Drew McDermott hears about some dastardly deed. What conclusion should be drawn in each of the following cases:

A. A gun is loaded, then something else happens to it, then the gun is aimed at Fred (a turkey), and the trigger is pulled.

B. A branding iron is heated red-hot, something else happens to it, then the iron is placed against some of Fred's feathers.

C. A small earthenware crucible is filled with a volatile poison, then something else happens to it, then the cup (if it exists) is put to Fred's beak, and Fred swallows.

The "something else" is on of the following list:

1. being left undisturbed for five minutes
2. being left undisturbed for five minutes at 1000 degrees Farenheit
3. being left on a table in a public place for two years
4. being locked in a safe for two years
5. being dipped into a bucket of water, then removed and dried
6. being placed in a 10-ton stamping mill

Contributed by Pat Hayes ( phayes@ai.uwf.edu), Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of Human and Machine Cognition, University of West Florida, U.S.A. (2nd October 1997)

Return to the Common Sense Problem Page