Zeebot

Logic Level 1

An alien named Zeebot answers with a lie every other question and the truth every other question.

Problem is you don't know where he is in the truth/lie cycle.

To make matters worse, behind him are two doors, one which leads to a great treasure and one which leads to ultimate doom.

Is there one single question you can ask him to find out which door to open?

Image credit : clipartpanda.com to

Yes No

Geoff Pilling by Geoff Pilling , 53, USA

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3 solutions

Henry U
Dec 28, 2018

Because you don't know whether he will lie or speak the truth, you have to ask a question that goes through both of these, so its answer will always be inverted. Such a question

What would you say, if I asked you on the next question, which door leads to treasure?

Zeebot will always lie, so you only have to take the other door.

2 Helpful 0 Interesting 1 Brilliant 0 Confused
David Vreken
Dec 29, 2018

Alternatively, you could ask Zeebot, "If I were to ask you which door leads to treasure, what would you answer?"

If Zeebot is currently telling the truth, he will tell the truth about telling the truth about the door that leads to treasure, and tell you the correct door.

On the other hand, if Zeebot is currently telling lies, he will lie about lying about the door that leads to treasure, and also tell you the correct door.

Either way Zeebot will point you to the correct door.

1 Helpful 0 Interesting 2 Brilliant 1 Confused

Interesting... This way you don't even need to know Zeebot's pattern or even if he has a pattern... Hmmm... 🤔

Geoff Pilling - 2 years, 5 months ago

If he's lying about the correct door then why would he point to the correct door?

Louis Cochran - 2 years, 5 months ago

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Because he would be lying about lying.

If he's lying, then his answer to "which door leads to treasure" would be the door to ultimate doom. So his answer about what he would answer would be the opposite of the door to ultimate doom which is the door to treasure, the correct door.

David Vreken - 2 years, 5 months ago

Another rather simple solution is asking him, "Is your name Zeebot?". Since you already know the answer to this, his answer will tell you where he is in the cycle. Now you can find the right door by asking simply, "Which door has the treasure?" and can choose accordingly.

0 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused

Interesting tactic... Although that does break the rules of asking just one question...

Geoff Pilling - 2 years, 5 months ago

I didn't see that, thanks for correcting me.

Amogha Pokkulandra - 2 years, 5 months ago

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