Useless question... What other answer is there?

[The-Bad-Blooded]

"If all Woozles are Wozzies, and all Wozzies are Twozzies, then are all Woozles definately Twozzies?"

I've seen that question everywhere, i mean, ABSOLUTELY everywhere, usually followed by a YES/NO choice, and it always bugs me.
the answer that strikes out to me is yes, because by following logical thinking, the only answer can be yes.

why do i see this question everywhere if it's so useless? and also, what other answer can there be if this question does indeed have one?

 

[MorsePacific]

This is standard fare on most IQ tests I've seen, which is probably why things like this are so popular. I'm pretty sure the answer is yes. Logically there's no way around it being yes.

 

[TheNaut131]

Okay, I've honestly never seen that question before.

Luckily, Douglas Adman's prepared for all these moments.

"Ahem, my fine gentlemen...42. Just, 42."

 

[Halceon]

I can't say i've ever seen that question. It's a simple linguistic logic question. The base situation where a=>b and b=>c, a=>c?. It is usually followed by questions where the b=>a?, c=>b?, c=>a?.

And, yes, the answer is yes. If you answered no, people would know that you don't have a grasp on the language, logic or both.

 

[socialmenace42]

It's a simple linguistic logic question. The base situation where a=>b and b=>c, a=>c?. It is usually followed by questions where the b=>a?, c=>b?, c=>a?.

What he said.
if you want it more in laymans terms, basically Woozles = X, Wozzies = Y and Twozzies = Z

All Woozles are Wozzies means X = Y

All Wozzies are Twozzies means Y = Z

In conclusion X = Y = Z and therefore X = Z

 

[omega 616]

I changed Woozles to cakes
Wozzies to sweet
Twozzies to nice

If cakes are sweet and sweet is nice are cakes nice? Yes.

Maybe that's just me and my love of food though. If I get the right answer were's the harm?

 

[Epilepsy]

I hate to be "that guy" but this actually comes up in my course so i'm taking it upon myself to be the pretentious douche.

The answer hangs on whether the question is using comparison or inheritance. If it's comparison, then it's true, if it's inherited then it's false.

e.g.
Comparison: A = B && B = C. Does A = C?
Answer: Yes

Inheritance: All civics are hondas, all hondas are cars, are all cars civics?
Answer: No


EDIT: Hoist by my own petard, I double checked the question after i posted, and given the ordering of the question, the answer is actually still Yes, since all civics are cars. Hope it still gets my point across that this is actually an in-depth question.

 

[karplas]

It's a simple linguistic logic question. The base situation where a=>b and b=>c, a=>c?. It is usually followed by questions where the b=>a?, c=>b?, c=>a?.

What he said.
if you want it more in laymans terms, basically Woozles = X, Wozzies = Y and Twozzies = Z

All Woozles are Wozzies means X = Y

All Wozzies are Twozzies means Y = Z

In conclusion X = Y = Z and therefore X = Z

Not quite actually. Let X denote 'thing is a Woozle', Y denote 'thing is a Twozzie', Z denote 'thing is a Twozzie'. Then X ==> Y ==> Z, so X ==> Z. However, the statements X Y, but not Y <== X). However, if you say X = Y you'd say something like 'All Woozles are Wozzies and all Wozzies are Woozles', which is not given.

 

[socialmenace42]

However, if you say X = Y you'd say something like 'All Woozles are Wozzies and all Wozzies are Woozles', which is not given.

I certainly see your point, and applaud the effort, but actually it is given in the question

"If all Woozles are Wozzies, and all Wozzies are Twozzies, then are all Woozles definately Twozzies?"

The formulation of the question requires you to assume that what it suggests is a given for the answer to be a definite yes or no; if all X = Y and all Y = Z, then does X always = Z?

If you consider that X may not always equal Y (which by definition of course it does not) it still breaks the parameters of the question.

 

[xdom125x]

I have never seen that question. It has a pretty obvious answer. I would guess the only thing that trips people up is the fact that they used made-up words. I would guess that the only reason it is worded that way is to confuse people, because if they worded it using actual things, the answer would be painfully obvious to everyone.


I'll use a letter for each part:

If all in group A are a subdivision of group B
And all in group B are a subdivision of group C
Are all in group A part of group C?

Or to put it in practical terms:

If all golden retriever are dogs
And all dogs are animals
Are all golden retrievers animals?

The correct answer is the incredibly obvious Yes.

 

[FalloutJack]

Okay, I've honestly never seen that question before.

Luckily, Douglas Adman's prepared for all these moments.

"Ahem, my fine gentlemen...42. Just, 42."

And my I Ching calculator says "A Suffusion Of Yellow".

 

[karplas]

However, if you say X = Y you'd say something like 'All Woozles are Wozzies and all Wozzies are Woozles', which is not given.

I certainly see your point, and applaud the effort, but actually it is given in the question

"If all Woozles are Wozzies, and all Wozzies are Twozzies, then are all Woozles definately Twozzies?"

The formulation of the question requires you to assume that what it suggests is a given for the answer to be a definite yes or no; if all X = Y and all Y = Z, then does X always = Z?

If you consider that X may not always equal Y (which by definition of course it does not) it still breaks the parameters of the question.

I think that clears up why we disagreed: I thought you defined X as being the statement 'Thing is a Woozle', while, if I now understand correctly, you replaced the word 'Woozle' with 'X' and used '=' as meaning 'is/are' in a colloquial sense, meaning that according to your definitions X = Y, but not Y = X. Did I understand correctly?

 

[Hero in a half shell]

The correct answer is of course: "Woozle is a copyright of Winnie The Pooh. You now owe A. A. Milne £25 for use of her property. You have 7 working days to complete the transaction or face the appropriate legal action. Thank you."

 

[socialmenace42]

That was roughly what i was going for, indeed.

I may want to explain that I'm by no means a mathematician and that I generally seek simple answers when it comes to logic puzzles...