Can you solve the bridge riddle? - Alex Gendler

Summary

In a remote mountain lab, a mischievous lever pull unleashes mutant zombies. With limited time and a fragile rope bridge as the only escape, a group—comprising the protagonist, a lab assistant, a janitor, and an old professor—must strategize to cross the gorge. The plan involves pairing the slowest with the lantern bearers for efficiency, ensuring all cross before the zombies arrive. A nail-biting race against time culminates in a daring escape, just as the bridge collapses, leaving the monsters behind.

Takeaways

• 🏔️ The setting is a remote mountain lab where a lever with a skull symbol was pulled, leading to a zombie outbreak.
• 🔄 The group consists of a quick protagonist, a lab assistant, a slow janitor, and an old professor, all trying to escape mutant zombies.
• 🌉 The only escape route is an old rope bridge that can only hold two people at a time and spans a massive gorge.
• ⏱️ The bridge crossing times are one minute for the protagonist, two for the lab assistant, five for the janitor, and ten for the professor.
• 🕰️ The zombies will catch up in just over 17 minutes, creating a time constraint for the group to cross the bridge.
• 💡 The old lantern is the only source of light, limiting visibility and requiring it to be carried or closely followed.
• 👥 No more than two people can cross the bridge at the same time, and the lantern must be used for visibility.
• 🚫 The scenario rules out alternative escape methods such as swinging across or using the bridge as a raft.
• 🔑 The strategy involves minimizing the time wasted by the slowest individuals by having them cross together.
• 🏃‍♂️ The fastest individuals are used for returning the lantern to expedite the crossing process.
• ✂️ The final act involves cutting the ropes to collapse the bridge just as the zombies arrive, ensuring everyone's safety.

Q & A

What was the protagonist's initial mistake that led to the zombie situation?

The protagonist's initial mistake was pulling the lever with the skull symbol out of curiosity without knowing its consequences.

Who are the four individuals trying to escape from the mutant zombies?

The four individuals are the protagonist, the janitor, the lab assistant, and the old professor.

What is the only way to safety for the group?

The only way to safety is across an old rope bridge that spans a massive gorge.

How long does it take for each person to cross the bridge alone?

The protagonist takes one minute, the lab assistant takes two minutes, the janitor takes five minutes, and the professor takes ten minutes.

What is the time constraint for the group to escape before the zombies catch up?

The group has just over 17 minutes to get everyone across the bridge and cut the ropes before the zombies catch up.

What is the limitation of the rope bridge?

The bridge can only hold two people at a time.

Why is it necessary to return the lantern after crossing the bridge?

The lantern is needed for visibility, as it's very dark and the lantern only illuminates a tiny area. It must be brought back for others to cross.

What is the strategy to minimize time wasted by the slowest individuals?

The strategy is to have the two slowest individuals, the professor and the janitor, cross the bridge together.

Why is it crucial for the lab assistant to return the lantern to the protagonist?

The lab assistant returns the lantern to the protagonist so they can make the final crossing together within the remaining time before the zombies arrive.

What is the final action taken by the group to ensure the zombies cannot follow them?

The final action is cutting the ropes and collapsing the bridge behind them as soon as everyone is safely across.

What is the protagonist's resolution for the future?

The protagonist resolves to stick to the library next summer, implying a decision to avoid dangerous situations like the one in the script.

Outlines

00:00

🏞️ Escape from the Mountain Lab

The video script opens with a scenario where the protagonist and three companions find themselves in a dire situation after accidentally unleashing mutant zombies in a remote mountain lab. The group, consisting of a janitor, a lab assistant, and an old professor, must cross an old rope bridge over a massive gorge to escape. The bridge can only support two people at a time, and the group members have varying speeds: the protagonist can cross in one minute, the lab assistant in two, the janitor in five, and the professor in ten. The zombies are expected to reach them in just over 17 minutes, creating a time-sensitive challenge. The script also mentions the necessity of the old lantern for visibility and the impossibility of alternative escape methods, emphasizing the urgency and the need for a strategic plan to ensure everyone's safety before the zombies arrive.

Keywords

💡Internship

An internship refers to a temporary job or work experience that students or graduates undertake to gain practical experience in their field of study. In the video's context, the internship is set in a remote mountain lab, which becomes a critical setting for the ensuing events. The decision to take the internship is portrayed as a questionable one, given the dangerous situation that unfolds.

💡Lever

A lever is a simple machine that helps to lift or move objects using a small amount of force. In the script, pulling a lever with a skull symbol is depicted as a moment of curiosity that leads to unintended consequences, triggering the release of mutant zombies and setting the stage for the escape scenario.

💡Mutant Zombies

Mutant zombies are fictional creatures that are typically depicted as undead beings with altered physical or mental attributes. In this video, they represent the antagonistic force that the characters must escape from, creating tension and urgency in the narrative.

💡Rope Bridge

A rope bridge is a type of bridge constructed from ropes or cables, often used in areas where a more permanent structure is not feasible. In the video, the rope bridge is the sole means of escape across a massive gorge, adding an element of physical challenge and time constraint to the escape plan.

💡Time Constraint

A time constraint refers to a limitation on the amount of time available to complete a task or achieve a goal. The video emphasizes the urgency of the situation by stating that the zombies will catch up in just over 17 minutes, which is the time limit the characters have to get everyone across the bridge and cut the ropes.

