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Lateral Thinking
- 1. Lateral Thinking Some puzzles
- 2. Q1: The subway problem A large city in the United States had a problem with thefts of lightbulbs from its subway system. Thieves would unscrew the lightbulbs, leading to cost and security issues. The engineer who was given this challenge could not alter the location of the light bulbs, and he had very little budget to work with, but he came up with a very lateral solution. What was it? (illustrates the need for innovation)
- 3. Q2: Shoe shop shuffle. In a small town, there are four shoe shops of about the same size, and each carries a similar line of shoes. Yet one shop loses three times as many shoes to theft. As each of the other shops. Why and how did they fix the problem? (more innovation)
- 4. Q3: The school inspection A schoolteacher knew that the school superintendent would visit the next day. The superintendent would ask questions such as spellings or mental arithmetic of the class, and the teacher would choose a pupil to answer. The teacher wanted to give the best impression of the school. What instructions did she give the children, in order to create the best impression and maximise the chances that the right answer was given to each question?
- 5. Q4: The unusual what can you dry your hair with, cut the grass with and lift a car with? (sometimes solutions are obvious, don其t make it harder than it actually is)
- 6. Q5: Price tag many shops have prices set at just under a round figure such as 贈9.99 instead of 贈10 or 贈99.95. Instead of 贈100. It is often assumed that this is done to make the prices appear lower to the customer. But this is not the reason, the practice started. What was the origin original reason for this pricing method? (small changes can sometimes have a big impact)
- 7. Q6: Interview question This question has been used as an aptitude test at interviews. You are driving in your sports car on a cold wet evening. You pass a bus stop where you see three people waiting for the bus. One is your best friend from school days, who you have not seen for 20 years. One is the man or woman of your dreams - the person you always wanted to meet. The third is a sick old lady, who needs to be taken to hospital. Knowing that there is room for only one past year in your car, what would you do?
- 8. Q7: Material gains during the Californian gold rush, a young entrepreneur went to California with the idea of selling tents to the miners. He thought there would be a good market for tents from thousands of people who flocked to dig for gold. Unfortunately, the weather was so mild that the miners slept in the open air, and there was little demand for his tents. What did he do? (welcome failure, it其s not always bad!)
- 9. Q8: Late train a businessman called the train station to find the time of his train. When he reached the station, he was surprised to learn that he was half an hour early. What time was his train?
- 10. Q9: easyJet easyJet is the leading low-cost air carrier in Europe. It has been responsible for many innovations in low-cost air travel. There are no free drinks on easyJet flight. If you want a drink, you have to buy it. According to a recent magazine article, there are two major business benefit from this policy. One is the income generated. What do you think is the second? (creativity)
- 11. Answers
- 12. 1: The subway problem The engineer change the ball to have the left-hand augmented clockwise threads. Instead of the conventional right-hand or clockwise threads. This meant that as the thieves assumed they were trying to unscrew the ball其s there were actually tightening them instead.
- 13. Q2: Shoe shop shuffle. The shoe shops put single shoes, has displayed items outside the shops. One shop with a left shoes, the other three shops, put a right shoes. Thieves stole the display shoes, but had to make pairs, so more shoes were taken from the one displaying left shoes. The manager changed the display to right shoes and thefts dropped significantly.
- 14. 3: The school inspection Before the school inspector arrived, the teacher instructed the pupils always to raise their left hands. If they did not know the answer. All were unsure. If they were sure they knew their answer. They should raise their right hand. The teachers chooses a different people, every time, but always one who has raised Hughes or her right hand. The superintendent was duly impressed.
- 15. 4: The unusual The answer is a hairdryer, a lawnmower and a chat. Why did you assume it was one thing? What would happen if you combine these three into one?
- 16. 5: Price tag The practice originated to ensure that the clerk had to open the till and give change for each transaction. This recorded the sale and prevented the clerk from pocketing the money
- 17. 6: Interview question Of the many candidates at the interview. Only one gave this answer, which was judged the best. You give the car keys to your old friend and ask him to drive the sick old lady to the hospital, while you wait at the bus stop with the woman (or man) of your dreams
- 18. 7: Material gains The cost of the strong cotton material of his tents and used it to make trousers that he sold to the miners. The man其s name was Levi Strauss. By adapting to market conditions and innovating. He was able to create a brand that has lasted to this day.
- 19. 8: Late train The train was a 22.10, which the man misheard has 20 to 10. It just goes to show how you have to check your assumptions!
- 20. 9: easyJet The second benefit to easyJet from their policy of no free drinks, is that they can eliminate one lavatory from their planes because of the lower demand. This makes way for extra seats.