[Hulk01]

Off topic but I wanted to poll a group of inteligent people. 

Some guy Linked In today with this question.  He wrote that 99.9% of people answer it incorrectly. 

Without providing your answer yet for others to read, how many of you feel confident that you know the correct answer to the following?


[i]If 3 = 18,
4 = 32,
5 = 50,
6 = 72,
and 7 = 98,
then 10 equals what?[/i]

Thanks very much for weighing in. 

[Hulk01]

Off topic but I wanted to poll a group of inteligent people. 

Some guy Linked In today with this question.  He wrote that 99.9% of people answer it incorrectly. 

Without providing your answer yet for others to read, how many of you feel confident that you know the correct answer to the following?


[i]If 3 = 18,
4 = 32,
5 = 50,
6 = 72,
and 7 = 98,
then 10 equals what?[/i]

Thanks very much for weighing in. 

[stupac2]

I'm pretty confident that I have A right answer, but if 99.9% of people (I'm sure that statistic is valid and not completely made up) get it wrong, then I'm also pretty confident that there's some other trick going on.

[stupac2]

I'm pretty confident that I have A right answer, but if 99.9% of people (I'm sure that statistic is valid and not completely made up) get it wrong, then I'm also pretty confident that there's some other trick going on.

[TreeFitty]

I have an answer I'm confident in.

EDIT: also, im in the stupak camp. my answer is probably wrong.

[TreeFitty]

I have an answer I'm confident in.

EDIT: also, im in the stupak camp. my answer is probably wrong.

[GoodGrief]

I'm 100% confident that I have an answer that is mathematically consistent with the given examples. Of course there may be some trick or other correct examples.

[GoodGrief]

I'm 100% confident that I have an answer that is mathematically consistent with the given examples. Of course there may be some trick or other correct examples.

[82 Card]

Seems too easy for 99.9% to get wrong, unless there's a trick or they were surveying at SC.

[82 Card]

Seems too easy for 99.9% to get wrong, unless there's a trick or they were surveying at SC.

[Leftcoast]

A clear pattern emerges that fits all the examples. 

[Leftcoast]

A clear pattern emerges that fits all the examples. 

[Langdude]

I have an answer that would fit with the progression. Not sure how it would not be the "right" answer.

-m.

[Langdude]

I have an answer that would fit with the progression. Not sure how it would not be the "right" answer.

-m.

[ahuang06]

Feel 99.9% confident about having an answer. :)

[ahuang06]

Feel 99.9% confident about having an answer. :)

[washingtonismoney]

I, too, have an answer. Unlike my compatriots, I am unburdened by the fear of being wrong in public. (I am a journalist.) My guess is: 160.

[washingtonismoney]

I, too, have an answer. Unlike my compatriots, I am unburdened by the fear of being wrong in public. (I am a journalist.) My guess is: 160.

[Embo]

WIM, you missed it because of a trick.  The response is what follows 10, not 8 (which your answer would respond to.)

Hulk, I am so confident that my next reply would be, "Hulk, I will take Brain Teasers for $1600".

[Embo]

WIM, you missed it because of a trick.  The response is what follows 10, not 8 (which your answer would respond to.)

Hulk, I am so confident that my next reply would be, "Hulk, I will take Brain Teasers for $1600".

[Greyhound]

The pattern seems too readily apparent for 99.9% of people to get the answer wrong, so I'm questioning my answer but I do feel pretty solid with it. I will say it is different than WIM's answer, so I'm not sure which one of us that puts outside the 99%.

[Greyhound]

The pattern seems too readily apparent for 99.9% of people to get the answer wrong, so I'm questioning my answer but I do feel pretty solid with it. I will say it is different than WIM's answer, so I'm not sure which one of us that puts outside the 99%.

[washingtonismoney]

Of course, given the number of potential "correct" answers it may be most correct to say there's no one correct answer, as there's insufficient evidence to conclude whether mick's pattern or my (very simple multiplication) pattern is correct.

[washingtonismoney]

Of course, given the number of potential "correct" answers it may be most correct to say there's no one correct answer, as there's insufficient evidence to conclude whether mick's pattern or my (very simple multiplication) pattern is correct.

[OutsiderFan]

Wouldn't any answer require making too many assumptions to possibly be correct?

[OutsiderFan]

Wouldn't any answer require making too many assumptions to possibly be correct?

[stupac2]

WIM, you missed it because of a trick.  The response is what follows 10, not 8 (which your answer would respond to.)

