Norman Allan
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8 Match Puzzle
 
 

"The Eight Match Puzzle" or "Walking Camels"

The 8 match problem/walking camels demonstrates that we have evolved, not to see logical truths, but somehow to muddle through and survive with faulty logic. The thins about this puzzle is that most people can't do it and do the obviously wrong thing again and again and again.

Two camel trains meet on a mountain ledge just wide enough for one camel. These camels will not go backwards, but they can climb/jump over one camel. They stop with just one camel space between them.

Having shown the solution once (so one knows it can be done), most people can not solve this puzzle (for hours, even). Yet it is actually super simple. We just can't seed the obvious.

 
 
Note: I once (only once) presented the puzzle to someone vertically (instead of horizontally), and they solved it right away. (They were, however, a super logical person.)
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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