Talk:Assume a can opener

Food Stamps
A can of chili with a pull-top lid typically costs one dollar more than a can of chili that requires a can opener. But one cannot use food stamps to purchase a can opener, despite than five regular cans of chili would save enough money to make up for its cost. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.105.66.203 (talk) 17:27, 9 October 2015 (UTC)

I don't understand the explanation of the interpretation
Perhaps someone can give a better example of what "Assume we have a can opener" means? I'm a chemist and geologist, and being stranded on a desert island with no implements and a can of food is no problem for me to get the can open because I can think of many, many ways of getting a can open in a reasonable amount of time without pre-existing man-made tools. Only an unimaginative person would even dream of suggesting a can opener!

It remains that a better explanation is needed to know what in heck the statement means. If I don't get it, that means there are a whole bunch of other readers who don't get it either! Linstrum (talk) 07:25, 15 October 2019 (UTC)