| Author | Message | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 617 Registered: 5-2003 |
If the cat had died five seconds later, it would have been disastrous. | ||
| D_gordon (D_gordon)
New member Username: D_gordon Post Number: 212 Registered: 11-2008 |
"The cat" -- Feline? Adult? Male? ;-) Did curiosity kill it? Now more serious questions: did the cat's death serve as a warning to someone? Would that warning have been too late had the cat died five seconds later? Disastrous -- would human deaths be relevant to this disaster? Caused by a natural disaster? Failure to avoid a natural disaster? That the cat's death was a sign of? Or is war perhaps relevant? Is a bombing relevant? Infantry battle? Naval battle? If human deaths are relevant, would they have been caused by... Poison? Blood loss? Physical (not chemical, as with poison) organ damage? Suffocation? Infection? Heart attack/failure? Decapitation? Electrocution? Suicide? Murder? Starvation? Dehydration? And one more shot in the dark: Is espionage relevant? | ||
| Crazypalpig (Crazypalpig)
New member Username: Crazypalpig Post Number: 2264 Registered: 8-2006 |
Cat: A felis Domesticus, or a not so domesticated type? Would other cats have died? Was the cat murdered? Accident? Sickness? Old age? Giving birth to other cats? Chewed up by a dog? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 618 Registered: 5-2003 |
"The cat" -- Feline? Yes. Adult? Yes. Male? Irrelevant. ;-) Did curiosity kill it? Possibly. Now more serious questions: did the cat's death serve as a warning to someone? No. Would that warning have been too late had the cat died five seconds later? Disastrous -- would human deaths be relevant to this disaster? No. Caused by a natural disaster? No. Failure to avoid a natural disaster? No. That the cat's death was a sign of? No. Or is war perhaps relevant? No. Is a bombing relevant? No. Infantry battle? Naval battle? If human deaths are relevant They aren't., would they have been caused by... Poison? Blood loss? Physical (not chemical, as with poison) organ damage? Suffocation? Infection? Heart attack/failure? Decapitation? Electrocution? Suicide? Murder? Starvation? Dehydration? And one more shot in the dark: Is espionage relevant? No. Cat: A felis Domesticus, or a not so domesticated type? Not domesticated. Would other cats have died? No. Was the cat murdered? No. Accident? Yes. Sickness? No. Old age? No. Giving birth to other cats? No. Chewed up by a dog? No. | ||
| D_gordon (D_gordon)
New member Username: D_gordon Post Number: 213 Registered: 11-2008 |
Is the cause of the cat's death relevant? Same lateral list coming...are any of these relevant? Poison? Blood loss? Physical (not chemical, as with poison) organ damage? Suffocation? Infection? Heart attack/failure? Decapitation? Electrocution? Suicide? Murder? Starvation? Dehydration? Would the cat have killed another animal had it died five seconds later, but failed to do so because it died when it did? Would the cat have caused property damage? | ||
| Rcs (Rcs)
New member Username: Rcs Post Number: 307 Registered: 9-2008 |
Anything to do with Schroedinger's (sp?) cat paradox in quantum mechanics? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 621 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is the cause of the cat's death relevant? Yes. Same lateral list coming...are any of these relevant? Poison? Blood loss? Physical (not chemical, as with poison) organ damage? Suffocation? Infection? Heart attack/failure? Decapitation? Electrocution? This. Suicide? Murder? Starvation? Dehydration? Would the cat have killed another animal had it died five seconds later, but failed to do so because it died when it did? No. Would the cat have caused property damage? Yes. Anything to do with Schroedinger's (sp?) cat paradox in quantum mechanics? | ||
| Qwike (Qwike)
New member Username: Qwike Post Number: 10 Registered: 1-2009 |
Are humans relevent at all Would another animal had died had the cat hadn't? Does this have anything to do with consumption necessary for survival? Would the cat have caught on fire, causing property damage, if it had died 5 seconds later Would something have not known it should not touch the cat, if they hadn't seen the cat alive? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 622 Registered: 5-2003 |
Anything to do with Schroedinger's (sp?) cat paradox in quantum mechanics? Oops, forgot this one. No. Are humans relevent at all Yes. Would another animal had died had the cat hadn't? No. Does this have anything to do with consumption necessary for survival? No. Would the cat have caught on fire, causing property damage, if it had died 5 seconds later No. Would something have not known it should not touch the cat, if they hadn't seen the cat alive? No. | ||
| Crazypalpig (Crazypalpig)
New member Username: Crazypalpig Post Number: 2272 Registered: 8-2006 |
So it's not a housecat? A wildcat then? Lions, Tigers, (sadly bears are ursine)... Jungle cats, Panthers? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 623 Registered: 5-2003 |
So it's not a housecat? No. A wildcat then? Yes. Lions No, Tigers No., (sadly bears are ursine)... Jungle cats No., Panthers Close enough. Assume a generic wildcat, like a bobcat or cougar.? | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1744 Registered: 12-2004 |
Are any submarines relevant? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 626 Registered: 5-2003 |
Are any submarines relevant? No. | ||
| Oisin (Oisin)
New member Username: Oisin Post Number: 81 Registered: 12-2008 |
