[conspire] (forw) Not quite getting it

[Nick Moffitt]

On 21Mar2020 02:26am (-0700), Rick Moen wrote:
> There's a famous puzzle:  'Algae starts growing on a pond surface.
> Growth will then double the surface area covered each day, achieving
> 100% coverage after 30 days.  On which day will the pond be half
> covered?'  The governors of NY, CT, and IL (as per below) seem likely to
> give the typical (and very wrong) answer:  'day 15'.  The correct
> answer: day 29.   

This goes the other way, too.  If you ask "On day 29 the pond is half-covered.  On which day will it be completely covered?", people will respond in the high 50s.  The answer is "the very next day".