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50 Years of Innovation: Supporting Problem Solving

“I think there’s a huge satisfaction to coming up with solutions to problems, and especially to problems that really make a difference in people’s lives. I can’t imagine a more satisfying career than being able to do that.” — National Inventors Hall of Fame ® Inductee Frances Arnold, inventor of directed evolution of enzymes

National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees are the world’s greatest problem solvers. From taking on complex challenges that shape industries to developing ideas that make our everyday lives easier, visionary inventors make the world a better place.

For 50 years, the National Inventors Hall of Fame has honored the most influential U.S. patent holders. As we look ahead to the next 50 years, we remain committed to not only telling our Inductees’ stories but also supporting the next generation of great problem solvers.

Learning From Solution Seekers

Every invention begins with a challenge to be overcome. From making everyday tasks easier to creating lifesaving devices, inventors create solutions by applying the right mindset. At the National Inventors Hall of Fame, we call this the I Can Invent ® Mindset. It’s a way of looking at the world with curiosity, ingenuity and a passion for finding ways to make the world a better place.

The I Can Invent Mindset combines creative problem solving, confidence, persistence, collaboration and design thinking with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills, intellectual property knowledge, entrepreneurship and innovation. Over the last 50 years, the National Inventors Hall of Fame team has learned that while our Inductees represent diverse fields, backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, this mindset is one thing they all have in common.

Inductee Marion Donovan took on the daily challenges of changing her daughter's cloth diapers, clothing and bed sheets by creating, patenting and marketing a waterproof diaper cover. Inductees Stewart Adams and John Nicholson were tasked with finding new treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, so they collaborated for a decade to develop ibuprofen – one of the world’s safest, most effective and most widely used pain relievers. When Inductee Patricia Bath , an ophthalmologist, found that Black patients were far more likely to have glaucoma and experience a higher degree of vision loss, she revolutionized care by developing the discipline of Community Ophthalmology and inventing laserphaco cataract surgery.

These are just a few of the more than 600 problem-solving stories you’ll find when you read more about our National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees .

Solving for the Future

To carry the problem-solving legacy of the world’s greatest innovators into the future, the National Inventors Hall of Fame collaborates with our Inductees to create one-of-a-kind education programs for children across the country. Programs like Camp Invention ® and Invention Project ® guide children to build the I Can Invent Mindset by developing their own solutions to real-world problems through creative, hands-on, fun.

“Why is problem solving so fun and interesting?” asks Inductee R. Rox Anderson, inventor of laser dermatology. “Well, it has that pleasure associated with actually changing the world.”

Each of our education programs is designed to help children discover the joy Anderson describes. While building the problem-solving skills that will help them navigate their lives, children learn that just like our Inductees, they have the potential to change lives and shape the world around them.

“My child felt included and considered during problem-solving situations, which made him feel more confident. He also feels more confident with knowing how to start creating his own inventions.” — Sarah S., Camp Invention parent, King George, VA

“My children were able to use their minds creatively and build upon their problem-solving skills. They worked together with friends they knew and with new friends they met. Camp Invention helped my kids become more independent and boosted their self-confidence. They loved it!” — Rebecca W., Camp Invention parent, Westport, CT

“The most meaningful parts [of National Inventors Hall of Fame education programs] were the problem solving for the students. They were in a safe place to try new ideas and see how their thoughts worked out.” — Kim E., Educator, Burleson, TX

“The opportunity for kids to make mistakes while developing their ideas is always my favorite part. This is a hard concept for kids these days, and Camp Invention makes it fun to fail in order to succeed.” —Stefan T., Educator, South Lyon, MI

Share Your Story

Do you have a story about how you or your child has solved a problem, or how your life has been improved by a great problem solver? Visit our website to share your story and learn how you could win a trip to Washington, D.C., to help us celebrate our 50th anniversary at our 2023 Induction Ceremony!

Maria-teresa correll’s inspiring camp invention journey, exploring careers in steam at camp invention, explore camp invention’s inspiring new 2024 curriculum.

History Cooperative

Daedalus: The Ancient Greek Problem Solver

Daedalus is a mythical Greek inventor and problem solver who is one of the most well-known figures in Greek mythology. The myth of Daedalus and his son, Icarus, has been passed down from the Minoans. The Minoans thrived on the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea from 3500 BCE.

The stories of the genius Daedalus are as enthralling as they are tragic. Daedalus’ son, Icarus, is the boy who perished when he flew too close to the sun, wearing wings his father had fashioned.

Daedalus was responsible for creating the labyrinth that housed the bull-headed creature, known as the minotaur. Homer makes mention of the inventor in the Odyssey, as does Ovid. The myth of Icarus and Daedalus is one of the most famous stories from ancient Greece.

Table of Contents

Who is Daedalus?

The tale of Daedalus, and the precarious situations he found himself in, have been told by ancient Greeks since the Bronze Age. The first mention of Daedalus appears on the Linear B tablets from Knossos (Crete), where he is referred to as Daidalos.

READ MORE: Prehistory: Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic Periods, and More

The civilization that developed on mainland Greece, known as the Mycenaeans, was similarly enamored with the antics of the skilled inventor. The Myceneans told similar myths about the great carpenter and architect Daedalus, his family rivalries, and the tragic demise of his son.

Daedalus is an Athenian inventor, carpenter, architect, and creator, who the Greeks credit with the invention of carpentry and its tools. Depending on who retells the tale of Daedalus, he is Athenian or Cretian. The name Daedalus means “to work cunningly.”

The ancient master craftsman was blessed with his genius by the goddess Athena . Daedalus is known for the intricate figurines he carved, called Daedalic sculptures, and almost life-like sculptures called auto automatos.

What is the Myth of Daedalus?

Daedalus first appears in ancient Greek mythology in 1400 BCE but is mentioned more frequently in the 5th Century. Ovid tells the tale of Daedalus and the wings in the Metamorphoses. Homer mentions Daedalus in both the Iliad and the Odyssey .

READ MORE: Ancient Civilizations Timeline: The Complete List from Aboriginals to Incans

The myth of Daedalus gives us insight into how the ancient Greeks perceived power, invention, and creativity within their society. The story of Daedalus is intertwined with the tale of the Athenian hero Theseus , who slew the minotaur.

The myths of Daedalus have been a popular choice for artists for millennia. The most frequent depiction found in ancient Greek art is the myth of Icarus and Daedalus’ flight from Crete.

Daedalus and Family Rivalry

According to Greek mythology Daedalus had two sons, Icarus and Lapyx. Neither son wanted to learn his father’s trade. Daedalus’ nephew, Talos, showed interest in his uncle’s inventions. The child became Daedalus’ apprentice.

Daedalus tutored Talos in the mechanical arts, for which Talos had great potential and talent, Daedalus was excited to share his knowledge with his nephew. The excitement quickly turned to resentment when his nephew showed a skill that could eclipse Daedalus’ own.

His nephew was a keen inventor, on his way to replacing Daedalus as the Athenian’s favorite craftsman. Talos is credited with the invention of the saw, which he based on the spine of a fish he saw washed up on the beach. In addition, Talos is believed to have invented the first compass .

Daedalus was jealous of his nephew’s talent and feared he would soon surpass him. Daedalus and Icarus lured his nephew to the highest point of Athens, the Acropolis . Daedalus told Talos he wanted to test his latest invention, wings.

Daedalus threw Talos from the Acropolis. The nephew did not die but instead was rescued by Athena , who turned him into a partridge. Daedalus and Icarus became pariahs in Athenian society and were driven out of the city. The pair fled to Crete.

Daedalus and Icarus in Crete

Daedalus and Icarus received a warm welcome from the king of Crete, Minos , who was familiar with the Athenian inventor’s work. Daedalus was popular in Crete. He served as the king’s artist, craftsman, and inventor. It was in Crete that Daedalus invented the first dancefloor for Princess Ariadne.

While in Crete, Daedalus was asked to invent a rather peculiar suit for the king of Crete’s wife, Pasiphaë. Poseidon , the Olympian god of the sea , had gifted the Minoan king and Queen a white bull to be sacrificed to him.

Daedalus, Theseus, and Myth of the Minotaur

Daedalus designed an intricate cage for the mythical beast in the form of a labyrinth, built beneath the palace. It consisted of a series of twisting passageways that seemed impossible to navigate, even for Daedalus.

King Minos used the creature to seek revenge on the Athenian ruler after the death of Minos’ son. The king asked for fourteen Athenian children, seven girls, and seven boys, which he imprisoned in the labyrinth for the Minotaur to eat.

One year, the prince of Athens, Theseus, was brought to the labyrinth as a sacrifice. He was determined to defeat the Minotaur. He succeeded but became confused in the labyrinth. Luckily, the king’s daughter, Ariadne had fallen in love with the hero.

Ariadne convinced Daedalus to help her and Theseus defeat the minotaur and escape the labyrinth. The princess used a ball of string to mark the way out of the prison for Theseus. Without Daedalus, Theseus would have been trapped in the maze.

Minos was furious with Daedalus for his role in helping Theseus escape, and so he imprisoned Daedalus and Icarus in the labyrinth. Daedalus hatched a cunning plan to escape the labyrinth. Daedalus knew he and his son would be caught if they tried to escape Crete by land or sea.

Daedalus and Icarus would escape imprisonment by way of the sky. The inventor fashioned wings for himself and Icarus out of beeswax, string, and bird feathers.

The Myth of Icarus and Daedalus

Daedalus and his son Icarus escaped the maze by flying out of it. Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too low because the sea foam would wet the feathers. The seafoam would loosen the wax, and he could fall. Icarus was also warned not to fly too high because the sun would melt the wax, and the wings would fall apart.

Once the father and son were clear of Crete, Icarus began joyfully swooping through the skies. In his excitement, Icarus did not heed his father’s warning and flew too close to the sun. The wax holding his wings together melted, and he plunged into the Aegean Sea and drowned.

Daedalus found the lifeless body of Icarus ashore on an island he named Icaria, where he buried his son. In the process, he was taunted by a partridge that looked suspiciously like the partridge into which Athena had transformed his nephew. Icarus’ death is interpreted as the gods’ retribution for the attempted murder of his nephew.

Grief-stricken, Daedalus continued his flight until he reached Italy. Upon reaching Sicily, Daedalus was welcomed by King Cocalus.

Daedalus and the Spiral Seashell

While in Sicily Daedalus built a temple to the god Apollo and hung up his wings as an offering.

King Minos did not forget Daedalus’ treachery. Minos scoured Greece trying to find him.

When Minos reached a new city or town, he would offer a reward in return for a riddle to be solved. Minos would present a spiral seashell and ask for a string to be run through it. Minos knew the only person who would be able to thread the string through the shell would be Daedalus.

When Minos arrived in Sicily, he approached King Cocalus with the shell. Cocalus gave the shell to Daedalus in secret. Of course, Daedalus solved the impossible puzzle. He tied the string to an ant and coerced the ant through the shell with honey.

When Cocalus presented the solved puzzle, Minos knew he had finally found Daedalus and demanded Cocalus turn Daedalus over to him to answer for his crime. Cocalus was not willing to give Daedalus to Minos. Instead, he hatched a plan to kill Minos in his chamber.

How Minos died is up for interpretation, with some stories stating Cocalus’ daughters murdered Minos in the bath by pouring boiling water over him. Others say he was poisoned, and some even suggest it was Daedalus himself who killed Minos.

After the death of King Minos, Daedalus continued to build and create wonders for the ancient world, until his death.

READ MORE: 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

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The math problem that took nearly a century to solve

UC San Diego mathematicians unlock the secret to Ramsey numbers

University of California - San Diego

Ramsey problems, such as r(4,5) are simple to state, but as shown in this graph, the possible solutions are nearly endless, making them very difficult to solve.

Credit: Jacques Verstraete / UC San Diego

We’ve all been there: staring at a math test with a problem that seems impossible to solve. What if finding the solution to a problem took almost a century? For mathematicians who dabble in Ramsey theory, this is very much the case. In fact, little progress had been made in solving Ramsey problems since the 1930s.

Now, University of California San Diego researchers Jacques Verstraete and Sam Mattheus have found the answer to r(4,t), a longstanding Ramsey problem that has perplexed the math world for decades.

What was Ramsey’s problem, anyway?

In mathematical parlance, a graph is a series of points and the lines in between those points. Ramsey theory suggests that if the graph is large enough, you’re guaranteed to find some kind of order within it — either a set of points with no lines between them or a set of points with all possible lines between them (these sets are called “cliques”). This is written as r(s,t) where s are the points with lines and t are the points without lines.

To those of us who don’t deal in graph theory, the most well-known Ramsey problem, r(3,3), is sometimes called “the theorem on friends and strangers” and is explained by way of a party: in a group of six people, you will find at least three people who all know each other or three people who all don’t know each other. The answer to r(3,3) is six.

“It’s a fact of nature, an absolute truth,” Verstraete states. “It doesn't matter what the situation is or which six people you pick — you will find three people who all know each other or three people who all don't know each other. You may be able to find more, but you are guaranteed that there will be at least three in one clique or the other.”

What happened after mathematicians found that r(3,3) = 6? Naturally, they wanted to know r(4,4), r(5,5), and r(4,t) where the number of points that are not connected is variable. The solution to r(4,4) is 18 and is proved using a theorem created by Paul Erdös and George Szekeres in the 1930s.

Currently r(5,5) is still unknown.

A good problem fights back

Why is something so simple to state so hard to solve? It turns out to be more complicated than it appears. Let’s say you knew the solution to r(5,5) was somewhere between 40-50. If you started with 45 points, there would be more than 10 234 graphs to consider!

“Because these numbers are so notoriously difficult to find, mathematicians look for estimations,” Verstraete explained. “This is what Sam and I have achieved in our recent work. How do we find not the exact answer, but the best estimates for what these Ramsey numbers might be?”

Math students learn about Ramsey problems early on, so r(4,t) has been on Verstraete’s radar for most of his professional career. In fact, he first saw the problem in print in Erdös on Graphs: His Legacy of Unsolved Problems, written by two UC San Diego professors, Fan Chung and the late Ron Graham. The problem is a conjecture from Erdös, who offered $250 to the first person who could solve it.

“Many people have thought about r(4,t) — it’s been an open problem for over 90 years,” Verstraete said. “But it wasn’t something that was at the forefront of my research. Everybody knows it's hard and everyone’s tried to figure it out, so unless you have a new idea, you’re not likely to get anywhere.”

Then about four years ago, Verstraete was working on a different Ramsey problem with a mathematician at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Dhruv Mubayi. Together they discovered that pseudorandom graphs could advance the current knowledge on these old problems.

In 1937, Erdös discovered that using random graphs could give good lower bounds on Ramsey problems. What Verstraete and Mubayi discovered was that sampling from pseudo random graphs frequently gives better bounds on Ramsey numbers than random graphs. These bounds — upper and lower limits on the possible answer — tightened the range of estimations they could make. In other words, they were getting closer to the truth.

In 2019, to the delight of the math world, Verstraete and Mubayi used pseudorandom graphs to solve r(3,t). However, Verstraete struggled to build a pseudorandom graph that could help solve r(4,t).

He began pulling in different areas of math outside of combinatorics, including finite geometry, algebra and probability. Eventually he joined forces with Mattheus, a postdoctoral scholar in his group whose background was in finite geometry.

“It turned out that the pseudorandom graph we needed could be found in finite geometry,” Verstraete stated. “Sam was the perfect person to come along and help build what we needed.”

Once they had the pseudorandom graph in place, they still had to puzzle out several pieces of math. It took almost a year, but eventually they realized they had a solution: r(4,t) is close to a cubic function of t . If you want a party where there will always be four people who all know each other or t people who all don’t know each other, you will need roughly t 3 people present. There is a small asterisk (actually an o) because, remember, this is an estimate, not an exact answer. But t 3 is very close to the exact answer.

The findings are currently under review with the Annals of Mathematics .

“It really did take us years to solve,” Verstraete stated. “And there were many times where we were stuck and wondered if we’d be able to solve it at all. But one should never give up, no matter how long it takes.”

