Say the two statues are five steps apart from each other.
E _ _ _ _ _ S
E = Eagle statue
S = Snake statue
_ = 1 step
Now, if this is solvable, then it shouldn't matter where the oasis was, or how big it was, the digging spot should be the same in all instances.
Instance #1
The oasis was directly inbetween both statues and had a width of five steps
E(~~~~~~~~~)S
(~) = Oasis
Then it would be zero steps from the oasis to the eagle statue and zero steps from the oasis to the snake statue. Thus the treasure should be directly in the middle of the two statues.
Instance #2
The oasis was directly inbetween both statues, but had a width of four steps, touching the eagle statue but not the snake statue.
E(~~~~~~) _ S
It is now zero steps to eagle statue, but one step to the snake statue. Thus, the stake you need to drive in is offset from the line of the statues by one step, meaning the treasure is not in line with the two statues.
Seeing as we do not know the size or location of the oasis, the treasure could be in either of these two locations (or in many other locations). We just can't know based on the information provided.
c-square wrote:
I argue that it's impossible to figure out.
Spoiler: My reasoning
Say the two statues are five steps apart from each other.
E _ _ _ _ _ S
E = Eagle statue
S = Snake statue
_ = 1 step
Now, if this is solvable, then it shouldn't matter where the oasis was, or how big it was, the digging spot should be the same in all instances.
Instance #1
The oasis was directly inbetween both statues and had a width of five steps
E(~~~~~~~~~)S
(~) = Oasis
Then it would be zero steps from the oasis to the eagle statue and zero steps from the oasis to the snake statue. Thus the treasure should be directly in the middle of the two statues.
Instance #2
The oasis was directly inbetween both statues, but had a width of four steps, touching the eagle statue but not the snake statue.
E(~~~~~~) _ S
It is now zero steps to eagle statue, but one step to the snake statue. Thus, the stake you need to drive in is offset from the line of the statues by one step, meaning the treasure is not in line with the two statues.
Seeing as we do not know the size or location of the oasis, the treasure could be in either of these two locations (or in many other locations). We just can't know based on the information provided.
Equally, you could say that the size of the statues aren't stated and thus it's unsolvable, but the intention was that the oasis was just a referential point, as were the statues. Otherwise, even if you did know where the oasis was, you couldn't solve the problem anyway because it was never stated which side of the oasis you started out on or that you had to leave the oasis from the point nearest to the statue.
He counts the number of steps between the statues and then takes the same number of steps from the snake statue to the right, from the snake statue to the left, from the eagle statue to the right and from the eagle statue to the left. He marks the points, making it a rectangle. The treasure is somewhere on the symmetry axis of the rectangle... So he digs. But that's quite a lot of digging.
that was a pretty straightforward riddle though, I don't see anything wrong with it.
Mine or Kogorou's?
But you are forgetting a very important point. We do not know at which angle between the starting point and the statues. Think of it this way Draw an ellipse with two focus points being the two statues. The distance between the edge and the focus being the distance between the starting point and each statue. But here the problem. We do not know that distance. It could be a foot or it could be 10,000 miles. We know the treasure is in the ellipses some where.
Spoiler:
Yes he could find the treasure if he digs up the entire desert, but that is not practical. I leaning to Not enough Information.
No, eworm was right.
If you do it the way eworm described, you'll get a line (more line a parallel line between the lines you formed with walking left and right from the statues). Somewhere on this parallel line, the treasure is hidden. But that's not a exact point.
Try it out.
The way the riddle is, you would end up with a circle of stakes around the statues BECAUSE you do not know at what angle the starting point is to the statues. You method makes it possible for the treasure to be either above or below your box.
You use the distance between the statues. And there is just one line for that. Well, as long as you take the shortest route
You don't need an angle for the thing eworm described.
Keyhole drawn by Yuri Iwamoto <3
Spoiler: Secret Santa gift from Commi-Ninja <3
A Black Organization Christmas Carol (need to fix the link)
well, I thought of another riddle I could use, so:
Spoiler:
it's not an optical illusion at all. There are two types of dots, ones with the red on the left and ones with it on the right. To make it clearer, color each type of dot its own color. Rotate it 90 degrees to the right, and you can easily make the unlucky number "13" out of the "pixels".
Akonyl wrote:
well, I thought of another riddle I could use, so:
Spoiler:
it's not an optical illusion at all. There are two types of dots, ones with the red on the left and ones with it on the right. To make it clearer, color each type of dot its own color. Rotate it 90 degrees to the right, and you can easily make the unlucky number "13" out of the "pixels".
Spoiler:
Correct:
"True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and conflicting information."
Alfred K. O'Nile is babysitting two kids. They're little 8 year old punks who can't stop making a fuss and fighting each-other, so Alfred decides to punish them. He takes out a newspaper and says "alright, you 8 year old punks who can't stop making a fuss and fighting each-other! I'm gonna take this newspaper, put it on the floor and make both of you stand on top of it, if either of you step off of it there'll be something worse for both of ya. I'll also make sure that you can't touch or fight each-other while you're standing on it, so you'll have to behave until I tell you otherwise."
"Stupid Alfred!" shouts one of the kids, "you can't do that! If we're both on the same newspaper there's no way I wouldn't be able to punch Jimmy!"
"Oh yeah?!" shouts Alfred, "well I'll show you, you little twerp! C'mere!"
How does Alfred manage to make them stand on the same sheet of newspaper without them being able to touch each other?
- Get your Detective Conan bobbleheads today! - 
It's my bad luck, 'cause whatever the optical illusion may be, it doesn't work for me and therefore I probably can't solve the riddle... 
