone who
finds out the color of his own dot will take an overdose of sleeping
pills before going to bed that night and die.  The body will be
discovered by any living logicians the next morning, and all will
know of the death.

As is usual in this kind of village, no one dies except by taking
sleeping pills after learning the color of their dot, and the logicians
all think at the same rate.

One day, all of the logicians are standing around when a Stranger
drives through town.  The stranger rolls down the window, glances
at the logicians, managing to get a view of everyone's neck's back
side, and says, "Hey!  At least one of you has a blue dot on your
neck!"  Of course, the Stranger doesn't lie, and the logicians
know this.

What happens?

I'm going to give the answer below, after a bunch of blank lines, so
that I can ask the more interesting question that comes out of this
problem.


























If there are N people with blue dots, then N days after the stranger's
visit, they die.  Everyone else dies the next day.  Consider:

If only one person had a blue dot, he would see that the Stranger must
be talking about him, and so he dies on day 1.  After he dies, everyone
else realizes that they must have red dots (or else Mr. Blue wouldn't
have died yet), so they die.

Now supposed two people have blue dots.  Each sees that there is one
person with a blue dot, a bunch of people with red dots, and themselves,
with an unknown color.  After day 1, they see that the blue dotted person
has not died, and so must have seen another blue dot.  It must be theirs.
So on day 2, both of the blue dotters die, followed by the rest.

How about the three dot village?  Each of the blue dotters sees that there
are two blue dotted people.  When those people don't die on day two,
the third blue dot is deduced by each, as is its location, and they die
on day 3, followed by the red dotters on day 4.

In general, when someone who sees N-1 blue dots sees that the N-1 people
don't kill themselves on day N-1, that person deduces their own blue
dot and dies on day N.  When the people with red dots see that N visible
blue dotted people die on day N, they deduce their own red dots, and die
on day N+1.

Now for the interesting problem.  Suppose there were at least two blue
dots.  Then everyone already knows that there is at least one blue dotted
person in the village.  The Stranger seems to have given them no information,
so why was his statement fatal?

--Tim Smith
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA)
Subject: Re: Stephen Hawking, Mensan
Originator: cjdcosta@zepplin.ece.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 05:48:06 GMT


I just caught Siskel & Ebert's review of "A Brief History of time".. Not
very enlightening as to the content, but yes, it's a documentary. And Siskel
liked it but Ebert thought it "treated Hawking like a brain in a box" instead
of a person, or something of that sort. Anyway, I'm going to see it.
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: johnson@sleipnir.mnesouth.corp.mot.com (Mark Johnson)
Subject: Re: Food groups
Reply-To: johnson@sleipnir.mnesouth.corp.mot.com
Organization: Motorola Wireless Enterprises, Schaumburg, IL
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 18:15:52 GMT

In article <BtoCvt.4DF@nntp-sc.Intel.COM>, isinyak@provx30.intel.com (Igor Sinyak) writes:
=)Instant
=)Canned
=)Frozen
=)Light
=)
When I was single, the four food groups were:
McDonald's
Wendy's
Burger King
Domino's
-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  "Johnson"                              | "                               " |
|  johnson@sleipnir.mnesouth.corp.mot.com |               -- Marcel Marceau   |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Disclaimer:  It's just my Tourette's Syndrome acting up again.             |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Xref: sparky rec.org.mensa:6498 sci.skeptic:15751 sci.physics:13969 alt.folklore.science:3218
From: shedevil@vix.com (Anne P. Mitchell JD)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa,sci.skeptic,sci.physics,alt.folklore.science
Subject: Update on New Newsletter
Date: 2 Sep 92 03:08:50 GMT
Article-I.D.: gw.182sf2INNm23
Organization: Fathers' Rights & Equality Exchange
NNTP-Posting-Host: gw.home.vix.com

Dear People,

Many of you have responded with concern to my note about the 
new science newsletter which is being edited by an old friend of my 
family's .  Your concern was that I did not/would not mention who this
friend was.  This is a valid concern, and my reason for not stating
his name at the time was that I did not, at that point, have his
permission.  I do now, however, have that permission..so...here is the
information again, including names.

