Prisoner to be freed

The warden meets with 23 new prisoners when they arrive. He tells them, "You may meet today and plan a strategy. But after today, you will be in isolated cells and will have no communication with one another.

"In the prison is a switch room, which contains two light switches labeled 1 and 2, each of which can be in either up or the down position. I am not telling you their present positions. The switches are not connected to anything.

"After today, from time to time whenever I feel so inclined, I will select one prisoner at random and escort him to the switch room. This prisoner will select one of the two switches and reverse its position. He must flip one switch when he visits the switch room, and may only flip one of the switches. Then he'll be led back to his cell.

"No one else will be allowed to alter the switches until I lead the next prisoner into the switch room. I'm going to choose prisoners at random. I may choose the same guy three times in a row, or I may jump around and come back. I will not touch the switches, if I wanted you dead you would already be dead.

"Given enough time, everyone will eventually visit the switch room the same number of times as everyone else. At any time, anyone may declare to me, 'We have all visited the switch room.'

"If it is true, then you will all be set free. If it is false, and somebody has not yet visited the switch room, you will all die horribly. You will be carefully monitored, and any attempt to break any of these rules will result in instant death to all of you"

What is the strategy they come up with so that they can be free?




Similar Riddles

Can you solve this tricky maths equation problem by replacing it? mark with the correct symbol?

19834 -----: 187
15921 -----: 153
17561 -----: 139
13734 -----: ???

Asked by Neha on 28 May 2023


The following question it puts forth you:

25 - 55 + (85 + 65) = ?

Then, you are told that even though you might think it's wrong, the correct answer is actually 5!

Whats your reaction to it? How can this be true?

Asked by Neha on 07 Jun 2024

I have a mouth but I don't eat.
I have a bank but have no money.
I have a bed but i dont sleep.
I wave but have no hands.

Who Am I ?

Asked by Neha on 01 Mar 2023


A boy was at a carnival and went to a booth where a man said to the boy, "If I write your exact weight on this piece of paper then you have to give me $50, but if I cannot, I will pay you $50." The boy looked around and saw no scale so he agrees, thinking no matter what the carny writes he'll just say he weighs more or less. In the end the boy ended up paying the man $50. How did the man win the bet?

Asked by Neha on 26 Jan 2023

This is a picture puzzle. You have to guess the name of the movie that can be related to the picture.

Doctor

Asked by Neha on 20 Jun 2024

John was a very careless driver, so his owner Jacob gave him an offer that he will get an incentive of Rs.30 for every bottle box he delivered without breaking it and he will be charged Rs.90 for every bottle box he broke. Jacob gave John 100 bottles-box to deliver. After delivery, Jacob paid John Rs.2400. How many bottles-box did John break?

Asked by Neha on 28 Sep 2023


You are playing as white and given four rooks to checkmate the black king in four moves with the following rules 1. You can place one rook every move and ensure the black king should be in check position.2. After four moves the black king should be in the checkmate position.

King Rooks Riddle

Asked by Neha on 21 Apr 2026

You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus

An old lady looks as if she is about to die.
An old friend who once saved your life.
The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.
Knowing that there can only be one passenger in your car, whom would you choose?

Asked by Neha on 11 Apr 2025

What can you catch but never throw?

Asked by Neha on 14 May 2021


The owner of a popular clothing store comes up with his own method of pricing items. A vest costs $8, socks cost $10, a tie costs $6, and a blouse costs $12. Using the owner’s method, how much would a pair of underwear cost?

Asked by Neha on 21 Jun 2025

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Gamers

In 2011, people playing Foldit, an online puzzle game about protein folding, resolved the structure of an enzyme that causes an Aids-like disease in monkeys. Researchers had been working on the problem for 13 years. The gamers solved it in three weeks.