Verstraete emphasizes the importance of perseverance — something he reminds his students of often. “If you find that the problem is hard and you're stuck, that means it's a good problem. Fan Chung said a good problem fights back. You can't expect it just to reveal itself.”

Verstraete knows such dogged determination is well-rewarded: “I got a call from Fan saying she owes me $250.”

Annals of Mathematics

10.4007/annals.2024.199.2.8

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

The asymptotics of r(4,t)

Article Publication Date

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

Original Source

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Inspirational topics for a quality life.

Problem solving

Entertaining introduction.

Problem-solving is an essential skill that we use every day, whether we realize it or not. From fixing a broken bike to figuring out how to make a delicious meal with limited ingredients, problem-solving is at the core of our daily lives. But what exactly is problem-solving? It's the process of identifying a problem, developing a plan to solve it, and implementing that plan to reach a solution. And while it may sound straightforward, the reality is that problem-solving can be a tricky and sometimes frustrating process.

Imagine you're trying to bake a cake, but you realize you're missing an ingredient. You could throw in the towel and give up on the cake altogether, or you could think creatively and find a solution. Maybe you could substitute a similar ingredient or adjust the recipe to work without it. The ability to think critically and outside the box is essential for effective problem-solving, and it's a skill that can be developed with practice.

Problem-solving has been a part of human history for as long as we've existed. Our ancestors had to solve problems every day just to survive, from hunting for food to building shelter. Over time, we've developed more sophisticated methods of problem-solving, from the scientific method to design thinking. But even with all our technological advances, we still face new challenges that require innovative problem-solving.

In this text, we'll explore the fascinating world of problem-solving, from its history to its practical applications in everyday life. We'll also dive into the principles of effective problem-solving and debunk some common myths surrounding the topic. So buckle up and get ready to exercise your brain – because problem-solving is about to become your new favorite pastime.

Short History

As mentioned in the previous chapter, problem-solving has been a part of human history since the beginning. Our ancestors had to solve problems every day to survive, such as finding food and water, building shelter, and protecting themselves from predators. These early humans developed practical problem-solving skills based on trial and error, and they passed their knowledge down through the generations.

As civilizations developed, problem-solving became more complex. For example, ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Romans developed advanced systems for building structures, creating art, and governing their societies. The Greeks developed a method of inquiry called dialectic, which involved questioning and answering to arrive at the truth. The Romans developed a legal system that relied on solving disputes between individuals and groups.

In the Middle Ages, problem-solving continued to be important, particularly in the fields of mathematics and science. Many of the mathematical and scientific advancements made during this time laid the foundation for modern science and engineering. In the Renaissance, problem-solving became more focused on the arts, with artists like Leonardo da Vinci using their creativity to solve complex problems in fields like engineering, anatomy, and architecture.

In the modern era, problem-solving has become even more crucial, as technology and globalization have made the world more complex and interconnected. Today, we face challenges like climate change, resource depletion, and social inequality, which require innovative problem-solving to address. Many fields, such as engineering, computer science, and business, have developed problem-solving methodologies, such as design thinking and lean startup, to help people tackle these complex challenges.

In short, problem-solving has been a fundamental part of human history and has evolved alongside the development of civilizations and societies. From our earliest ancestors to the present day, problem-solving has been essential to our survival and progress. And as we face new challenges in the future, we'll need to continue developing innovative problem-solving skills to overcome them.

Famous People

Throughout history, there have been many famous people who have made significant contributions to the field of problem-solving. These individuals have used their creativity, intelligence, and persistence to tackle some of the world's most complex problems and come up with innovative solutions. Here are just a few examples:

Thomas Edison - Edison is perhaps best known for inventing the light bulb, but he was also a prolific problem-solver who held over 1,000 patents in his lifetime. Edison famously said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work," reflecting his perseverance in the face of challenges.

Albert Einstein - Einstein is one of the most famous scientists in history, known for his groundbreaking work in physics. He was also an excellent problem-solver, using his intuition and mathematical skills to make revolutionary discoveries about the nature of the universe.

Steve Jobs - Jobs was the co-founder of Apple and is credited with revolutionizing the personal computer, music, and mobile phone industries. He was a master problem-solver who believed that design thinking was the key to innovation and success.

Marie Curie - Curie was a pioneering physicist and chemist who made significant contributions to the field of radioactivity. She was also an excellent problem-solver, using her analytical skills to develop new scientific theories and techniques.

Elon Musk - Musk is a modern-day problem-solving genius, known for his work with Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures. He has a reputation for thinking big and tackling audacious goals, like colonizing Mars and creating a high-speed transportation system.

These individuals and many others have shown that effective problem-solving requires creativity, persistence, and a willingness to take risks. They have tackled some of the world's most complex problems and come up with innovative solutions that have changed the course of history. Their examples show us that problem-solving is not just a practical skill, but also a powerful tool for innovation and progress.

Shocking Facts

Problem-solving is an essential skill that we use every day, but there are some surprising and shocking facts about problem-solving that many people are not aware of. Here are a few:

Most people are terrible at problem-solving - Studies have shown that most people struggle with even simple problem-solving tasks. In fact, only about 20% of the population is considered to be proficient in problem-solving.

Problem-solving ability declines with age - As we age, our problem-solving abilities tend to decline. This is due to changes in the brain and decreased cognitive function.

Lack of sleep can impair problem-solving ability - A lack of sleep can significantly impair our ability to solve problems. Studies have shown that people who are sleep-deprived make more errors and take longer to complete tasks that require problem-solving.

Stress can hinder problem-solving - While a certain amount of stress can be beneficial for problem-solving, too much stress can actually hinder our ability to think creatively and come up with solutions.

Our problem-solving ability is affected by our mindset - Our mindset can play a significant role in our ability to solve problems. People with a growth mindset, who believe that their abilities can be developed through hard work and perseverance, tend to be better problem-solvers than those with a fixed mindset, who believe that their abilities are predetermined and unchangeable.

These shocking facts highlight the importance of developing effective problem-solving skills and taking care of our mental and physical health to optimize our problem-solving ability. By understanding these factors, we can improve our problem-solving abilities and achieve greater success in our personal and professional lives.

Secrets of the Topic

While problem-solving may seem straightforward, there are some secrets to effective problem-solving that can help us achieve better results. Here are a few:

Break the problem down into smaller parts - When faced with a complex problem, it can be helpful to break it down into smaller, more manageable parts. This can help us better understand the problem and come up with more targeted solutions.

Use analogies and metaphors - Using analogies and metaphors can help us approach problems from a fresh perspective and generate new ideas. By comparing the problem to something else, we can often identify similarities and differences that we may not have otherwise noticed.

Ask the right questions - Asking the right questions is essential for effective problem-solving. By asking open-ended questions, we can encourage creative thinking and generate new ideas. It's also important to ask questions that help us better understand the problem and its underlying causes.

Use trial and error - While trial and error may not be the most efficient problem-solving method, it can be effective for complex problems with multiple solutions. By trying different approaches and learning from our mistakes, we can ultimately arrive at a solution that works.

Collaborate with others - Collaboration can be a powerful tool for problem-solving. By working with others, we can draw on their expertise and perspectives, and generate more creative solutions. It's important to cultivate a culture of collaboration and open communication to make the most of this approach.

By understanding these secrets of effective problem-solving, we can improve our ability to solve complex problems and achieve greater success in our personal and professional lives.

Effective problem-solving requires a set of principles to guide our approach. These principles are based on research and experience, and can help us approach problems in a structured and effective way. Here are a few key principles of effective problem-solving:

Define the problem - Before we can solve a problem, we need to define it clearly. This involves identifying the underlying issue, understanding its scope and impact, and clarifying our goals and objectives.

Generate multiple solutions - Effective problem-solving involves generating multiple potential solutions to a problem, rather than just one. This allows us to consider a range of options and choose the best one.

Evaluate the solutions - Once we have generated multiple solutions, we need to evaluate them based on a set of criteria, such as feasibility, impact, and cost. This helps us choose the best solution for the problem at hand.

Implement the solution - Once we have selected a solution, we need to implement it effectively. This may involve developing a plan, allocating resources, and communicating the solution to stakeholders.

Monitor and adjust - Effective problem-solving requires ongoing monitoring and adjustment. We need to track the progress of the solution, identify any issues or challenges that arise, and make adjustments as necessary.

By following these principles, we can approach problems in a structured and effective way, and achieve better results. These principles are applicable to a range of fields, from business and engineering to education and healthcare. By applying them consistently, we can develop our problem-solving skills and achieve greater success in our personal and professional lives.

Using the Topic to Improve Everyday Life

Effective problem-solving is not just about solving complex business or technical problems. It can also be used to improve our everyday lives. Here are some ways in which we can use problem-solving to improve our daily experiences:

Time management - Many of us struggle with managing our time effectively. By using problem-solving techniques, we can identify the root causes of our time management issues and develop effective strategies to address them.

Personal relationships - Relationships can be complex, and we often encounter problems that require creative solutions. By using problem-solving techniques, we can communicate more effectively, resolve conflicts, and strengthen our relationships.

Health and wellness - Many health and wellness issues, such as weight management and stress reduction, require effective problem-solving skills. By breaking down the problem into smaller parts and developing targeted solutions, we can improve our overall health and well-being.

Financial management - Financial management can be a challenge for many people. By using problem-solving techniques, we can identify areas where we can reduce expenses or increase income, and develop effective strategies to achieve our financial goals.

Personal growth - Effective problem-solving can also be used to facilitate personal growth and development. By identifying our strengths and weaknesses, setting goals, and developing action plans, we can achieve our full potential and live a more fulfilling life.

By applying problem-solving principles to our everyday lives, we can improve our overall quality of life and achieve greater success in all areas. Effective problem-solving is a versatile and valuable skill that can be used in virtually any context to achieve better results.

Practical Uses

Effective problem-solving has practical uses in a range of fields, from business to healthcare to education. Here are a few practical uses of problem-solving:

Business - Problem-solving is essential in the business world, where companies face complex challenges like market competition, changing customer needs, and financial constraints. Business leaders use problem-solving techniques to identify problems, generate solutions, and implement changes that improve performance and profitability.

Healthcare - Problem-solving is essential in healthcare, where medical professionals face complex diagnoses, treatment plans, and patient care issues. Healthcare professionals use problem-solving techniques to identify the underlying causes of health problems, develop effective treatment plans, and improve patient outcomes.

Education - Problem-solving is essential in education, where teachers and students face a range of challenges, from student engagement to curriculum design. Teachers use problem-solving techniques to identify areas where students are struggling, develop effective teaching strategies, and improve student performance.

Engineering - Problem-solving is essential in engineering, where engineers face complex design challenges, from building structures to developing new technologies. Engineers use problem-solving techniques to identify design issues, develop innovative solutions, and test and implement those solutions in real-world contexts.

Government - Problem-solving is essential in government, where policymakers face complex social and economic challenges, from reducing poverty to improving infrastructure. Government officials use problem-solving techniques to identify underlying issues, develop effective policies, and implement changes that improve outcomes for citizens.

These are just a few examples of the practical uses of problem-solving. Effective problem-solving is essential in virtually every field, and can be used to improve performance, productivity, and outcomes in a range of contexts.

Recommendations

Effective problem-solving requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and experience. Here are a few recommendations for improving your problem-solving abilities:

Develop your critical thinking skills - Critical thinking is an essential component of effective problem-solving. By developing your critical thinking skills, you can identify underlying issues, evaluate potential solutions, and make informed decisions.

Practice creative thinking - Creative thinking is essential for generating innovative solutions to complex problems. By practicing creative thinking techniques, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, and analogical thinking, you can develop your ability to think outside the box.

Build your knowledge base - Effective problem-solving requires a strong foundation of knowledge in the relevant field. By building your knowledge base through education, research, and practical experience, you can become more effective at identifying and solving problems.

Collaborate with others - Collaboration is a powerful tool for problem-solving. By working with others, you can draw on their expertise and perspectives, generate new ideas, and achieve better results.

Practice problem-solving in different contexts - Effective problem-solving requires adaptability and versatility. By practicing problem-solving in different contexts, you can develop your ability to apply problem-solving principles in a range of situations.

By following these recommendations, you can improve your problem-solving abilities and achieve greater success in your personal and professional life. Effective problem-solving is a valuable skill that can help you overcome challenges, achieve your goals, and make a positive impact on the world.

Effective problem-solving has many advantages, both personal and professional. Here are a few:

Improved decision-making - Effective problem-solving involves evaluating potential solutions and making informed decisions based on evidence and analysis. By developing your problem-solving abilities, you can become a better decision-maker in all areas of your life.

Increased efficiency - Effective problem-solving involves identifying and addressing underlying issues, which can lead to increased efficiency in personal and professional contexts. By addressing problems before they become larger issues, you can save time, resources, and energy.

Increased innovation - Effective problem-solving requires creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, which can lead to increased innovation in personal and professional contexts. By generating new ideas and approaches, you can improve your performance and achieve better results.

Improved teamwork - Effective problem-solving often requires collaboration and communication, which can lead to improved teamwork in personal and professional contexts. By working with others to identify and solve problems, you can develop stronger relationships and achieve better outcomes.

Improved self-confidence - Effective problem-solving requires persistence, resilience, and the ability to overcome obstacles. By developing your problem-solving abilities, you can improve your self-confidence and achieve greater success in all areas of your life.

These advantages highlight the importance of developing effective problem-solving skills. By becoming a better problem-solver, you can achieve better outcomes, overcome challenges, and make a positive impact on the world around you.

Disadvantages

While effective problem-solving has many advantages, there are also some potential disadvantages to consider. Here are a few:

Overthinking - Effective problem-solving involves analysis and evaluation, but too much of this can lead to overthinking. Overthinking can cause stress and anxiety, and can also lead to indecision and procrastination.

Analysis paralysis - Analysis paralysis is a type of overthinking that occurs when we become stuck in the analysis phase of problem-solving and struggle to make a decision or take action. This can lead to missed opportunities and wasted time.

Lack of creativity - Effective problem-solving requires creativity and innovative thinking, but some individuals may struggle with this aspect of problem-solving. A lack of creativity can lead to a limited range of solutions and missed opportunities for improvement.

Resistance to change - Effective problem-solving often requires change, which can be difficult for some individuals to accept. Resistance to change can limit the effectiveness of problem-solving efforts and lead to missed opportunities for improvement.

Resource constraints - Effective problem-solving often requires resources, such as time, money, and personnel. Resource constraints can limit the effectiveness of problem-solving efforts and lead to suboptimal solutions.

These disadvantages highlight the importance of being mindful of the potential downsides of problem-solving and taking steps to mitigate them. By balancing analysis and creativity, being open to change, and being mindful of resource constraints, we can overcome these potential disadvantages and achieve greater success in our problem-solving efforts.

Possibilities of Misunderstanding the Topic

While problem-solving may seem straightforward, there are some common misunderstandings that can lead to ineffective problem-solving. Here are a few possibilities of misunderstanding the topic:

Assuming there is only one solution - Effective problem-solving involves generating multiple potential solutions to a problem, rather than assuming there is only one correct answer. By considering a range of options, we can identify the best solution for the problem at hand.

Focusing on symptoms rather than underlying causes - Effective problem-solving requires us to identify the underlying causes of a problem, rather than just addressing the symptoms. By addressing the root cause of a problem, we can develop more targeted and effective solutions.

Ignoring potential biases - Effective problem-solving requires us to be aware of our biases and assumptions, which can influence our thinking and decision-making. By recognizing and addressing these biases, we can improve the quality of our problem-solving efforts.

Assuming a linear problem-solving process - Effective problem-solving is not always a linear process, and can involve a range of approaches, from trial and error to creative thinking. By being flexible and adaptive, we can achieve better results in our problem-solving efforts.

Overlooking the importance of implementation and monitoring - Effective problem-solving is not just about generating solutions, but also about implementing them effectively and monitoring their success. By tracking progress and making adjustments as necessary, we can ensure that our problem-solving efforts are effective and sustainable.

