[Admin] Seriously Ill

[Admin]

Here is one I heard on the Futility Closet podcast. Please hold off if you know it.

A man and his wife were driving through a town they had never visited before. They saw an ambulance draw up outside a restaurant. The man said to his wife, 'Whoever is being collected in that ambulance is seriously ill.' He was right but how did he know?

[BalinTheDwarf]

Did the town have many ambulances?
Was the ambulance an engine-powered car?

[Admin]

Hi Balin,

Did the town have many ambulances?
YES OR IRRELEVANT

Was the ambulance an engine-powered car?
YES - REGULAR AMBULANCE

[doriana_]

Was the restaurant located in the same building / next to a doctor's office? Was the restaurant hosting an event for medical professionals?

[Admin]

Doriana,

Was the restaurant located in the same building / next to a doctor's office?
NO

Was the restaurant hosting an event for medical professionals?
NO

[Sundowner64]

Did the ambulance come to collect someone? someone from the restaurant? a visitor? a waiter? a cook? the restaurant manager? other staff?
Can we safely exclude that the medics just stopped by the restaurant to get some lunch? time of day relevant? is the restaurant actually open?
Relevant that it is a restaurant? would the same work with: a grocery store? a hairdresser? a government building? a school? an apartment building?
Was there anyone in the ambulance car?

[Admin]

Sundowner,

Did the ambulance come to collect someone? someone from the restaurant?
YES

a visitor? a waiter? a cook? the restaurant manager? other staff?
IRRELEVANT

Can we safely exclude that the medics just stopped by the restaurant to get some lunch?
CORRECT

time of day relevant?
NO

is the restaurant actually open?
YES

Relevant that it is a restaurant?
NO

would the same work with: a grocery store? a hairdresser? a government building? a school? an apartment building?
YES

Was there anyone in the ambulance car?
YES

[Sundowner64]

Is the puzzle statement then equal to "It is sure that the ambulance stopped by to collect someone."? (as opposed to having stopped for some other reason)
So we can assume they would not come to collect someone who is not seriously ill?
Is the exact medical condition of the patient relevant?
Is there exactly one person in the ambulance car? the driver?
Are the back doors of the ambulance open?

[Admin]

Sundowner,

Is the puzzle statement then equal to "It is sure that the ambulance stopped by to collect someone."? (as opposed to having stopped for some other reason)
CORRECT. THE AMBULANCE STOPPED TO COLLECT SOMEONE.

So we can assume they would not come to collect someone who is not seriously ill?
NO.

Is the exact medical condition of the patient relevant?
NO

Is there exactly one person in the ambulance car? the driver?
IRRELEVANT

Are the back doors of the ambulance open?
IRRELEVANT

[Sundowner64]

Was the engine of the ambulance car running?

[BitterLemonCurry]

Do we need to know more about the ambulance car? The driver? The patient? The location? The time?

[Admin]

Sundowner,

Was the engine of the ambulance car running?
IRRELEVANT.

[Admin]

Bitter,

Do we need to know more about the ambulance car? The driver? The patient?
NO

The location?
YES

The time?
NO

[Sundowner64]

Location relevant as in "physical, geographical location where it is"?
or as in "type of location, like: house, public building, multi-floor building,, .."?
Is the location of the restaurant unusual in some way? like: on a tower? in a lighthouse? on a ship? in a train car? in a prison?
Is medical service for less serious cases available in the building? so only in serious cases it would be necessary to call an ambulance?
Is it a real city (i.e. where people do live)? or rather: an abandoned town? a movie set? a museum town?

[Admin]

Sundowner64,

Location relevant as in "physical, geographical location where it is"?
YES

or as in "type of location, like: house, public building, multi-floor building,, .."?
YES

Is the location of the restaurant unusual in some way? like: on a tower? in a lighthouse? on a ship? in a train car? in a prison?
NO

Is medical service for less serious cases available in the building?
NOT IN THE RESTAURANT

so only in serious cases it would be necessary to call an ambulance?
CORRECT

Is it a real city (i.e. where people do live)? or rather: an abandoned town? a movie set? a museum town?
REAL

[BitterLemonCurry]

Would the visitors of the restaurant look for other medical help in less serious cases? Look for non-medical help? Alternative medicine relevant? Religion? Esoteric?

