All Things Logical

Shuttle

These activities use the format of "logic in the round", or table logic, to solve problems regarding the seating arrangement of scientists around a table.

These rules govern logic in the round puzzles:

  1. Read each clue very carefully. More than one hint may appear in the same clue.
  2. Clues may not be presented in the most useful order. You may have to skip a clue and go back to it later.
  3. People always sit facing the table. Remember that when you are deciding who sits to the left or right of whom.
  4. Seated to the left or right means on the immediate left or right with no other person(s) seated in between.
  5. The solutions to these problems involve relative position. The order of the persons around the table is what counts. Make sure the correct people are seated across from, and to the left and right of, one another.

Hubble Huddle

Astronomers from Australia, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and the United States are meeting to share information about the merging star groups detected by the Hubble Space Telescope.

  1. The Australian sits to the right of the astronomer from China.
  2. The German sits between astronomers from Korea and the United States.
  3. The astronomer from Mexico sits next to his friend from Korea.
  4. The Japanese astronomer has difficulty understanding the Australian's accent and requests they not be seated next to one another.
  5. The Mexican astronomer is seated beside the astronomer from Japan.
In what order are they seated around the table?

Round Table diagram

The solution

Central American Circle

Astronomers Ruiz, Garcia, de los Santos, and Santanilla meet to discuss fund raising for the proposed Central American Astronomy Center. Find out which country each astronomer is from and where they sit.

  1. Dr. Ruiz does not remember ever meeting Dr. Garcia. They do not sit next to one another.
  2. The astronomer from Guatemala and the astronomer from El Salvador are very good friends, but they do not sit next to each other.
  3. The astronomer from Costa Rica wants to know Dr. Santinilla better, so he sits next to him.
  4. The astronomer from Honduras sits next to Dr. de los Santos.
  5. The astronomer from Guatemala sits to the right of Dr. Garcia.
  6. The astronomer from El Salvador sits across from Dr. de los Santos, but the astronomer from Costa Rica does not sit next to Dr. Garcia.
In what order are they seated around the table and what country is each from?

Round Table diagram

The solution

Shuttle

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