By understanding these possibilities of misunderstanding the topic, we can approach problem-solving in a more effective and nuanced way, and achieve better results. Effective problem-solving requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and experience, and by being mindful of these potential misunderstandings, we can improve our problem-solving abilities and achieve greater success in our personal and professional lives.

Controversy

While problem-solving is generally seen as a positive and necessary skill, there are some controversies surrounding its use in certain contexts. Here are a few examples:

In some industries, there is a focus on rapid problem-solving that may prioritize speed over accuracy. This can lead to rushed solutions that may not be effective in the long term.

Some people argue that problem-solving can be overused, and that individuals may rely too heavily on problem-solving techniques rather than using intuition or common sense.

There is debate over whether problem-solving is a skill that can be taught or if it is an innate ability. Some people argue that problem-solving is a learned skill that can be developed through practice, while others argue that some people are naturally better problem-solvers than others.

In some cases, problem-solving can be a source of stress or burnout, particularly in high-pressure environments where there is a constant need to identify and solve problems.

There is debate over the role of problem-solving in decision-making, and whether problem-solving should be the primary approach to decision-making or whether other approaches, such as intuition, should also be considered.

These controversies highlight the complexity and nuance of problem-solving as a skill. While problem-solving is generally seen as a positive and necessary skill, there are potential downsides and debates over its use in certain contexts. By being aware of these controversies, we can approach problem-solving in a more nuanced and informed way, and achieve better results.

Debunking Myths

There are some common myths surrounding problem-solving that can lead to ineffective or inefficient problem-solving efforts. Here are a few of these myths, and why they are not accurate:

Myth: There is only one correct solution to a problem. Reality: Effective problem-solving involves generating multiple potential solutions to a problem, and evaluating them based on a set of criteria to choose the best option.

Myth: Problem-solving is a linear process that always follows the same steps. Reality: Problem-solving can involve a range of approaches, from trial and error to creative thinking, and may require adaptation and flexibility based on the specific context and problem.

Myth: Effective problem-solving requires a high IQ or advanced education. Reality: While knowledge and experience can be helpful in effective problem-solving, problem-solving is a skill that can be developed through practice and effort.

Myth: Problem-solving always involves complex, technical problems. Reality: Problem-solving can be applied to a range of issues and challenges, from personal relationships to time management.

Myth: Problem-solving requires perfectionism and an aversion to risk-taking. Reality: Effective problem-solving involves taking calculated risks and being willing to make mistakes and learn from them.

By debunking these myths, we can approach problem-solving in a more effective and realistic way, and achieve better results. Effective problem-solving requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and experience, and by recognizing these common myths, we can improve our problem-solving abilities and achieve greater success in our personal and professional lives.

Subsections of This Topic

Effective problem-solving is a vast topic that encompasses many different subtopics and approaches. Here are a few examples of the different subsections of problem-solving:

Root cause analysis - Root cause analysis is a problem-solving approach that involves identifying the underlying cause of a problem and addressing it directly, rather than just treating the symptoms.

Creative thinking - Creative thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves generating new and innovative solutions to a problem, often through techniques like brainstorming and analogical thinking.

Design thinking - Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves a human-centered, iterative process of problem-solving that emphasizes empathy, collaboration, and experimentation.

Lean problem-solving - Lean problem-solving is a problem-solving approach that involves eliminating waste and inefficiencies in a process or system, often through the use of tools like the Kaizen method.

Six Sigma - Six Sigma is a problem-solving approach that involves using data and statistical analysis to identify and eliminate defects and improve performance.

By understanding these different subsections of problem-solving, we can develop a more nuanced and effective approach to problem-solving in a range of contexts. Each subsection offers a unique set of tools and approaches that can be used to identify and solve problems more effectively and efficiently.

Effective problem-solving is an essential skill for success in both personal and professional contexts. By developing our problem-solving abilities, we can overcome challenges, achieve our goals, and make a positive impact on the world around us.

Throughout this article, we have explored various aspects of effective problem-solving, including its history, famous problem-solvers, principles, advantages, and disadvantages. We have also discussed some of the myths and controversies surrounding problem-solving, as well as some of the different subsections of the topic.

Ultimately, effective problem-solving requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and experience. By developing our critical and creative thinking skills, building our knowledge base, collaborating with others, and practicing problem-solving in different contexts, we can become more effective problem-solvers and achieve greater success in our personal and professional lives.

Effective problem-solving is not always easy, and there may be challenges and setbacks along the way. But by being mindful of the potential misunderstandings, controversies, and downsides of problem-solving, we can approach this important skill in a more nuanced and effective way, and achieve better outcomes.

In conclusion, effective problem-solving is a skill that can be developed and honed with practice and effort. By being mindful of the various aspects of problem-solving and continuously working to improve our abilities, we can become more effective problem-solvers and achieve greater success in all areas of our lives.

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3 Questions: How history helps us solve today's issues

3 Questions: How history helps us solve today's issues

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Science and technology are essential tools for innovation, and to reap their full potential, we also need to articulate and solve the many aspects of today’s global issues that are rooted in the political, cultural, and economic realities of the human world. With that mission in mind, MIT's School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences has launched The Human Factor — an ongoing series of stories and interviews that highlight research on the human dimensions of global challenges. Contributors to this series also share ideas for cultivating the multidisciplinary collaborations needed to solve the major civilizational issues of our time.

Malick Ghachem is an attorney and a professor of history at MIT who explores questions of slavery and abolition, criminal law, and constitutional history. He is the author of "The Old Regime and the Haitian Revolution" (Cambridge University Press, 2012), a history of the law of slavery in Saint-Domingue (Haiti) between 1685 and 1804. He teaches courses on the Age of Revolution, slavery and abolition, American criminal justice, and other topics. MIT SHASS Communications recently asked him to share his thoughts on how history can help people craft more effective public policies for today's world. Q: Your new research focuses on economic globalization and political protest in Haiti, a country with a complex social, political, and economic history. What lessons can we learn from Haiti's history that can inform more effective public policies? A: I think the most important lesson for public policy may be that we cannot ignore the distant past — and in the case of Haiti, by "distant past" I mean only so far back as the 18th century. (With apologies to colleagues who study the yet more distant centuries of ancient and medieval history!) Public policy has a short-term memory, however, and this is especially true of economic policy, which tends to look back only so far as the early 20th century to understand, for example, how a financial crisis comes about and what it entails.

Haiti showcases the decisive present-day impact and legacies of a history that goes back more than 300 years, to the rise of the slave plantation system. My current work tells the story of a planter rebellion in the 1720s against the French Indies Company, an event that ended the era of slave-trading monopolies in Saint-Domingue (as Haiti was known under French rule) and left large-scale sugar planters in effective control of the colony.

Some of the key political and social cleavages that have characterized Haitian life ever since date back to this period. A history of Haiti that begins with the revolutionary years leading up to Haitian independence in 1804, or any period thereafter, will necessarily lack a handle on just how deeply rooted are Haiti’s current circumstances.

We can see this on any number of levels. Colonial history continues to hamper prospects for broad-based education in Haiti, as my colleague Michel DeGraff’s work on the linguistic politics of French vs. Haitian Kreyòl powerfully demonstrates. The environment is another example. Part of the resistance to accepting the reality of climate change (whether in Haiti or elsewhere) is a reluctance to acknowledge that history in this deep sense matters. Yet it is clear that deforestation in Haiti begins no later than the 17th century, when French settlers began using trees for purposes of lumber and fuel. By the time of Haiti’s independence, the lack of forest cover had already left many parts of the country vulnerable to flooding.

That historical perspective, in turn, suggests one of the difficulties that besets even the most well-intentioned relief work in Haiti today. Such work tends to focus on repairing the immediate damage caused by the latest “natural” catastrophe, whether an earthquake, a hurricane-induced flood, or an outbreak of contagious disease. These tragedies rightly call upon the generous aid of first-responders, but after the sense of emergency passes, the eyes of the world often turn elsewhere.

An understanding of how these tragedies draw on the full weight of Haitian history encourages and even demands a longer-term commitment to the problems at hand. And it suggests that effective responses to what seem like essentially medical, environmental, or legal problems must cut across conventional categories of policy analysis and understandings of responsibility. Take the case of United Nations liability for the cholera outbreak in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

The natural impulse of human rights lawyers in that context was to file suit against the U.N., which then spent several years digging in its heels and denying its role in the outbreak. But the U.N.’s position in Haiti is a legacy of the much deeper impact that individual nations/states — most notably, France and the United States — have had on Haitian affairs over the course of three centuries. Framing responsibility in narrowly legal or chronological terms runs head-on into this reality and limits rather than expands our sense of the potential remedies.

Q: What connections do you see between economic conditions (including globalization and monetary policy) and the ability of a people or a culture to make innovations in science, technology, and public policy?

A: Waking up hungry each morning does not leave one with great deal of energy for scientific (or any other kind of) work during the day. The resources that make possible scientific and technological innovation are the same ones that sustain the relatively high standard of daily living many of us enjoy in the United States.

Haiti’s economy has long existed in a state of colonial dependency upon one or another foreign power; today it is the United States. The country’s economy is also beset by many woes, among them an ongoing currency crisis that makes the Haitian gourde an increasingly ineffective form of money. This fact places a premium on access to U.S. dollars, which elites and companies enjoy at the expense of workers paid in the local currency.

This is a crisis of sovereignty that takes the form of a monetary crisis. The earliest such currency crisis dates back (again) to the 1720s, and it’s one dimension of my current research. One of the two key triggers of the revolt against the Indies Company was a suspicion that the Company intended to eliminate the use of local Spanish silver coins, on which most colonists depended for their livelihood. The lack of a reliable and stable currency remained a problem throughout the colonial period and continues to severely constrict the economic horizons of many Haitians today.

Q: As MIT President Reif has said, solving the great challenges of our time will require multidisciplinary problem-solving — bringing together expertise and ideas from the sciences, technology, the social sciences, arts, and humanities. Can you share why you believe it is critical for any effort to address the well-being of human populations, and the planet itself, to incorporate tools and perspectives from the field of history? Also, what challenges do you see to multi-disciplinary collaborations — and how can we overcome them?

A: President Reif’s observation is correct and important. We also need to appreciate that, even within the world of the social sciences and the humanities, there are deep and abiding differences about how best to understand and implement public policy.

Let’s take the case of development economics. There is a growing literature, associated mostly with political economy and the new institutional economics, that seeks to explain the disparities in wealth and income between more and less “developed” nations. These works tend to suggest that there is a unifying model, theory, or historical pattern that accounts for the disparities: political corruption, institutional competence, the rule of law, protection of private property, etc. These phenomena are all important, but the particular forms they take can really only be understood on a case-by-case basis.

It’s important to do the unglamorous, nitty-gritty, heavily historical work of understanding the local and the particular — which requires much more patience that even those social scientists who speak of “path dependence” tend to exhibit. I believe that this kind of sustained patience for understanding the local in historical contexts is itself a tool of public policy, a way of seeing and talking about the world, and (if wielded correctly) an instrument of power and justice.

One of the principal ways historians can contribute to problem-solving work at MIT and elsewhere is by helping to identify what the real problem is in the first place. When we can understand and articulate the roots and sources of a problem, we have a much better chance of solving it.

Interview prepared by MIT SHASS Communications Editorial team: Kathryn O'Neill, Emily Hiestand (series editor)

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Malick Ghachem
MIT History
Online course: (21H.319) Race, Crime, and Citizenship in American Law
Book: "The Old Regime and the Haitian Revolution"
Article: "Election Insights: Malick Ghachem on Criminal Justice Reform"
Article: "Black Histories Matter"

Analyzing the 2016 election: Insights from 12 MIT scholars

Top (from left): Sana Aiyar, Regina Bateson, Catherine E. Clark<br /> Bottom (from left): Malick W. Ghachem, Rich Nielsen, Edward Schiappa

SHASS welcomes six new faculty members

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How historians can help with current and future issues

Improving how history is used in current thinking and decision-making

Historians have much to offer when it comes to helping inform society how to deal with the issues of today and the future. But they need to be open to taking their research and expertise in unexpected directions to address these priorities.

Here, Dr Alix Green highlights the great value historians can offer through collaboration and explains how her engagement with business archivists is helping business leaders understand how looking at their past can help then in the future.

Is history just old news, irrelevant to the issues of the present and future? When researchers get together to talk about problem-solving or meeting the grand challenges of today’s society, historians are rarely considered as serious contributors. But people use history all the time – it’s how we make sense of the world, from the incidental stuff of everyday life to major decisions of international consequence (think war, peace and Brexit).

So, what if we took this human habit of ‘thinking with history’ seriously? Could we help improve the process, make it more informed, rigorous – and useful? The idea that historical training makes for sound political judgement goes back to the foundations of the academic discipline in the late nineteenth century. As J.R. Seeley, the first Regius Professor of History at Cambridge, put it in 1870: “If [history] is an important study to every citizen, it is the one important study to the legislator and ruler.” More recently, historians have used examples such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, Suez and Iraq as case studies of political leaders using, abusing or ignoring history.

The need to collaborate

While historians may lament that policymakers are rarely receptive to their advice, perhaps we also need to question our model of engagement. Given that history is part of how people reason and make decisions, surely we need to work with them to understand that process – rather than telling them what they should or shouldn’t be thinking?

In other words, we have to collaborate. We have to be interested not (just) in a historical topic but in how and why that topic matters for a present-day group or organisation. We have to be open to taking our research in unexpected directions in response to our collaborators’ needs, to shape a project through genuine dialogue, to ask questions of the sources that advance our agenda as scholars but also help our partners address their priorities.

Some historians have been engaged in this kind of close collaboration for decades, usually not with leaders and public figures but with local community groups, charities and museums: public engagement at the level of lived experience. This work doesn’t get much attention, recognition or reward but it’s no less meaningful in terms of knowledge deepened, skills sharpened and experience gained.

Thinking with history more effectively

I think we can build on this model. We can collaborate not just on producing historical outputs, such as exhibitions, films or tours, but also on improving how history is used in those processes of thinking and decision-making.

So, what does this look like?

Business archives hold a wealth of business intelligence, irreplicable and unique to the organisation. Business archivists can identify how the collections under their care could inform the present-day work of the company and help their colleagues ‘think with history’ more effectively. But, working alone or in small teams and with limited budgets, they usually don’t have the capacity to do so.

This is where collaboration with a historian can help. I recently worked with the John Lewis Partnership Heritage Centre on a project looking at the history of the company’s pay policy , a topic that the Heritage Services Manager, Judy Faraday, and I co-designed through extensive dialogue with the Personnel Leadership Team (PLT). Presenting our findings was not just about sharing historical insights. We had two larger goals. The first was to enlarge the frame of reference for executive thinking. As one PLT member commented, the work helped them to be “braver… having courage in what we’ve managed to achieve previously will really start to influence the context in which we make decisions”.

Demonstrating the value of archives

Our second goal was to demonstrate the value of the archives to the company. “In the past the role of the archive has always been very reactive,” Judy explained. The project proved there was a different way of working, with the business archivist “very much in the driving seat when it comes to linking up the agenda of the business with the academic research that can be undertaken”. This shift in the balance of power allowed the archives to position itself more effectively as a business resource.

Co-designed projects in history could work in all kinds of settings and organisations, but there’s a broader point to be made about academics doing public engagement, too often a tick-box exercise or a token effort. Yes, we do need to share our work with wider audiences in the conventional sense and, for some research, that linear model is entirely appropriate. There are many opportunities, however, to work differently. With “engagement” a truly two-way process of conversation and collaboration – beginning at the very earliest stages of research design – there is surely greater potential for influencing, shaping and transforming how knowledge is produced, interpreted and applied in the world beyond the university.

Historians, along with our colleagues in the humanities, have much to offer a whole range of partners and audiences – our expertise complements that of other professions and academic disciplines. But we also need to step forward more confidently as public scholars and make that case for our engagement.

About the Author:

Dr Alix Green

Senior Lecturer, University of Essex

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7 Great Creative Thinkers in History

Creativity can be an advantage in every field of work, not just the arts. Here’s our list of some of the best creative thinkers from history for their innovative and curious nature.

