Birthday Twins

[kestrel]

Sheila and He-Man are twins; Sheila is the OLDER twin. Assume they were born immediately after each other, an infinitesimally small - but nonzero - amount of time apart. During one year in the course of their lives, Sheila celebrates her birthday two days AFTER He-Man does. How is this possible?

Bonus: What is the maximum amount of time by which Sheila and He-Man can be apart in their birthday celebrations during the same year? I think it's more than two days.

Note: For both Sheila and He-Man, these birthday celebrations happen on the actual birthday date -- it cannot be a celebration that occurs at a date earlier or later than the actual birthday date for whatever reasons of convenience. Also, the solution has nothing to do with the theory of relativity or any other over complicated nonsense like that.

From
--berkley.edu

[Tig201]

Sheila and He-Man are twins; Sheila is the OLDER twin. Assume they were born immediately after each other, an infinitesimally small - but nonzero - amount of time apart. During one year in the course of their lives, Sheila celebrates her birthday two days AFTER He-Man does. How is this possible?

If Sheila is the older twin her Birthday can Naver be after He-Man's

[ChaseCox]

If they were born at 11:59:.999999999 on February 28th and 12:00 precisley they would always celebrate their birthdays 1 day apart. On a leap year they would be two days apart. If one of them lived just west of Greenwich and one just east of Greenwich, then they could have their birthday 3 days apart on a leap year.

[Banfa]

If one of them lived just west of Greenwich and one just east of Greenwich, then they could have their birthday 3 days apart on a leap year.

I don't think you mean Greenwich I think you mean the International Date Line which is about 180 degrees east (or is it west :-)) round the earth from Greenwich.

[ChaseCox]

oops :-/ well if i change my post to the international date line am I right?

[Tig201]

It is still impossible for Sheila’s Birthday to come after He-Mans if she was born first. Even if she is just west of the International Date Line on February 28 @ 12:00 am, it is February 27 @ 1:00 am east of the International Date Line. Two days before He-Mans Birthday. Reverse it and March 1 @ 12:00 am west of the International Date Line is February 28 @ 1:00 am east of the International Date Line an hour into Sheila’s Birthday.

[Rabbit]

If Sheila is the older twin her Birthday can Naver be after He-Man's

... If Sheila is older, that means she was born first. Which means her birthday would be before He-Man's.

[kestrel]

Sheila is OLDER but she celebrates her birthday two days AFTER He-Man's...

[AdrianH]

A TARDIS is not convoluted. :( :D


Adrian

[twin007]

Sheila is OLDER but she celebrates her birthday two days AFTER He-Man's...

Well the oldest is always the LAST born in case of twins!!! So if Sheila was born on 1st of march at 00:01 and He Man on 28 at 23:59, when it's a year with 29 days in February, Sheila celebrates her birthday 2 days after He Man. ;-)

[YarrOfDoom]

Well the oldest is always the LAST born in case of twins!!! So if Sheila was born on 1st of march at 00:01 and He Man on 28 at 23:59, when it's a year with 29 days in February, Sheila celebrates her birthday 2 days after He Man. ;-)

How does it makes any sense that the oldest is born last???
By the way, you could make the whole thing even more difficult by assuming one of them was born west of the International Date Line, and the other one on the east (altough mothers usually don't move while giving birth :P).

Yarr Of Doom

[JosAH]

How does it makes any sense that the oldest is born last???
By the way, you could make the whole thing even more difficult by assuming one of them was born west of the International Date Line, and the other one on the east (altough mothers usually don't move while giving birth :P).

Yarr Of Doom

Well, she could roll over eastwards a bit while in labour giving birth to the second
little rascal.

kind regards,

Jos ;-)

[momogi]

Well the oldest is always the LAST born in case of twins!!! So if Sheila was born on 1st of march at 00:01 and He Man on 28 at 23:59, when it's a year with 29 days in February, Sheila celebrates her birthday 2 days after He Man. ;-)

are you twin??
btw, I'm agree with your answer..

[jkmyoung]

Maybe one is on the Hebrew calendar, and the other is on the Chinese Lunar calendar?