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The Outsider
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Here is a brain teaser I came across recently.
Ten prisoners are arranged single file in a line. They are sorted so that the shortest prisoner (prisoner #1) is in the front, and the tallest prisoner (prisoner #10) is in the back. The are all looking forward (in the direction of #1). They all close their eyes. Another man (not in line) has ten hats, three white and seven red. This man gives each prisoner a hat. The prisoners then put on their hats. The prisoners then open their eyes. They can only see the hat colors of the prisoners in front of them (i.e. Prisoner #6 can see the hats and colors of 1-5, but not 6-10). They cannot see the color of their own hat. The prisoners are aware that there are three white hats and seven red.
Prisoner #5 says: "I don't know the color of my hat."
Prisoner #4 says: "I don't know the color of my hat."
Prisoner #3 says: "I don't know the color of my hat."
Prisoner #2 says nothing.
Prisoner #1 says: "I know what color hat I have."
What color hat did Prisoner #1 have and how did he figure it out?
Ten prisoners are arranged single file in a line. They are sorted so that the shortest prisoner (prisoner #1) is in the front, and the tallest prisoner (prisoner #10) is in the back. The are all looking forward (in the direction of #1). They all close their eyes. Another man (not in line) has ten hats, three white and seven red. This man gives each prisoner a hat. The prisoners then put on their hats. The prisoners then open their eyes. They can only see the hat colors of the prisoners in front of them (i.e. Prisoner #6 can see the hats and colors of 1-5, but not 6-10). They cannot see the color of their own hat. The prisoners are aware that there are three white hats and seven red.
Prisoner #5 says: "I don't know the color of my hat."
Prisoner #4 says: "I don't know the color of my hat."
Prisoner #3 says: "I don't know the color of my hat."
Prisoner #2 says nothing.
Prisoner #1 says: "I know what color hat I have."
What color hat did Prisoner #1 have and how did he figure it out?
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