Comments on: Weighing a 747. In an Interview. http://lbrandy.com/blog/2008/09/weighing-a-747-in-an-interview/ { on programming and the internets, every monday } Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:39:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Answerer http://lbrandy.com/blog/2008/09/weighing-a-747-in-an-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-26277 Answerer Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:14:10 +0000 http://lbrandy.com/blog/?p=123#comment-26277 If knowing the mass of the fuel is an acceptable assumption, then why not just assume that you know the mass of the 747 to start with? If knowing the mass of the fuel is an acceptable assumption, then why not just assume that you know the mass of the 747 to start with?

]]> By: Baby name meaning and origin for Brandy http://lbrandy.com/blog/2008/09/weighing-a-747-in-an-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-5202 Baby name meaning and origin for Brandy Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:38:31 +0000 http://lbrandy.com/blog/?p=123#comment-5202 [...] lbrandy.com " Blog Archive " Weighing a 747. In an Interview. [...] [...] lbrandy.com ” Blog Archive ” Weighing a 747. In an Interview. [...]

]]> By: Bob Igo http://lbrandy.com/blog/2008/09/weighing-a-747-in-an-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-487 Bob Igo Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:26:36 +0000 http://lbrandy.com/blog/?p=123#comment-487 I see what you're saying, but to get novel solutions from some candidates, you may have to pose a similar problem without constraints, such as "Tell me all the ways you might determine the weight of a 747." One of those would be "scale" and the rest would be the novel solutions you seek. I think it depends on how people process constraints and whether they accept them at the surface or look for implied meaning. I used to ask people "Tell me why chocolate fire hydrants are a bad idea," so that I could see how they thought about engineering, manufacturing, material science, robustness, etc. I see what you’re saying, but to get novel solutions from some candidates, you may have to pose a similar problem without constraints, such as “Tell me all the ways you might determine the weight of a 747.” One of those would be “scale” and the rest would be the novel solutions you seek. I think it depends on how people process constraints and whether they accept them at the surface or look for implied meaning.

I used to ask people “Tell me why chocolate fire hydrants are a bad idea,” so that I could see how they thought about engineering, manufacturing, material science, robustness, etc.

]]> By: louis http://lbrandy.com/blog/2008/09/weighing-a-747-in-an-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-486 louis Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:00:01 +0000 http://lbrandy.com/blog/?p=123#comment-486 Well, it's also that my answer borders on the absurd. I think if an interviewer asked this question he wouldn't mind it if you embraced the absurdity and attacked the problem in a novel way. Presumably, that's what he really cares about. Well, it’s also that my answer borders on the absurd. I think if an interviewer asked this question he wouldn’t mind it if you embraced the absurdity and attacked the problem in a novel way. Presumably, that’s what he really cares about.

]]> By: Bob Igo http://lbrandy.com/blog/2008/09/weighing-a-747-in-an-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-483 Bob Igo Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:57:53 +0000 http://lbrandy.com/blog/?p=123#comment-483 Hmm, perhaps I see constraints that aren't there. To me, a scale means anything you can use to determine mass. The fact that your scale is in the form of a fuel pump, measuring flow over time, makes it still a scale, since it's a mass counter. I think it's the same reason some people do poorly on true/false tests; they can see unintended angles implied or allowed by wording. Hmm, perhaps I see constraints that aren’t there. To me, a scale means anything you can use to determine mass. The fact that your scale is in the form of a fuel pump, measuring flow over time, makes it still a scale, since it’s a mass counter. I think it’s the same reason some people do poorly on true/false tests; they can see unintended angles implied or allowed by wording.

]]> By: louis http://lbrandy.com/blog/2008/09/weighing-a-747-in-an-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-481 louis Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:40:12 +0000 http://lbrandy.com/blog/?p=123#comment-481 Nah, Bob! The fuel pump will tell you how many gallons you pulled. You do need to know or look-up the density of the fuel, though, to figure out the mass. Or, you could just go with an estimate as if it was water, and say 1 m^3 is 1000 kg. Nah, Bob! The fuel pump will tell you how many gallons you pulled. You do need to know or look-up the density of the fuel, though, to figure out the mass. Or, you could just go with an estimate as if it was water, and say 1 m^3 is 1000 kg.

]]> By: Bob Igo http://lbrandy.com/blog/2008/09/weighing-a-747-in-an-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-480 Bob Igo Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:37:40 +0000 http://lbrandy.com/blog/?p=123#comment-480 "calculate the mass of of the gas, as well[...]" Isn't this cheating if you can't use any sort of scale? In any case, if the answer can be fanciful enough to involve destroying the plane, why not envision a solution in which you put the plane on a series of lifters, each of which can lift a given weight before they fail? The weight of the plane will be between the max weight supported by the best failed lifter, and the first lifter that didn't fail. Sort of a variant on the snarky way to determine how much weight a bridge can take... “calculate the mass of of the gas, as well[...]”

Isn’t this cheating if you can’t use any sort of scale?

In any case, if the answer can be fanciful enough to involve destroying the plane, why not envision a solution in which you put the plane on a series of lifters, each of which can lift a given weight before they fail? The weight of the plane will be between the max weight supported by the best failed lifter, and the first lifter that didn’t fail. Sort of a variant on the snarky way to determine how much weight a bridge can take…

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