attribution theory. The theory says that people explain their successes and failures “by attributing them to factors that will allow them to feel as good as possible about themselves.”

“Mathematics is a way of thinking about problems and issues in the world,” says Keith Devlin, Stanford executive and World Economic Forum and American Mathematical Society fellow.

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

The difference between Franklin’s unconventional work and Abagnale’s was that the former managed to create value for others while the latter cheated others. Franklin’s approach was a lateral

“I hate repeating myself.” (He almost spits on me when he says it.)

“parlay,”

New ideas emerge when you question the assumptions upon which a problem is based (in this case: it’s that you can only help one person).

What this research tells us is that as the world evolves, so too should we constantly rethink our educational conventions in light of the new platforms we have. For example, today’s children should be taught to use Excel spreadsheets—and all their calculations—instead of times tables. Rather than teaching a mile wide in every subject, we ought to f

“A master is able to give you feedback on a much more nuanced level, [and] has very little patience with distraction.”