💡Janitor

A janitor is a person responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of a building. In the video, the janitor is one of the characters who must escape the zombies, and his slower pace adds to the complexity of the escape plan, as he requires five minutes to cross the bridge.

💡Lab Assistant

A lab assistant is a person who helps with tasks in a laboratory setting, often under the supervision of a scientist or researcher. In the script, the lab assistant is portrayed as a character who can cross the bridge in two minutes, making her a key player in the efficient use of time during the escape.

💡Old Professor

An old professor typically refers to a senior academic figure with a wealth of knowledge and experience. In this video, the old professor is one of the characters needing to escape, and his slow pace of ten minutes to cross the bridge is a significant factor in the timing of the escape plan.

💡Lantern

A lantern is a portable light source, often used in situations where there is limited visibility. The video mentions an old lantern that illuminates only a small area, which adds to the difficulty of crossing the bridge in the dark and necessitates strategic use of the lantern during the escape.

💡Escape Plan

An escape plan is a strategy or set of instructions designed to facilitate a quick and safe exit from a dangerous situation. The video's main theme revolves around devising an effective escape plan that accounts for the different speeds of the characters, the limitations of the bridge, and the looming threat of the zombies.

💡Night Vision

Night vision refers to the ability to see in low-light conditions, often enhanced by technology in the form of night vision goggles or scopes. In the script, the professor's comment about the zombies having night vision adds a layer of difficulty to the escape, as it implies the zombies can pursue the characters even in the dark.

Highlights

The protagonist's regret over taking an internship in a remote mountain lab and pulling a lever with a skull symbol.

The urgent need to escape from mutant zombies.

The presence of the janitor, lab assistant, and old professor as companions in the escape.

The existence of a single escape route: an old rope bridge over a massive gorge.

Different crossing times for each character: one minute for the protagonist, two for the lab assistant, five for the janitor, and ten for the professor.

The zombies' impending arrival in just over 17 minutes, creating a time constraint for the escape.

The bridge's limitation of only holding two people at a time.

The necessity of the lantern for visibility, which can only illuminate a small area.

The challenge of ensuring no one is left behind before the zombies arrive.

The impossibility of using any tricks to cross the bridge, such as swinging across or using it as a raft.

The strategy of minimizing time wasted by having the two slowest characters cross together.

The use of the fastest characters to make return trips with the lantern to save time.

The detailed step-by-step escape plan, starting with the protagonist and lab assistant crossing with the lantern.

The professor and janitor crossing together, despite the time it takes due to the professor's slower pace.

The lab assistant retrieving the lantern and running back to assist the protagonist.

The final crossing made by the protagonist and lab assistant just in time to cut the ropes and prevent the zombies from crossing.

The protagonist's contemplation of a safer summer plan, hinting at a possible sequel or continuation.

Transcripts

Taking that internship in a remote mountain lab

might not have been the best idea.

Pulling that lever with the skull symbol just to see what it did

probably wasn't so smart, either,

but now is not the time for regrets

because you need to get away from these mutant zombies fast.

With you are the janitor, the lab assistant, and the old professor.

You've gotten a headstart, but there's only one way to safety:

across an old rope bridge spanning a massive gorge.

You can dash across in a minute,

while the lab assistant takes two minutes.

The janitor is a bit slower and needs five minutes,

and the professor takes a whole ten minutes,

holding onto the ropes every step of the way.

By the professor's calculations,

the zombies will catch up to you in just over 17 minutes,

so you only have that much time to get everyone across and cut the ropes.

Unfortunately, the bridge can only hold two people at a time.

To make matters worse,

it's so dark out that you can barely see,

and the old lantern you grabbed on your way only illuminates a tiny area.

Can you figure out a way to have everyone escape in time?

Remember: no more than two people can cross the bridge together,

anyone crossing must either hold the lantern or stay right next to it,

and any of you can safely wait in the dark on either side of the gorge.

Most importantly, everyone must be safely across before the zombies arrive.

Otherwise, the first zombie could step on the bridge while people are still on it.

Finally, there are no tricks to use here.

You can't swing across,

use the bridge as a raft,

or befriend the zombies.

Pause the video now if you want to figure it out for yourself!

Answer in: 3

Answer in: 2

Answer in: 1

At first it might seem like no matter what you do,

you're just a minute or two short of time, but there is a way.

The key is to minimize the time wasted by the two slowest people

by having them cross together.

And because you'll need to make a couple of return trips with the lantern,

you'll want to have the fastest people available to do so.

So, you and the lab assistant quickly run across with the lantern,

though you have to slow down a bit to match her pace.

After two minutes, both of you are across,

and you, as the quickest, run back with the lantern.

Only three minutes have passed.

So far, so good.

Now comes the hard part.

The professor and the janitor take the lantern and cross together.

This takes them ten minutes

since the janitor has to slow down for the old professor

who keeps muttering

that he probably shouldn't have given the zombies night vision.

By the time they're across, there are only four minutes left,

and you're still stuck on the wrong side of the bridge.

But remember, the lab assistant has been waiting on the other side,

and she's the second fastest of the group.

So she grabs the lantern from the professor

and runs back across to you.

Now with only two minutes left, the two of you make the final crossing.

As you step on the far side of the gorge,

you cut the ropes and collapse the bridge behind you,

just in the nick of time.

Maybe next summer, you'll just stick to the library.