If you would like to recieve a copy of the first edition [which will
not obligate you to subscribe], please send me your full postal
mailing address.

Here is the information:

------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Gian-Carlo Rota, Prof. of Math at MIT, has sent me the following
information regarding a start-up newsletter dealing with "truth in
science and technology."  His involvement with this publication is as
Editor-in-Chief, and of the newsletter he says:
  
The newsletter will be a "truth in science and technology" 
publication.  It will concern itself with an art which, in 
our opinion, is well on the way to becoming extinct -- 
namely, telling the truth.  It will consist of short news 
items concerning advances (or regresses) in science and technology, 
the kind of items that such publications as "Science" and "Nature" 
would not consider publishing, either because they are too
controversial, or because they deal with some unpleasant truth.  
The latter occurance is much more common nowadays.
 
We believe we can establish a network of informants who will 
contribute, either anonymously or under a pseudonym, or under 
their own names (which we would _prefer_) hot news items ranging over 
the entire spectrum of today's culture, with special emphasis on 
science and technology.  Some typical news items might be: an 
expose of neural networks as multivariate statistical analysis 
under a new name; a list of the increasingly baffling discoveries 
that ill-match the Darwinian theory of evolution (as it is 
understood today), and statistical evidence proving that African
witchcraft has been a more effective psychiatric cure than Freudian
psychoanalysis.
  
I have gone as far as securing a certain amount of funding 
for the newsletter in the form of venture capital.  After discussions
with the board which is considering the funding of the newsletter, 
it has been decided that such funding will be contingent upon our 
being able to put together a credible mailing list for the first 
few issues.  The financial success of "State of the Art" hinges on our
being able to develop such a list.
  
Looking forward to hearing from you, I am with best regards,
  
Gian-Carlo Rota

-------------------------------------
From: ifaq570@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Allen Kitchen)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Aurora
Date: 28 Aug 92 14:58:10 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin


	Wasn't Waynes World supposed to be in Aurora Colorado, not 
Illinois?

allen
ifaq570@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Mensa on Letterman
Date: 1 Sep 92 17:44:04 GMT

In article <65047@cup.portal.com>, ts@cup.portal.com (Tim W Smith) writes:
> 
> > They certainly were probably not geniuses.
> 
> Are you sure you didn't mean that they probably were certainly not
> geniuses?

He probably was right, possibly.
From: fuller@athena.cs.uga.edu (James P. H. Fuller)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Who needs intelligence (cont.)?
Date: 4 Sep 92 14:46:28 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

quest@iowegia.uucp (Steve J. Quest) writes:

>incidents of automobile accidents.  This is why I live here, but 
>gee, it sure is boring.  Now that I have said this, crime will 
>move in next door to me (gulp!).............sq
>
>(Iowa, a place where you can firmly settle into the grout...)

     You need to get out more, heh heh.  The hills above you are crawling
with neofascist survivalists in cammies.
From: jlc5f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Jean L. Cooper)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: The World According to Student Bloopers
Date: 2 Sep 92 17:25:21 GMT
Organization: University of Virginia

OK--here's the information:

Lederer, Richard, "The World According to Student
Bloopers."  Conservative Digest, Dec. 1988 (v.14),
p. 27-31;  excerpted from R. Lederer, Anguished
English.  Wyrick & Co, 1987.

It is a very amusing article.  That's probably
why it gets copied so much.  RE: ethics of
copyrighting excerpts from student papers--you will
have to talk to Lederer about that, since he's the
author.  Copyright law says that you are copyrighting
the specific arrangement of words, images, or music in
the fixed form, not the idea.  I doubt that any one of
the students arranged their ideas in *exactly* the
same way that Lederer did.

Copyright law really is a fascinating field, particularly
in this age of electronic media, and photocopiers.
--
Jean L. Cooper    (BITNET: JLC5F@virginia.edu   CIS: 70253,1114)
"The true University of these days is a Collection of Books." 
                                           --Carlyle
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Stephen Hawking, Mensan
Date: 30 Aug 92 22:43:16 GMT

In article <1992Aug30.054806.26282@ncsu.edu>, cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA) writes:
> 
> 
> I just caught Siskel & Ebert's review of "A Brief History of time".. Not
> very enlightening as to the content, but yes, it's a documentary. And Siskel
> liked it but Ebert thought it "treated Hawking like a brain in a box" instead
> of a person, or something of that sort. Anyway, I'm going to see it.

