which is MORE LIKELY? (1 Viewer)

Libre

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Hello - I haven't posted in a long time - retired from job - not programming much. But I saw this on FB lately and I like it, and I've run it past some friends.

I'm thinking I would love to give this as a test to applicants for a programming job. It's pure logic.

Then I remembered my dear friends here at the Access Forum.

SO!

If I haven't lost your interest yet, here goes:

If you called someone to come over and fix a broken faucet or a leaky pipe, the person you called would be MORE LIKELY:
A- an accountant
B- a plumber who is also an accountant
 

Libre

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well, I won't keep you in suspense - as it's obviously A.

But, there is something to it.
The whole narrative exists only to bias the listener.
The question is answerable without any additional information, which only confuses the issue.
 

The_Doc_Man

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I guess you pick A because there is no accounting for skills these days?
 

isladogs

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I guess you pick A because there is no accounting for skills these days?

Ha! You really plumbed the depths with that joke Doc
 

pbaldy

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I pick A because:
the person you call is likely an office person, not the actual plumber
 

Mark_

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Odd... my landlord is neither an accountant nor a plumber. He is a civil engineer who plays at being a plumber.
 

MarkK

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a plumbing professor said:
Shit don't flow uphill
This is, apparently, what you learn as a first-year plumbing apprentice.
 

Mark_

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pbaldy,

If you call and reach an actual accountant you'd be much better off waiting for the plumber to answer the phone. CPAs make more per hour than a plumber. Non-CPAs shouldn't be calling themselves accountants.
 

CJ_London

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If you called someone to come over and fix a broken faucet or a leaky pipe
presumably YOU are the plumber (multi tasking, calling someone AND fixing the pipe) calling an accountant (to fix your books)
 

Mark_

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Libre,

May be a regional thing.
In L.A. the proper answer would be "An actor".
In the OTHER LA it would be a cousin!
 

The_Doc_Man

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In south Louisiana, we would call Boudreaux 'cause he can fix damn near anyt'ing, cher!
 

Libre

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I'm not sure if it's completely obvious (it is to me), but if you ran into a random person on the street, isn't it more likely that his name is "Bob" than "Bob Smith"? Any man named "Bob Smith" is automatically named "Bob", as well as millions of other Bobs.
 

isladogs

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Yes that's equally obvious as, in my view, was the original riddle....

What's less obvious (to me anyway) is whether some responses to the post have deliberately missed the point or haven't understood
 

AccessBlaster

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When all else fails add another category.

A- an accountant
B- a plumber who is also an accountant
C- a shot of Jack Daniels
 

isladogs

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ok - going back to post 1

It's pure logic

If you called someone to come over and fix a broken faucet or a leaky pipe, the person you called would be MORE LIKELY:
A- an accountant
B- a plumber who is also an accountant

Both A and B are accountants.
So whichever one you choose to do the job, you get an accountant so answer A will always be true i.e. more likely

It would still be true whichever one you chose to do your tax returns, mow your lawn or code your database.

EDIT As everyone knows Jack Daniels is also a well known accountant
 

Libre

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Yes that's equally obvious as, in my view, was the original riddle....

What's less obvious (to me anyway) is whether some responses to the post have deliberately missed the point or haven't understood

Right.
I’ve gotten: “a plumber because an accountant makes more money”
more than once.

Maybe I’m telling it wrong?
 

Libre

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If someone is a plumber AND accountant, they are a subset of all accountants. They are also the exact same set as people who are accountants and plumbers. The order of terms does not logically indicate priority.

A Venn diagram would be useful but you’ll have to imagine it.

One circle includes accountants. Another, separate circle, includes plumbers. Where they overlap (which is necessarily a smaller area than either individual circle) includes those who are both plumbers AND. accountants. This is a subset of either of the two circles.

It is impossible to be a member of a subset w/o being a member of the set (circle), but the reverse is definitely possible. Therefore it is mathematically proven that A is more likely than B.
 

isladogs

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Hey Libre ...
I understood it before your last post but now ? .... only joking :D
 

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