Solve this riddle

[Janice Johnson]

Originally Posted by Pentimento

I think he's wearing a red hat. It's difficult to explain, but here goes:

If either of the first two prisoners was seeing two white hats, he would have immediately said he was wearing red. If the first prisoner saw the third prisoner wearing a white hat and the second wearing a red one, he wouldn't know the color of his own hat. He would know that if the second prisoner saw two white hats, he would say so immediately. So even though prisoner #1 wouldn't see two white hats, he'd know he was wearing a red hat, because if he were wearing a white hat, #2 would see #3 and #1 both wearing white hats and would have said his was red. Since #2 didn't know the color of his hat, we know he also didn't see two white hats. All of that, however, is based on the assumption that #3 is wearing a white hat. If so, #1 or #2 would realize after a while that they were wearing red. Since neither of them knew the color of his own hat, #3 knows that he isn't wearing a white hat, so he's wearing a red one.

Of course the whole thing hinges on all three of the prisoners being highly logical people, which I find unlikely. If they were that smart, they probably wouldn't have gotten caught in whatever crime led them to be doing time in the first place.

But, how did you get the right answer? Remember, one of the prisoners is blind, so how could he know what hat he had on, if he can't see the colors?

[Dutabi84]

Originally Posted by Janice Johnson

But, how did you get the right answer? Remember, one of the prisoners is blind, so how could he know what hat he had on, if he can't see the colors?

He had to know based on what the other 2 said, clearly not on what he saw.

[AllIWantIsYourClutch]

Originally Posted by Pentimento

I think he's wearing a red hat. It's difficult to explain, but here goes:

If either of the first two prisoners was seeing two white hats, he would have immediately said he was wearing red. If the first prisoner saw the third prisoner wearing a white hat and the second wearing a red one, he wouldn't know the color of his own hat. He would know that if the second prisoner saw two white hats, he would say so immediately. So even though prisoner #1 wouldn't see two white hats, he'd know he was wearing a red hat, because if he were wearing a white hat, #2 would see #3 and #1 both wearing white hats and would have said his was red. Since #2 didn't know the color of his hat, we know he also didn't see two white hats. All of that, however, is based on the assumption that #3 is wearing a white hat. If so, #1 or #2 would realize after a while that they were wearing red. Since neither of them knew the color of his own hat, #3 knows that he isn't wearing a white hat, so he's wearing a red one.

Of course the whole thing hinges on all three of the prisoners being highly logical people, which I find unlikely. If they were that smart, they probably wouldn't have gotten caught in whatever crime led them to be doing time in the first place.

I totally got that.