Choose a box!

[mike0001]

Here is an old one.

A man is confronted with a woman who has two boxes. She places a gold coin in one of them. He doesn't see which. She then places them before him and asks him to choose one.

There are inscriptions on the boxes to give him clues.

On the first box it says "The gold coin is in the other box."

On the second box it says "Only one of the inscriptions on these boxes is correct."

After a moment's thought, the man picks the first box up.

Why is he disappointed?

[Violet]

The second box's inscription didn't contradict the first statement, nor offer a counterexample where it is the first box instead. I have no idea why he picked up the first box. :S

[AtheistPhil]

"The gold coin is in the other box box."

Is it a typing error or does the inscription really says "box" twice ?

[mike0001]

OK, think first of when the second statement is true, and then when it is false.

If "Only one of the inscriptions on these boxes is correct." is true, it follows that the other inscription is false, because only one is true.

If "Only one of the inscriptions on these boxes is correct" is false, the other cannot be true, as that would leave one true and one false.

Either way, the first inscription is false. Thus the deduction is that the coin is in the first box.

However, what is to stop her putting the coin in the second box?

(Sorry about the typo.)

[Zen Badger]

I'd love to meet a woman that has two boxes.


Really

[TheMultiverseTheory]

What is to stop someone from taking both?

[Zhalentine]

OK, think first of when the second statement is true, and then when it is false.

If "Only one of the inscriptions on these boxes is correct." is true, it follows that the other inscription is false, because only one is true.

If "Only one of the inscriptions on these boxes is correct" is false, the other cannot be true, as that would leave one true and one false.

Either way, the first inscription is false. Thus the deduction is that the coin is in the first box.

However, what is to stop her putting the coin in the second box?

(Sorry about the typo.)

Nothing said that the coin has to be in the box with a true statement.

[Tiberius]

Why is he disappointed?

Because she confused him with logic and placed the coin in the second box anyway?

[TheMultiverseTheory]

This experiment should be performed in a live scale.

[leo-rcc]

I am somewhat reminded of the 2 gates where 2 gatekeepers stand. One gate leads to your destination, one leads you to death. One gatekeeper always tells the truth, one always tells a lie. With 1 question you must decide which gate to pass through.