Hulk, I am so confident that my next reply would be, "Hulk, I will take Brain Teasers for $1600".

That's not what I would get for 8. I would get 128.

[stupac2]

WIM, you missed it because of a trick.  The response is what follows 10, not 8 (which your answer would respond to.)

Hulk, I am so confident that my next reply would be, "Hulk, I will take Brain Teasers for $1600".

That's not what I would get for 8. I would get 128.

[2 for 2028]

[quote author=Embo link=topic=9116.msg77853#msg77853 date=1386791682]WIM, you missed it because of a trick.  The response is what follows 10, not 8 (which your answer would respond to.)

Hulk, I am so confident that my next reply would be, "Hulk, I will take Brain Teasers for $1600".

That's not what I would get for 8. I would get 128.
[/quote]

Same here.  I was just going to write that a bigger teaser is to figure out how people are coming up 8 = 160. 

[2 for 2028]

[quote author=Embo link=topic=9116.msg77853#msg77853 date=1386791682]WIM, you missed it because of a trick.  The response is what follows 10, not 8 (which your answer would respond to.)

Hulk, I am so confident that my next reply would be, "Hulk, I will take Brain Teasers for $1600".

That's not what I would get for 8. I would get 128.
[/quote]

Same here.  I was just going to write that a bigger teaser is to figure out how people are coming up 8 = 160. 

[shinsengumi]

The answer seems a little too easy. So, there's probably a trick.

If you hadn't mentioned that most people get this wrong, I would be 100% certain of my answer.

[shinsengumi]

The answer seems a little too easy. So, there's probably a trick.

If you hadn't mentioned that most people get this wrong, I would be 100% certain of my answer.

[TreeFitty]

[quote author=Embo link=topic=9116.msg77853#msg77853 date=1386791682]WIM, you missed it because of a trick.  The response is what follows 10, not 8 (which your answer would respond to.)

Hulk, I am so confident that my next reply would be, "Hulk, I will take Brain Teasers for $1600".

That's not what I would get for 8. I would get 128.
[/quote]

Same here.

My guess is there's multiple answers, but that you would only really know for sure theres multiple answers if you're a PhD in super nerd math.

[TreeFitty]

[quote author=Embo link=topic=9116.msg77853#msg77853 date=1386791682]WIM, you missed it because of a trick.  The response is what follows 10, not 8 (which your answer would respond to.)

Hulk, I am so confident that my next reply would be, "Hulk, I will take Brain Teasers for $1600".

That's not what I would get for 8. I would get 128.
[/quote]

Same here.

My guess is there's multiple answers, but that you would only really know for sure theres multiple answers if you're a PhD in super nerd math.

[Embo]

stupac2, I agree with your answer for 8.  In my haste, I calculated the variable that 10 would be multiplied by to get the answer, and saw that WIM had multiplied 8, not 10, by the variable that should be assigned to 10.

Part of me is surprised that 99.9% have gotten this incorrect.  Then again, it depends who was surveyed.  You can never underestimate the average intelligence of the American public.  As an example, I have always made it a point to know the names of all nine members of the US Supreme Court.  Why?  I read this article, in the 80's, that when a random group of US citizens were asked to name the Chief Justice, the majority answer was, no lie, Joseph Wapner (of the People's Court at that time.)

[Embo]

stupac2, I agree with your answer for 8.  In my haste, I calculated the variable that 10 would be multiplied by to get the answer, and saw that WIM had multiplied 8, not 10, by the variable that should be assigned to 10.

Part of me is surprised that 99.9% have gotten this incorrect.  Then again, it depends who was surveyed.  You can never underestimate the average intelligence of the American public.  As an example, I have always made it a point to know the names of all nine members of the US Supreme Court.  Why?  I read this article, in the 80's, that when a random group of US citizens were asked to name the Chief Justice, the majority answer was, no lie, Joseph Wapner (of the People's Court at that time.)

[BigEasyCard]

Pretty sure I have a correct answer for 10.  Hulk, maybe you can set up a poll which includes the correct answer?

Geaux Cardinal!

[BigEasyCard]

Pretty sure I have a correct answer for 10.  Hulk, maybe you can set up a poll which includes the correct answer?

Geaux Cardinal!

[CompSci87]

Yes, the pattern looks to be n = 2n[sup]2[/sup], so the answer is 10 = 200.

[CompSci87]

Yes, the pattern looks to be n = 2n[sup]2[/sup], so the answer is 10 = 200.