A Matter of Degrees

[Shakeepuddn]

One evening, Bob, Sally, and Jim were sitting around relaxing after dinner when Sally got up to get her shawl and wondered aloud how cold it was outside. After a minute or two Bob suddenly spoke up and stated that it was exactly 71 degrees Fahrenheit. Sally asked him how he could possibly know that and Bob said, “That’s easy, Jim told me.” But there was no thermometer in the house. In fact, Jim actually had no idea what the temperature was. Nevertheless, Bob was correct. It was exactly 71 degrees outside. Explain.

[Cavenglok]

Is Jim a human at all?

[Guest]

Bob has an iPhone

Edited December 13, 2011 by Swinslow

[Shakeepuddn]

Sorry Swinslow, not that. Cavenglok, I didn't pose this one as a twenty questions riddle but interesting question. Where are you going with it?

[Guest]

One evening, Bob, Sally, and Jim were sitting around relaxing after dinner when Sally got up to get her shawl and wondered aloud how cold it was outside. After a minute or two Bob suddenly spoke up and stated that it was exactly 71 degrees Fahrenheit. Sally asked him how he could possibly know that and Bob said, “That’s easy, Jim told me.” But there was no thermometer in the house. In fact, Jim actually had no idea what the temperature was. Nevertheless, Bob was correct. It was exactly 71 degrees outside. Explain.

Arguing some semantics

You said that there is no thermometer inside the house, but either they are outside, or the thermometer is outside.

[mewminator]

Bob has an iPhone

Might I add

The IPhone's name is Jim.

and a couple of my own possibilities

Jim has Alzheimer and forgot that he told Bob the temperature earlier, which is why he has no idea.

Jim is the name of a thermometer sitting OUTSIDE since there are no thermometers in the house and since a thermometer is non-living it cannot 'have an idea' what the temperature was.

[Shakeepuddn]

Sorry, no luck (and no thermometer anywhere).

[mewminator]

no electronics or thermometers allowed?

if so then

Jim's body does an involuntary action when the temperature reaches 71 degrees that only Bob knows about

Edited December 13, 2011 by mewminator

[Guest]

Jiminy Cricket.

[Shakeepuddn]

Jiminy Cricket.

BINGO!!

"Jim" is a snowy tree cricket, which chirps at a specific rate depending on the ambient temperature. Dolbear's Law is a very basic formula for determining exact temperature where T= 50 + (N (chirps/min) - 40) / 4. Generic field crickets can be measured to within one degree F of actual temperature.

[Guest]

Sweet!

[Guest]

Great!!

I had thought of crickets but I didn't realize that Jim could actually be a cricket!!

[Guest]

is "jim" a cricket? JIMiny cricket.....

[Guest]

Bob checked the reflection of the thermometer outside of the house through Jim's eyes ?

[Guest]

Cricket formula reference for us all

http://insects.about.com/od/insectfolklore/a/crickets-temperature.htm