Afternoon Delight is a daily diversion for when you’re just back from lunch, but not quite ready to knuckle down to work. Check back weekdays at 1 p.m. for another one.

OK, you’ve probably heard about some of these paradoxes and mind games before, like Schrodinger’s Dead/Undead Cat. But did you know Schrodinger came to hate his whole Cat in the Hatbox idea? And me, I’d never heard about Hilbert’s Infinite Hotel, which is perfectly relevant right now, considering family holiday visits, though it never actually specifies, as a possible answer, sleeping on the couch.

Have fun.