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Tag Archives: Thinking
There’s always another disaster…
Like taxes, we can always be sure that there will be another disaster. What follows are some data on 2012 but, as I write, the 2013 tally seems on its way with the increasing number of communities in Canada declaring disasters due to rising water levels from the thaw. The sad, and somewhat irritating, fact is that many of these events are predictable with predictable consequences. It is notoriously difficult to maintain sustained public (and, therefore, political) interest in high-consequence, low-probability events. However, something like the annual thaw flooding or the annual hurricane season should not have anyone, least of all politicians, looking wide-eyed in shock. We can … Continue reading
Sudoku thinking
How many times have you heard the “try, try again” comment? Or, alternatively, variations on “if at first you don’t succeed, try harder”? It’s an approach to problem-solving which is time-honoured but I have to wonder how smart or efficient it is. I’m reminded that one definition of insanity is repeating the same actions and expecting a different outcome (as per Albert Einstein, I believe). Recently, I met someone who spoke about using a Sudoku approach to problem solving. The imagery stuck with me and we chatted further. In essence, the point being made was that once one has determined that a valid or desired solution is possible (which is … Continue reading