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Can you solve this puzzle?

Can you explain the error in the following logic? It's not good enough to just say that it's wrong (I already know that). You must explain the logic error.

If I take off in a very fast airplane and go west to the next time zone, I go back one hour. If I take off in a very fast airplane and go west two time zones, I go back two hours. If I take off in a very fast airplane and go west X time zones, I go back X hours.

Therefore, if I take off in a very fast airplane and go west 24 time zones (all the way around the world, landing at the same place from which I departed), I go back one full day. If the journey takes 23 hours and 59 minutes, I will arrive just in time to watch myself take off.

5 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    9 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    It takes you 24 hours to travel 24 time zones. But the Earth isn't stationary. Let's say you took off at 6:00pm Saturday. An hour after you have taken off, the location where you started will have the time 7:00pm. Even though you are constantly traveling backwards to the next area that is 6:00pm, your starting point is still gaining an hour. So in 24 hours after you had taken off, your starting point will be 6:00pm Sunday because the earth rotated a full rotation and you crossed the International Date Line to come back and today's a new day at your starting point. Once you had reached the International Date Line, it was no longer 6:00pm Saturday there. It was 6:00pm Sunday. And as you crossed the next time zones, you continued being at 6:00pm Sunday until you reached your starting point.

  • 9 years ago

    You cross the International Date Line which fixes your date error. Also, if you were to go back you wouldn't see yourself taking off because it is 24 hours later, no matter what the local time or date.

    Imagine you are at the North Pole. There is no specific time there; but if it is 9 PM Eastern Time it is 10 :PM Atlantic Time and 8 PM Central Time, etc. Specific places have specific times no matter how YOU move around.

  • 9 years ago

    Nah, since the journey takes 23 hours and 59 minutes, u will be back in time to see exactly the next day in your own timezone :D Time pasts, they dont turn back :)

  • 9 years ago

    u got to be kidding! well if u go back 23 hours and 59 minutes u only change your watch time doesnt mean u got back in time lol

  • Anonymous
    9 years ago

    um when you go west, you add hours, not subract. you would have to go east for this to work.

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