ISLAND PUZZLE.

DRM - Josué Neto · Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 12:53 am

Here´s a puzzle:
In an island, there´s a surgeon and three injured men.
Each one of the three needs to be operated by the surgeon in order to survive.
The surgeon has only two pairs of gloves.
How does he operate them, using the gloves and avoiding being inffected or inffect them?

Gary McDowell · Active User Joined: 15 Oct 2012 Posts: 139 Location: USA

Is the surgen one of the 3-men injured?

If so, use the two pairs of gloves for the 2-men,
and then the surgen can use his own hands to operate on himself.

Can the surgeon operate with one hand for the injures? Then there would be an extra glove!

Heck, I do not know the answer. Neat puzzle.

Thanks.

Escapa · Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 4:41 am

Bill Woodger · Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 2:09 pm

Pandora-Box · Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 1:19 pm

Assuming 1 pair = 2 gloves
and 1 pair is suffice to treat 1 men

Wear Fst pair treat fst patient
Remove fst par and reverse it

Wear second treat next patient

Wear the reversed pair over second pair

Treat third :-)

Bill Woodger · Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 1:59 pm

Reverse of first pair is "contaminated" by being against your skin....

Pandora-Box · Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 3:43 pm

ok revese after step two :-)

Bill Woodger · Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 9:22 pm

There are four "surfaces" (inside and outside) of the two pairs of gloves. The surfaces used for an operation much be free of contact with surgeon's hands or with other patients.

Three of the surfaces, therefore, are required for operating. The other surface is available for glover-wearing, to preserve the "un-touched" state of one of the surfaces on the other pair of gloves, whilst the second surface on those other gloves is being used for an operation.

Pandora-Box · Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 10:25 pm

Agreed , you win

DRM - Josué Neto · Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:59 pm

Bill Woodger, you are close to the correct answer.

The hint is to reverse the gloves, but in your answer the reversing of pair two would contamine the surgeon.

But you´re on the way.

Ed Goodman · Active Member Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Posts: 556 Location: USA

You leave the dirty gloves on the second time and put the reversed gloves on so the two contaminated sides are facing. That makes a terrible sounding sandwich, but gets the job done.

DRM - Josué Neto · Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:30 pm

Ed Goodman, your answer is not the one that I know to solve this puzzle, but it works!

If anyone wants to proceed, the last hints for the answer I know:
Two pair of gloves = four gloves.
1 and 3.

Pandora-Box · Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:30 pm

Pair 1
Pair 2
Treat 1
Remove pair 2
Treat 2
Wear pair 2 in reverse on top of pair 1
Treat 3

:-P

DRM - Josué Neto · Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 11:19 pm

That´s OK, Pandora-Box. Another solution:

1 glove on the right hand, 3 gloves on the left hand.
Operate on patient one

Reverse 1 glove of the left hand, put it on the right
2 gloves on both hands
Operate on patient two

Reverse another glove of the left hand, put it on right hand
3 gloves on right hand, 1 glove on left hand
Operate on patient three

Ed Goodman · Active Member Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Posts: 556 Location: USA

Ed Goodman · Active Member Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Posts: 556 Location: USA