He needed the runup to get up the ramp?
He would have to cross formwork or wet concrete to get the high side of the skip by any other path but could jump it down on the low side?
Did I make a fool of myself
- Thread starter DCrake
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He needed the runup to get up the ramp?
He would have to cross formwork or wet concrete to get the high side of the skip by any other path but could jump it down on the low side?
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I have some experience from the "other side" of the interview table that might offer some insight. Or might not.
Some years ago and at least five or six employers ago, I used to be the HR programmer liaison for my company because the HR department knew they weren't qualified to determine the suitability of programmer candidates. I used to ask questions like that, but I actually didn't care if anything they wrote ran or was excruciatingly correct. I wanted to see who would try to bamboozle me. You would (or maybe wouldn't) be surprised at the silly answers I got.
I told them up front that I was on a fishing expedition to try to identify what they knew and what they didn't. I warned them that my questions were probably not what they expected, and I even told them that I was more interested in their approach than actual results. But the ones who didn't listen and who protested the questions were the ones who told me exactly what I needed to know ahead of time. The ones who said, "I didn't study that in school, but I can look it up in a library if it becomes necessary" were the ones who got the job. They admitted their limitations and didn't try to "blow smoke" as the phrase goes.
I'm not saying that is what happened to you, DCrake, but I remember folks saying that my interview was the toughest one they ever had to take. Many folks admitted that I scared them. The ones that got hired were told exactly why they were hired - mostly because they didn't try to lie and claim an ability they didn't have. It was their honesty in admitting their abilities that convinced us.
In fact, one of my real success stories was a young woman who came to the US from Taiwan. In her home, she was a student of cooking and home economics. She wanted to change careers and took some computer courses to support that change. I gave her my usual interview and fished around. She was one who walked out thinking, "Oh what a mistake I made coming here, I'll never get a job in programming."
I surprised her (and a lot of others) because I recommended her for immediate hire. Why? Because she didn't have a portfolio of programs. Instead, she showed us a book she had co-authored on the subject of Imperial Chinese Cuisine, essentially recipes from historical times. She showed diligence, meticulous attention to detail, a good approach to explaining what needed to be done in a formulaic way, and the ability to finish a daunting project. Who wouldn't want such a person on their team?
Over thirty years later, she is still in the business and is now a manager of her own group. And a friend.
Some years ago and at least five or six employers ago, I used to be the HR programmer liaison for my company because the HR department knew they weren't qualified to determine the suitability of programmer candidates. I used to ask questions like that, but I actually didn't care if anything they wrote ran or was excruciatingly correct. I wanted to see who would try to bamboozle me. You would (or maybe wouldn't) be surprised at the silly answers I got.
I told them up front that I was on a fishing expedition to try to identify what they knew and what they didn't. I warned them that my questions were probably not what they expected, and I even told them that I was more interested in their approach than actual results. But the ones who didn't listen and who protested the questions were the ones who told me exactly what I needed to know ahead of time. The ones who said, "I didn't study that in school, but I can look it up in a library if it becomes necessary" were the ones who got the job. They admitted their limitations and didn't try to "blow smoke" as the phrase goes.
I'm not saying that is what happened to you, DCrake, but I remember folks saying that my interview was the toughest one they ever had to take. Many folks admitted that I scared them. The ones that got hired were told exactly why they were hired - mostly because they didn't try to lie and claim an ability they didn't have. It was their honesty in admitting their abilities that convinced us.
In fact, one of my real success stories was a young woman who came to the US from Taiwan. In her home, she was a student of cooking and home economics. She wanted to change careers and took some computer courses to support that change. I gave her my usual interview and fished around. She was one who walked out thinking, "Oh what a mistake I made coming here, I'll never get a job in programming."
I surprised her (and a lot of others) because I recommended her for immediate hire. Why? Because she didn't have a portfolio of programs. Instead, she showed us a book she had co-authored on the subject of Imperial Chinese Cuisine, essentially recipes from historical times. She showed diligence, meticulous attention to detail, a good approach to explaining what needed to be done in a formulaic way, and the ability to finish a daunting project. Who wouldn't want such a person on their team?
Over thirty years later, she is still in the business and is now a manager of her own group. And a friend.
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uncle gizmo - the wheelbarrow
I can only think there were maybe two routes, one long and gradual, the other steeper, and he couldn't use the steeper route with a full wheel barrow. Maybe a hill involved as well - but I can't visualize quite how!
