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Do you know the answer?

⁨652⁩ ⁨likes⁩

Submitted ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨genfood@feddit.org⁩ to ⁨science_memes@mander.xyz⁩

https://feddit.org/pictrs/image/35642039-2ef8-48a7-9c1e-7b53ef781cb4.jpeg

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  • Reddfugee42@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    This is a self-referential paradox — a classic logic puzzle designed to be tricky. Let’s break it down:

    Step-by-step analysis:

    1. How many choices? There are 4 possible answers, so if we pick one randomly, the chance of picking any specific one is 1 in 4 = 25%.

    2. How many answers say “25%”? Two.

    3. That means the probability of randomly choosing an answer that says “25%” is 2 in 4 = 50%.

    4. But if the correct answer is 50%, then only one option says “50%” — which is ©. So the probability of picking it at random is 1 in 4 = 25%, contradicting the idea that 50% is correct.

    5. If the correct answer is 25%, then two options say that — a and d. So the chance of picking one of those at random is 50%, not 25% — again a contradiction.

    6. Similarly, if 60% is correct (only one option), then the chance of picking it randomly is 25%, which again makes it incorrect.

    Conclusion: Any choice leads to a contradiction. This is a self-referential paradox, meaning the question breaks logical consistency. There is no consistent correct answer.

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    • Applejuicy@feddit.nl ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Chatgpt ass answer lmao

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      • KammicRelief@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        haha yeah, I knew it at the “let’s break it down:”
        I was like… I know this voice…

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      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Got it right though

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      • judgyweevil@feddit.it ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        The © gave it away

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    • ornery_chemist@mander.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      ^dontthinkaboutitdontthinkaboutitdontthinkaboutit^

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      • samus12345@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Image

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    • Deepus@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      …so like, which one you picking?

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      • Reddfugee42@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        E.

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    • MrShankles@reddthat.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      I would think that if you truly pick at random, it’s still a 25% chance no matter how you cut it

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    • NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      ©

      You had to show off, huh

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      • yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        The comment - which isn’t edited - uses ©.

        Whatever client you use replaces/renders © [bracket c bracket] as ©.

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      • jabathekek@sopuli.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        ™

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    • RandomVideos@programming.dev ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      If you are picking at random, you wouldnt get to analyze and reach the conclusion that its 25%, meaning that the answer is 25%

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  • moakley@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    B.

    This is a multiple choice test. Once you eliminate three answers, you pick the fourth answer and move on to the next question. It can’t be A, C, or D, for reasons that I understand. There’s a non-zero chance that it’s B for a reason that I don’t understand.

    If there is no correct answer, then there’s no point hemming and hawing about it.

    B. Final answer.

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    • lugal@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      I love this, it shows how being good at (multiple choice) tests doesn’t mean you’re good at the topic. I’m not good at tests because my country’s education system priorities understanding and problem solving. That’s why we fail at PISA

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    • shalafi@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      You think like I do. Bet you test well.

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    • blandfordforever@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Entertaining response but I disagree.

      I’m going to say that unless you’re allowed to select more than one answer, the correct answer is 25%. That’s either a or d.

      By doing something other than guessing randomly (seeing that 1 in 4 is 25% and that this answer appears twice), you now have a 50% chance of getting the answer correct. However, that doesn’t change the premise that 1 in 4 answers is correct. It’s still 25%, a or d.

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      • moakley@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        That’s an interesting perspective. The odds of correctly guessing any multiple choice question with four answers should be 25%. But that assumes no duplicate answers, so I still say that’s wrong.

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    • the_q@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Nice logic; poor reading comprehension.

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      • moakley@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Does better reading comprehension get you a better answer?

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    • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      You chose A, C, and D, so you have a 100% chance.

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  • nialv7@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    The question is malformed and the correct answer isn’t listed in the multiple choices. Therefore the correct answer is 0%

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    • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      If only one of the 4 options said 25% would it still be malformed#

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      • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        No. The scenario asks you to consider a random scenario, but the solution in that case is certain.

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  • qwet@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    [deleted]
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    • TimewornTraveler@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      lol chill out there buddy it is only self-referential once. maybe twice.

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      • Hazzard@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        I’m not certain, I think it’s an infinite loop.

        I.E. If the answer is 25%, you have a 50% chance, if the answer is 50%, you have a 25% chance, if the answer is 25%, you have a 50% chance…

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  • Lucien@mander.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    This is a paradox, and I don’t think there is a correct answer, at least not as a letter choice. The correct answer is to explain the paradox.

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    • Faydaikin@beehaw.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      You can rationalize your way to exclude all but a last answer, there by making it the right answer.

