Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for April 16, 1987

This has always been a simple formula: distance = rate x time / quantum traffic factor.

In a Euclidean universe, we often approximate the quantum traffic factor = …. well my keyboard can’t type the symbols into this comment box.

Now I know how Fermat felt.

Why are they giving that question to 1st graders? Not even many 8th graders know that!

Calvin is smarter than most 8th graders.

5:38 8.571428 repeating seconds. i’m 11

true…this question is totally not for 1st graders….no, not even in India !!

It’s 5:40.

What’s so hard about the relative speed Mr. Jones is traveling towards you being (35 + 40) = 75 MPH, and 50 is 2/3 of 75, so 2/3 of an hour goes by before you pass each other?

Although, Calvin’s answer is probably more accurate.

And how far will the fly travel before being squashed between the cars?

Calvin answered that one on the fly.

I’d add “Why should I care? Who the heck is Mr Jones?!”

40 min. thaumkid’s solution is correct.

I still don’t understand. None of these explanations is clear. They assume one knows something one does not know.

i thought mr jones exploded while flying off of the edge of the grand canyon.

5:40 PM, as long as there are no delays.

bro he’s six- why’re they asking him this stuff I barely know how to solve myself

The nice thing about math problems like this was that even if you weren’t taught how to solve them you could still figure it out with a little time and logic. It’s how i passed a lot of tests despite missing classes regularly…