Thomas Edison

An icon for innovation with a collection of patents for over 1,000 inventions. His approach towards joint thinking collaborating with other innovators and always thinking positive came to light in his work and problem solving thinking.

“I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison

Isaac Newton

Greater knowledge came from Newtons achievements and understanding in science, finding inspiration from his home life surroundings and a now famous yet simple apple tree.

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton

Walt Disney

He built an entertainment empire by turning his dreams and goals into reality, through ’Imagineering’ his own term combining imagination and engineering.

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” – Walt Disney

Walt Disney isn’t the only one who is known for animation take a look at our award nominated animation.

Albert Einstein

He constantly challenged notions not only his own but those that came before him, to reach revolutionary new ideas.

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” – Albert Einstein

An entrepreneur and visionary in technology changing the way people use computers in their everyday lives introducing the personal computer revolution introducing the ipod, iphone and ipad. He was an innovator funding the creation of pixar, initiating a development in the visual effects industry with the first computer-animated film.

“Creativity is just connecting things.” – Steve Jobs

Marie Curie

The first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person and only woman to win a Nobel Prize twice in two different fields. She paved the way for women in science with her discoveries and breakthrough ideas. Her determination and dedication had a profound effect on her work and ultimately her life.

“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.” - Marie Curie

Leonardo Di Vinci

An inventor, painter, sculptor, scientist, architect, mathematician, anatomist, writer and engineer. Considered to be one of the best talented painters of all time his sketches, notes and scientific diagrams shows his forward thinking mentality with inventions for flight, musical instruments and mechanical engineering.

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” – Leonardo Di Vinci

Feeling inspired? Check out our services to see how we can help your company be more creative.

Spread the word, share the love, pass it on. If you like this article, feel free to share using the handy link below.

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Problem solving like a historian.

Introduction
Secondary Sources
Primary Sources
Sources in Action

before you start Why do you think it’s important to study past economic challenges in U.S. history?

1. Introduction

We often hear about “the economy” in the news as if it’s a mysterious and unpredictable force in our lives, but an economy is simply a system of how money changes hands and how goods and services are bought and sold. The economy is an essential part of society, so understanding what it is and how it impacts our daily lives allows us to adapt to economic changes using agility and problem solving.

In this challenge, we’ll explore present-day economic concerns by relating them to economic crises in U.S. history and exploring possible preparations and solutions. We will examine past economic downturns—the Great Recession of 2008, the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Energy Crisis of the early 1970s, and the bursting of the dot-com bubble in the early 2000s—to understand how they affected people’s lives and how people survived them. Those who lived through these particularly challenging times had to be agile—adaptable, resourceful, and quick-thinking—to support themselves and their families through economic hardship.

As an important step in looking to the past to find solutions in the present, we’ll also examine how historians approach problem solving by using reliable sources to inform their solutions. And like historians, we too will learn how to evaluate potential sources to make sure they’re both trustworthy and closely related to what we’re investigating. Evaluating a source allows you to understand and apply information more effectively, making the source a powerful tool for problem solving.

Economy The system according to which money is acquired and spent and goods and services are bought and sold. Economic Crisis A sudden downturn in the financial health of a country, usually due to a decrease in production, an increase in unemployment, or uncontrolled inflation or deflation.

2. Problem Solving like a Historian

Historians also use their problem solving skill to find answers to questions they have about the past. But historians solve problems in a particular way: they investigate sources that contain information about the topic they’re studying so they can come up with the best possible answers.

Problem solving like a historian means using relevant and reliable information to come up with the best solution you can. Let’s look at some of the sources historians use when they investigate the past.

A historical source is a document or other item that provides information about the past. Historians use sources to answer questions about the past and, in some cases, to apply what they’ve learned to the future. Sources help paint a picture of an event and provide insights into how people thought and acted at the time.

Primary sources are objects that were created at the time being studied.
Secondary sources are created at a later date.

2a. Secondary Sources If a source describing a historical event doesn’t come directly from a firsthand or contemporary account, it’s a secondary source . Secondary sources are typically written by historians or journalists who are describing past events but were not actually present at the time.

textbooks (such as this webtext)
articles interpreting a topic or event
biographies

Contemporary Happening or living at the same time. Secondary Source A description of an event created by someone who learned about it from other sources. Secondary sources often include analysis and interpretation. 2b. Primary Sources Primary sources are artifacts created during the time of an event by individuals living through it. They are the most important pieces of evidence that historians use to understand the past. It’s through finding and carefully analyzing primary sources that historians are able to answer questions about the past and make connections with what’s happening now.

letters or journal entries
newspaper articles published at the time of the event
surveys, census data, maps, and other official records
photographs or artwork
interviews or oral histories

big idea It is important to note that primary sources are not necessarily better than secondary sources. Consider how individuals may manipulate their own stories to make themselves look better than they really are.

Primary Source An account of an event by someone who experienced it.

3. Sources in Action

Let’s look at a few examples of how primary and secondary sources could be used to investigate real questions.

Primary and secondary sources each provide valuable insights into events in history. Taken together, they help us learn lessons from the past.

Of course, you don’t have to be a historian to use sources for problem solving.

big idea If you think about it, you encounter sources every day—when you read the news in the morning, watch the weather report, or check last year’s sales figures at work. When you use that information to make decisions, you’re using sources for problem solving.

In this course, you’ll learn how to use historical sources carefully and thoughtfully. You’ll then be able to take those techniques and apply them to researching problems at work or at home. In the next lesson, we’ll look at strategies for identifying and evaluating sources that are both relevant and reliable.

summary In this lesson, you were introduced to four periods of economic instability in the United States that demanded agility and problem-solving to endure and overcome. You also learned what it means to problem-solve like a historian , by finding and evaluating sources to answer questions about the past. Historians make use of primary sources and secondary sources to learn about and interpret the past. By putting these sources into action together, historians can develop a more accurate understanding of the past than one type of source alone can provide. Finally, you learned that the same problem-solving techniques that historians utilize can be useful in your own endeavors. Best of luck in your learning!

Source: Strategic Education, Inc. 2020. Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future.

Happening or living at the same time.

A sudden downturn in the financial health of a country, usually due to a decrease in production, an increase in unemployment, or uncontrolled inflation or deflation.

The system according to which money is acquired and spent and goods and services are bought and sold.

An account of an event by someone who experienced it.

A description of an event created by someone who learned about it from other sources. Secondary sources often include analysis and interpretation.

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A3 8 Step Practical Problem Solving – Skill Level 1: Knowledge

Brief history of modern problem solving methods.

The diagram below shows a “Time Line of Modern Problem Solving” and depicts some of the key milestones that have led to the processes used for problem solving in organisations today.

It is possible to trace the strands of the modern problem solving approaches we are familiar with in the lean movement. A five step problem solving method was originally taught in Japan as part of a course called The Fundamentals of Industrial Management by Homer Sarasohn and Charles Protzman. Deming’s modified Shewart cycle – known as the Deming Wheel was taken and developed by the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE.) JUSE was key in the dissemination of problem solving processes under the guidance of Ichiro and Kaoru Ishikawa. In 1951

JUSE created the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle which we know as PDCA. Despite Deming’s objections to the modification, this has become the dominant form of the Deming cycle today. They also invited Juran to Japan to give lectures in 1954.

Another key strand are the Training Within Industry (TWI) courses. Initially the 3J courses were taught, but in 1955, TWI Problem Solving was developed. The process outlined four basic steps of problem solving in the TWI framework to help train people, improve work methods and resolve problems in a structured way:

1 – Isolate the problem
2 – Prepare for solution
3 – Correct the problem
4 – Check and evaluate the results

In the 1960’s, various 6-step approaches were created. These can be summarised as follows:

Six Step Method

1- Define the problem.
2 – Determine the goal.
3 – Identify the root cause.
4 – Implement countermeasures.
5 – Check results.
6 – Follow up and standardise.

In the 1960’s and 70’s the concept of “kaizen” emerged in Japan. Its literal translation means “change for the better.” Different from structured problem solving and gap from standard situations, kaizen asks “How can the current standard or condition be improved upon?” Kaizen is not bound by the rules of root cause analysis thinking – it is more open ended. Processes are observed and considered for improvement.

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8 consistent behaviors of practically perfect problem solvers.

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The concept of a business strategy, analytics, search for solutions, the search output. Labyrinth of ... [+] colorful wooden blocks. People in the maze, finding a way out. The man in the maze.

This past month I celebrated my 42nd anniversary with my dear wife. One of her finest qualities is her ability to solve problems. I admit, while I like to analyze and contemplate the various approaches to solving a problem, she just gets it done. It turns out she is not the only female with this fantastic quality. According to our database, there is a trend among male and female leaders in solving problems.

In a dataset of over 47,000 men and 24,000 women leaders, men were rated higher on their technical/professional acumen. Still, women were rated higher on their ability to solve problems. The data came from 360-degree evaluations on each leader with an average of 13 assessments from their manager, peers, direct reports, and others. The graph below displays those results that were statistically significant.

ZFCO Study 2021- Problem Solving/Technical Expertise Scores

How These Skills Were Evaluated

I evaluated Technical/Professional Acumen by evaluating if people sought after the leader's opinions, had knowledge and skills that help achieve team results and if their ideas were trusted because of their in-depth knowledge.

Problem Solving was evaluated by assessing the leader's ability to anticipate and respond quickly to problems, was trusted to use good judgment in making decisions, and their ability to spot new trends and opportunities early.

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Understanding the Results

The results for the analysis were confusing because it was clear that being rated better at technical expertise should give men an advantage at solving problems.

To verify the results, I re-ran the data with more of an experimental design selecting only 50% of the cases for the analysis. In the experimental design, the results yielded the same conclusions. Technical/Professional Expertise rated significantly higher for men (T-Value 2.276, Sig. 0.023). Problem Solving rated significantly higher for women (T-Value 2.432, Sig. 0.015).

So... What Does This Mean?

To better understand what created the differences in the results on Problem Solving, I analyzed the top behaviors highly correlated with problem-solving. Why? Because these were behaviors that would impact the perceptions about HOW problems were solved. I then compared the results for men versus women on 16 behaviors and found that 12 behaviors showed significant differences between men and women. Four of the behaviors were rated more positively for men, and eight were rated more positively for women. The graph below shows the 12 items that were significantly different for women and men. The items that were significantly different for men clustered around two issues. Technical/Professional expertise was rated significantly higher on two items and can influence problem-solving ability. The two other items focused on strategic perspective. Having the ability to understand how a problem connects to the vision and direction of the organization was a skill that also helped men solve problems. While these four behaviors were helpful for men, the eight behaviors that women performed more effectively made a bigger difference in the results.

In the end, regardless of men or women, these behaviors teach us some essential requirements for practical problem-solving that we ALL need to improve!

8 Behaviors of Practically Perfect Problem Solvers

What is evident in this analysis is that having an excellent solution to a problem, and a clear context for how that solution aligns with the strategy, are not the only two issues that impact a leader's expertise in problem-solving. Once again, the behaviors listed below influenced the PERCEPTIONS of others on problem-solving. So, what do others perceive these practically perfect problem-solvers to do?

ZFCO Problem Solving Study (2021)

1. They get it done right away . In other studies comparing men and women leaders, we have found that this competency consistently shows the most significant difference between genders. It is easy for problems to get put on the "I will do that later list." It seems we can learn a lot from the women in our lives that take on problems sooner and invest more energy to get them corrected.

2. They model this behavior to those around them . If you want to change the way others perceive you in that behavior, you need to be considered the role model for it. Be consistent. Those who are good role models are more trusted.

3. They don't work on problems alone . Many problems in an organization flow across multiple groups and cannot be resolved without collaboration. Women were rated as better at collaboration. Men tended to act more independently. If you're going to solve a problem quickly, involve those around you and share the glory.

4. They know how to explain the problem and solution effectively. A significant part of solving any problem is having good communication between everyone impacted by the problem. The first benefit of good communication is that it helps everyone understand the problem, when it occurs, and why it occurs. Second, the solution needs to be communicated to all involved parties.

5. They can influence others to stretch their abilities to solve the problem. Many problems are hard to solve and require that people do something differently than they have done in the past. This requires you to be more skillful at getting others to step up and stretch to accomplish difficult goals.

6. They quickly recognize where change is needed. It is easy to ignore many problems. It's harder to identify where change is needed and do something about it quickly.

7. They know how to focus on top priorities. We cannot fix everything, so concentrating on top priorities makes it possible for an organization to change the most pressing issues.

8. They understand the full context. Solving problems requires that all people affected know how their role impacts the problem to be solved. Solving problems is more than just coming up with an excellent solution.

Aren't you grateful for the problem solvers in your life? Problems can be stressful, overwhelming, and many of us want to pretend they don't exist. We want to hide them in a corner and tiptoe around them, pretending they are not there, and if we don't give them attention, they will walk away. They won't.

Problems get solved when someone takes the initiative to fix the problem, understands their role in the solution, and cooperates. Problem-solving frequently requires the efforts and involvement of others. If you have a significant problem that needs to be solved in your organization, be the person that doesn’t just understand the problem but solves it.

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And The World's Best Problem-Solvers Are...

Senior Education Reporter, The Huffington Post

WASHINGTON, DC MARCH 30: Second grader, Renard Gray, 8, reacts to a problem as he is shown multiplication flash cards by classmate, Joselin Viveros, 7, as they learn Singapore Math techniques at Bruce-Monroe Elementary School at Park View on Wednesday 03/30/2011 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

American students are barely above the average of 44 countries and economies in problem-solving skills, far behind teens in Asia, according to the first international test of that attribute in 15-year-olds.

U.S. teens on average earned a score of 508 on the Programme for International Student Assessment -- Creative Problem Solving test, between top-ranked Singapore's 562 and bottom-ranked Colombia's 399. The PISA results, released Tuesday, put U.S. students in the middle of the pack, hardly supporting the American workforce reputation for creativity.

PISA is an international test for 15-year-olds that has been administered in reading, math, and science since 2000. The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development -- the Paris-based group behind the test -- administered the computer-based problem-solving test for the first time in 2012 in response to a job market that increasingly demands what the group called "non-routine analytic" and "non-routine personal tasks."

"This is the reason why the countries that participated in PISA decided this was an important area," said Pablo Zoido, an OECD analyst.

The U.S. performed higher than 28 countries. The U.S. ranked from 12th to 21st place -- the rank is imprecise because of the lack of statistical significance separating mid-pack performers -- with results close to Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy. Singapore, Korea and Japan came out on top, followed by China, Finland, Canada and Australia. Colombia and Bulgaria were lowest.

American students fared particularly well on "interactive" questions, which "require students to uncover useful information by exploring the problem situation and gathering feedback on the effect of their actions," according to the test results. That means U.S. students can "tolerate doubt and uncertainty, and dare to use intuitions to initiate a solution," according to the results.

The top-performing Asian countries are known as "pressure-cooker countries," according to Amanda Ripley, whose recent book, The Smartest Kids In The World, followed American high school students in exchange programs in Finland, Korea and Poland to better understand how those countries' education systems fare so well on PISA. Korea in particular has an intense culture around tutoring .

"The big criticism of these systems -- the one you hear most often from people within these countries -- is that they aren't teaching kids to think creatively and problem-solve," Ripley said. "Well, now we have a test that gets closer to measuring those skills than any other -- and they are killing it. Again. So what does this mean?"

Ripley suggested two likely factors. First, critics may be "underestimating just how effective their system is in helping kids think for themselves." Second, while the exam is probably among the best tools for measuring problem-solving skills, "it probably still is not measuring all the many, many ways in which humans can be creative," Ripley said.

The test was taken by 85,000 students who also took the main PISA. They answered questions on computers, solving problems such as finding the most convenient route on a map for three friends who wanted to meet up, or choosing the cheapest train ticket for a certain destination. Across the board, boys were more likely to be higher performers, though average scores did not differ by gender.

