Sat. 12/05/26 16:21 EDT
.post #153
Let’s take the simplest case: Only one blue-eyed person on the island.
Everyone except the blue-eyed person already knows “there is at least one blue-eyed person on the island.” After the announcement, the blue-eyed person now also possesses this knowledge. Seeing nothing but green-eyed persons, he correctly deduces that he is the blue-eyed person, then leaves.
Now let’s consider the case of two blue-eyed persons:
Everyone already knows that there is at least one blue-eyed person on the island, so the announcement “there is at least one blue-eyed person on the island” adds no new knowledge. Since no new knowledge has been added, nothing changes.
The same is true for any number greater than one of blue-eyed persons.
I know this isn’t the “officially correct” answer, but I think the officially correct answer is wrong (or perhaps I just don’t understand it).
[url=Interesting logical puzzle (see if you can solve it). - #11 by Friedmanite]
The assertion “it adds no new information” is correct (except in the case of only one blue-eyed person). The reasoning “if it adds no new information, then nothing will change” seems perfectly sound to me. If you disagree, please elaborate.