Talk:1134: Logic Boat

Why not take the boat as well? The goat could drag it around, and you could use it as a makeshift shelter until you finish building a proper house. Also, why does cabbage weigh as much as a goat? Davidy²²(talk) 05:50, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

I'd say that the wolf is the only one amongst them he should keep. Seeing as how the wolf doesn't treat Cueball like the goat--i.e. rip him to shreds--and actually fears him enough to even respect the goat in his presence, I'd say that the wolf is well broken-in and might make a good companion. The goat, on the other hand, is just dead weight. (Sure, Cueball could eat her, but that's why he has the cabbage.)
[1] Take the cabbage across [2] Return alone [3] Find the goat problem solved--and your friend well-fed [4] Take the wolf across 207.237.164.241 06:33, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

I am not the only one, then! I like wolves a lot more than goats. Then again, I simply like wolves. Greyson (talk) 03:48, 15 November 2012 (UTC)

Why would cabbage count towards the total capacity of the boat? Take the wolf and the cabbage, return alone, take the goat.--69.197.220.27 08:08, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

Maybe it's a sentient boat that knows how many passengers/objects are aboard no matter their weight?--Dangerkeith3000 (talk) 16:09, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

The comments describing other shortcuts are really just emphasizing the joke in this comic. The logic puzzle introduces arbitrary constraints and asks the solver to come up with a solution. (This is reminiscent of the classic xkcd on Nerd Sniping.) Most normal people would have the responses you listed about the constraints being arbitrary, but the people vulnerable to Nerd Sniping (i.e. nerds) usually are willing to ignore reality to solve a puzzle with artificial constraints. The purpose of the puzzle is to encourage logical thinking. (Maybe I should take the wolf first so it can't eat the goat. Oh, but then the goat would eat the cabbage. But if I take the cabbage first, the wolf would eat the goat. Therefore, I must take the goat first. ... Continue reasoning with trial and error until the puzzle is solved...) However, you correctly are pointing out how artificial the constraints on the puzzle are. In the actual comic, the solution of leaving the wolf behind would come as a humorous surprise to the nerd following along coming up with a solution. S (talk) 00:07, 15 November 2012 (UTC)