To tackle this problem, imagine yourself a raven. You can still reason as well (or as badly?J ) as you always do, but you have the body of a raven. You are starving, and ravens do love meat. There is a fine chunk of salami about 3 feet below you, tied to a string. The other side of the string is securely tied to your perch. By now, you have unsuccessfully tried the following:

• Bending down as far as you can, grabbing the string with your bill and lifting it up--but it was too long and it still dangled down below you.
• Grabbing the salami chunk while flying, jumping upwards from the ground, or falling down from the perch.
• Tearing or untying the string.
• Breaking the perch.
• Climbing down the string (ravens, you found out, can’t do that sort of thing).
• Swinging the string upwards towards you.
• Coiling the string repeatedly around your perch.