Once upon a time there were three bears who lived together in a lovely home in the woods. One morning Mama bear made some porridge for breakfast and put some in a big bowl for Papa Bear, a medium bowl for Mama Bear, and a teeny bowl for Baby Bear. The porridge was too hot to eat so the bears went for a walk while it cooled down.
While they were walking, Goldilocks happened upon their house (so many questions there, but not really a paradox). She let herself in and tried Papa Bear's porridge. It was too hot! She tried Mama Bear's porridge. It was too cold! She tried Baby Bear's porridge. It was just right and she ate it all up!
Now, I have always assumed the bowls were filled proportionally. This means Mama Bear had more porridge than Baby Bear. By what law of thermodynamics could Mama Bear's porridge be colder than Baby Bear's?
Or was Mama Bear on a diet? Hated breakfast? Had a bowl with different heat-absorption properties?
Follow-up questions: if Baby Bear's porridge was the right temperature when Goldilocks showed up, then by the time the bears got home, it would also be too cold. This implies that the walk is exclusively for Papa Bear's benefit. Is he a tyrant? A fool who doesn't know how to blow on his porridge to cool it off?
Does Mama Bear prefer cold porridge or has she always accepted it as her lot in life that if they walk until Papa Bear's porridge is the right temperature, hers will be too cold?
Ah, well. To each their own, right?
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