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The visitor who says she sees at least two blue-eyed people

On an island live perfect logicians. Five have blue eyes and the rest have brown. There are no mirrors and eye colour is never discussed. Anyone who deduces their own eye colour must leave the island on the ferry at midnight that night. Everyone can see everyone else's eyes.

One day a visitor addresses the whole island and says: "I can see at least two people with blue eyes."

On which night do the blue-eyed islanders leave? What changes compared with the classic version where the visitor says "at least one"?

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Start with the smallest case the announcement allows: exactly two blue-eyed people. What does each of them see, and what do they conclude at once?

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