As I wrote a few moments ago, we saw it Friday evening; it was worth seeing.
From: mcbeanb@brandonu.ca
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: NERDS:  UNITE!!!
Date: 27 Aug 92 18:27:16 GMT
Organization: Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada


      Face it.  we're all nerds and/or geeks in one way or another.
Everybody's a geek/nerd except for those larger than life TV screen
(well I guess if you have a small screen they're smaller than life)
teen idols who play disgustingly perfect people on "Beverly Hills
902863855wwr2" (or whatever it's called).
      We should band together and kill these perfect ones before
they undermine our self-esteem.  Well, ok killing is a tad bit
mean, but we should at least exile them to Gilligan's Island
for the rest of eternity.

Brian McBean  -  McBeanB@BrandonU.Ca

PS.  While we're at it, maybe we could round up Vanilla Ice, 
     NKOTB, Marky Mark (his "funky bunch" can stay), and Tipper Gore
     too.
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: The nerd stereotype
Date: 28 Aug 92 17:13:13 GMT

In article <1992Aug28.015608.18209@ryn.mro4.dec.com>, shapiro@trade.enet.dec.com (Steve Shapiro) writes:
> 
> 
> In article <15076@claris.com>, mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
> writes...
> 
> >Aparently, it is possible to be both a nerd and a geek simultaneously
> >at the same time.
> 
> Is there such a thing as simultaneously, but NOT at the same time?
> 
> Are you now working for the department of redundancy department Mike?

You got it; that's right; I am,
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: <None>
From: ** Sender Unknown **
Date: 1 Sep 92 20:01:51 PST

ld.so: warning: /usr/lib/libc.so.1.6.1 has older revision than expected 7
From: Erik Naggum <enag@ifi.uio.no>
Organization: Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
Date: 02 Sep 1992 00:45:09 +0200
Subject: Re: Problematic smurfs!

Mike Steiner <mike_steiner@qm.claris.com> writes:
|
|   > "They" and "their" are used as singular gender-indeterminate pronouns.
|
|   This usage is neither correct grammar nor correct English usage.

Since you insist that you're right, and I'm unable to persuade you
otherwise, all I can do is point out to you that usage dictionaries
disagree with you.  In particluar, Merriam-Webster's {Dictionary of
English Usage} devotes four and a half column to this topic under the
heading "they, their, them", and concludes "They, their, them are used
in both literature and general writing to refer to singular nouns, when
those nouns have some notion of plurality about them."  The usage is
covered from the viewpoint of the lack of both "common-gender" and
"common-number" pronouns in English.

Note: this is not the only usage dictionary which covers this topic, and
any good dictionary will include an entry on "they," etc.  I have only
Merriam-Webster dictionaries available to me, however.

|   I've seen "apart of" used synonymously with "apart from" for more
|   than 30 years, so I had no ambiguity with it.

I find this puzzling and intriguing.  I have never detected "apart of"
used in a context in which it was not obvious that it was a typo for "a
part of".  Since you have seen it so often, and remember for how long
you have seen it, could you provide some examples, please?

Until I have evidence of the existence of a synonymosity between "apart
of" and "apart from" which my dictionary publisher has utterly failed to
pick up and publish, I choose to treat it as a dialectical anomaly.

The above-mentioned usage dictionary says "`apart from' is a fixed
two-word preposition in English", under the topic heading "apart from".
Significantly, "apart of" is not mentioned, and neither are any other
variants.

Merriam-Webster: {Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the
English Language} lists "apart from", and no variants.  It also lists
under "they" various information about its usage with singulars and as a
singular pronoun which you should find interesting.

If you have any disagreements with this, please discuss it with Merriam-
Webster.  Aside from any information on "apart of", I have nothing to
gain from this discussion.  I suggest that further discussion occur in
alt.usage.english.

