Recently, the internet has become consumed by this latest riddle in a series of mind-bending puzzles. And this one is taking its cue from the game show Let’s Make a Deal.
Just like on the game show, this puzzle presents you with two bad options and one good option to choose from.
When presented with three different colored gummy bears, one of which is deemed safe to eat while the other two are labelled as poisonous, folks are asked to choose which of the three is safe to consume.
This puzzle amazingly toys with the balance between following your gut on a lucky hunch, and calculating the probability of an outcome using logic.
Some of us are quicker to solve puzzles than others, but even though this riddle has a logical explanation, it has still been stumping people around the world.
Scroll through below to see if you’re able to solve the gummy bear riddle. Were you able to figure it out? Let us know in the comments!
[H/T: Wait But Why]
This latest riddle begins with a simple conundrum.
Imagine your life is on the line. A questioner presents you with three colored gummy bears: one red, one green, and one yellow.
To go with these gummy bears, you’re told a key piece of information: one of these bears is perfectly safe to eat, while the other two are poisonous and will kill you within 10 seconds flat.
You’re told to choose one gummy bear to eat, and decide to go with yellow.
Just as you pick up the yellow gummy bear, you’re told a second clue: of the remaining red and green gummy bears, one will now be removed, because it is poisonous.
Your questioner knows which bears are poisonous and which is not, and chooses to remove the red bear.
You are now given a second chance to decide whether you want to stick with your first choice, the yellow gummy bear, or swap it out for the remaining green gummy bear.
Do you switch bears, or stick with your yellow gummy bear?
Click below for the answer!
As it turns out, switching from yellow to green is the right call. The yellow bear is twice as likely to be the deadly one.
The answer lies in the probabilities associated with each step of this riddle.
Though the yellow bear’s odds are left unchanged by the new information presented regarding the poisonous red bear — still giving you a 2/3 chance of being wrong — the green bear’s odds have increased to a 2/3 chance of being right, thus making switching the more favorable choice.
Still don't get it?
There was a 2/3 chance that you picked the poisonous one. But 1/3 of the time it would be safe. That means 2/3's of the time you are better off switching.
This gummy bear riddle is essentially an updated version of the door selection game from Let’s Make a Deal.
Odds say you’ll always be better off switching your choice.
There has been much backlash over the years, with many claiming that the odds are 50/50 once there are only two options left.
But this 50/50 idea is quite wrong.
This puzzle can certainly throw your head into a tizzy, but it may just help you win if you ever find yourself on Let's Make a Deal.
Which gummy bear did you think was the safe one? Let us know in the comments.
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