The OECD used scores on the main PISA test to estimate how students in various countries would fare. U.S. students beat the estimate by 10 points. According to the report, the higher performance "may indicate" that students' learning opportunities prepare them for dealing with real-life challenges.

"We did 10 points better than we were expected to do -- but it's 10 points out of 508, not a whole lot better than we were expected to do," said Mark Schneider, a vice president for the American Institutes of Research who previously led the U.S. Education Department's research arm. "It's statistically significant, but they don't talk about the degree to which it's substantively significant."

OECD noted that U.S. students "perform significantly better in problem solving, on average, than students in other countries who show similar performance in mathematics, reading and science." Still, 18.2 percent of U.S. students -- or one in six -- performed below the baseline level.

Results for the general PISA test reported in late 2013 showed the U.S. performed mid-pack.

To some extent, the scores reflected socioeconomic status, with higher-income students besting their lower-income peers. That pattern held true internationally. According to a Huffington Post analysis , even America's top 10 percent of students by wealth generally didn't outperform wealthy peers in other countries. According to OECD, socioeconomic status played less of a role in determining competence in problem-solving skills than math chops.

"The impact of socioeconomic background on problem-solving skills is smaller than what we observed in mathematics and reading or in science," Zoido said. "We see socioeconomic status playing less of a role in problem-solving than in other domains."

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Defining Authenticity in Historical Problem Solving

At Sammamish High School, we've identified seven key elements of problem-based learning, an approach that drives our comprehensive curriculum. I teach tenth grade history, which puts me in a unique position to describe the key element of authentic problems.

What is an authentic problem in world history? My colleagues and I grappled with this question when we set about to design a problem-based learning (PBL) class for AP World History. We looked enviously at some of our peer disciplines such as biology which we imagined having clear problems for students to work on (they didn't, but that is another blog post).

We consulted a number of sources in research. What did the College Board say? What do the state standards say? We reached out to Walter Parker, the social studies methods instructor at the University of Washington School of Education, to help us clarify our thinking.

We arrived at two ways to think about authentic problems. One I will call the work of historians in the field, and the other was the work of historical actors at the time. We quickly felt a healthy tension between these two ideas.

Living the Decisions

The work of historians involves creating and debating the frameworks for the historical narratives our students use to interpret history. One problem that historians debate is the question of periodization, or how history should be divided chronologically in order to better understand it. We know these chunks of time -- or eras -- by the more familiar labels given them by historians: classical, medieval and modern, to name a few. These debates are highly charged because they are so important in defining what students entering the field should study. For example, should World War I be considered a turning point in world history, or is World War I really a European civil war whose significance as a global turning point diminishes with passing of each decade?

It was exciting to consider that our students would engage in such high-level and rigorous academic thinking. We could think of many meaty questions for them to explore and discuss: What was the legacy of Mongol rule? Is the modern era a time of progress? Even the question, "Is there really such a thing as world history?" However, we wondered, was it realistic to ask students to do the work of historians? Could we prepare them well enough to have these highly abstract but critical conversations? College professors spend years steeping themselves exclusively in their discipline, while our students devote one seventh of their class time to world history. My colleague and I had both engaged students in such debates during our practice, but not in an integrated systematic way.

Our approach to authentic problems came from a different perspective: that of the historical actor and decision-makers. By giving students roles based around a historical problem we could ask them, "What would you do, and why?" This, of course, is nothing new. Teachers have been creating simulations and role-plays to engage their students for generations. We wanted to build a unit or "challenge cycle" around these activities.

Ultimately, we decided that it would be difficult for students to do the work of historians if they had not done the work of historical actors. By "living" the decisions through problem-based simulations, our students would collectively be better prepared to engage in the larger questions that are debated in the discipline of history.

Challenge Cycles

What did this look like in World History? We created challenge cycles based on each of the eras into which the course was divided. Our first attempt at building a PBL challenge cycle took place when we studied the Early Modern Era (1450-1750) and focused on the theme of diplomacy. Students were assigned to empire teams based on their interests, and they played the role of foreign policy advisors. Their mission: to determine how diplomacy could help their empire maintain and expand power. The simulation component culminated in a round of treaty negotiations between empires. We found that while students were energized and came to know their roles deeply, they were not directly engaging in the conversations and debates that historians have.

After we piloted our first PBL units, we built in a day for a debrief discussion explicitly linking the challenge cycle with the authentic questions that historians address. This debrief day also allowed students to drop their simulation roles, which frequently put them in competitive or modestly adversarial relationships with one another. They were free to argue against the position their historical figure would have taken. For example, during our diplomacy challenge debrief, the Ottoman Empire could argue the position of their Spanish archrivals. We also broke down our challenge cycle into components that allowed students to deepen their understanding of their historical actors in relation to others. In our diplomacy challenge, this meant building in a diplomatic reception in which our student diplomats had to toast an empire with which they wanted to engage in trade.

Diplomats and Historians

What kind of comments have we heard from students? Their response has become more positive as we have refined our pilot units. Here is a brief sample from a survey we took on our diplomacy challenge unit:

"We all were sort of competing, which made us try harder."
"The reception was super neat."
"I really enjoyed knowing about my empire, therefore I wanted to learn more about that empire and master it . . . I liked the process: 1st power point, to get to know the empire. 2nd Toast. This process helped me understand the empires. ."
"Elaborate more on what actually happened instead of the Socratic seminar [debrief] because I would've liked to know more concrete details."
"Remove the reception (I think this could have been a two-week project)."

After a year of designing and testing the curriculum, we have come to understand that some problems and their components feel more authentic than others. Representatives of the early modern empires were rarely gathered together at one reception, and diplomacy is obviously conducted over a longer period of time with changing players. However, the toasts our student diplomats made at that diplomatic reception would not have been out of place at a White House state dinner (although our students' were briefer), and the skills they used in trying to woo a trading partner were just as real.

As we continue to refine this course of study, the healthy tension between the work of the historian and the work of the actor remains, as does the desire to create a curriculum where students can meaningfully engage in both.

Editor's Note: Visit " Case Study: Reinventing a Public High School with Problem-Based Learning " to stay updated on Edutopia's coverage of Sammamish High School.

The Role of the History of Mathematics in the Teaching/Learning Process pp 219–232 Cite as

Problems and Puzzles in History of Mathematics

Pedro Palhares 12
First Online: 16 June 2023

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Part of the book series: Advances in Mathematics Education ((AME))

Since the publication of Polya’s book How to Solve it, and in special after becoming a central aspect of curricular recommendations, problem solving has become a focus in mathematics education. However, mathematical problems as a way to teach mathematical concepts and procedures has been around for many years before that. In this chapter, I will try to present problems and puzzles with an historic background, together with its cultural diversity and intercultural exchanges.

Problem solving
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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by Portuguese national funds through the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) within the framework of the CIEC (Research Center for Child Studies of the University of Minho) projects under the references UIDB/00317/2020 and UIDP/00317/2020.

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Palhares, P. (2023). Problems and Puzzles in History of Mathematics. In: Romero Sanchez, S., Serradó Bayés, A., Appelbaum, P., Aldon, G. (eds) The Role of the History of Mathematics in the Teaching/Learning Process. Advances in Mathematics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29900-1_9

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Problem-solution history

History gets a bad rap. Most people find it boring—as did I, throughout all my school years, until I finally got excited about it in my mid-twenties and began catching up on my education. The problem is the way it is written and taught.

History is often presented as a collection of facts. The facts might be a jumble, or hopefully organized in an understandable sequence. I call this name-and-date history . It’s the boring history that most people associate with the subject and that most people suffer through in school. At its best, a historian can pick out the most interesting or exciting facts, and tell them in an engaging, lively manner. I call this storytime history . The material is somewhat motivated and it’s at least entertaining. But in any case the student doesn’t retain much if anything, and what little they retain is not very useful, because it isn’t connected to anything and doesn’t represent a deep understanding.

The better historians go beyond name-and-date history. They integrate facts into casual sequences to create coherent narratives. I call this cause-and-effect history. At this level the student actually has a chance of achieving real understanding. Even at this level, though, the ideas can quickly become overwhelming. At its best, cause-and-effect history simplifies, condenses and essentializes until it reaches a high level of integration. This is big-picture history , a term coined by Scott Powell (to whom I am indebted for most of the perspective just outlined). With big-picture history the student can not only understand, but retain that understanding in a usable package.

What I am trying to do in this blog is something I’m calling problem-solution history . Since I’m telling the story of human progress, I want to tell not only what happened, not only why it happened, but why we decided to make it happen . To do that, I need to clearly explain the problems humans face and how almost every aspect of the modern world is a solution to one of those problems.

Only in this context can you appreciate, protect, and defend what we have accomplished so far—and be inspired to push progress further, faster. Without this background, it’s easy to hate DDT without realizing that it was a replacement for arsenic , to despise plastic without realizing that it saved the elephants , or to be disgusted by industrial furnaces without realizing that they averted worldwide famine . It’s easy to propose doing away with modern technolgy and reverting to a seemingly halcyon past, without realizing that this means un-solving problems that those who came before us worked so hard to solve.

« Unsustainable The 13th labor of Hercules »

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7 Female Inventors Who Solved Life Problems

a strong woman shows grace and is not weak

Every year, the month of March brings a celebration of women’s history. But I think it’s a disservice when we highlight female innovations only one month of the year. Since delving into human history is an exercise that I love, I delight in what women have accomplished! Yet searching what women have achieved, one often finds the most current writing focuses on a single note in the rich melody of women’s achievements—the strides made by women in advancing equality.

Ladies, we have done so much more than that! It’s not a single note; instead, it’s a whole orchestral arrangement. What I also love is that not only is exploring our gender’s achievements much more than a reflection on how far women have come, but it is also rich in accomplishment that is in no way predictable, especially in female inventors.

These female inventors deserve to be celebrated for what they created!

The woman who invented the bulletproof vest.

If you’re a watcher of television crime drama, you’ve seen the tense setup before officers enter a building, potentially facing trouble. They often pop the trunk of their police car to grab an additional weapon along with their bulletproof vest. In light of the danger ahead, this item seems like an essential addition to their wardrobe. But before 1966, those vests weren’t available. That is until DuPont chemist Stephanie Kwolek accidentally invented Kevlar while trying to perfect a more lightweight fiber for car tires. Who knew this high-tensile metal, five times stronger than steel, was the brainchild of a woman and could deflect bullets? I wonder if she ever got that tire fiber worked out, too…

The Woman Who Invented Windshield Wipers

Speaking of cars, what car driver does not appreciate their windshield wipers on a rainy or snowy day? It was on a trip to New York City in 1903 that Mary Anderson decided something needed to change when experiencing a delay in her travel across the city. In the backseat of a cab, as the snowstorm descended, Mary encountered multiple pauses. When the snow got too thick on the front windshield, the cab driver would pull the cab over, jump out, and scrape the glass clean, only to drive a few blocks and do it again.

Returning to her home in Birmingham, Alabama, Mary sketched her concept, wrote a comprehensive description of her idea, and then applied for a patent. That one act led to the creation of the first automatic windshield wiper controlled from inside the car, nevermore to face the elements. I don’t know if she traveled back to New York to see her invention in action, but I’m quite sure the cabbies would have given this pioneering lady free cab fare for the rest of her life if she had.

The Woman Who Invented Scotchgard

There is nothing more irritating than a stain to call a woman to action. In 1952, 3M chemist Patsy Sherman was stumped when some fluorochemical rubber spilled on a lab assistant’s shoe, and they couldn’t get it out. I bet money the men in the room didn’t have the same drive as Patsy did to do something about it. But this lady, along with co-inventor Samuel Smith, came up with a solution. Scotchgard! This chemical repelled water, oil, and other liquids without changing the color of the fabric. There isn’t a mom in America that has not benefited from this wonderful invention when their three-year-old decided to add artwork to the family sofa.

Not only is exploring our gender’s achievements much more than a reflection on how far women have come, but it is also rich in accomplishment that is in no way predictable.

The Woman Who Invented the Circular Saw

Creating building materials in the early 1800s was a daunting task that required hard labor and repetitive motion. To have the lumber needed for any structure required two men cutting logs into usable pieces. The tool was called a pit saw: the kind where each man grabbed the handle on either side of the long blade and worked it back and forth to cut logs into the appropriate lengths.

It was a weaver, Tabitha Babbit, that came up with the solution: the invention of the circular saw. Making a prototype that she attached to her spinning wheel in 1813, Babbit turned a two-man job into one that could be completed alone. As a member of the Shaker community, which is derived from the description of a shaking Quaker (you can look that one up), acquiring a patent was not something they believed in doing. But they did take full advantage of this weaver’s work.

The Woman Who Invented the Pedal Trash Can (and More!)

Lillian Gilbreth could become my new favorite hero! This lady tweaked and designed dozens of inventions that made life better. She invented shelves inside refrigerator doors (including the egg keeper and butter tray), and made vast improvements on electric can openers, as well as creating wall light switches.

But the one invention I am most thrilled with is the pedal trash can! Something you should know is she did all of this as a mother of 12. (This is why needing to open a trash can with your foot became an amazingly important reality to this mom.) Oh, and another significant fact is her family was the inspiration for the book Cheaper by the Dozen , written by two of her brood of 12. ( Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning at no additional cost to you, Grit and Grace Life may earn a small commission.)

The Woman Who Invented Caller ID

Who doesn’t love Caller ID? Knowing who you’re going to be speaking to before you even pick up the phone—what’s not to like? Theoretical physicist Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson did the research that led to this can’t-live-without feature on every one of our phones. She is also the first African-American woman to gain a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Thanks, Shirley—I have successfully avoided more telemarketers than I can count.

The Woman Who Invented the Airplane Muffler

Finally, it’s Eldorado Jones who, in 1923, patented the airplane muffler. Known as “Iron Woman,” she started her factory in Moline, Illinois, with an entire workforce of women. Ironically, while non-stop puffing her cigarettes, she directed the mechanics on attaching the muffler to the airplane and then began the testing process at Roosevelt Field. The plane sped out of the hangar and along the runway. Even though, according to news reports, she blew out a lot of fumes, the airplane did not.

Ladies, we should be proud of all the inventions that have come from our gender. It should inspire us, encourage us, and reinforce the fact that you cannot pigeonhole women. Weavers can invent circular saws, moms of 12 can invent pedal-footed trashcans, chemists can repel stains, and cigarette smokers can control exhaust! Next time you are faced with something you know can be done better, give it a little more brain time. Break out your creative juices, and start drawing, building, or rigging. You may be the next patent holder destined to make someone else’s life better.

Stories of women past should inspire us, encourage us, and reinforce the fact that you cannot pigeon-hole women.

You’ll love this podcast episode from This Grit and Grace Life: Is Society Right About Women or Are We Misunderstood? – 069

About The Author

Darlene Brock

The Best Problem Solvers In The World

Entrepreneurship.

Valuetainment

The Best Problem Solvers In The World. Motivation Monday.

Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxaN06BsiIc

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The Vault is a 3 day conference with Patrick Bet-David that will be held in Dallas, TX aimed to help Entrepreneurs, CEO’s and Executives get clear on what they need to do to reach their individual capacity. At this event, you’ll learn how to:

RECREATE YOURSELF You are where you are based on the way you view money, success, relationships and yourself. In order to recreate yourself, you will need a set of tools, strategies and mindsets to help you take that quantum leap to the next level.

IDENTIFY YOUR NEXT 3 MOVES Your next 3 moves may be different than someone else’s. At The Vault, we will identify your BEST next 3 moves in both your personal and business life.

SCALE IN GOOD OR BAD TIMES Many know how to win during good economic times but only a few know how to win during a recession or an economic collapse. The Forbes 400 is made up of leaders who knew how to anticipate, adapt and adjust swiftly to capitalize during bad times.

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Over the years, many of you have asked me why I create content and openly share my strategies with you. The answer is quite simple yet emotional. Simple because I believe the strategies I share can get anyone results living in any country. Emotional because I know how close I was to giving up and just being average and ordinary. How close I was to just throwing in the towel. How close I was to believing my critics that I wasn’t good enough to compete in the market place. I never thought I would wake up one day running a financial firm with nearly 10,000 agents with Oscar De La Hoya as one of my investors. I never thought I’d create a brand called “Valuetainment” that inspires millions of Entrepreneurs around the world. I never thought I would get to a point of having billionaires, politicians, influencers and celebrities on speed dial. But something changed.

