You have 1000 kilograms of clean, fresh water in a single IBC container in Sydney at the Opera house. You will be paid 1 million dollars if you can deliver it to Los Angeles McArthur Park within 3 weeks, or 21 days, or 504 hours. You can split the water into as many containers as you want, and the IBC doesn’t need to make it to LA, just the water inside. If you deliver 2000 bottles each containing 500ml of undiluted, clean, fresh water, or like, 99% of it to account for evaporation and some spillage, that counts as a win. You can assume that any partial water deliveries that remain in Sydney or arrive in LA won’t be stolen in your absence so you don’t need to hire guards. There are no consequences for failing, but if you do fail or succeed, any money you spend on the project, you don’t get refunded. Normal consequences for breaking laws apply.

How do you do it, or do you even bother trying?

  • Karmanopoly@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    Water is fungible (or is it non-fungibel)…it’s one of those

    Pour out the water in Australia and let it be free.

    Find a hose in LA and refill a new container.

    Nobody will notice the different water.

  • weps@lemmy.world
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    7 hours ago

    I give someone 10k to do it for me. He can keep the rest of the 10k.

    I wait a little and get a million.

  • rizzothesmall@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    1000L of water is literally nothing on a global logistics scale.

    Single transportable tank would hold more than enough. (A fuel truck, for example can hold up to about 45,000L)

    Stick it on a freight aircraft overnight.

    Chill for 20 days and line up how I’m gonna spend my easy money.

  • Davel23@fedia.io
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    21 hours ago

    Step 1: Dump the water into the Parramatta

    Step 2: Fly to Los Angeles

    Step 3: Buy an IBC container and fill it from a fresh water source.

    Done. The water in the IBC is the same water you left in Sydney. Prove it isn’t.

  • Dave.@aussie.zone
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    1 day ago

    You can ship 1 ton/1m3 of cargo via any international air freight company to the other side of the world for less than 10,000 dollars.

    (Source: I’ve done it plenty of times)

    A day for pickup and transport to the airport in Sydney, 24 hours for actual transit, a day in customs in LA, a day for a truck to deliver it to that location. 5 business days to get that IBC to your destination in LA, tops.

    • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      a day in customs in LA,

      It might take a bit longer, since this is a pretty weird cargo with an even weirder story behind it.

      Still, you should be able to clear it well within the states time

      • hansolo@lemmy.today
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        9 hours ago

        Nah. It’s a very basic checklist type stuff. No one cares about the story, they care about clearing cargo.

          • hansolo@lemmy.today
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            2 hours ago

            Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be? You can import water to the US. HTS 2201.90.0000 covers the import tariffs, so it depends on the value determined by the importer what your pay. Companies import bottled water all the time. Fiji water is all imported.

            This seriously the global logistics version of asking if it’s OK to bring your own bottled sparkling water to a fancy restaurant. It’s stupid and will be pointless, and you might pay a corking fee on top of it all, but you very much can, and it’s not even a funny story or cool for anyone involved. It’s just an odd, smalltime decision.

          • stoy@lemmy.zip
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            8 hours ago

            Yeah, I’d expect them to test it, find it true, and clear it.

            If asked you can just say that you are participating in a scavenger hunt for a rich weirdo.

  • zxqwas@lemmy.world
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    23 hours ago

    Any global freight company could do that. Probably don’t even have to pay extra for express delivery to make it in time.

  • Bakkoda@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    IBC tank holds roughly 1000 liters, costs almost nothing and can fit on a truck.

    Even at 300 (over paying) you are on your way.

  • quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    That falls into the regular shipping realm. Any shipping company can handle that.

    To make it challenging we could say that you’re not allowed to use the internet, only phone calls.

  • bstix@feddit.dk
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    1 day ago

    I’d call the recipient and ask them to turn on the faucet and explain that I’ll send the water through that. That’ll be $1000000, thanks.

  • solrize@lemmy.ml
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    Is this some silly AI training question? 1000kg is the weight of 10 humans with some luggage for each of them, so transporting it by plane shouldn’t cost drastically more than 10 passenger airfares. I mean come on. Plus you have to move it around by truck before and after the plane flight. Again no biggie. Clearing customs, who knows.

    • MSBBritain@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Yeah, this seems really odd. Today’s shipping industry is worth trillions, fully globalised, and pretty much bookable online. The biggest hurdle is paperwork, and has been for a while.

      Like some others have said standard air freight costs are significantly under that 1M, and take hardly any time compared to 3 weeks.

      This is a “problem” that might be worth millions to solve in the 1700s, but it’s been long solved.

  • RobotToaster@mander.xyz
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    1 day ago

    I’m pretty sure you could charter a cargo plane that can carry more than a tonne for a lot less than a million.