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Tonish
21-08-2005, 19:47
My son was watching a TV quiz and couldn't work out how they arrived at an answer. I said, "give it to me son, I'll show you". It's now been 3 days and I'm losing sleep over it. If there are any intelligent people out there who can explain this, please put me out of my misery.

Question is as follows:

"In nineteen eighty-one Peter Patten was born. He graduated aged twenty-one and intended to travel to forty countries. He married when twenty-three which prevented his travels".

Add the numbers...

The answer is 5679, apparently; but for the life of me...


Tonish

jovi
21-08-2005, 20:03
[msnscared][msnembarrased][msnmad][msncry][msnscared]
Sorry can't help!![msnmad]

Fourdents
22-08-2005, 18:20
Has ANYBODY.....worked this out yet [msneek][msnmad] It's got me ![gun]

Linda

Susan
22-08-2005, 18:51
I got stuck on a similar one. The solution is to add all the regular numbers plus the roman numerals, ie 'c' = 100 etc.

Good luck

Sue

stuart
22-08-2005, 20:31
I thought there might be a lot of numbers within some of the words ie Patten, intended. Obviously not[msnsad]

Kim

emm
22-08-2005, 22:42
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by stuart
I thought there might be a lot of numbers within some of the words ie Patten, intended. Obviously not[msnsad]

Kim
[/quote]

We are thinking along the same lines as you Kim, but are still working on it. [msntongue]

steph_goodrum
22-08-2005, 23:07
Dont forget some have double numbers as well such as (nine)+ nineteen and (eight) and eighty which can be used.

wrpac00
22-08-2005, 23:18
I thought it might be the years:-

Born in 1981
21 in 2002
23 in 2004

That makes 5987 which is 308 too many, back to the drawing board.

Sally D
23-08-2005, 00:20
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by wrpac00
I thought it might be the years:-

Born in 1981
21 in 2002
23 in 2004

That makes 5987 which is 308 too many, back to the drawing board.
[/quote]


Thats what I was thinking, but as you say back to the drawing board.

KJH
23-08-2005, 02:44
What was he doing in the two years between graduating and getting married? Did he travel before getting married? [xx(][msnscared]

Someone work out the answer it's driving me nuts

Kaz

Tonish
23-08-2005, 15:35
I'm glad it's not just me. In case you're wondering, the question and answer are exactly as shown on the TV - paused with sky digital and copied down precisely as written, so I'm sure there's not an error in the question. I still haven't come close to the solution

Tonish

LiesaAnna
23-08-2005, 16:14
and there was me thinking you had the answer then!! doh![msnoo]

emm
23-08-2005, 19:28
Well, I've added together all the numbers mentioned, all the numbers included in the other numbers, all the numbers included in all the other words (Patten) and all the letters which are Roman Numerals.... I came up with an answer that is too big!!!

[msnmad]

I wonder if it one of those things where the answer is so obvious that we are missing it??

sundowner
24-08-2005, 00:25
I am intrigued now, what programme was it - sounds like a good one to be watching.

IanW
24-08-2005, 03:58
When I just add up the Roman numerals I get 5321. Can anyone make 358 from the english numbers?
Ian

LiesaAnna
24-08-2005, 12:15
i cheated and asked on "wondir" and a person gave an answer of "his parents married on 5-6-79"

dont know where or how he gets this? ideas?

emm
24-08-2005, 13:07
My daughter has come up with a solution of two separate answers - 56 and 79. She added 19 and 81 which makes 100, subtracted the 21 (yes, I know it said add the numbers, but we are getting desperate now) which gives the answer 79. Then she used the 79 and subtracted the 23 from it, which gives 56. If we write those answers together we get 5679. She decided that we should ignore the 40 because the wording says that he was [u]</u>prevented[u]</u> from travelling so that means we shouldn't use that number!!

I am not convinced about her method, but at least she came up with the correct numbers!!! :D

CarolAnn
24-08-2005, 13:19
Well I am impressed Emm!! Numbers!! Derrrrr!! Anyone got carol voderman's number?;)

jovi
24-08-2005, 16:27
How about this one then, 3 people rent a room at 30 pound a night, when they have gone the landlord realises that the room is actually only £25 pn and so asks the porter to go and give the renters their £5 back, so porter realises he could make a couple of pound from this and as there are only 3 people he gives them back a pound each so keeping the 2 for himself! This now means that the three tennants have paid £9 each the night 3 x 9 is 27 + 2 which porter kept equals £29 where did the the other pound go? Hope this makes sense, and someone can answer, my husband told me this last night and he can't work it out either.

LiesaAnna
24-08-2005, 18:20
no , the porter kept 2 and gave them 1 back each so that is the £5,
just a trick question!!

Tonish
24-08-2005, 18:34
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by sundowner
I am intrigued now, what programme was it - sounds like a good one to be watching.
[/quote]

It was on a truly dreadful programme called The Great British Quiz. It's a really tacky format and goes on all day long. The trouble is that when someone calls in with the correct answer, they don't tell you how they came up with the solution.

Tonish

steph_goodrum
24-08-2005, 18:53
One of the prgrammes we've been watching for a while which is quite amusing is QI (stands for quite interesting) with Stephen Fry and Alun Davies.

emm
24-08-2005, 20:22
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by steph_goodrum
One of the prgrammes we've been watching for a while which is quite amusing is QI (stands for quite interesting) with Stephen Fry and Alun Davies.
[/quote]

We love that programme!! :D

julieanne
24-08-2005, 20:32
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Tonish
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by sundowner
I am intrigued now, what programme was it - sounds like a good one to be watching.
[/quote]

It was on a truly dreadful programme called The Great British Quiz. It's a really tacky format and goes on all day long. The trouble is that when someone calls in with the correct answer, they don't tell you how they came up with the solution.

Tonish
[/quote]

Oh no [msnoo]
Does this mean we'll never get the answer :(

Lyn
24-08-2005, 23:41
3 x 9 is 27 + 2 which porter kept equals £29 it should read 3 x 9 is 27 - 2 which porter kept = £25

Lyn
24-08-2005, 23:50
Sitting here with the calculator Tonish but can't work it out, this will drive me mad till someone comes up with the calculation

steph_goodrum
25-08-2005, 01:14
Well done Lyn I couldnt think how to word it to make sense.

It's like when you confuse the children by telling them you have 11 fingers. First get them to agree that it doesnt matter if you start couting from 1-10 or 10-1 and hold both hands up and start counting down on one hand from 10 finishing at 6 then hold the other hand up and say and five makes 11.

jovi
25-08-2005, 15:24
[msneek][msnscared][msnsad][msncry][msneek]

wrpac00
25-08-2005, 15:59
Has no one solved this yet, it is driving me mad[msnmad]

KJH
26-08-2005, 03:46
ohmigod..................someone find the answer....or ring the programme makers or something.....[:O][xx(]