If you haven't seen the blue-eyed brown-eyed riddle (or one of its vartiants) on which this is based, you may want to first address how the anthropologist's comments could cause any deaths at all.
An anthropologist receives a new and prestigious assignment – studying a population of indigenous people who have lived on a secluded island for hundreds of years. They are scientifically interesting because they are perfectly rational: not only are they all brilliant, but they perfectly apply logic, such that they can answer the most complex riddles without a moment’s hesitation. They also, of course, know that the other inhabitants are equally rational.
In trying to uncover the origin of their rationality, scientists have learned several other interesting facts. According to their religion, “Marked People,” or people with a birthmark on the back of their neck (which was, at least at one time, fairly common) are considered a sort of deity. “Unmarked” people are mere mortals. One of the central tenets of their religion is to maintain equality by ensuring that no person ever finds out whether he is Marked or Unmarked. Even though everyone can see the backs of everyone else’s necks, it is forbidden to speak of one’s mark, and so no one ever finds out whether they are Marked or Unmarked.
In fact, according to their religion, if anyone ever found out whether he was Marked or Unmarked, he would be compelled to ritualistically kill him/herself at sunrise on the following morning. On midday each day, the entire population meets at their place of worship, counts heads, and gives thanks for the fact that no one was forced to commit suicide.
Some of the islanders, the “Traditionalists,” believe in suicide only once one learns whether or not he is Marked. If a Traditionalist somehow learned on Monday afternoon that, come Friday afternoon, he would find out whether or not he was Marked, he would not commit suicide until Saturday morning. The remaining islanders are “Mercifulists.” If a Mercifulist somehow learned on Monday afternoon that – if he and everyone else followed the Traditionalist culture – he would find out whether or not he was Marked on Friday afternoon, he would go ahead and commit suicide on Tuesday morning rather than delay the seemingly inevitable. Although each person either falls into the Traditionalist or Mercifulist camp, the scientists don’t know whether both views still exist or whether all the island’s inhabitants now subscribe to one or the other. The scientists also don’t know whether the islanders are aware who holds which view.
Armed with this information, the anthropologist travels to the island and attends their midday worship service. Sitting in the pew, he counts exactly 40 island natives (since everyone attends temple service, he is confident this is an accurate count), including at least a handful of both Marked and Unmarked people. After the service, he cautiously addresses the congregation, saying: “I know better than to mention to any of you whether I see a birthmark on the back of your neck or to let you know how many Marked people I see, but I think I can safely say that it is fascinating that both the Marked and Unmarked traits continue to exist after all these years…I look forward to studying your culture.”
On mid-morning of the following day, the anthropologist again arrives at the island to attend the temple service. Before reaching the temple, however, a native named Mike told him it would be better if he left. He did.
Weeks later, the anthropologist receives an important assignment: to attempt to determine the numbers of Marked Traditionalists and Marked Mercifulists on the island. So, on the afternoon of the day exactly three weeks from the date of his first visit, he makes his third trip to the island. The first inhabitant he comes across is an Unmarked woman. When he asks the woman where he could find Mike, the anthropologist learns that Mike had committed suicide. Horrified, he leaves once again.
Upon his return, he tells his boss, “I have succeeding in determining the counts you asked for, but only at a terrible cost.”
What did he mean? How many of the original 40 inhabitants were Marked Traditionalists? How many were Marked Mercifulists?
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An anthropologist receives a new and prestigious assignment – studying a population of indigenous people who have lived on a secluded island for hundreds of years. They are scientifically interesting because they are perfectly rational: not only are they all brilliant, but they perfectly apply logic, such that they can answer the most complex riddles without a moment’s hesitation. They also, of course, know that the other inhabitants are equally rational.
In trying to uncover the origin of their rationality, scientists have learned several other interesting facts. According to their religion, “Marked People,” or people with a birthmark on the back of their neck (which was, at least at one time, fairly common) are considered a sort of deity. “Unmarked” people are mere mortals. One of the central tenets of their religion is to maintain equality by ensuring that no person ever finds out whether he is Marked or Unmarked. Even though everyone can see the backs of everyone else’s necks, it is forbidden to speak of one’s mark, and so no one ever finds out whether they are Marked or Unmarked.
In fact, according to their religion, if anyone ever found out whether he was Marked or Unmarked, he would be compelled to ritualistically kill him/herself at sunrise on the following morning. On midday each day, the entire population meets at their place of worship, counts heads, and gives thanks for the fact that no one was forced to commit suicide.
Some of the islanders, the “Traditionalists,” believe in suicide only once one learns whether or not he is Marked. If a Traditionalist somehow learned on Monday afternoon that, come Friday afternoon, he would find out whether or not he was Marked, he would not commit suicide until Saturday morning. The remaining islanders are “Mercifulists.” If a Mercifulist somehow learned on Monday afternoon that – if he and everyone else followed the Traditionalist culture – he would find out whether or not he was Marked on Friday afternoon, he would go ahead and commit suicide on Tuesday morning rather than delay the seemingly inevitable. Although each person either falls into the Traditionalist or Mercifulist camp, the scientists don’t know whether both views still exist or whether all the island’s inhabitants now subscribe to one or the other. The scientists also don’t know whether the islanders are aware who holds which view.
Armed with this information, the anthropologist travels to the island and attends their midday worship service. Sitting in the pew, he counts exactly 40 island natives (since everyone attends temple service, he is confident this is an accurate count), including at least a handful of both Marked and Unmarked people. After the service, he cautiously addresses the congregation, saying: “I know better than to mention to any of you whether I see a birthmark on the back of your neck or to let you know how many Marked people I see, but I think I can safely say that it is fascinating that both the Marked and Unmarked traits continue to exist after all these years…I look forward to studying your culture.”
On mid-morning of the following day, the anthropologist again arrives at the island to attend the temple service. Before reaching the temple, however, a native named Mike told him it would be better if he left. He did.
Weeks later, the anthropologist receives an important assignment: to attempt to determine the numbers of Marked Traditionalists and Marked Mercifulists on the island. So, on the afternoon of the day exactly three weeks from the date of his first visit, he makes his third trip to the island. The first inhabitant he comes across is an Unmarked woman. When he asks the woman where he could find Mike, the anthropologist learns that Mike had committed suicide. Horrified, he leaves once again.
Upon his return, he tells his boss, “I have succeeding in determining the counts you asked for, but only at a terrible cost.”
What did he mean? How many of the original 40 inhabitants were Marked Traditionalists? How many were Marked Mercifulists?
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