Life is A Test 2: Test Harder (Quite A Bit Harder)

by Brony_of_Brody

The Answer 23

The short answer is to keep away from the centre.

In a room shaped like a pentagon, the area bisectors (in other words, the points where the shape is cut into equal halves) intersect there, so the centre is the most likely place to get zapped. The direct edges of the kitchen are the safest place to be, with the direct middle of each side being the safest, assuming no knowledge of where the laser will strike.

Now, when you have a shape with four sides, like a rectangle, the bisectors are directly in the centre, making that the most dangerous point. A pentagon, however, is a different story. There are places where the bisectors intersect, but they don't intersect just at one point. Examining the possible places where you can start firing the laser, you'll discover that mapping the dangerous spots actually generates a shape: a sort of curvy star. Stay away from the curvy star. At all costs.

The exact maths involved is way too complicated to list here, but here's a diagram to demonstrate:

Comments

[ANW]

I was just giving the most obvious answer.
I wasn't expecting it to be correct.
Occam's razor.

[Saphroneth]

9345945
I think you may mean "Occam's Lazor"