First Blog

  Problem-Solving - Fear 1. Introduction . Fear is one of our most powerful emotions, sometimes reducing one person to ignominy, sometimes elevating another to unexpected heights. Nations can perish out of fear. Companies may fail because of fear. Normally, the outcome depends essentially on the ability to or fear to solve problems. Fear can play a significant role in problem-solving, influencing both the process and the outcome. Many, many books and films have essentially addressed fear, with some fear being the dominant focus. It is a complex emotion that can manifest in various ways, potentially either hindering or enhancing an individual's ability to solve problems effectively. 2. Hindrance and Avoidance. Fear can lead to overthinking and excessive analysis, which may result in "paralysis by analysis." When someone is afraid of making the wrong decision, they may hesitate to take any action at all, leading to stagnation and inaction. Fear can cause people to avo

  Problem-Solving --- Unusual Tips These tips were written for problem-solving across disciplines. They are for general application to big problems. Yet, they are not found as a collection. In fact, except for the one attributed to Sir Isaac Newton and Leonardo da Vinci, they are nowhere to be found. ------------------- Before you start thinking outside the box, you should know what’s inside the box. The solution might be right there. Solving problems: Real-life problems are rarely multiple-choice. Sentio, ergo est. (I feel it, therefore it is.) Bad for science. Bad for problem-solving. Bad for politics. When solving a problem, it is often helpful to transform it into alternate but equivalent forms. Often the first step of understanding is via the analogy. Basically, you learn something new by comparison to something old that you do know. How and why are often miles apart. Know what you’re looking for.   The how requires innovation; the why requires imagination. One

  The Emotions of Problem-Solving Let your emotions be your guide. Your emotional mindset is important when problem-solving, from the child to the highly-ranked adult. Learning to solve problems is also a matter of having the right emotions about problems. We all have various motions about problems, many of the everyday variety but also some very complex problems that are part of your workday. The list below discusses various emotions about problems concerning prospects for solving them – and even what solutions you provide. This list is important to all of us, but especially so for instructors trying to teach their students how. ·         If you fear the problem, this can be your defeat or greatest motivator to solve it. ·         If you make the problem your enemy, then solving it means its defeat. ·         If the problem becomes your friend, then solving it cements the friendship. ·         If you love the problem, this usually means you have that glimmer on how to solve it. ·  

  Problem-Solving -  Beyond Impossible There is no problem the mind of man can set that the mind of man cannot solve. ― Samuel Johnson Figure 1. Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) Introduction. What can possibly be beyond impossible in problem-solving? It would seem that the “impossible” is as far as we can go. Yet, there is a nether region where the “beyond” modifier finds its place.   If you recall Johnson’s quote, it may be from the 1946 Sherlock Holmes movie, “Dressed to Kill” starring Basil Rathbone.   It does make you think, but it also gives you hope. It gives us hope we can solve anything we come across.   It gives hope we can ultimately answer every question – though some solutions may take more time than others. Unfortunately, Dr. Johnson was wrong. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was known for saying, “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it”. This is similar, after a fashion, to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus who told us “No man ever steps

  The Latest and Greatest AI Chips How Fast and How Much? We’ve heard of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the computers required to carry out the job required. They consume massive power but can accomplish near-miraculous data processing tasks. But how fast and how much are values mostly unknown to most of us. Let’s look under the hood to get some idea of what’s inside. The latest and greatest NVIDIA chip, the Blackwell GB200 , is a key component of the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72, a multi-node, liquid-cooled, rack-scale system, which comprises 600,000 parts, including 72 GB200s. It's designed to be capable of delivering 720 petaflops* for training and 1.4 exaflops* for inferencing. (And it reportedly weighs  3,000 pounds – about the same as a mid-sized car .) Nvidia's Blackwell AI chip is expected to cost  between $30,000 and $40,000 per unit , according to CEO Jensen Huang.   This price is competitive with current Nvidia AI chips. Nvidia's Blackwell generation boosts pow

  To Lie or Not to Lie Lying to another is one thing; lying to yourself is quite another. We all lie, each and every one of us. We exclude a large class of lies, those unintentional. These are just poor information exchanges. Mostly, lies are for the good, such as when we tell someone how good they look or to our kids to smooth their fears or questions. The boss lies to the employee, often to enhance performance. Teachers lie to students all the time about how well they do. The coach lies when all is lost. Some lies, like these, are acceptable. They are mostly intentional and often meant to protect in some way. The other types, also intentional, are deceptive, deceitful, and meant to harm or achieve some goal such as confusion. Politicians specialize in these, for good or bad.  Yet, there is a middle ground, such as the self-lie. Some of us live by maxims offered by famous luminaries, past and present. Yet, it is upon us to understand just what is correct, actionable, and sensible. L

Problem-Solving - Obsession Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end. Henry David Thoreau, Walden, "Economy," 1854.   Introduction . Many facets of problem-solving are well-known and understood. They range from vast knowledge to critical thinking, to intuition, to insight, and to experience. Today, we add a characteristic, though an important ingredient. It’s more like a condiment-to-food, or a sauce to a delicacy. It’s needed though sometimes not essential. It is mostly helpful with big problems, difficult problems, or imossible problems. It is the quality of obsession. Each of us has experienced obsession in one form or another and is often relieved when the problem is solved. One literally leaves oneself becoming an engine driven to resolve the matter. Obsession is an all-consuming state of mind, possessive, jealous of distractions, and impervious to interruptions. T

  Planet Earth vs Humans Who’s Winning? Every year, many species become extinct, simply by their inability to survive. New species emerge. These are facts. In a sense, we are guests of our planet, which has very strict rules for survival. It will do what planets do everywhere. It responds to threats and tries to survive them. Fires burn out because the extent of forests is limited. Species die out because they destroy their own food supplies, or cannot compete. Storms fade out because they cannot sustain their energy to continue. Plagues of locusts cease for lack of food, though they would destroy all life, themselves included, given a continuous food supply. Volcanos stop erupting because the internal pressures are exhausted. Earthquakes end because of tectonic relief. Predation ends when the prey is essentially exhausted. Populations are limited because of the limitation of food supplies, disease, and disasters. This is because our planet limits natural disasters in many ways. It p