I got CLEAR on what I wanted and who I wanted to be.

I got CLEAR on a problem solving strategy that helped me in the war room, board room and the bedroom.

I got CLEAR on effective strategies and hacks that helped me grow during good times and bad times.

I got CLEAR on the type of a leader I want to be and the type of a team I want to build.

This is why “The Vault” is an event you must attend in 2019. I truly believe Valuetainment will be known as the brand that inspired the next generation of great leaders, minds, innovators and Entrepreneurs around the world. I will also be unveiling the vision of Valuetainment at the conference. We are in search for leaders around the world and I can’t wait to meet many of you face to face in Dallas.

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7 Historical Figures You Didn’t Know Were Inventors

By: Evan Andrews

Updated: February 17, 2021 | Original: May 2, 2016

President Abraham Lincoln, photographed by Mathew Brady

1. Abraham Lincoln

Thomas Jefferson usually gets credited as America’s inventor-in-chief, but Abraham Lincoln is the only president to hold a U.S. patent. In 1849, shortly after the end of his lone term as a U.S. congressman, the Great Emancipator was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,469 for a device for “Buoying Vessels Over Shoals.” Lincoln had come up with the idea a year earlier after watching crewmen try to free a steamboat that had run aground on the Detroit River. Upon returning home to Illinois, he drew up plans for a pair of buoyant air chambers that could be attached to the sides of a boat and used to lift the vessel over shallow sections of river. Lincoln spent several weeks writing a description of the device and even built a scale wooden model, but while he received his patent, the invention was never put to use.

READ MORE: The Grisly Murder Trial That Helped Raise Abraham Lincoln's National Profile

2. Albert Einstein

It’s hard to imagine the genius behind the Theory of Relativity tinkering with something as mundane as a kitchen appliance, but Albert Einstein did just that in 1926, when he began collaborating on a design for a refrigerator. Einstein was inspired to make the device after reading a news story about a Berlin family who had been killed by poisonous fumes leaking from their fridge. Along with fellow physicist Leo Szilard, he developed a safer absorption refrigerator that used no moving parts or electricity. Instead, it employed a small heat source and a cocktail of ammonia, butane and water to create a cooling chemical reaction. Einstein and Szilard received a patent for their fridge in 1930. While it was largely ignored during their lifetimes, recent research suggests that similar coolers might be an eco-friendly alternative to modern refrigerators that use freon.

READ MORE: 9 Things You May Not Know About Albert Einstein

3. Thomas Paine

In the late-1780s, a few years after he helped fuel the American Revolution with pamphlets such as “Common Sense,” the writer and political philosopher Thomas Paine finally found time to pursue his passion for scientific innovation. He experimented with a smokeless candle, early steam engines and a concentric wheel, and conducted an investigation into the causes of yellow fever . Still, he was most excited by the prospect of building iron bridges. “The European method of bridge architecture, by piers and arches, is not adapted to many of the rivers in America on account of the ice in the winter,” he argued in a 1786 letter to Benjamin Franklin. With this in mind, Paine drew up plans for a single arch iron bridge that employed a lattice support structure modeled after a spider’s web. He patented the design and tirelessly promoted it on both sides of the Atlantic, but proposed bridges over Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River, the Thames in London and the Seine in Paris all failed to materialize. The closest Paine came to getting one built was in 1797, when elements of one of his prototypes were incorporated into a bridge over England’s River Wear.

4. Roald Dahl

Though best known as the author of children’s books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach , Roald Dahl lived a varied life that also included stints as a World War II fighter ace, a British intelligence agent and—in the early 1960s—a pioneer in new neurosurgical technology. Dahl’s interest in medicine came after a car accident left his four-month-old son with hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain.” Determined to ease his child’s suffering, the writer teamed with pediatric neurosurgeon Kenneth Till and toymaker and hydraulic engineer Stanley Wade in the development of a device to more effectively drain fluid from the brain. The result was the Wade-Dahl-Till Valve, a type of cerebral shunt that was cheaper, easier to sterilize and less prone to blockages than earlier units. Dahl’s son’s condition had improved by the time the device was put into production in 1962, but the valves were later used to treat some 3,000 children worldwide.

READ MORE: When Roald Dahl Spied on the United States

5. Hedy Lamarr

Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler—better known by her stage name Hedy Lamarr —became a big screen legend in the 1930s and '40s for starring in such Hollywood films as Algiers , Comrade X and Samson and Delilah . But while the Vienna-born actress was often dubbed the “most beautiful woman in the world,” she also possessed a sharp mind that she put to use as an inventor. In the 1940s, she teamed with avant-garde composer George Antheil in pioneering a new method of “frequency hopping,” a technique for disguising radio transmissions by making the signal jump between different channels in a prearranged pattern. Lamarr devised her “Secret Communications System” as a potential guidance tool for Allied torpedoes in World War II , but the U.S. Navy ignored the technology after she handed over her patent in 1942. Other inventors later expanded on her groundbreaking ideas, however, and similar “spread-spectrum” systems are now used in everything from communications satellites to cellular phones.

WATCH: The Hollywood Actress Who Invented WiFi

6. Harry Houdini

The master magician behind the “milk can escape” and the “Chinese Water Torture Cell” made a career out of extricating himself from tight spots. In 1917, he put his unique knowledge to use by patenting a new type of deep-sea diving suit that could be easily removed if an underwater malfunction forced the wearer to return to the surface. The suit’s secret was that it was made out of two interlocking sections instead of just one piece. Along with allowing the wearer to get into the rig without the help of a second person, the design ensured that they could pull a lever near their waistline, wriggle out of the suit and make a Houdini-esque getaway in the event of any danger. Houdini was partially inspired to make the suit after a close friend drowned in a diving accident in Australia, but he was also driven by his support for the American military in World War I . After completing the invention, he supposedly donated it to the U.S. Navy.

7. Charles Lindbergh

The man known as the “Lone Eagle” became an aviation icon for his 1927 solo flight between New York and Paris , but he also made an unlikely contribution to biomechanics. After his sister-in-law struggled with heart disease in the early 1930s, Lindbergh—who had a lifelong fascination with science—pondered the idea of a machine that would keep organs functioning long enough for them to be repaired outside the body. “Why could not a part of the body be kept alive indefinitely if a mechanical heart was attached to it?” he mused. Lindbergh’s obsession with the idea led him to strike up a partnership with the Nobel Prize-winning surgeon Alexis Carrel. Together, the two men spent several years perfecting a glass perfusion pump that was capable of circulating a sterile, nutrient-rich fluid through organs to keep them alive outside the body. The device helped pave the way for the creation of the first artificial hearts, and though largely forgotten today, it won the publicity-shy Lindbergh heaps of praise from his contemporaries. Carrel was even quoted as saying that the flier’s medical legacy would be “as illustrious as that in aviation.”

WATCH: Assembly Required with Tim Allen and Richard Karn premieres Tuesday, February 23 at 10/9c on HISTORY. Watch a preview now.

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Do You Understand the Problem You’re Trying to Solve?

To solve tough problems at work, first ask these questions.

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Problem solving skills are invaluable in any job. But all too often, we jump to find solutions to a problem without taking time to really understand the dilemma we face, according to Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg , an expert in innovation and the author of the book, What’s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve .

In this episode, you’ll learn how to reframe tough problems by asking questions that reveal all the factors and assumptions that contribute to the situation. You’ll also learn why searching for just one root cause can be misleading.

Key episode topics include: leadership, decision making and problem solving, power and influence, business management.

HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week.

Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: The Secret to Better Problem Solving (2016)
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Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org .

HANNAH BATES: Welcome to HBR on Leadership , case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, hand-selected to help you unlock the best in those around you.

Problem solving skills are invaluable in any job. But even the most experienced among us can fall into the trap of solving the wrong problem.

Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg says that all too often, we jump to find solutions to a problem – without taking time to really understand what we’re facing.

He’s an expert in innovation, and he’s the author of the book, What’s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve .

In this episode, you’ll learn how to reframe tough problems, by asking questions that reveal all the factors and assumptions that contribute to the situation. You’ll also learn why searching for one root cause can be misleading. And you’ll learn how to use experimentation and rapid prototyping as problem-solving tools.

This episode originally aired on HBR IdeaCast in December 2016. Here it is.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review. I’m Sarah Green Carmichael.

Problem solving is popular. People put it on their resumes. Managers believe they excel at it. Companies count it as a key proficiency. We solve customers’ problems.

The problem is we often solve the wrong problems. Albert Einstein and Peter Drucker alike have discussed the difficulty of effective diagnosis. There are great frameworks for getting teams to attack true problems, but they’re often hard to do daily and on the fly. That’s where our guest comes in.

Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg is a consultant who helps companies and managers reframe their problems so they can come up with an effective solution faster. He asks the question “Are You Solving The Right Problems?” in the January-February 2017 issue of Harvard Business Review. Thomas, thank you so much for coming on the HBR IdeaCast .

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Thanks for inviting me.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, I thought maybe we could start by talking about the problem of talking about problem reframing. What is that exactly?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Basically, when people face a problem, they tend to jump into solution mode to rapidly, and very often that means that they don’t really understand, necessarily, the problem they’re trying to solve. And so, reframing is really a– at heart, it’s a method that helps you avoid that by taking a second to go in and ask two questions, basically saying, first of all, wait. What is the problem we’re trying to solve? And then crucially asking, is there a different way to think about what the problem actually is?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, I feel like so often when this comes up in meetings, you know, someone says that, and maybe they throw out the Einstein quote about you spend an hour of problem solving, you spend 55 minutes to find the problem. And then everyone else in the room kind of gets irritated. So, maybe just give us an example of maybe how this would work in practice in a way that would not, sort of, set people’s teeth on edge, like oh, here Sarah goes again, reframing the whole problem instead of just solving it.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: I mean, you’re bringing up something that’s, I think is crucial, which is to create legitimacy for the method. So, one of the reasons why I put out the article is to give people a tool to say actually, this thing is still important, and we need to do it. But I think the really critical thing in order to make this work in a meeting is actually to learn how to do it fast, because if you have the idea that you need to spend 30 minutes in a meeting delving deeply into the problem, I mean, that’s going to be uphill for most problems. So, the critical thing here is really to try to make it a practice you can implement very, very rapidly.

There’s an example that I would suggest memorizing. This is the example that I use to explain very rapidly what it is. And it’s basically, I call it the slow elevator problem. You imagine that you are the owner of an office building, and that your tenants are complaining that the elevator’s slow.

Now, if you take that problem framing for granted, you’re going to start thinking creatively around how do we make the elevator faster. Do we install a new motor? Do we have to buy a new lift somewhere?

The thing is, though, if you ask people who actually work with facilities management, well, they’re going to have a different solution for you, which is put up a mirror next to the elevator. That’s what happens is, of course, that people go oh, I’m busy. I’m busy. I’m– oh, a mirror. Oh, that’s beautiful.

And then they forget time. What’s interesting about that example is that the idea with a mirror is actually a solution to a different problem than the one you first proposed. And so, the whole idea here is once you get good at using reframing, you can quickly identify other aspects of the problem that might be much better to try to solve than the original one you found. It’s not necessarily that the first one is wrong. It’s just that there might be better problems out there to attack that we can, means we can do things much faster, cheaper, or better.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, in that example, I can understand how A, it’s probably expensive to make the elevator faster, so it’s much cheaper just to put up a mirror. And B, maybe the real problem people are actually feeling, even though they’re not articulating it right, is like, I hate waiting for the elevator. But if you let them sort of fix their hair or check their teeth, they’re suddenly distracted and don’t notice.

But if you have, this is sort of a pedestrian example, but say you have a roommate or a spouse who doesn’t clean up the kitchen. Facing that problem and not having your elegant solution already there to highlight the contrast between the perceived problem and the real problem, how would you take a problem like that and attack it using this method so that you can see what some of the other options might be?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Right. So, I mean, let’s say it’s you who have that problem. I would go in and say, first of all, what would you say the problem is? Like, if you were to describe your view of the problem, what would that be?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: I hate cleaning the kitchen, and I want someone else to clean it up.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: OK. So, my first observation, you know, that somebody else might not necessarily be your spouse. So, already there, there’s an inbuilt assumption in your question around oh, it has to be my husband who does the cleaning. So, it might actually be worth, already there to say, is that really the only problem you have? That you hate cleaning the kitchen, and you want to avoid it? Or might there be something around, as well, getting a better relationship in terms of how you solve problems in general or establishing a better way to handle small problems when dealing with your spouse?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Or maybe, now that I’m thinking that, maybe the problem is that you just can’t find the stuff in the kitchen when you need to find it.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Right, and so that’s an example of a reframing, that actually why is it a problem that the kitchen is not clean? Is it only because you hate the act of cleaning, or does it actually mean that it just takes you a lot longer and gets a lot messier to actually use the kitchen, which is a different problem. The way you describe this problem now, is there anything that’s missing from that description?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: That is a really good question.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Other, basically asking other factors that we are not talking about right now, and I say those because people tend to, when given a problem, they tend to delve deeper into the detail. What often is missing is actually an element outside of the initial description of the problem that might be really relevant to what’s going on. Like, why does the kitchen get messy in the first place? Is it something about the way you use it or your cooking habits? Is it because the neighbor’s kids, kind of, use it all the time?

There might, very often, there might be issues that you’re not really thinking about when you first describe the problem that actually has a big effect on it.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: I think at this point it would be helpful to maybe get another business example, and I’m wondering if you could tell us the story of the dog adoption problem.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Yeah. This is a big problem in the US. If you work in the shelter industry, basically because dogs are so popular, more than 3 million dogs every year enter a shelter, and currently only about half of those actually find a new home and get adopted. And so, this is a problem that has persisted. It’s been, like, a structural problem for decades in this space. In the last three years, where people found new ways to address it.

So a woman called Lori Weise who runs a rescue organization in South LA, and she actually went in and challenged the very idea of what we were trying to do. She said, no, no. The problem we’re trying to solve is not about how to get more people to adopt dogs. It is about keeping the dogs with their first family so they never enter the shelter system in the first place.

In 2013, she started what’s called a Shelter Intervention Program that basically works like this. If a family comes and wants to hand over their dog, these are called owner surrenders. It’s about 30% of all dogs that come into a shelter. All they would do is go up and ask, if you could, would you like to keep your animal? And if they said yes, they would try to fix whatever helped them fix the problem, but that made them turn over this.

And sometimes that might be that they moved into a new building. The landlord required a deposit, and they simply didn’t have the money to put down a deposit. Or the dog might need a $10 rabies shot, but they didn’t know how to get access to a vet.

And so, by instigating that program, just in the first year, she took her, basically the amount of dollars they spent per animal they helped went from something like $85 down to around $60. Just an immediate impact, and her program now is being rolled out, is being supported by the ASPCA, which is one of the big animal welfare stations, and it’s being rolled out to various other places.

And I think what really struck me with that example was this was not dependent on having the internet. This was not, oh, we needed to have everybody mobile before we could come up with this. This, conceivably, we could have done 20 years ago. Only, it only happened when somebody, like in this case Lori, went in and actually rethought what the problem they were trying to solve was in the first place.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, what I also think is so interesting about that example is that when you talk about it, it doesn’t sound like the kind of thing that would have been thought of through other kinds of problem solving methods. There wasn’t necessarily an After Action Review or a 5 Whys exercise or a Six Sigma type intervention. I don’t want to throw those other methods under the bus, but how can you get such powerful results with such a very simple way of thinking about something?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: That was something that struck me as well. This, in a way, reframing and the idea of the problem diagnosis is important is something we’ve known for a long, long time. And we’ve actually have built some tools to help out. If you worked with us professionally, you are familiar with, like, Six Sigma, TRIZ, and so on. You mentioned 5 Whys. A root cause analysis is another one that a lot of people are familiar with.

