[rookie1ja]

Philosopher's Clock - Back to the Logic Puzzles
One absentminded ancient philosopher forgot to wind up his only clock in the house. He had no radio, TV, telephone, internet, or any other means for telling time. So he traveled on foot to his friend’s place few miles down the straight desert road. He stayed at his friend’s house for the night and when he came back home, he knew how to set his clock.
How did he know?

Spoiler for Solution:

Philosopher’s Clock - solution
Clocks can measure time even when they do not show the right time. You just have to wind the clock up and...
We have to suppose that the journey to the friend and back lasts exactly the same time and the friend has a clock (showing the correct time) - it would be too easy if mentioned in the riddle.
Now there is no problem to figure out the solution, is there?

Spoiler for old wording:

This is an old logic puzzle. One philosopher had a clock, which he had forgotten to wind up. He had no other clock, watch, radio, TV, phone or any other device telling the time. So when his clock stopped he went to a friend, stayed there the whole night and when he came home, he knew the right time.
How could he know?

Hint: Road from one house to another is flat plane only.

[kennarz]

Why can't he just bring the clock to his friend's house? The riddle didn't say the clock was permenantly attached to the wall.

[rookie1ja]

Quote

Why can't he just bring the clock to his friend's house? The riddle didn't say the clock was permenantly attached to the wall.

That may be an option as well.

[willowbell]

couldn't he just have looked at his freinds clock?

[Yooper]

He set his clock to noon (midnight) when he left for his friend's house. When he arrived at his friend's house, he noted the exact time. He then spent the night there.

He left his friend's house exactly 12 hours later than he arrived, and he traveled at the exact same speed in both directions. This way, when he arrived home, his clock read 12:00 plus TWICE the time it took to walk to (or from) his friend's house. This way, he knew exactly how long it took him to walk one way.

He simply added this time to the current time on his friend's clock, and he had the correct time on his clock.

[Canon]

This version of the puzzle is a flawed version of a better puzzle. In the better version, the philosopher does not go visit a friend. He simply goes to bed. In the morning he is able to set his clock correctly. How does he do it?

Since no one has got this yet, here is a hint: He has to get up before sunrise.

Still no solvers, so another hint: He needs to start his clock before nightfall.

[artune]

he got up at the same time for the exact same time for the last seven years?

[larryhl]

I think your question is still flawed Canon. From your two hints, it would seem that the philosopher could figure out the time by figuring out the length of the night. That's a bit of a stretch, though "possible."

[W_Stilwell]

The answer to the riddle is that the Philosophers clock is a sundial. The clock does not need winding, when the clock stops, the sun goes down, the man goes to his friends house, stays there all night, returns in the morning, and the sun is up so the clock works again, and he knows what time it is.

[sk8erfou]

the first question if taken the answers form the posters has an illogical answer... what are the odds that he walked the exact speed and the exact ditch stepping in every pot hole which made him turn around cursing re-breaking each tonail which made him hop with fury on the way thier and back?