# Prison Break? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 9, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120 "2006-05-09T20:27:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/21 "2006-05-10T14:36:26Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I assume the powder would cling to the buttons with the most oil or dirt on them-- deposited by people pushing the buttons correctly. He had to try a bunch of different combinations to get it right. I didn’t pay close attention, but it looked like there were five buttons and the sequence required five numbers. If I do the math right, if he did one sequence per second, he could be punching numbers for almost an hour. Not that I’m over analyzing this or anything. I’m saving all that for _Lost_. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/22 "2006-05-10T15:19:53Z")
> [@Plynck](#): > > I didn’t pay close attention, but it looked like there were five buttons and the sequence required five numbers. If I do the math right, if he did one sequence per second, he could be punching numbers for almost an hour. > > Not that I’m over analyzing this or anything. I’m saving all that for _Lost_. Nah. With 5 buttons, there would be 120 possible combinations. So one combination a second would be two minutes total. (Of course one combination/second is pretty damn fast.) ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/23 "2006-05-10T15:24:35Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Nah. With 5 buttons, there would be 120 possible combinations. > So one combination a second would be two minutes total. (Of course one combination/second is pretty damn fast.) Not to mention mentally keeping track of which combinations you had already tried. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/24 "2006-05-10T15:58:20Z")
See, this is exactly what I meant when I was talking about popping the disbelief bubble, people! Except I’m pretty sure it was four digits plus the ENTER key, which assuming that the code was four digits and there were no repeated numbers, would only be 24 combinations. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/25 "2006-05-10T16:14:34Z")
You’re right, **Otto**. Of course, that doesn’t explain why the security system wouldn’t start going off after the third or fourth incorrect attempt, like most do. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/26 "2006-05-10T16:17:58Z")
Almost every combination key pad I’ve had to deal with (okay that’s only like 4 in my life) has had atleast two repeated numbers. They want people to easily remember the codes as well so repeated numbers makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/27 "2006-05-10T16:54:58Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Nah. With 5 buttons, there would be 120 possible combinations. > So one combination a second would be two minutes total. (Of course one combination/second is pretty damn fast.) Hmmm… Well, it’s been awhile since I took math, but I was thinking 5^5 combinations = 3125. 60 seconds x 60 minutes = 3600, hence my comment about one hour. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/28 "2006-05-10T17:05:55Z")
Good thing you’re not in prison then, isn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/29 "2006-05-10T17:14:09Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Good thing you’re not in prison then, isn’t it. :dubious: Assuming this is directed to me, and not sure what you’re getting at. Should I be thinking about getting that Rita Hayworth poster? ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/30 "2006-05-10T17:29:22Z")
> [@Plynck](#): > > Hmmm… Well, it’s been awhile since I took math, but I was thinking 5^5 combinations = 3125. 60 seconds x 60 minutes = 3600, hence my comment about one hour. Well, that calculation assumes that duplicates are allowed. From the two or three combinations they showed Michael trying, he used each “marked” key once. Plus, one of those keys was “enter”, which always goes at the end. Let’s say he had researched the keypads used in the prison, so he knew it was only a four digit code (instead of a five digit code with a repeat). So without duplication, there are 4 \* 3 \* 2 \* 1 = 24 different combinations (like **Otto** said). If it took 2-3 seconds for each combination (giving the system time to accept / reject the entry), worst case would be under 90 seconds to try all the combinations. Although using foot powder to reveal fingerprints (and who knows how long it’d been since the last guard touched it, and also assumes that he haddn’t fat-fingered any) stretches credibility. It’s still within the PB boundaries, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/31 "2006-05-10T18:26:55Z")
> [@sciguy](#): > > Although using foot powder to reveal fingerprints (and who knows how long it’d been since the last guard touched it, and also assumes that he haddn’t fat-fingered any) stretches credibility. It’s still within the PB boundaries, though. Well, not like Michael has the need for his full ration of foot powder after Abruzzi got through with him, so it’s good he recycles. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120/32 "2006-05-10T19:37:12Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > I found it kinda unnerving that the whole thing hinged on the good doctor leaving the door unlocked, which she only reluctantly came back and did at the last minute. He had no idea if she would do it or not, and it seems like his last impression from her would have been that it was unlikely. That, plus I would think that Pope would have a key to that door as well, so Michael could have just taken that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-break/356120.md?page=1)