Those are our good tools, and they’re definitely better than nothing. But what I notice when I work with the companies applying those was those tools tend to make you dig deeper into the first understanding of the problem we have. If it’s the elevator example, people start asking, well, is that the cable strength, or is the capacity of the elevator? That they kind of get caught by the details.

That, in a way, is a bad way to work on problems because it really assumes that there’s like a, you can almost hear it, a root cause. That you have to dig down and find the one true problem, and everything else was just symptoms. That’s a bad way to think about problems because problems tend to be multicausal.

There tend to be lots of causes or levers you can potentially press to address a problem. And if you think there’s only one, if that’s the right problem, that’s actually a dangerous way. And so I think that’s why, that this is a method I’ve worked with over the last five years, trying to basically refine how to make people better at this, and the key tends to be this thing about shifting out and saying, is there a totally different way of thinking about the problem versus getting too caught up in the mechanistic details of what happens.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: What about experimentation? Because that’s another method that’s become really popular with the rise of Lean Startup and lots of other innovation methodologies. Why wouldn’t it have worked to, say, experiment with many different types of fixing the dog adoption problem, and then just pick the one that works the best?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: You could say in the dog space, that’s what’s been going on. I mean, there is, in this industry and a lot of, it’s largely volunteer driven. People have experimented, and they found different ways of trying to cope. And that has definitely made the problem better. So, I wouldn’t say that experimentation is bad, quite the contrary. Rapid prototyping, quickly putting something out into the world and learning from it, that’s a fantastic way to learn more and to move forward.

My point is, though, that I feel we’ve come to rely too much on that. There’s like, if you look at the start up space, the wisdom is now just to put something quickly into the market, and then if it doesn’t work, pivot and just do more stuff. What reframing really is, I think of it as the cognitive counterpoint to prototyping. So, this is really a way of seeing very quickly, like not just working on the solution, but also working on our understanding of the problem and trying to see is there a different way to think about that.

If you only stick with experimentation, again, you tend to sometimes stay too much in the same space trying minute variations of something instead of taking a step back and saying, wait a minute. What is this telling us about what the real issue is?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, to go back to something that we touched on earlier, when we were talking about the completely hypothetical example of a spouse who does not clean the kitchen–

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Completely, completely hypothetical.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Yes. For the record, my husband is a great kitchen cleaner.

You started asking me some questions that I could see immediately were helping me rethink that problem. Is that kind of the key, just having a checklist of questions to ask yourself? How do you really start to put this into practice?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: I think there are two steps in that. The first one is just to make yourself better at the method. Yes, you should kind of work with a checklist. In the article, I kind of outlined seven practices that you can use to do this.

But importantly, I would say you have to consider that as, basically, a set of training wheels. I think there’s a big, big danger in getting caught in a checklist. This is something I work with.

My co-author Paddy Miller, it’s one of his insights. That if you start giving people a checklist for things like this, they start following it. And that’s actually a problem, because what you really want them to do is start challenging their thinking.

So the way to handle this is to get some practice using it. Do use the checklist initially, but then try to step away from it and try to see if you can organically make– it’s almost a habit of mind. When you run into a colleague in the hallway and she has a problem and you have five minutes, like, delving in and just starting asking some of those questions and using your intuition to say, wait, how is she talking about this problem? And is there a question or two I can ask her about the problem that can help her rethink it?

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Well, that is also just a very different approach, because I think in that situation, most of us can’t go 30 seconds without jumping in and offering solutions.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Very true. The drive toward solutions is very strong. And to be clear, I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that if the solutions work. So, many problems are just solved by oh, you know, oh, here’s the way to do that. Great.

But this is really a powerful method for those problems where either it’s something we’ve been banging our heads against tons of times without making progress, or when you need to come up with a really creative solution. When you’re facing a competitor with a much bigger budget, and you know, if you solve the same problem later, you’re not going to win. So, that basic idea of taking that approach to problems can often help you move forward in a different way than just like, oh, I have a solution.

I would say there’s also, there’s some interesting psychological stuff going on, right? Where you may have tried this, but if somebody tries to serve up a solution to a problem I have, I’m often resistant towards them. Kind if like, no, no, no, no, no, no. That solution is not going to work in my world. Whereas if you get them to discuss and analyze what the problem really is, you might actually dig something up.

Let’s go back to the kitchen example. One powerful question is just to say, what’s your own part in creating this problem? It’s very often, like, people, they describe problems as if it’s something that’s inflicted upon them from the external world, and they are innocent bystanders in that.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Right, or crazy customers with unreasonable demands.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Exactly, right. I don’t think I’ve ever met an agency or consultancy that didn’t, like, gossip about their customers. Oh, my god, they’re horrible. That, you know, classic thing, why don’t they want to take more risk? Well, risk is bad.

It’s their business that’s on the line, not the consultancy’s, right? So, absolutely, that’s one of the things when you step into a different mindset and kind of, wait. Oh yeah, maybe I actually am part of creating this problem in a sense, as well. That tends to open some new doors for you to move forward, in a way, with stuff that you may have been struggling with for years.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, we’ve surfaced a couple of questions that are useful. I’m curious to know, what are some of the other questions that you find yourself asking in these situations, given that you have made this sort of mental habit that you do? What are the questions that people seem to find really useful?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: One easy one is just to ask if there are any positive exceptions to the problem. So, was there day where your kitchen was actually spotlessly clean? And then asking, what was different about that day? Like, what happened there that didn’t happen the other days? That can very often point people towards a factor that they hadn’t considered previously.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: We got take-out.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: S,o that is your solution. Take-out from [INAUDIBLE]. That might have other problems.

Another good question, and this is a little bit more high level. It’s actually more making an observation about labeling how that person thinks about the problem. And what I mean with that is, we have problem categories in our head. So, if I say, let’s say that you describe a problem to me and say, well, we have a really great product and are, it’s much better than our previous product, but people aren’t buying it. I think we need to put more marketing dollars into this.

Now you can go in and say, that’s interesting. This sounds like you’re thinking of this as a communications problem. Is there a different way of thinking about that? Because you can almost tell how, when the second you say communications, there are some ideas about how do you solve a communications problem. Typically with more communication.

And what you might do is go in and suggest, well, have you considered that it might be, say, an incentive problem? Are there incentives on behalf of the purchasing manager at your clients that are obstructing you? Might there be incentive issues with your own sales force that makes them want to sell the old product instead of the new one?

So literally, just identifying what type of problem does this person think about, and is there different potential way of thinking about it? Might it be an emotional problem, a timing problem, an expectations management problem? Thinking about what label of what type of problem that person is kind of thinking as it of.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: That’s really interesting, too, because I think so many of us get requests for advice that we’re really not qualified to give. So, maybe the next time that happens, instead of muddying my way through, I will just ask some of those questions that we talked about instead.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: That sounds like a good idea.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, Thomas, this has really helped me reframe the way I think about a couple of problems in my own life, and I’m just wondering. I know you do this professionally, but is there a problem in your life that thinking this way has helped you solve?

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: I’ve, of course, I’ve been swallowing my own medicine on this, too, and I think I have, well, maybe two different examples, and in one case somebody else did the reframing for me. But in one case, when I was younger, I often kind of struggled a little bit. I mean, this is my teenage years, kind of hanging out with my parents. I thought they were pretty annoying people. That’s not really fair, because they’re quite wonderful, but that’s what life is when you’re a teenager.

And one of the things that struck me, suddenly, and this was kind of the positive exception was, there was actually an evening where we really had a good time, and there wasn’t a conflict. And the core thing was, I wasn’t just seeing them in their old house where I grew up. It was, actually, we were at a restaurant. And it suddenly struck me that so much of the sometimes, kind of, a little bit, you love them but they’re annoying kind of dynamic, is tied to the place, is tied to the setting you are in.

And of course, if– you know, I live abroad now, if I visit my parents and I stay in my old bedroom, you know, my mother comes in and wants to wake me up in the morning. Stuff like that, right? And it just struck me so, so clearly that it’s– when I change this setting, if I go out and have dinner with them at a different place, that the dynamic, just that dynamic disappears.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Well, Thomas, this has been really, really helpful. Thank you for talking with me today.

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Thank you, Sarah.

HANNAH BATES: That was Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg in conversation with Sarah Green Carmichael on the HBR IdeaCast. He’s an expert in problem solving and innovation, and he’s the author of the book, What’s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve .

We’ll be back next Wednesday with another hand-picked conversation about leadership from the Harvard Business Review. If you found this episode helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues, and follow our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, be sure to leave us a review.

We’re a production of Harvard Business Review. If you want more podcasts, articles, case studies, books, and videos like this, find it all at HBR dot org.

This episode was produced by Anne Saini, and me, Hannah Bates. Ian Fox is our editor. Music by Coma Media. Special thanks to Maureen Hoch, Adi Ignatius, Karen Player, Ramsey Khabbaz, Nicole Smith, Anne Bartholomew, and you – our listener.

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Exploring generative ai at harvard.

Jessica McCann

Harvard Correspondent

Leaders weigh in on where we are and what’s next

The explosion of generative AI technology over the past year and a half is raising big questions about how these tools will impact higher education. Across Harvard, members of the community have been exploring how GenAI will change the ways we teach, learn, research, and work.

As part of this effort, the Office of the Provost has convened three working groups . They will discuss questions, share innovations, and evolve guidance and community resources. They are:

The Teaching and Learning Group , chaired by Bharat Anand , vice provost for advances in learning and the Henry R. Byers Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. This group seeks to share resources, identify emerging best practices, guide policies, and support the development of tools to address common challenges among faculty and students.
The Research and Scholarship Group , chaired by John Shaw , vice provost for research, Harry C. Dudley Professor of Structural and Economic Geology in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, and professor of environmental science and engineering in the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science. It focuses on how to enable, and support the integrity of, scholarly activities with generative AI tools.
T he Administration and Operations Group , chaired by Klara Jelinkova , vice president and University chief information officer. It is charged with addressing information security, data privacy, procurement, and administration and organizational efficiencies.

Klara Jelinkova, Bharat Anand, and John Shaw.

Photos by Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer; Evgenia Eliseeva; and courtesy of John Shaw

The Gazette spoke with Anand, Shaw, and Jelinkova to understand more about the work of these groups and what’s next in generative AI at Harvard.

When generative AI tools first emerged, we saw universities respond in a variety of ways — from encouraging experimentation to prohibiting their use. What was Harvard’s overall approach?

Shaw: From the outset, Harvard has embraced the prospective benefits that GenAI offers to teaching, research, and administration across the University, while being mindful of the potential pitfalls. As a University, our mission is to help enable discovery and innovation, so we had a mandate to actively engage. We set some initial, broad policies that helped guide us, and have worked directly with groups across the institution to provide tools and resources to inspire exploration.

Jelinkova: The rapid emergence of these tools meant the University needed to react quickly, to provide both tools for innovation and experimentation and guidelines to ensure their responsible use. We rapidly built an AI Sandbox to enable faculty, students, and staff to experiment with multiple large language models in a secure environment. We also worked with external vendors to acquire enterprise licenses for a variety of tools to meet many different use cases. Through working groups, we were able to learn, aggregate and collate use cases for AI in teaching, learning, administration, and research. This coordinated, collective, and strategic approach has put Harvard ahead of many peers in higher education.

Anand: Teaching and learning are fundamentally decentralized activities. So our approach was to ask: First, how can we ensure that local experimentation by faculty and staff is enabled as much as possible; and second, how can we ensure that it’s consistent with University policies on IP, copyright, and security? We also wanted to ensure that novel emerging practices were shared across Schools, rather than remaining siloed.

What do these tools mean for faculty, in terms of the challenges they pose or the opportunities they offer? Is there anything you’re particularly excited about?

Anand: Let’s start with some salient challenges. How do we first sift through the hype that’s accompanied GenAI? How can we make it easy for faculty to use GenAI tools in their classrooms without overburdening them with yet another technology? How can one address real concerns about GenAI’s impact?

While we’re still early in this journey, many compelling opportunities — and more importantly, some systematic ways of thinking about them — are emerging. Various Harvard faculty have leaned into experimenting with LLMs in their classrooms. Our team has now interviewed over 30 colleagues across Harvard and curated short videos that capture their learnings. I encourage everyone to view these materials on the new GenAI site; they are remarkable in their depth and breadth of insight.

Here’s a sample: While LLMs are commonly used for Q&A, our faculty have creatively used them for a broader variety of tasks, such as simulating tutors that guide learning by asking questions, simulating instructional designers to provide active learning tips, and simulating student voices to predict how a class discussion might flow, thus aiding in lesson preparation. Others demonstrate how more sophisticated prompts or “prompt engineering” are often necessary to yield more sophisticated LLM responses, and how LLMs can extend well beyond text-based responses to visuals, simulations, coding, and games. And several faculty show how LLMs can help overcome subtle yet important learning frictions like skill gaps in coding, language literacy, or math.

Do these tools offer students an opportunity to support or expand upon their learning?

Anand: Yes. GenAI represents a unique area of innovation where students and faculty are working together. Many colleagues are incorporating student feedback into the GenAI portions of their curriculum or making their own GenAI tools available to students. Since GenAI is new, the pedagogical path is not yet well defined; students have an opportunity to make their voices heard, as co-creators, on what they think the future of their learning should look like.

Beyond this, we’re starting to see other learning benefits. Importantly, GenAI can reach beyond a lecture hall. Thoughtful prompt engineering can turn even publicly available GenAI tools into tutorbots that generate interactive practice problems, act as expert conversational aids for material review, or increase TA teams’ capacity. That means both that the classroom is expanding and that more of it is in students’ hands. There’s also evidence that these bots field more questions than teaching teams can normally address and can be more comfortable and accessible for some students.

Of course, we need to identify and counter harmful patterns. There is a risk, in this early and enthusiastic period, of sparking over-reliance on GenAI. Students must critically evaluate how and where they use it, given its possibility of inaccurate or inappropriate responses, and should heed the areas where their style of cognition outperforms AI. One other thing to watch out for is user divide: Some students will graduate with vastly better prompt engineering skills than others, an inequality that will only magnify in the workforce.

What are the main questions your group has been tackling?

Anand: Our group divided its work into three subgroups focused on policy, tools, and resources. We’ve helped guide initial policies to ensure safe and responsible use; begun curating resources for faculty in a One Harvard repository ; and are exploring which tools the University should invest in or develop to ensure that educators and researchers can continue to advance their work.

In the fall, we focused on supporting and guiding HUIT’s development of the AI Sandbox. The Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching’s annual conference , which focused exclusively on GenAI, had its highest participation in 10 years. Recently, we’ve been working with the research group to inform the development of tools that promise broad, generalizable use for faculty (e.g., tutorbots).

What has your group focused on in discussions so far about generative AI tools’ use in research?

Shaw: Our group has some incredible strength in researchers who are at the cutting edge of GenAI development and applications, but also includes voices that help us understand the real barriers to faculty and students starting to use these tools in their own research and scholarship. Working with the other teams, we have focused on supporting development and use of the GenAI sandbox, examining IP and security issues, and learning from different groups across campus how they are using these tools to innovate.

Are there key areas of focus for your group in the coming months?

Shaw: We are focused on establishing programs — such as the new GenAI Milton Fund track — to help support innovation in the application of these tools across the wide range of scholarship on our campus. We are also working with the College to develop new programs to help support students who wish to engage with faculty on GenAI-enabled projects. We aim to find ways to convene students and scholars to share their experiences and build a stronger community of practitioners across campus.

What types of administration and operations questions are your group is exploring, and what type of opportunities do you see in this space?

Jelinkova: By using the group to share learnings from across Schools and units, we can better provide technologies to meet the community’s needs while ensuring the most responsible and sustainable use of the University’s financial resources. The connections within this group also inform the guidelines that we provide; by learning how generative AI is being used in different contexts, we can develop best practices and stay alert to emerging risks. There are new tools becoming available almost every day, and many exciting experiments and pilots happening across Harvard, so it’s important to regularly review and update the guidance we provide to our community.

