Friday, February 13, 2009

Trick Question

So, the other day, I see this ad over someone's shoulder, one of those "quiz ads."

Which is heavier?
  • A ton of cookies.
  • A ton of feathers.
  • Neither; they both weigh a ton.

Generally, the obvious answer is "neither." A ton is a ton, yes?

But there's a little bit too little information here to be sure.

For instance, if you're shipping them, "neither" may not be the correct answer. (Bear with me-I know that there's no particular reason this is important, it just amuses me.)

I would hold that, during shipping, a ton of feathers would in fact weigh more. Why? Because it's less dense, it would require more packaging to ship.

Unless, of course, we're talking cookies that are being packaged for immediate sale. (Which we probably are.) If they're individually packed cookies, especially, there's going to be a heck of a lot of packaging involved there.

So... too little information. Really.

-Signing off.

No comments: