How a Government effort to reduce the number of deadly cobras in British India led to more, not fewer, snakes.
All in Problem Solving
3 common biases that impede effective problem solving
Being aware of these biases is a key step towards becoming a better problem solver.
The value of a 'pre-mortem' when problem solving
Before implementing your problem solving solution ask yourself “What could go wrong?”
The quick thinking Polish warship captain who saved Cowes
The threat of incoming German bombers forced a brilliant bit of lateral thinking.
Six Thinking Hats
A simple problem solving exercise to encourage diversity of thinking.
How Captain Cook solved the problem of scurvy on British ships
The true story of how the famous British explorer convinced his men to eat sauerkraut.
Why people need just the slightest of excuses to behave badly.
How much of an excuse do we need to act criminally? Not much it turns out.
The Art of the Checklist
How a simple checklist can help you to avoid a disastrous outcome.
How to get rid of nuisance park drinkers
The art of solving problems with limited resources.
5,126 prototypes that sucked. And one that didn't.
When solving complex problems, trying out different ‘prototypes’ is an unavoidable part of achieving the optimum solution.
Hot tin hat
Sometimes in fixing one problem we end up creating another.
When the maintenance men finally saw the light.
The solution to a problem is not always as obvious as it first appears to be.
Hiding in plain sight
The importance of being observant when others aren’t.
The photos that fooled Sherlock’s creator
The famous Cottingley images demonstrate how easily even an expert is mislead.
The cane toads conquering Australia
In solving one problem it’s often easy to create a new and unintended one as a consequence. Just ask the ‘Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations’ in Australia.