Best regards,
</Erik>
--
Erik Naggum             |  ISO  8879 SGML     |      +47 295 0313
                        |  ISO 10744 HyTime   |
<erik@naggum.no>        |  ISO 10646 UCS      |      Memento, terrigena.
<enag@ifi.uio.no>       |  ISO  9899 C        |      Memento, vita brevis.
From: cegtitd@prism.gatech.EDU (Tim Dodd)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Problematic smurfs!
Date: 1 Sep 92 18:05:47 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <65049@cup.portal.com> ts@cup.portal.com (Tim W Smith) writes:

[ problem statement & solution deleted ]

>Now for the interesting problem.  Suppose there were at least two blue
>dots.  Then everyone already knows that there is at least one blue dotted
>person in the village.  The Stranger seems to have given them no information,
>so why was his statement fatal?

It is true that the Stranger has explicitly imparted no new information.
However, the difference is that after the Stranger imparts his information,
EVERYONE KNOWS that everyone knows that there is at least one blue-dotted
person.  The new knowledge concerns not the state of everyone's dot, but
the state of everyone's knowledge.

Tim
-- 
"Truth is under all circumstances more valuable than nontruth, and this
must apply to truth in the realm of history as to other kinds of truth."
  -- Albert Schweitzer, _Out of My Life and Thought_
Tim Dodd, Research Scientist, Georgia Tech  cegtitd@prism.gatech.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: rhs@world.std.com (Richard H Schwartz)
Subject: Nerds in Love
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 22:26:24 GMT

quest@iowegia.uucp (Steve J. Quest) writes:
>hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath) writes:
>> }        a nerd is incapable of interpersonal relationships.
>> }        So is a geek.
>> I've had quite a few.  The intimate ones tend to end disastrously, which
>> I find discouraging.

>Jerry,
>        Know that you are NOT alone.  I have found that hot love 
>always grows very cold.  I have also seen with other people that 
>cold love often grows warm.  Being an intense person, I am doomed 
>to the cycle that you and I both find discouraging..........sq

For me, the hallmark of this cycle has been:

  Perfectionism + Differnt World Views + Shit Happens 
         = { Arguments, Divergence, Mis-communication, Hurt Feelings,
             Mutual Burnout, Total Breakdown } 
 
The only part of this that I can work on is my perfectionism.  It
ain't easy, but so far it has been worth it.  I'll let you know in
50 years or so if it worked.

-rich

  
-- 
             Richard H. Schwartz, Scheduling Systems Inc.,
            1000 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA  02138
                  (617) 864 8330; FAX (617) 864 8377
                          rhs@world.std.com
Organization: Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 13:58:59 -0400 
From: Sandy Topping <st15+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Hurricane Andrew

A friend of mine is planning to be married in 4 weeks on Sanibel Island,
and is concerned that Hurricane Andy did enough damage to make her want
to change her plans.

Does anyone have any DIRECT info about conditions on Sanibel since the
hurricane?

Thanks, all
Sandy
From: hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: The nerd stereotype
Date: 28 Aug 92 18:56:55 GMT
Organization: The Cat Factory

In article <15076@claris.com> mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:

}Aparently, it is possible to be both a nerd and a geek simultaneously
}at the same time.

Only if you work for the Department of Redundancy Department.

The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, M.A., CDP, aka: hollombe@polymath.tti.com)
Head Robot Wrangler at Citicorp                   Turn the rascals out!
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.   (310) 450-9111, x2483     No incumbents in '92!
Santa Monica, CA  90405
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: The World According to Student Bloopers
Date: 2 Sep 92 18:31:13 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.013027.14014@gn.ecn.purdue.edu>, mechalas@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (John P. Mechalas) writes:
> 
> In article <1992Sep1.191019.12908@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> jlc5f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Jean L. Cooper) writes:
> >This article is probably copyrighted, since Richard Lederer
> >is a well-known author.  He is in New Hampshire Mensa.
> 
> I thought of that, too...but checked and could not find any copyright 
> information on it.  To the best of my knowledge, it was distributed through
> the public domain.

All that that means is that the person who put it on the network removed the
copyright notice from it.
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com
Subject: Re: Food groups (was Re: The nerd stereotype)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 00:48:01 GMT

In article <Ueaux5u00WB647BWkd@andrew.cmu.edu>, David O Hunt <dh4j+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
> The 4 basic food groups:
> 
> Caffeine
> Sugar
> Grease
> Alcohol

I heard it as caffeine, sugar, cholesterol and alcohol, which of course
makes Irish coffee the perfect food!

