A physicist and a mathematician setting in a faculty lounge. Suddenly, the coffee machine catches on fire. The physicist grabs a bucket and leaps towards the sink, fills the bucket with water and puts out the fire. The second day, the same two sit in the same lounge. Again, the coffee machine catches on fire. This time, the mathematician stands up, gets a bucket, hands the bucket to the physicist, thus reducing the problem to a previously solved one.

     

    A mathematician and a physicist were asked the following question:

    Suppose you walked by a burning house and saw a hydrant and a hose not connected to the hydrant. What would you do?

    P: I would attach the hose to the hydrant, turn on the water, and put out the fire.

    M: I would attach the hose to the hydrant, turn on the water, and put out the fire.

    Then they were asked this question:

    Suppose you walked by a house and saw a hose connected to a hydrant. What would you do?

    P: I would keep walking, as there is no problem to solve.

    M: I would disconnect the hose from the hydrant and set the house on fire, reducing the problem to a previously solved form.