JeremyStangroom.Com

Now I suspect most people of a certain age will have seen this picture.

There’s a curious thing in the report. It says that:

Martin Elliott was a photographic student when he persuaded his girlfriend at the time, 18-year-old Fiona Butler, to pose for the shot

And also that:

The picture was taken in 1976 and was first published in a calendar marking the 1977 Silver Jubilee

And then:

Ms Butler, now 50, later married Ian Walker, a businessman, and the couple live with their children in Stourport

Unless my math is hopeless there’s something not quite right here. If Ms Butler is now 50, it means that she was born between April 3rd 1959 and April 2nd 1960.

If the picture was taken in 1976, then she was either 16 (if it was taken before April 2nd) or 17 (if it was taken after April 1st). But there’s no way she was 18. I think that’s right.

Of course, this isn’t very interesting, except people in the UK get a bit nervous about this sort of picture if the model is under-18. And the Daily Telegraph especially gets nervous. I don’t care, though.

I’m putting together an online activity about fear of death. Part of it will involve two tests of mental agility. These have to be at the same level of difficulty. So I need to pre-test the two tests. That’s where you come in!

If you could follow this link, and do the two tests – it’ll only take a couple of minutes – I’d be very grateful.

There are other tests on the Philosophy Experiments site that you should try out if you haven’t already.

The Monty Hall Problem

What Does Mary Do?

Elementary, My Dear Wason?

If you have any problems with any of the tests, or any comments – particularly if you think any of the questions in the mental agility tests are much more difficult than average – then just let me know here.

Thanks!

This is a cross post from Talking Philosophy.