>
>   WELL, I HAVE SEEN A PROBLEM LIKE THIS BEFORE, SO MAYBE I HAVE AN UNFAIR
>ADVANTAGE.. NONETHELESS, HERE IS THE EXPLANATION...
>
>  OUR HERO OBSERVES THAT PERSON NUMBER ONE HAS HIS HAND IN THE AIR... THIS
>MEANS THAT EITHER OUR HERO IS WEARING A RED HAT, OR THE THIRD PERSON IN
>THE GROUP IS WEARING A RED HAT.  OBVIOUSLY, THE THIRD PERSON SEES PERSON
>ONE WITH HIS HAND IN THE AIR, AND ALSO KNOWS THAT EITHER HE OR THE HERO
>MUST BE WEARING A RED HAT.  IF THIS THIRD PERSON SEES A WHITE HAT ON THE
>HEAD OF THE HERO, THEN HE KNOWS THAT HIS HAT IS RED.  HOWEVER, THE THIRD
>PERSON DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO ANNOUNCE THAT HIS HAT IS RED... THEREFORE, THE
>HERO DOES NOT HAVE ON A WHITE HAT... CONCLUSION:  HERO HAS ON RED HAT!
>John Norwood

Hmmm, but how does our hero know that the 2 nonheros are not raising their
hands  because they each simply see one red beanie?

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                "Sacred cows make the best hamburger" (Mark Twain...?)

Keith A. Maxwell                    |  Voice:         253 756 3703
Professor, Legal & Ethical Studies  |  Fax:           253 756 3500
University of Puget Sound           |  Internet:    [log in to unmask]

Tacoma, WA 98416
                 http://www.ups.edu/faculty/maxwell/