      Like, seeing as there are two 25% options, so there aren’t four different answers, which means there isn’t a 25% chance. This lead to there only being two options left 50% or 60%. This would seem to make 50% the right answer, but it’s not, because you know there’s only two options, which in turn means you’re not guessing. So you have more that 50% chance of choosing the right answer. So 60% is the closest to a right answer, by bullshitting and gaslighting yourself through the question.

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      • Didros@beehaw.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Having been to school I know a teacher did not read this question so tge answer is probably A, B, C, or D. Chosen randomly of course. But you will get credit for 3/4 answers as long as you take the time to talk to the teacher during office hours.

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  • user86223091@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    It’s 0%, because 0% isn’t on the list and therefore you have no chance of picking it. It’s the only answer consistent with itself. All other chances cause a kind of paradox-loop.

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    • NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Correct - even if you include the (necessary) option of making up your own answer. If you pick a percentage at random, you have a 0% chance of picking 0%.

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      • olafurp@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Correct, including 0% as a part of the answers would make 0% a wrong answer.

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    • rational_lib@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      I disagree there’s any paradox - every choice is completely wrong. Each choice cannot be correct because no percentage reflects the chance of picking that number.

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      • user86223091@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Completely agree! In this case there is no real paradox, 0% is a perfectly consistent answer.

        I think if you replace 60% with 0%, you’d get a proper paradox, because now there is a non-zero chance of picking 0% and it’s no longer consistent with itself. It’s similar to the “This statement is false” paradox, where by assuming something is true, it makes it false and vice versa.

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  • xthexder@l.sw0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    It’s probably graded by a computer, and a) or d) is a fake answer, since the automated system doesn’t support multiple right answers.

    I’m going to go with 25% chance if picking random, and a 50% chance if picking between a) and d).
    If it’s graded by a human, the correct answer is f) + u)

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    • resting_parrot@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Many systems do allow multiple correct answers.

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  • bratorange@feddit.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    This can also be used a great example of proof by contradiction: The true, non listed answer is 0%. Proof: Assume there was a correct answer in the chooseable options. Then it must be either 25%, 50% or 60%. Now we make a distinction.

    (A) Assume it was 25. Then there would be two of four correct options yielding in a probability of 50%. Therefore 50 must be the correct answer. -> contradiction.

    (B) Assume it was 50. Then there would be one of four correct options yielding in a probability of 25%. Therefore the answer is 25. -> contradiction.

    © Assume it was 60%. Since only 0,1,2,3 or 4 of the answers can be correct the probability of choosing the right answer must be one of 0% 25% 50% 75% or 100%. -> contradiction.

    Because of (A), (B) and ©, it cannot be 25, 50% or 60%. -> contradiction.

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    • Natanael@infosec.pub ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Cheeky answer - the correct answer is a superposition of 25% and 50%, thus you answer it as a multiple choice question

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    • 96VXb9ktTjFnRi@feddit.nl ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      ©

      because of copyright?

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      • bratorange@feddit.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        My client renders this as ( c )

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  • OpenStars@piefed.social ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    42

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    • BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      But what’s the question?

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      • TimewornTraveler@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        how many roads must a man walk down?

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      • ThatGuy46475@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        What is six times nine

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    • MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Damn hitchhikers.

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  • samus12345@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    C, which means A or D, which means C, which means…

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    • WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Lisa stays home?

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  • olafurp@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    You can never answer this question correctly. If the correct answer is 25% there’s a 50% chance you guess correctly but that would make the 25% wrong.

    But if the answer is the 50% then it implies that 25% is correct which implies that 50% is wrong.

    We reach a contradiction for both 25% and 50% making the correct answer to make the whole statement truthy 0%.

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  • ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    This seems like a version of the Liar paradox. Assume “this statement is false” is true. Is the statement true or false?

    There are a bunch of ways to break the paradox, but they all require using a system that doesn’t allow it to exist. For example, a system where truth is a percentage so a statement being 50% true is allowed.

    For this question, one way to break the paradox would be to say that multiple choice answers must all be unique and repeated answers are ignored. Using that rule, this question only has the answers a) 25%, b) 60%, and c) 50%, and none of them are correct. There’s a 0% chance of getting the correct answer.

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  • SculptusPoe@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    The answer is not available. The answer is 0 Percent. Each answer, if chosen, would be incorrect. If 0% was an answer, it would be the correct one despite being a 25% chance.

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  • cholesterol@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Paradoxes aside, if you’re given multiple choices without the guarantee that any of them are correct, you can’t assign a chance of picking the right one at random anyway.

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  • Commiunism@beehaw.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    50/50, you either guess it right or you dont

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  • technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    If you’re picking the the answer, then there is 100% chance of being correct. So none of these answers is correct.

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    • Klear@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      That logic would only hold if I wasn’t dumb as rocks.

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    • AGD4@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      🤯

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  • Tiger666@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Thanks for making me laugh all alone in my car before heading in to work. I wish I could give you an award. Cheers!

