Problem Solving

[andrewducker]

From a discussion on Slashdot on sleep and learning:

You load up your neural network with all the elements in the problem, and all the pieces of the solution that you know so far. Think about it a lot during the day to get the network good and excited, then take your constrained rational thought process off line.

The problem with many complex problems is that you can spin down the same logic paths over and over, and it feels like you're working the problem. The problem is that if the solution isn't down one of the paths you keep thinking along, you're not going to find it that way. Pulling the logic controller off the job (whether by sleep, running, music, whatever) while the neurons related to the problem are still in a heavily excited state (from all the active processing you've been doing) gives the neural net a chance to try some less obvious pathways.

I agree entirely.  This is how I do almost all my problem solving.  Learn everything I can and then go do something else while my brain solves it without me.  However this doesn't work terribly well with managers who want you to look like you're busy...

Comments

[nickys.livejournal.com]

> However this doesn't work terribly well with managers who want you to look like you're busy...

I used to set my computer up to flash up "Please Wait" repeatedly when I pressed a particular key sequence.

Clearly you can't do anything else while you're waiting for the computer to finish processing stuff - although admittedly the credibility of this strategy is somewhat diminished now that 32K is no longer considered to be a lot of memory....