Is the electrocution caused by an electric fence? a fallen power cable? Was the cat in the wild at the time? in captivity? Is the property that might be damaged a building? a vehicle? an expensive item of technology? a piece of infrastructure, such as an electricity sub-station? If the disaster had occurred, would people have been affected? If so, one? two? fewer than ten? between ten and one hundred? over one hundred? Would the disaster have been caused if the cat had remained alive, or only if it had died later? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 630 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is the electrocution caused by an electric fence? No. a fallen power cable? No. Was the cat in the wild at the time? Yes. in captivity? No. Is the property that might be damaged a building? a vehicle? an expensive item of technology? This. a piece of infrastructure, such as an electricity sub-station? If the disaster had occurred, would people have been affected? If so, one? two? fewer than ten? between ten and one hundred? over one hundred? Probably this, exact number irrelevant. Would the disaster have been caused if the cat had remained alive, or only if it had died later? The latter. | ||
| Oisin (Oisin)
New member Username: Oisin Post Number: 94 Registered: 12-2008 |
Is the exact physical location of the cat important? Would its corpse have been inaccessible 5 seconds later? or destroyed? Is the electrocution caused by the high-tech equipment that was about to be damaged? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 631 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is the exact physical location of the cat important? Its geographical location isn't relevant -- this happened in New Mexico but could just as well happen anywhere else -- but it is in a specific sort of place. Would its corpse have been inaccessible 5 seconds later? No. or destroyed? No. Is the electrocution caused by the high-tech equipment that was about to be damaged? No. | ||
| Qwike (Qwike)
New member Username: Qwike Post Number: 40 Registered: 1-2009 |
was what the cat was on its way to doing relevant? Would the cat have caused damaged that resulted in something affecting people? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 633 Registered: 5-2003 |
was what the cat was on its way to doing relevant? Yope. Would the cat have caused damaged that resulted in something affecting people? No. | ||
| Oisin (Oisin)
New member Username: Oisin Post Number: 161 Registered: 12-2008 |
Might there have been a power blackout if the cat had died later? Did the electrocution happen in an electricity substation? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 635 Registered: 5-2003 |
Might there have been a power blackout if the cat had died later? Yes. Did the electrocution happen in an electricity substation? No. | ||
| Oisin (Oisin)
New member Username: Oisin Post Number: 173 Registered: 12-2008 |
Was the cat attempting to catch its prey before the electrocution? Was it attempting to flee pursuit? Were there witnesses to the event? The high-tech equipment which was in imminent danger - would the blackout have been caused by its destruction? Or would it have been destroyed by the blackout? or a power surge? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 637 Registered: 5-2003 |
Was the cat attempting to catch its prey before the electrocution? Possibly. Was it attempting to flee pursuit? Possibly. Were there witnesses to the event? To the death of the cat? No, and irrelevant. The high-tech equipment which was in imminent danger - would the blackout have been caused by its destruction? No. Or would it have been destroyed by the blackout? Yes. Well, the blackout would have caused/resulted in its destruction. or a power surge? No. | ||
| D_gordon (D_gordon)
New member Username: D_gordon Post Number: 240 Registered: 11-2008 |
Is the nature of the expensive equipment (call it the Xylophone) relevant? Would the Xylophone have been damaged by the blackout itself? Because some people were trying to destroy it, but only would have succeeded in the confusion caused by a blackout? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 642 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is the nature of the expensive equipment (call it the Xylophone) relevant? Yes. Would the Xylophone have been damaged by the blackout itself? No. Because some people were trying to destroy it, but only would have succeeded in the confusion caused by a blackout? No. | ||
| D_gordon (D_gordon)
New member Username: D_gordon Post Number: 243 Registered: 11-2008 |
Is the Xylophone a weapon of some sort? Some other kind of military device? Is the military relevant at all? Some other branch of government? Would the damage have been caused by human activity in response to the blackout? Attempts to return power to the relevant area? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 643 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is the Xylophone a weapon of some sort? Yes. Some other kind of military device? Is the military relevant at all? Yes. Some other branch of government? No. Would the damage have been caused by human activity in response to the blackout? No. Attempts to return power to the relevant area? No. | ||
| Rcs (Rcs)
New member Username: Rcs Post Number: 343 Registered: 9-2008 |
Anything to do with the blackout interrupting communication? Any miscommunications relevant? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 647 Registered: 5-2003 |
Anything to do with the blackout interrupting communication? Yes. Any miscommunications relevant? No. | ||
| Hiphapa (Hiphapa)
New member Username: Hiphapa Post Number: 8 Registered: 2-2009 |
Are any of the following relevant: Air traffic control? Planes? Naval ships? Submarines? Bombs? Nuclear testing sites? Weapon experiments? Mines? Military bases? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 686 Registered: 5-2003 |
Air traffic control? Planes? Naval ships? Submarines? Bombs? Nuclear testing sites? Weapon experiments? This. Mines? Military bases? And this. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 703 Registered: 5-2003 |
Recap: This true story occurred on a military base where a weapon was being tested. At some point, a wildcat was accidentally electrocuted and killed on the base. This caused a blackout. It was lucky that the blackout did not occur five seconds after it did. Why? | ||
| Kalira (Kalira)