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  • deur@feddit.nl ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    If you suppose a multiple choice test MUST ONLY have one correct answer:

    1. Eliminate duplicate 25% answers

    2. You are left with 60% and 50% as potential answers to this question.

    3. C is the answer

    If you were to actually select an answer at random to this question while believing the above, you would have a 50% chance of answering 25%.

    For all multiple choice questions with no duplicate answers, there is a 25% chance of selecting the correct answer.

    Draw your own conclusion about how this outcome influences that proposed rule.

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  • seeigel@feddit.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    What’s the correct value if the answer is not picked at random but the test takers can choose freely?

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    • chillhelm@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      All answers are correct then.

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  • gnutrino@programming.dev ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    This only produces a paradox if you fall for the usual fallacy that “at random” necessarily means “with uniform probability”.

    For example, I would pick an answer at random by rolling a fair cubic die and picking a) if it rolls a 1, c) on a 2, d) on a 3 or b) otherwise so for me the answer is b) 50.

    However, as it specifies that you are to pick at random the existence and value of the correct answer depends on the specific distribution you choose.

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  • brown567@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    0%

    The only winning move is not to choose

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    • bampop@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Yeah option b should definitely be 0% for added fuckery

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  • StarvingMartist@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I argue it’s still 25%, because the answer is either a,b,c, or d, you can only choose 1, regardless of the possible answer having two slots.

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    • Alaik@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Yup. And it says pick at random. Not apply a bunch of bullshit self mastubatory lines of thinking. Ultimately, 1 of those answers are keyed as correct, 3 are not. It’s 25% if you pick at random. If you’re applying a bunch of logic into it you’re no longer following the parameters anyway.

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      • red@sopuli.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        If you picked it randomly 100 times, would you be correct only 25% of time despite two choices being the same?

        It must be a 50% chance.

        But that would mean 50% is correct and…

        Correct answer: all the answers in the multiple choice are wrong

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      • ech@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        You can just say “I don’t understand probability” next time and save a whole bunch of effort.

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  • thatradomguy@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I see 25% twice so my bet is on 50%.

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    • WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      But 50% only appears once, which would make the answer 25%.

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  • sqgl@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    It was only the next day that I returned to this post realising that “this question” isn’t even defined.

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  • lmuel@sopuli.xyz ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    33% innit

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    • zkfcfbzr@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      It is 33% if the answer itself is randomly chosen from 25%, 50%, and 60%. Then you have:

      If the answer is 25%: A 1/2 chance of guessing right If the answer is 50%: A 1/4 chance of guessing right If the answer is 60%: A 1/4 chance of guessing right And 1/31/2 + 1/31/4 + 1/3*1/4 = 1/3, or 33.333… chance

      If the answer is randomly chosen from A, B, C, and D (With A or D being picked meaning D or A are also good, so 25% has a 50% chance of being the answer) then your probability of being right changes to 37.5%

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    • iAvicenna@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      iis

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  • Bonsoir@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    There is absolutely no way it is 60%. Because you can never have 60% chances of picking anything particular when there are only 4 choices. Knowing this, the answer is either 25% or 50%. Two effective choices, so the answer is C, 50%.

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    • JayDee@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      If C is the correct choice, then that is only one answer out of four that is correct, meaning you only had a 25% chance to answer correctly. You’ve created a logical paradox.

      25% occurs twice, so in reality there are only 3 outcomes from your pick. Since you know 25% is incorrect from this, that is 30% of the total answers, but also 50% of total options. Via this, you can conclude that both b and c are valid answers, depending on whether you view it in relation to outcomes or in relation to options. If you view the 3 outcomes, then you have a 60% chance of being right, but if you view the 4 options, you have a 50% chance of being right. Both 50% and 60% being accepted as anwswers solves the paradoxical nature of the question.

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      • shneancy@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        the key word here is at random, you imagine a situation where you’re doing it at random, but you’re not actually answering randomly are you?

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      • Bonsoir@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        If I’m choosing at random between 50% and 25%, then I have 50% chance to get 50%. It is random, but I eliminate the weird options.
        I do that sometimes.

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  • TheFogan@programming.dev ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Selecting not at random, A xor D must be correct, because the answer key can only have one correct answer so even duplicate right answers must also be wrong.

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  • Crumbgrabber@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    100 **** percent, i’m all in!

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  • Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Since two of them are the same, you have a 50% chance of picking something that is 33% of the possible answers. The other two, you have 25% chance of picking something that us 33% of the possible answers.

    So 50%33% + 2 (33%*25%)= 33%

    So your chances of being right is 33% cause there is effectively 3 choices.

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  • Nounka@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I would think a b c d so 25% O he made a mistake znd forgot to take the bubble answer out. Now we only can pick between aord b c so it would be 33%

    Seems my logic is wrong iff i read the rest

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