Interview question

[hificopymaster]

I was at a co-op interview yesterday, and I actually got asked this question. Then I came home and told my friends about it, and apparently it's an email chain letter. Imagine my surprise! :!: Anyway, I got it right, I hope I get hired. *crosses fingers*
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Imagine this...
You're driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. It's raining heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for a bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing very well that there could only be one passenger in your car?


This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.

* You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first;

* or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back.

* However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.


Highlight below for answer:
The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer.
He simply answered: "I would give the car keys to my Old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams."

[DarkChild]

wow, he came up with that right away? to me it's just a dream to have a moment like that man, that is soooooooooooooooooo cool :)

[RabBell]

none of them...I don't know any cheap b*****ds who rely on public transport, why should I let scruff in to my car ;)

[fester8542]

The old friend. Regardless of weither or not he/she saved my life.

I consider my firends family. I have only a few people I consider friends. The others I consider acquaintances or drinking buddies.

[hificopymaster]

I don't know any cheap b*****ds who rely on public transport
Hehe... I'm the one you always see riding her bike, rain or shine. If my bike's inaccessible (broken or someone's borrowing it), I'm all for public transportation. Guess you wouldn't pick me up. :(

[RabBell]

oh I don't know...how much do you think it would cost ya ;)

[garyzero]

I agree with RabBell same answer. I suspect I wouldn't get the job if its based on a ******* question like that.

[Kitiara]

It's kind of a relief to know I'm not the only one that immediately thought "stuff it, I wouldn't stop for anyone". :P

Besides, a driver should be concentrating on the road, not on bus stops. ;)

[Laslett]

Yar I read that one like two years ago its on the same page as this one


The following concerns a question in a physics degree exam at the University of Copenhagen:

"Describe how to determine the height of a skyscraper with a barometer."

One student replied:

"You tie a long piece of string to the neck of the barometer, then lower the barometer from the roof of the skyscraper to the ground. The length of the string plus the length of the barometer will equal the height of the building."

This highly original answer so incensed the examiner that the student was failed immediately. The student appealed on the grounds that his answer was indisputably correct, and the university appointed an independent arbiter to decide the case.

The arbiter judged that the answer was indeed correct, but did not display any noticeable knowledge of physics. To resolve the problem it was decided to call the student in and allow him six minutes in which to provide a verbal answer that showed at least a minimal familiarity with the basic principles of physics.

For five minutes the student sat in silence, forehead creased in thought. The arbiter reminded him that time was running out, to which the student replied that he had several extremely relevant answers, but couldn't make up his mind which to use. On being advised to hurry up the student replied as follows:

"Firstly, you could take the barometer up to the roof of the skyscraper, drop it over the edge, and measure the time it takes to reach the ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the formula H = 0.5g x t squared. But bad luck on the barometer."

"Or if the sun is shining you could measure the height of the barometer, then set it on end and measure the length of its shadow. Then you measure the length of the skyscraper's shadow, and thereafter it is a simple matter of proportional arithmetic to work out the height of the skyscraper."

"But if you wanted to be highly scientific about it, you could tie a short piece of string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum, first at ground level and then on the roof of the skyscraper. The height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring force T =2 pi sqr root (l /g)."

"Or if the skyscraper has an outside emergency staircase, it would be easier to walk up it and mark off the height of the skyscraper in barometer lengths, then add them up."

"If you merely wanted to be boring and orthodox about it, of course, you could use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof of the skyscraper and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars into feet to give the height of the building."

"But since we are constantly being exhorted to exercise independence of mind and apply scientific methods, undoubtedly the best way would be to knock on the janitor's door and say to him 'If you would like a nice new barometer, I will give you this one if you tell me the height of this skyscraper'."

The student was Niels Bohr, the only Dane to win the Nobel Prize for physics.