Can you talk a bit about what has come out of these discussions, or other exciting things to come?

Jelinkova: Because this technology is rapidly evolving, we are continually tracking the release of new tools and working with our vendors as well as open-source efforts to ensure we are best supporting the University’s needs. We’re developing more guidance and hosting information sessions on helping people to understand the AI landscape and how to choose the right tool for their task. Beyond tools, we’re also working to build connections across Harvard to support collaboration, including a recently launched AI community of practice . We are capturing valuable findings from emerging technology pilot programs in HUIT , the EVP area , and across Schools. And we are now thinking about how those findings can inform guiding principles and best practices to better support staff.

While the GenAI groups are investigating these questions, Harvard faculty and scholars are also on the forefront of research in this space. Can you talk a bit about some of the interesting research happening across the University in AI more broadly ?

Shaw: Harvard has made deep investments in the development and application of AI across our campus, in our Schools, initiatives, and institutes — such as the Kempner Institute and Harvard Data Science Initiative. In addition, there is a critical role for us to play in examining and guiding the ethics of AI applications — and our strengths in the Safra and Berkman Klein centers, as examples, can be leading voices in this area.

What would be your advice for members of our community who are interested in learning more about generative AI tools?

Anand: I’d encourage our community to view the resources available on the new Generative AI @ Harvard website , to better understand how GenAI tools might benefit you.

There’s also no substitute for experimentation with these tools to learn what works, what does not, and how to tailor them for maximal benefit for your particular needs. And of course, please know and respect University policies around copyright and security.

We’re in the early stages of this journey at Harvard, but it’s exciting.

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Zodiac Signs

Sagittarius

Sagittarius, a Fire sign ruled by Jupiter, possesses a broad and adventurous mindset that allows them to approach problems with optimism and enthusiasm. Their adaptability and open-mindedness make them agile problem solvers.

Why Sagittarius Excels as a Problem Solver: Sagittarius zodiac signs problem solvers have a natural ability to see the big picture, enabling them to find solutions that align with long-term goals. Their optimistic outlook fuels their determination to overcome challenges with a positive attitude.

Gemini, an Air sign ruled by Mercury, has a versatile and quick-thinking mind that allows them to tackle problems with agility and wit. Their communication skills make them adept at understanding various perspectives.

Why Gemini Excels as a Problem Solver: Gemini zodiac signs problem solvers are excellent communicators, allowing them to gather information and collaborate effectively. Their curious nature leads them to explore multiple solutions before arriving at the best one.

Also Read: Top 6 Most Convincing Zodiac Signs

Aries, a Fire sign ruled by Mars, possesses an assertive and proactive approach to problem-solving. Their courage and determination enable them to face challenges head-on.

Why Aries Excels as a Problem Solver: Aries zodiac signs problem solvers are action-oriented, which means they are quick to implement solutions. Their fearless attitude and decisiveness make them effective problem solvers in high-pressure situations.

The zodiac signs discussed in this blog possess unique strengths and qualities that make them exceptional problem solvers. Whether it’s Virgo’s attention to detail, Scorpio’s perceptive nature, or Aquarius’ innovative thinking, each sign brings a distinct approach to tackling challenges.

Problem-solving is an essential skill in navigating life’s twists and turns. While astrology can provide insights into inherent strengths and characteristics, remember that problem-solving is a skill that can be developed and honed by anyone. Embracing the positive traits of these zodiac signs can inspire us all to become more adept at deciphering life’s puzzles, finding solutions that lead to personal growth and success.

Also Read: Know More About Planet Venus For Love

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I've been using Urban Decay's All Nighter Setting Spray since 2014, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer. This stuff ensures my makeup stays flawless through sweat, rain, tears—literally anything the day throws at me. It's a staple in my beauty routine that I simply can't live without.

E! Shopping Editor Tip : For days I'm really worried about my makeup staying in place, I spray this on my sponge I use to apply makeup just to make sure I'm locking it in every step of the way.

Body Glide for Her Anti Chafe Balm

Let's be honest: chafing happens. We've all been there: from our thighs rubbing together to boobs chafing in a sports bra, chafing is a real struggle, especially in the warm weather or during physical activity. You need this balm in your life.

E! Shopping Editor Tip: Before you get dressed, apply it anywhere your skin is sensitive to rubbing , like the inner thighs, around your chest, your underarms. This product has more than 7,400+ 5-star reviews on Amazon and it's just $9.

Monistat Care Chafing Relief Powder Gel

If you forget to apply the Bodyglide for Her Anti Chafe Balm , you could end up with chafed and incredibly irritated skin, but don't worry because there's a solution for that too. The Monistat Care Chafing Relief Powder Gel works wonders. It has the relief of a powder with the mess-free ease of a gel; i.e. it's the perfect hybrid product.

Shoppers Agree : This chafing relief product has 21,800+ 5-star Amazon reviews.

Jisulife Handheld Mini Fan

This mini fan is compact, folding into its cover, so you can easily bring it wherever you go. It works for 14-21 hours, which is more than enough time, but that's not all. You can also use it as a power bank to charge your phone or as a flashlight.

The Real Housewives of Potomac star Gizelle Bryant recommended this fan . It has 41,600+ 5-star Amazon reviews and it comes in several colors.

Hollywood Fashion Secrets Deodorant Removing Sponge

We've all been there: you have the perfect outfit on, you're feeling good, and then you look down to see deodorant marks on your clothes. The easiest way to remove deodorant stains is with a special sponge . Do not try anything else because it's just going to make a bigger mess (trust me on that one).

E! Shopping Editor Tip: Just rub the (dry) sponge over the deodorant residue and you'll be stain-free in no time. This a definite must-pack for special events and trips.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation

The name of this foundation really says it all. This formula truly stays in place for a whole 24 hours . It has buildable coverage so you can customize your look and a matte finish to combat any signs of sweat. This foundation lasts in hot, humid weather without feeling heavy on your skin. There are shades that cater to a wide variety of skin tones, with 55 options to choose from.

E! Shopping Editor Tip : If you already have your go-to foundation that you're not willing to part with. Instead of ditching your favorite foundation, just mix a pump or two of the Estee Lauder Double Wear with the foundation you normally use to increase its staying power without abandoning your signature look.

Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation

This long-lasting foundation comes in dewy and a matte finishes. It also has 13,700+ 5-star Amazon reviews.

Some shoppers have even compared it to the Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation , writing, "This foundation performs like a high end foundation. I would compare it to Estée Lauder's double wear foundation which is like $45."

Another shopper said, "This is an amazing foundation for oily skin. It seriously stays matte and in place for 12 hours with no shine breakthrough, which I've never achieved with any other foundation (including EL Double Wear that is 8 times more expensive)."

Betty Dain Makeup Protector Hood

You could get dressed and then put on your makeup, taking the risk that it will end up on your outfit. Or you can do your makeup before putting clothes on, taking the risk that you'll get makeup on your clothes while you get dressed. Neither strategy is ideal which is why you need a makeup protector hood . Yes, it looks pretty silly, but it's such a cool hack.

E! Shopping Editor Tip : Put on your makeup as per usual. Then, put on the makeup hood before you pull a shirt over your head. Once you're dressed, unzip the hood, and you've successfully avoided getting makeup on your clothes.

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer

This is the award-winning concealer that sells every 12 seconds. It's full-coverage with a natural matte finish. The concealer smooths, brightens, and makes your eyes appear lifted. And there's zero need to worry about it creasing or caking because it delivers 16 hours of flawless wear . It's transfer-proof, waterproof, and sweat-proof .

Body Glide Foot Anti Blister Balm

If you have cute shoes just sitting in your closet that you're afraid to wear, you're not the only one, but that needs to stop. Don't let your fear of hurting your feet prevent you from wearing adorable footwear. Apply this balm before putting on shoes to help prevent blisters and raw skin that's caused by your shoes rubbing against your feet.

E! Shopping Editor Tips : You can put this balm on the back of your ankle, the heel, the ball of your foot, sole, instep, and toes. It also softens skin and minimizes inflammation . It has 9,400+ 5-star Amazon reviews.

Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Hydrating Makeup Primer with Hyaluronic Acid + Niacinamide

A crucial step to creating a long-lasting glam happens before you actually put on any makeup. Primer creates the ideal canvas for a smooth makeup application and helps hold onto your makeup . This one diminishes the look of pores and creates that smooth surface that's essential for a flawless look that stays put no matter how much you sweat.

MAC Prep + Prime Lip Primer

Primer isn't just for your cheeks, chin, and forehead. MAC's Prep + Prime Lip Primer is the perfect base to wear under lipstick to reduce feathering, increase hydration, smooth the lips, and help that color last all day.

Kylie Cosmetics Matte Lip Kit

These 2-piece lip kits are the best combination for a long-lasting look. The lip liner and liquid lipstick combo lasts through talking, eating, drinking, and kissing. And, the best part is that these don't dry out my lips. These have far exceeded the hype. Each set lasts for months, even if you wear the same color every day. The color doesn't flake or bleed outside of your lips.

E! Shopping Editor Tip : I fill in my whole lip with the liner, which acts like a primer, then I apply the liquid lipstick, for long-lasting results that are kiss-proof, mask-proof, and drink-proof.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara

If you want to avoid sweating off your mascara, waterproof is the way to go. The Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara has an intensely black pigment and comes with an hourglass-shaped brush that volumizes, separates, and curls each lash to perfection.

Revlon Oil-Absorbing Volcanic Face Roller

When you sweat, you may want to blot your face, but sometimes that messes up your makeup. You also need to throw each blotting sheet away when you use it, which can add up to a pretty penny if you're always dabbing a sweaty forehead.

E! Shopping Editor Tips : Simply roll over any greasy areas and you'll be shine-free . If you really want to see how good this product is, just roll one side of your face at first so you can compare and contrast it with the other. You will absolutely see the difference. The Revlon Volcanic Face Roller has 36,500+ five-star reviews on Amazon.

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Setting Powder

Give your skin that filtered photo effect in real life and lock in your makeup with this silky soft setting powder from Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. The powder reduces shine, blurs the look of pores/fine lines/ imperfections, and there isn't a flashback in photos.

E! Shopping Editor Tips: Just dust the powder over foundation and concealer to set. For smaller areas of the face, including the under eye area, you can precisely apply the powder with a sponge. There are several different shades to choose from and some of them come in mini sizes, which are great for travel or if you just don't want to commit to a full-size product.

Boao Folding Travel Mirror Hair Brushes- Set of 2

Your daily brush is probably too bring bring around to a music festival, but pop one of these foldable brushes in your bag. It's perfect for a hair touch-up and it even has a little mirror in it. This is a set of two and there are multiple color combos to choose from. I never go anywhere without one of these. If you have long hair, you need one.

Amika The Shield Style Anti-Humidity Spray

Use this anti-humidity spray as you style your hair. It's activated by heat and it prevents your hair from getting frizzy. I have been obsessed with this product for 4+ years. I definitely see a difference when I use it and you will too, especially in that Coachella Valley heat.

Oribe Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray

This. Hairspray. Is. Everything. I am never without it . I always have a full one deck. It gives my hair a soft, flexible hold and it locks in my style, especially when it's super hot out. This is one of my can't-live-without products. This is a definite must-pack beauty product for Coachella, Stagecoach, and always.

When Is Coachella 2024?

If you're planning on heading to the Coachella festival this year, it takes place over two weekends: April 12 to 14 and April 19 to 21, 2024.

When Is Stagecoach 2024?

And if the Stagecoach festival is more your vibe, that occurs from Friday, April 26 to Sunday, April 28, 2024.

If you're still shopping for Coachella and Stagecoach, here are the must-haves you need to prevent chafing .

The 3 Best Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in April 2024

Quantum computing will bring about the next computing revolution that will overshadow the prescient artificial intelligence ( AI ) craze. There are certain kinds of problems that are effectively impossible or inefficient for conventional, classical computers to solve, but not for quantum computers. This has led many investors to seek out the best quantum computing stocks to buy.

Novel quantum computers can be a gamechanger in terms of current cryptography methods and could also allow for the introduction of completely private communication. Complex problems in optimization, machine learning and simulation will also become solvable with quantum computing.

Investors who are already looking for the next market sensation are considering a few names in the nascent quantum computing space. Wall Street has caught wind of some of the quantum computing names that could make successful plays in the long term. Below are three such quantum computing stocks .

International Business Machines (IBM)

International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM ), one of the most established companies in the tech industry, has been working on quantum computers since the early 2000s. For example, in 2001, IBM researchers had already been performing quantum computing techniques to solve cryptography problems. IBM’s quantum computer consists of superconducting qubits that operate at near-zero temperatures. The tech giant also offers a cloud-based quantum computing service called IBM Quantum Experience, which allows customers and researchers to access its quantum hardware and software through the cloud rather than spending a lot of cash to buy a physical quantum computer.

In recent years, IBM has endured single-digit revenue growth, including in 2023, but the tech giant has continued to beat estimates in their recent Q4’2023 earnings report. Both revenue and earnings figures came above what Wall Street analysts had projected; IBM also found itself flush with more free cash flow than it had anticipated. More breakthroughs in quantum computing could spur revenue growth in the future. IBM expects to it won’t have a practical quantum computer until the end of the decade, which makes IBM a compelling long-term hold.

IonQ (IONQ)

IonQ (NYSE: IONQ ) happens to be the first pure-play among publicly traded quantum computing stocks and it will be the only pure-play quantum computing player to make this list. The company is a leader in trapped-ion quantum computing, which uses electrically charged atoms to store and manipulate qubits.

To date, the company claims to have built the world’s most powerful quantum computer which has achieved a quantum capacity 32 qubits. IonQ plans to launch modular quantum computers by the end of 2023. To make the computing power of its quantum computers more accessible, IonQ has made its quantum computing power accessible to customers and developers through large cloud platforms.

IonQ ended 2023 with another successful quarter. Fourth-quarter earnings results saw the quantum computing firm generate full-year revenue figures well above the high end of its guidance range. This was the same for bookings. IonQ also announced the production of its Enterprise Forte quantum computer in its Seattle manufacturing facility. Deliveries for these quantum systems are slated for the end of 2024.

IonQ’s shares are down almost 25% on a year-to-date basis, which could make a good entry point for new investors or investors willing to increase their investment. Quantum computing, similar to generative AI, has the potential to be the next big thing in technology, and IonQ is at the forefront of the space. You can see why this made our list of the best quantum computing stocks to buy.

Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL)

Flush with cash, Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG , GOOGL ) has made a variety of investments in various computing technologies over the past two decades. The company also has been developing quantum computers since 2006 and achieved a milestone in 2019 when it demonstrated “quantum supremacy,” or the ability of a quantum computer to perform a task that is impossible for a classical computer.

Google’s quantum computer, called Sycamore, used 54 qubits to perform a calculation in 200 seconds that would take a supercomputer much longer to complete. Although some researchers have claimed to be able to do what Google’s Sycamore had done by using a normal supercomputer, Google is continuously working on improving its quantum hardware, software and algorithms. And the results are promising. The new version of Sycamore apparently can make calculations that would take supercomputers 47 years to complete.

In order to bring about more use-cases for quantum computing, Google has launched a 3-year competition with a $5 million prize for researchers who can come up with new quantum algorithms that can solve existing problems humanity faces. This kind of investment could definitely help steer the new sector in the right direction.

In its Q4’2023 earnings report, cloud continued to be the company’s growth engine, growing 26% on a year over year ( YOY ). In the long term, quantum computing could be an even bigger growth engine for Google. If you are looking for the best quantum computing stocks to buy, start here.

On the date of publication, Tyrik Torres did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines .

Tyrik Torres has been studying and participating in financial markets since he was in college, and he has particular passion for helping people understand complex systems. His areas of expertise are semiconductor and enterprise software equities. He has work experience in both investing (public and private markets) and investment banking.

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The post The 3 Best Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in April 2024 appeared first on InvestorPlace .

Quantum computing stocks: Sign of IBM with Canada Head Office Building in background in Markham, Ontario, Canada. IBM is an American multinational technology company.

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