প্রতিদিন তো গণিত নিয়েই লিখি, বলতে গেলে আমার সব পোস্টের মধ্যে মনে হয় গণিতের লেখা বেশি। আজকে গণিত ঘাঁটবো না, মাথা খাটাবো একটু। আমি এই সেমিস্টারে একটা ক্লাস করছি ক্রিটিক্যাল থিঙ্কিং (Critical Thinking)। সেই ক্লাসেরই একটা মজার প্রশ্ন তুলে ধরব এখানে। উত্তর দেয়ার চেষ্টা করবেন সবাই। সবারই শিখলে ভালো হবে।

The Fall-Out Shelter Problem

This is a simulated problem-solving exercise.

Divide class into equal groups and have them sit together away from other groups.  Explain the following situation to them.

Situation:

Your group is members of a department in Washington D.C. that is in charge of experimental stations in the far outpost of civilization.  Suddenly, the third World War breaks out and bombs begin dropping.  Places all across the globe are being destroyed.  People are heading for whatever fallout shelters are available.  You receive a desperate call from one of your experimental stations asking for help.

It seems there are ten people but there is only enough space, air, food and water in the fall-out shelter for six people for a period for three months – which is how long thy estimate they can safely stay down there.  They realize that if they have to decide among themselves which six should go into the shelter, they are likely to become irrational and begin fighting.  So they decided to call your department, their superiors, and leave the decision to you.  They will abide by your decision.

But, each of you have to quickly get ready to head down to your own fall-out shelter.  So all you have time for is to get superficial descriptions of the ten people.  You have a half-hour to make your decision.  Then you must go to your shelter.

So as a group, you now have a half-hour to decide which four of the ten will have to be eliminated from the shelter.  Before you begin, I want to impress upon you that two important considerations.  It is entirely possible that the six people you choose to stay in the shelter might be the only six left to start the human race over again.  This choice is, therefore, very important.  Do not allow yourself to be swayed by pressure from the others in your group.  Try to make the best choices possible.  On the other hand, if you do not make a choice in 30 minutes, then you are choosing to let the ten people fight it out amongst themselves with the possibility that more than four may perish.

You now have 30 minutes.  Here is what you know about the 10 people.

1. Bookkeeper, 31 years old
2. College Student; female
3. A 20 year old Black militant; no special skills
4. A clergyman, 75 years old
5. A 39 year old former prostitute; “retired” for four years
6. An architect; homosexual
7. Olympic athlete; all sports
8. Policeman with a gun (they cannot be separated); given a community relations award
9. A 36 year old female physician; unable to have children
10. Famous historian/author; 42 years old

এটা একটু করে ফেলেন তো, দেখি কে কি কি জিনিস বুঝলেন। আমি নিজেও উত্তর দেয়ার চেষ্টা করব।

Author: Awnon Bhowmik

I know very little to be proud about it. Mathematics enthusiast, possess a lust for mathematical/computational knowledge