Sandy Wood
Brain Game: Turning Eight
by Sandy Wood - July 16, 2008 - 6:30 AM

bloghead_braingames.jpg

candles.jpgEarlier this year, I was speaking to the young son of a long-time friend of mine. (Okay, it didn’t really happen like this, but play along with me here.) He seemed particularly happy, so I asked why. “Because,” he said, “dad won’t let me play football until I’m eight. Two days ago I was only five years old, but next year, I’ll be eight!”

Was the little tyke just confused with his calendar? Click here for the answer.

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Comments (12)

  1. Wow! That’s awesome!

    posted by gokarm on 7-16-2008 at 8:31 am

  2. I saw this same type of question on a Nintendo DS game, Professor Layton and the Curious Village. It’s actually a pretty fun game. It’s all brain teasers. I recommend it if you like puzzles.

    posted by David on 7-16-2008 at 9:00 am

  3. My best friend’s birthday in 12/31 and I forwarded this along to her…I think she’ll love it!

    posted by Christina on 7-16-2008 at 9:12 am

  4. his b-day is december 31st. i saw this one on curious village for the ds too. great game!

    posted by grant on 7-16-2008 at 9:13 am

  5. What am I missing here? This doesn’t make sense to me.

    Born on 12/31/02: His first birthday is 12/31/03, but you can argue that he’s actually a year old (i.e., lived through a full year) on 12/30/03. With the same argument, you can say he’s 5 years old on 12/30/07, the day before his fifth birthday.

    He turned six on 12/31/07: No. That was either his fifth birthday or the beginning of his sixth year. “Beginning” does not mean he’s lived for 6 years, so you can’t claim he’s six years old on 12/31/07 by either definition.

    He’ll turn 8 next year in 2009. No. 2009-2002 = 7 birthdays and it’s only the beginning of his 8th year.

    posted by loomis on 7-16-2008 at 11:51 am

  6. Loomis, he was born 12/31/2001, not 2002.

    So on 12/30/2007 he was still only five years and 364 days old. The next day he turned six, and when I spoke to him on 1/1/2008 he was six, but had been five just “two days ago.”

    On 12/31/2007 he’ll turn seven, and on 12/31/2008 (“next year”) he’ll turn eight.

    Hope that helps!

    posted by Sandy on 7-16-2008 at 12:13 pm

  7. Sandy, did you change that birth date? I could swear it originally said 2002.

    posted by loomis on 7-16-2008 at 12:30 pm

  8. I did, Loomis. That part of the answer explanation was incorrect, and I’m ashamed of myself, but I did change it.

    (hanging head)

    posted by Sandy on 7-16-2008 at 1:03 pm

  9. I went with the much less plausible answer of his dad only wants him to play with the #8 Jersey. Next year the #8 player would graduate/move up a league/whatever and then the kid could be #8… despite being only 6 years old.

    posted by Kevin on 7-16-2008 at 1:35 pm

  10. I’m 19 now and will be 21 next year

    posted by twodollars on 7-16-2008 at 2:07 pm

  11. I knew the answer from Professor Layton as well. Awesome game.

    posted by Amy on 7-17-2008 at 3:52 am

  12. Thanks, Sandy. I had my bags all packed for the Old Folks Home. I can unpack them now if I can just remember where I put them…

    posted by loomis on 7-17-2008 at 10:27 am

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