[Admin]

Bitter,

Would the visitors of the restaurant look for other medical help in less serious cases? Look for non-medical help? Alternative medicine relevant? Religion? Esoteric?
NO or IRRELEVANT

[BitterLemonCurry]

Is the name of the place relevant? The address?

[Admin]

Bitter,

Is the name of the place relevant? The address?
NO

[Sundowner64]

Is there medical help for less serious cases available nearby? a doctor? a clinic? a pharmacy? a medical school? a vet ?
Is there something else in the building where the restaurant is? relevant?

[Admin]

Sundowner,

Is there medical help for less serious cases available nearby?
YES

a doctor? a clinic? a pharmacy? a medical school? a vet ?
NO

Is there something else in the building where the restaurant is? relevant?
NO OR IRRELEVANT

[Sundowner64]

Is there indeed medical help available nearby? or does it just look like?
Was the man's statement rather meant as a joke?
Is the restaurant publicly accessible?
Is it located on a campus of some sorts?
Are the patrons of the restaurant largely doctors, who should be able to help themselves in less serious cases?

[Admin]

Sundowner,

Is there indeed medical help available nearby? or does it just look like?
YES, NO

Was the man's statement rather meant as a joke?
NO

Is the restaurant publicly accessible?
YES

Is it located on a campus of some sorts?
NO

Are the patrons of the restaurant largely doctors, who should be able to help themselves in less serious cases?
NO

[Traveller]

If I were there together with the man and his wife, would I see anything not mention in the puzzle statement, that would make the reason for his statement much more obvious?
Is the restaurant on fire?
Is the victim in danger of dying?
Are other emergency vehicles present?

[Admin]

Traveller,

If I were there together with the man and his wife, would I see anything not mentioned in the puzzle statement, that would make the reason for his statement much more obvious?
YES

Is the restaurant on fire?
NO

Is the victim in danger of dying?
WE DO NOT KNOW, BUT THEY ARE SERIOUSLY ILL

Are other emergency vehicles present?
NOT AT THE RESTAURANT NO

[BalinTheDwarf]

Does the restaurant have outdoor seating?

[Admin]

Balin,

Does the restaurant have outdoor seating?
NO

[Traveller]

Is time of year relevant? Month?
Is an animal relevant?
A structure which we have yet to discover?
Would it work with a library instead of a restaurant?
Location is relevant, if I understand correctly. So, the thing relevant about the location...
Proximity to civilisation?
Proximity to hospital?
Proximity to some other kind of institution?
Proximity to some other thing at all?
Temperature?
Name of location?
Is the location such that the treshold of calling an ambulance is significantly higher than it would be at some random, run-of-the-mill location?

[Admin]

Hi Traveller,

Is time of year relevant? Month?
NO

Is an animal relevant?
NO

A structure which we have yet to discover?
YES

Would it work with a library instead of a restaurant?
YES

Location is relevant, if I understand correctly. So, the thing relevant about the location...
Proximity to civilisation?
NO

Proximity to hospital?
YES

Proximity to some other kind of institution?
NO

Proximity to some other thing at all?
NO

Temperature?
NO

Name of location?
NO

Is the location such that the treshold of calling an ambulance is significantly higher than it would be at some random, run-of-the-mill location?
YES

[Traveller]

Is the location inside a somewhat large hospital complex, where normally one would carry disabled patients around in weelchairs or the like?
So that using an ambulance would imply that the patient had a pressing need to get to, say, the ICU in as short at time as possible?

[Admin]

Traveller,

* * * SPOILER * * *

Is the location inside a somewhat large hospital complex, where normally one would carry disabled patients around in weelchairs or the like?
So that using an ambulance would imply that the patient had a pressing need to get to, say, the ICU in as short at time as possible?

Close enough.

Just a few yards down the street from the restuarant is a large hospital. Most people with moderate injuries or ailment would walk or be assisted to the hospital. The man deduced that for an ambulance to be called the the problem would be very serious.