A farmer has 17 sheep. All but 9 die. How many sheep are left?

To determine how many sheep are left, consider the phrase "All but 9 die." This means that if all but 9 sheep die, then 9 sheep remain alive. The initial information states that the farmer has 17 sheep, and since only 9 of them have survived, it follows mathematically that there are indeed 9 sheep that are still alive, whereas the rest have perished.

This type of question often plays on cognitive biases and intuitive thinking, leading some individuals to misinterpret the wording. In this case, correctly focusing on the phrase "All but 9" clarifies that it directly indicates the number of sheep still alive, resulting in the conclusion that 9 sheep remain.