New member Username: Kalira Post Number: 14 Registered: 2-2009 |
Would the blackout have been believed to be a result of the Xylophone had it happened five seconds later than it did? Resulting in the military pulling the plug on the project? Would the "disaster" have been monetary in nature (i.e., the project losing its funding)? Given that it happened in New Mexico, nuclear weapons relevant? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 714 Registered: 5-2003 |
Would the blackout have been believed to be a result of the Xylophone had it happened five seconds later than it did? No. Resulting in the military pulling the plug on the project? But this would have occurred. Would the "disaster" have been monetary in nature (i.e., the project losing its funding)? Partly. Given that it happened in New Mexico, nuclear weapons relevant? No. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 730 Registered: 5-2003 |
Hint: This happened during the long and convoluted development of the Patriot Missile, which you might remember from the first Gulf War. It took 18 years to develop it, and then it still didn't work right. The incident in this puzzle was one of those that delayed the project, and might have scuttled it if not for the luck of the cat dying five seconds early. | ||
| Kaygee (Kaygee)
New member Username: Kaygee Post Number: 290 Registered: 9-2008 |
Ah, so the experiment didn't begin as planned because of the wildcat-caused blackout? And if the blackout would have been just 5 seconds later, then the test would have gone off as planned, failed miserably, and then everyone could have avoided the wasted time and money on continuing this project? Or to put a positive spin on it: the weapon designers could have found out was wrong and changed it? But now, I am unsure where to go from here: Was there extensive damage to something that we should explore? Is there any more about the cat's actions that we should explore? Is there more to discover about Raytheon Company or the Army during this incident? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 771 Registered: 5-2003 |
Ah, so the experiment didn't begin as planned because of the wildcat-caused blackout? Correct. And if the blackout would have been just 5 seconds later, then the test would have gone off as planned, Correct failed miserably, Correct. and then everyone could have avoided the wasted time and money on continuing this project? No. Or to put a positive spin on it: the weapon designers could have found out was wrong and changed it? Nothing relevant was wrong with the missile. But now, I am unsure where to go from here: You're actually pretty close. Was there extensive damage to something that we should explore? Is there any more about the cat's actions that we should explore? Is there more to discover about Raytheon Company or the Army during this incident? None of the above. | ||
| Kaygee (Kaygee)
New member Username: Kaygee Post Number: 294 Registered: 9-2008 |
Hm-m-m. Nothing relevant was wrong with the missile...So that means that something else would have scuttled the project? Did they get an extension (time) from the gov't? Additional money? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 789 Registered: 5-2003 |
Hm-m-m. Nothing relevant was wrong with the missile...So that means that something else would have scuttled the project? The status of the project is irrelevant to the specific incident this puzzle is about. Did they get an extension (time) from the gov't? Additional money? The people responsible for funding were present. The key points are: - The wildcat caused a blackout. - If the blackout had occurred five seconds later, there would have been an expensive disaster -- much more expensive than the mere delay you would expect from a blackout. Explain. | ||
| Kaygee (Kaygee)
New member Username: Kaygee Post Number: 302 Registered: 9-2008 |
Oh...I think I see the answer back on January 20: If the blackout had occured five seconds later, the high-tech equipment would have been destroyed, right? Would that be the on-ground computers? The launching platform? The actual missile? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 790 Registered: 5-2003 |
Oh...I think I see the answer back on January 20: If the blackout had occured five seconds later, the high-tech equipment would have been destroyed, right? Yes. Would that be the on-ground computers? The launching platform? The actual missile? This. Now, why would five seconds make a difference? | ||
| Absinthe (Absinthe)
New member Username: Absinthe Post Number: 11 Registered: 3-2009 |
I don't know much about the Patriot missile, but I'm going to guess this is a guided missile that requires communication with the ground? If yes, then the blackout occoured during countdown to launch. Had it occoured five seconds too late, the missile would already have been airborne, and so would have lost contact with the ground and crashed in an inconvenient place. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 792 Registered: 5-2003 |
I don't know much about the Patriot missile, but I'm going to guess this is a guided missile that requires communication with the ground? If yes, then the blackout occoured during countdown to launch. Had it occoured five seconds too late, the missile would already have been airborne, and so would have lost contact with the ground and crashed in an inconvenient place. You've got it. Spoiler ************************* The blackout did occur during the countdown, thus only halting it. Had it occurred shortly AFTER launch rather than shortly before, the range officer would have been force to blow up the missile in flight to prevent it landing anywhere inconvenient. Thus wasting an expensive missile, and probably getting in trouble. According to the book I got this from, this was a lucky failure of the "Law of Natural Belligerence," aka Murphy's Law. It didn't go quite as badly as it might have. | ||
| Absinthe (Absinthe)
New member Username: Absinthe Post Number: 12 Registered: 3-2009 |
Yay! |
