Little Puzzle

TheCenturion · 15 Dec 2009 at 20:42

You want to send a valuable object to a friend. You have a box which is more than large enough to contain the object. You have several locks with keys. The box has a locking ring which is more than large enough to have a lock attached. But your friend does not have the key to any lock that you have. How do you do it? Note that you cannot send a key in an unlocked box, since it might be copied.

:cool:

chrisxuk · 15 Dec 2009 at 20:44

Answer:
put the valuable object into the box, secure it with one of your locks, and send the box to your friend. Your friend should then attach one of his own locks and return it. When you receive it again, remove your lock and send it back. Now your friend unlock his own lock and retrieve the object

TheCenturion · 15 Dec 2009 at 20:46

very good, very good,

my first answer was for the friend to send a padlock

MiNxYyY · 15 Dec 2009 at 20:46

Anymore?

brummie · 15 Dec 2009 at 20:46

Just take it round yourself it will be much easier TBH

J1234 · 15 Dec 2009 at 20:47

Get the person you're sending it to, to send you their lock first then you lock the box and send it back to them. So as they haven't sent the key nobody can unlock the box.

Bes · 15 Dec 2009 at 21:01

Justin said:
Get the person you're sending it to, to send you their lock first then you lock the box and send it back to them. So as they haven't sent the key nobody can unlock the box.

This sounds suspiciously like SSL to me....

SlyReaper · 15 Dec 2009 at 21:29

Bes said:
This sounds suspiciously like bog-standard public key encryption to me....

Fixed

jas72 · 15 Dec 2009 at 22:49

brummie said:
Just take it round yourself it will be much easier TBH

LOL

anksta · 15 Dec 2009 at 22:52

I dont get why the package has to be sent twice, why wouldn't the guy just send one of his locks unlocked in the first place, bang that on there, send it once.

And Robert is your Muvvas Bruvva

Zefan · 15 Dec 2009 at 22:57

brummie said:
Just take it round yourself it will be much easier TBH

LOL

PermaBanned · 15 Dec 2009 at 22:58

Lock everything, post it, go round to their house to give them the keys, slap self when you realize you could have just taken it round, slap self again when it gets lost in the mail.

kinobestew123 · 15 Dec 2009 at 23:01

anksta said:
I dont get why the package has to be sent twice, why wouldn't the guy just send one of his locks unlocked in the first place, bang that on there, send it once.

And Robert is your Muvvas Bruvva

Because that would involve them sending you the key with it so you can put it on the box, so then you wouldn't be able to send them key back with the box. The idea is that no key can go in the post because of the risk of it being copied along the way.

SlyReaper · 15 Dec 2009 at 23:02

kinobestew123 said:
Because that would involve them sending you the key with it so you can put it on the box, so then you wouldn't be able to send them key back with the box. The idea is that no key can go in the post because of the risk of it being copied along the way.

He send you the lock, not the key. You just close the lock around the box and send it to him. You don't need a key to CLOSE a lock.

Bennie-Mac · 15 Dec 2009 at 23:06

After all that effort DHL will still lose it.

anksta · 15 Dec 2009 at 23:07

kinobestew123 said:
Because that would involve them sending you the key with it so you can put it on the box, so then you wouldn't be able to send them key back with the box. The idea is that no key can go in the post because of the risk of it being copied along the way.

SlyReaper said:
He send you the lock, not the key. You just close the lock around the box and send it to him. You don't need a key to CLOSE a lock.

yeah, dur

Zefan · 15 Dec 2009 at 23:09

SlyReaper said:
He send you the lock, not the key. You just close the lock around the box and send it to him. You don't need a key to CLOSE a lock.

You do on some padlocks.

Tefal · 15 Dec 2009 at 23:09

kinobestew123 said:
Because that would involve them sending you the key with it so you can put it on the box, so then you wouldn't be able to send them key back with the box. The idea is that no key can go in the post because of the risk of it being copied along the way.

Fail

PardonTheWait · 15 Dec 2009 at 23:16

Zefan said:
You do on some padlocks.

Then mayhap they could send one of the other sort

Just throwing it out there