I can only think there were maybe two routes, one long and gradual, the other steeper, and he couldn't use the steeper route with a full wheel barrow. Maybe a hill involved as well - but I can't visualize quite how!
DCrake
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Similar to the boy in the lift:
A man lives on the 30th floor of a block of flats, when the sun shines he get off the lift at the 26th floor and walks the rest using the stairs, however when it rains he goes all the way to the 30th floor. Why?
A man lives on the 30th floor of a block of flats, when the sun shines he get off the lift at the 26th floor and walks the rest using the stairs, however when it rains he goes all the way to the 30th floor. Why?
Ah. He is concreting the driveway so there is a step up to the road. But this would not be particularly large comparded to the clmb into the skip so he could easily ramp this.
Maybe he has to use the gate at the other end of the driveway?
I notice though that the original question says "he crosses the road" on the way back. I think this must be the key.
Maybe he has to use the gate at the other end of the driveway?
I notice though that the original question says "he crosses the road" on the way back. I think this must be the key.
I have pushed heavy barrows a lot. One certainly trys to avoid steep gradients but momentum is the key factor in selecting a path. It is surprising how high the barrow will ascend if it can get moving fast enough.
Lightwave
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All I can say is that if I was looking for database access expertise and I needed someone really good. Simply knowing your background on the forums would 95% get the job. I would want to meet with them just to make sure there's not a personality clash but other than that probably academic. And age would not be an issue. Older maybe better as young person might be flighty.
Kind of fun puzzles though. But I agree you need quiet to work through those things. Took me ten to figure out the bucket thing.
Kind of fun puzzles though. But I agree you need quiet to work through those things. Took me ten to figure out the bucket thing.
DCrake
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The answer to my lift question was that the little old fellow could not reach the button for the 30th floor. But when it was raining he had his umberella with him so he used it to reach the button.
Using thrid party resources I think you call it.
Using thrid party resources I think you call it.
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This one takes a bit of lateral thinking:
A man and his wife are fast asleep in bed, the man is having a vivid dream that he has been captured during the French revolution and is about to be beheaded. They march him up to the block and kneel him down and place his head under the blade. Just as they were about to release the blade his wife rolled over in bed and hit him on the back of his neck. The man had a massive heart attach and died instantly.
What is wrong here?
Another one:
BackGround:
Two identical twins, both boys, cannot be seperated in looks, the only difference between them was that one never told a lie whilst the other never told the truth.
Situation:
You bump into one of them at the bus stop and need to know if the bus has gone past lately. The problem is that you can only ask him one question only, then based on his answer you find out if you have missed the bus or not.
Problem:
What do you ask him?
BTW:He is not waiting for a bus.
A man and his wife are fast asleep in bed, the man is having a vivid dream that he has been captured during the French revolution and is about to be beheaded. They march him up to the block and kneel him down and place his head under the blade. Just as they were about to release the blade his wife rolled over in bed and hit him on the back of his neck. The man had a massive heart attach and died instantly.
What is wrong here?
Another one:
BackGround:
Two identical twins, both boys, cannot be seperated in looks, the only difference between them was that one never told a lie whilst the other never told the truth.
Situation:
You bump into one of them at the bus stop and need to know if the bus has gone past lately. The problem is that you can only ask him one question only, then based on his answer you find out if you have missed the bus or not.
Problem:
What do you ask him?
BTW:He is not waiting for a bus.
Brianwarnock
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You ask one what the other would answer, that answer is a lie.
brian
brian
DCrake
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Did you know the answer or did you work it out?
I have found very few people who can fathom that out.
This one is for the people not members of Mensa
A man follows a route identical to an equilateral triangle every day to work. From home to the first bend it takes him one hour and twenty minutes. From this point to the second bend in the road again it takes him one hour and twenty minutes. But from this point to his workplace takes him eighty minutes. Why?
I have found very few people who can fathom that out.
This one is for the people not members of Mensa
A man follows a route identical to an equilateral triangle every day to work. From home to the first bend it takes him one hour and twenty minutes. From this point to the second bend in the road again it takes him one hour and twenty minutes. But from this point to his workplace takes him eighty minutes. Why?
Brianwarnock
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I worked it out.
He works at home.
Brian
He works at home.
Brian
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Way back when I was an A level school boy a master told us that
"There is the knowledge, and there is knowledge of the knowledge, and in life you will find that the latter is the more important".
What he was basically saying is that you can only know so much detail, but provided that you know of something you can research it, a bit like learning the index of a book as opposed to every page.
