Monday, October 01, 2007

PBC #10: situation puzzle

This month's puzzle is a situation puzzle also known as lateral thinking puzzle or yes/no puzzle.

But before I start...

The rules
  1. If you already know that puzzle: Sorry, you can't participate this time. Or let's say you can help me answering the questions.
  2. Don't use any internet feature to FIND the solution. No doubt, you could find it somewhere on the web.
  3. Don't go to the library and look for a book with the solution, don't ask other persons who might KNOW the solution, don't write me to TELL you the solution... as I definitely forgot something, most important:
  4. Try to find the solution ONLY by asking yes/no questions (which I will answer) or taking into account the answers I gave to other people's questions!

I hope it is clear this time;-)

And here is the puzzle: A woman sits in front of her computer. She checks her emails and dies. What happened?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

OK, first try:
1. I guess the woman was not infected with a potentially deadly disease, as this would be too easy... (is this a yes/no question? well... somehow ;-))
2. Is the content of the email (part of) the cause?

Michael

Christian said...

1. OK, to answer it as non-confusing as possible: Yes, the woman was not infected with any deadly disease.
2. Definitely YES!

Nadja said...

Right, so she actually read "THE" mail?

Is the mail from someone she knows (e.g. friend)?

Or from an organisation (e.g. bank or insurance company)?

Christian said...

Yes, she read "the" mail.

No, it's not from any organisation.

I have to give you a "yope" on question 2. It really would be misleading to say either yes or no.

Anonymous said...

She received this video in her email. :-)

Christian said...

That's it! You win, Michael;-)

Just kidding! Of course, that's not the solution but could be...

Nadja said...

Was it a textmail only?

Did it have an attachment?

Was there a picture involved?

Christian said...

Pure prose (only text)

Nadja said...

Was she somehow fatally/terminally ill?

Did she know that she had to die as soon as she read the mail?

Did she write the mail herself or did she receive it from someone else?

Was the mail the cause or something else (e.g. shot by someone)?

Christian said...

1. I think I already answered that: No, she wasn't fatally ill.

2. No, she didn't know about her death.

3. No, yes, ehm, she received "the" email.

4. The mail was the cause.

Anonymous said...

I just received an email with a lot of jokes in it, and one of them fits this puzzle, I think. Just because I'm lazy, I'm going to post it in German:

Ein Mann verließ die schneebedeckten Strassen von Chicago, um in Florida ein wenig Urlaub zu nehmen.

Seine Frau war auf einer Geschäftsreise und plante, ihn am nächsten Tag dort zu treffen.

Als der Mann in seinem Hotel ankam, sendete er seiner Frau eine kurze Email.

Leider fand er den kleinen Zettel nicht, auf den er die Email-Adresse geschrieben hatte, also versuchte er sein bestes und schrieb die Adresse aus dem Kopf.

Leider vergaß er aber einen Buchstaben, so dass seine Nachricht stattdessen an eine ältere Pastorenfrau geschickt wurde, deren Ehemann gerade am Tag zuvor gestorben war.

Als die trauernde Witwe ihre neuen Emails las, blickte sie auf den Monitor, schrie einmal laut und sank dann tot auf den Boden.

Diese Nachricht war auf dem Bildschirm zu lesen:
"Liebste Ehefrau, Ich habe gerade eingecheckt. Alles ist für Deine Ankunft morgen vorbereitet. Dein Dich unendlich liebender Ehemann.

P.S. Es ist wahnsinnig heiss hier..."

Christian said...

I'm glad finally someone found the solution - ok, by chance but anyway! ;-)