-Mike
From: eager@eagercon.com (Michael J. Eager)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Mensa on Letterman
Date: 4 Sep 92 02:11:45 GMT
Reply-To: eager@eagercon.com
Organization: Eager Consulting

In article 3826@syacus.acus.oz.au, ron@syacus.acus.oz.au (Ron Williams) writes:
>Mike Steiner (mike_steiner@qm.claris.com) wrote:
>> floor.  One of them bought a can of soda from a machine, passed it to the
>> next person, and they relayed the can along the line (which extended down
>> a stairwell) until it reached the one at the doorway.  She then opened the
>> door, and ran with the can about 50 feet or so to Letterman's desk, where
>> she gave him the can.
>> 
>> A camera followed the can all the way to the door, and one of the studio
>> cameras picked it up when the last Mensan entered the studio.
>
>These people might be smart, but in my opinion they lack self-respect.


Jeez, what leads you to that conclusion?  I know some of the folks that were
on the tube and they seem to have an adequate supply of self-respect.

Perhaps you are confusing having fun with something else?


---
Michael J. Eager		Michael.Eager@eagercon.com
Eager Consulting		(415) 325-8077 
1960 Park Boulevard, Palo Alto, CA 94306-1141
From: dtl8v@holmes.acc.Virginia.EDU (Heracleitus)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: E-mail mensa?
Date: 27 Aug 92 16:54:18 GMT
Organization: University of Virginia
Originator: dtl8v@holmes.acc.Virginia.EDU


  Has the national headquarters gotten an E-mail address at which they
can be contacted?  If so, will it accept address changes?  It would be
much more convenient for those of us in academia to submit routine
changes or requests to an E-mail address, although the finanical
overhead might prove prohibitive from the national's point of view...

Doug Lamb
dtl8v@Virginia.EDU
From: rjd@cup.portal.com (R J Decker)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: E-mail mensa?
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 02:13:56 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
  <64888@cup.portal.com>

The email address of Americal Mensa is: 
     70107.2242@compuserve.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: asymes@nl.oracle.com (Andy Symes)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: The nerd stereotype
Date: 28 Aug 92 11:21:05 GMT
Organization: Oracle Europe

In article <1992Aug28.015608.18209@ryn.mro4.dec.com>, shapiro@trade.enet.dec.com (Steve Shapiro) writes:
|> 
|> In article <15076@claris.com>, mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
|> writes...
|> 
|> >Aparently, it is possible to be both a nerd and a geek simultaneously
|> >at the same time.
|> 
|> Is there such a thing as simultaneously, but NOT at the same time?
                            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> 
|> Are you now working for the department of redundancy department Mike?
|> 
|> 8-)
|> 
|> Regards,
|> Steve.
|> 

Yes! If I understood Einstein correctly, then there is no such thing
as simultaneity. In other words, if 'simultaneously' means anything at all,
it does NOT mean 'at the same time' :)
--
Andy Symes.
My own opinions, Ad Nauseum
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From:  (Dean Cookson)
Subject: Re: Mensa - eligibility testing 29-Aug-92 Cleveland OH USA
Followup-To: rec.org.mensa,cle.general,railnet
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Distribution: oh
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 21:15:42 GMT

In article <sZ83PB1w164w@railnet.nshore.ORG>, rad@railnet.nshore.ORG (Rick
DeMattia) wrote:
> 
 
> Fee: $25
> 
$25?!?  Gee, I'll pass.  I think I'm smart enough to hang on to my $25,
thanks all the same.


| Dean Cookson / dbc@po.cwru.edu / 216 754-1834      | DoD #207  AMA
#573534|
| Case Western Reserve U. Computer E. and Sci. dept. | KotNML  /  KotB     
|
| "If I was worried about who saw me, I'd never get  | '81 CB750C          
|
| nekkid at all." -Ed Green, DoD #0111               | '88 Bianchi Limited 
|
From: Dave.Aronson@p11.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP