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A trippy psychological test

Andreas just threw this one at me. It’s based on a survey that was conducted on a bunch of law students.

Here’s the scenario:

You and I are strangers, only knowing each other’s first name. We’ve agreed to meet in New York City tomorrow. But we have a little problem. We forgot to set a location and a time, and we’ve since lost each other’s contact information. We have no way of communicating with each other before meeting face to face in the Big Apple. It’s imperative that we meet; call it a case of life or death.

Question: Where do you meet me, and at what time?

To be continued…

16 comments… add one
  • thundy January 24, 2008, 3:14 pm

    We meet at 11am in times square where i’ll be holding a sign with the other persons name on it.

  • matt January 24, 2008, 3:48 pm

    top of the empire state building just like in an affair to remember and sleepless in seattle
    just kidding!

  • derrick January 24, 2008, 3:59 pm

    Time Square. For some reason, that seems like the most logical place to meet.

  • Pablodiablo January 24, 2008, 4:04 pm

    I’d be holding a big ass sign that reads, “Happy Birthday Jace! Let’s Party Brutha!!!!”
    This would be of course at the one and only PENN Station in NYC. Right by the big clock.

  • Julia January 24, 2008, 4:31 pm

    I was going to say noon at Rockefeller Center, but Time Squares does seem more logical now that I read it in Derrick and Thundy’s messages. I still think noon though.

  • ner January 24, 2008, 4:35 pm

    High noon in the Red Square of the Forbidden City.

  • Fletch January 24, 2008, 4:59 pm

    I give up..
    (Does this mean, psychologically, I’m giving up on life?)

  • Fletch January 24, 2008, 5:00 pm

    BTW,
    Happy Birthday cuz!!

  • Lette January 25, 2008, 12:04 pm

    first of all, the big clock is in Grand Central, not Penn Station . Second, wouldn’t it make sense to go back to the place where you met the person the first time? When they realize you didn’t set a place or time, they’ll probably try to find you there first, too.

  • jaced.com January 25, 2008, 2:42 pm

    @Lette: Yeah, it’d make sense to go back to where we last met. I should’ve clarified this by including circumstances that forbid such a meeting, like, say, we met online. And now we have no Web access.

    Speaking of Grand Central Station,

    Andreas read that 70-80% of the law students surveyed replied Grand Central Station at noon.

    The results were used to illustrate the impact of collective cultural thinking, and how humans have the ability to independently make decisions that benefit all parties involved. This cultural dependency, of course, indicates that two people from Siberia would likely never find each other, since they have no relevant cultural information to draw from, whether consciously or not.

    The popularity of the Grand Central answer is surprising to me. With its rivers of people, it strikes me as the worst place to try to find somebody, unless you’re sitting on the clock or something. It’d be like trying to meet at Disneyland.

    Times Square’s a logical choice, as pointed out a few times here. But once there, like Grand Central with all its crowds and traffic, things could start getting (even more) complicated. Needle in a haystack vibe.

    My brother suggested Ground Zero at 9:11. Not a bad idea. It also gives you two chances, one in the morning, one at night, and then frees up noon and midnight for other options. But again, it’s pretty crowded, and there’s really no specific location other than the memorial, which spans blocks.

    My immediate answer was the top of Empire State Building at midnight. Or noon. Each choice seems to serve as an obvious punctum. The direction of the clock hands seem significant, even visually representative of the Empire State. But with our luck, the place probably closes for lunch and locks the doors at 10PM. Then we’d be up the creek.

  • luke January 25, 2008, 7:14 pm

    I was thinking top of the Empire building, since it is probably the most well known spot covering the smallest amount of space to get lost in the crowd. Furthermore, there might even be a PA system on which you could announce you are looking for your friend.

    Noon seems the best time, I guess. Especially if you are a sheriff and the other person is somebody who you sent to jail.

    I suppose this goes to show for certain that I am not a law student. Thank god!

  • jaced.com January 26, 2008, 10:57 am

    PA. Good thinking.

  • Dave January 27, 2008, 10:19 am

    Yeah Yeah Yeah…..
    But where would you meet in Los Angeles?
    Now that’s a tough one.

  • jaced.com January 27, 2008, 9:10 pm

    My garage. Bring your guitar.

  • Manno September 26, 2008, 5:43 pm

    At The Big Apple, Duh !! :/

    ( We have no way of communicating with each other before meeting face to face in the Big Apple )

    You’ve Answered It Yourself. ;P

  • jaced.com March 28, 2011, 2:16 pm

    In game theory, a focal point (also called Schelling point) is a solution that people will tend to use in the absence of communication, because it seems natural, special or relevant to them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focal_point_%28game_theory%29

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