Number of words – 129 Engaging in multiple rounds of divergence to come up with new ways of looking at things and convergence to select the next approach. Edison tested platinum and numerous other possible metal filaments before he finally come up with the carbon version that could last 40 hours. When asked if he … Read more

Number of words – 60 Come up with as many explanations possible for this picture: Participant have said they see a man with a bow tie stuck in an elevator, a fog horn on a pole as seen from the side or the beak of an Albino penguin looking in a mirror. Excerpted from ‘Thinking … Read more

Number of words – 218 The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away. In 1992 NASA launched a program that had among Its key objectives to demonstrate a low cost entry and landing system. Specifically the goal was to allow for a gentle touchdown of … Read more

Number of words – 442 At the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico city A 21 year old American named Dick Fosbury shocked the judge and 80,000 spectators at a session of track and field, by winning a gold medal and setting a new Olympic record with a new jumping technique. This technique revolutionized the high jump … Read more

Number of words – 224 The late Marcel Bich acquired the patent to ballpoint pens following World War II and founded the storied BIC Corporation. He initially envisioned BIC as a stationary company that would specialise in selling low cost ballpoint pens. From the late 1940’s through the early 1970’s BIC management spent most of … Read more

Number of words – 178 The concept of double entry bookkeeping was codified in the 15th century by Friar Luca Paacioli, a collaborator of Leonardo da Vinci. Although, there were earlier experiments with it, he introduced it by stating that a successful merchant needs three things: sufficient cash or credit, good bookkeepers and an accounting … Read more

Number of words – 146 For example, suppose you are eating dinner in a restaurant and a man who appears to be in his mid-50s, dressed in a well tailored suit, walks in accompanied by a much younger woman, dressed in jeans and a T shirt. They look vaguely alike, and you immediately decide that … Read more

Number of words – 590 The design of the keyboard has a long and peculiar history. Early typewriters experimented with a wide variety of layouts, using three basic themes. One was circular, with the letters laid out alphabetically; the operator would find the proper spot and depress a lever, lift a rod, or do whatever … Read more

Number of words – 404 When automation fails, it often does so without warning. This is a situation I have documented very thoroughly in my other books and many of my papers, as have many other people in the field of safety and automation. When the failure occurs, the human is “out of the loop.” … Read more