Problem choice and decision trees in science and engineering: Cell

-Write down a shortlist of problems that seem exciting-Leave 1-3 most exciting and tractable problems via pairwise comparison of problems from the shortlist (like how tournaments decide on which team is the most “exciting”)-Start learning everything you need to start working on the problem viaMOOCs-email professors at your local university asking f... See more

From Robyn Dawes’s Rational Choice in an Uncertain World.1 Bolding added. Norman R. F. Maier noted that when a group faces a problem, the natural tendency of its members is to propose possible solutions as they begin to discuss the problem. Consequently, the group interaction focuses on the merits and problems of the proposed solutions, people beco

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10. Map out problems using logic trees.

This is a classic problem-solving and brainstorming technique, also known as

morphological analysis

. It’ll be familiar to any consultant, as it’s 80% of their secret sauce.

Take a problem, say analyzing a business’s profits (as in consulting). Break it down into

logically exhaustive possibilities

, e.g. “reve... See more