Maybe the interviewer was testing that you had knowledge of the concepts rather than the ability to write the code off the top of your head.
Brian
"There is the knowledge, and there is knowledge of the knowledge, and in life you will find that the latter is the more important".
What he was basically saying is that you can only know so much detail, but provided that you know of something you can research it, a bit like learning the index of a book as opposed to every page.
Maybe the interviewer was testing that you had knowledge of the concepts rather than the ability to write the code off the top of your head.
Brian
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similar idea in my post #5 - although yours takes fewer moves - and i think
the original puzzle specified the number of pours you could make.
Not a riddle - but has anyone seen Very Hard Puzzle - a free iTouch app.
Basically you have to completely cover a large circle with 5 smaller discs. Very very hard - its discussed in Martin Gardner's Mathematical Puzzles books - a wonderful source of maths entertainment.
DCrake
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I don't know what he had in mind or what he was hoping to see but I failed miserably.
I suppose its a bit like taking exams, there are techniques to answering the question right. My son once did a maths test at school and was marked down for not showing his workings out. Because he worked the answer out in his head then wrote it down the teacher thought he had been cheating.
Then you get the flip side of this was when I went to college as a mature student in the 80's we had to design a fire drill notice. Don't know why it just came up in the exam. Anyway as we were all seated in a large assembly room about 150 students, all around the room were these signs "In Case of Fire...." well as you can imagine everyone simply copied out the signs. Now the college could not take them down as it would break the fire risk assesment rules. And they could not mark us down for using our innitiative.
I suppose its a bit like taking exams, there are techniques to answering the question right. My son once did a maths test at school and was marked down for not showing his workings out. Because he worked the answer out in his head then wrote it down the teacher thought he had been cheating.
Then you get the flip side of this was when I went to college as a mature student in the 80's we had to design a fire drill notice. Don't know why it just came up in the exam. Anyway as we were all seated in a large assembly room about 150 students, all around the room were these signs "In Case of Fire...." well as you can imagine everyone simply copied out the signs. Now the college could not take them down as it would break the fire risk assesment rules. And they could not mark us down for using our innitiative.
DCrake
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Another faux pas that I remember, it ws at the ame college as above. It was my birthday and we had to take our final exam module Travel and Tourismn. The lecturer had gone to the trouble of bringing in an actual travel agent from the local Airtours agency.
The first part of the test was oral. A bit of role play, I was the travel agent he played the customer. I had to find him a holiday destination and do all the necessary paperwork.
I need to point out that I was first to do the oral part as I wanted to go for a pint after.
Now this was early June and he said he wanted to go away in July. Then remembering the booking arangements I askd him if he had the £2k on him there and then as it was less than 10 weeks of the departure date. He said not, So I said I will pu the holiday on hold and if he came back within 48 hours with the cash I would complete the big booking form and secure his holiday.
So that was the end of my oral and I went into another room to do the written part.
Well the next and subsequent students who went in for the oral exam were told "I know it's June but let's pretend it's January..." This meant they all had to fill in the booking form. Not me. Ha Ha.
And I still got an A* for it.
The first part of the test was oral. A bit of role play, I was the travel agent he played the customer. I had to find him a holiday destination and do all the necessary paperwork.
I need to point out that I was first to do the oral part as I wanted to go for a pint after.
Now this was early June and he said he wanted to go away in July. Then remembering the booking arangements I askd him if he had the £2k on him there and then as it was less than 10 weeks of the departure date. He said not, So I said I will pu the holiday on hold and if he came back within 48 hours with the cash I would complete the big booking form and secure his holiday.
So that was the end of my oral and I went into another room to do the written part.
Well the next and subsequent students who went in for the oral exam were told "I know it's June but let's pretend it's January..." This meant they all had to fill in the booking form. Not me. Ha Ha.
And I still got an A* for it.
This one takes a bit of lateral thinking:
A man and his wife are fast asleep in bed, the man is having a vivid dream that he has been captured during the French revolution and is about to be beheaded. They march him up to the block and kneel him down and place his head under the blade. Just as they were about to release the blade his wife rolled over in bed and hit him on the back of his neck. The man had a massive heart attach and died instantly.
What is wrong here?
I've actually heard a similar form of this and the answer is how would we have known what he was dreaming if he had died immediately? This is a interesting twist because when we hear a story in 3rd person, we attribute omnipresence & omniscience to the narrator but we would react much differently if it was the wife telling the story instead of an unnamed narrator.
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