USAF Entrance Test from April 1973 Popular Mechanics

Engineering & Science Humor - RF CafeThese engineering and science tech-centric jokes, song parodies, anecdotes and assorted humor have been collected from friends and websites across the Internet. I check back occasionally for new fodder, but it seems all the old content is reappearing all over (like this is). The humor is light-hearted and clean and sometimes slightly assaultive to the easily-offended, so you are forewarned. It is all workplace-safe.

Humor #1, #2, #3

A few days ago, I was perusing an April 1973 edition of Popular Mechanics magazine, when I ran across the following full-page ad with a U.S. Air Force enlistment aptitude test. Take the test, and if you get the same answers as the geniuses that created the ad, you're a shoe-in for a great career in the USAF! Uncle Sam wants you, bay-bee.

I did the first two tests and got what they got for answers. Then I took the third test - the one with the little folded house - and was shocked at what I found. You take the three tests, and see if you think something is amiss with the last one. Look way down at the bottom of the page for my conclusion.

 

USAF Entrance Test from 1973 Popular Mechanics - RF Cafe

(copyright 1973, Popular Mechanics)

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Hopefully, you did not arrive at answer "B" as the advertisement would suggest. In fact, the unfolded cut-out cannot possible create any of the four houses shown for at least two reasons. First, there are no dashed fold lines at the vertical junctions between the ends and sides of the buildings, so obviously folding is not allowed there. Second, the width of the folded area that is supposed to cover the bottom of the house is not great enough to span the entire bottom.

Those two idiosyncrasies aside, "C" is clearly the closest answer. "B" could not possibly be correct. I ran this by a couple other people just to make sure I wasn't crazy (or stupid). Just to make sure, I actually printed out the shape and folded it so as to construct the house.

 

 

Paper house model (1) USAF Test from April 1973 Popular Mechanics                  Paper house model (2) USAF Test from April 1973 Popular Mechanics

          This looks like house "C"                   Note the insufficient width for the bottom

 

 

Posted November 19, 2020
(updated from original post on 1/2/2009)