Einstein's Secret to Amazing Problem Solving

Thanks to "mugofcoffee" for the head's up.

clipped from content1.clipmarks.com The Problem Is To Know What the Problem Is Problem Definition Tools and Strategies 1. Rephrase the Problem When a Toyota executive asked employees to brainstorm “ways to increase their productivity”, all he got back were blank stares. When he rephrased his request as “ways to make their jobs easier”, he could barely keep up with the amount of suggestions. 2. Expose and Challenge Assumptions Every problem — no matter how apparently simple it may be — comes with a long list of assumptions attached. Many of these assumptions may be inaccurate and could make your problem statement inadequate or even misguided. 5. Find Multiple Perspectives 6. Use Effective Language Constructs 7. Make It Engaging 8. Reverse the Problem 9. Gather Facts 10. Problem-Solve Your Problem Statement

Oh, for Happy Accidents

clipped from www.fontayne.com  "... only he is an emancipated thinker who is not afraid to write foolish things." Anton Chekhov  "It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous." Robert Benchley "I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again." Oscar Wilde "A writer is working when he's staring out of the window." Burton Rascoe "Nothing you write, if you hope to be any good, will ever come out as you first hoped." Lillian Helman "Details make stories human, and the more human a story can be, the better." "The first draft of anything is sh*t." Ernest Hemingway Donald M. Murray "There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." Somerset Maugham Bernard Malamud "…therein is in writing the constant joy of sudden discovery, of happy accident." H.L. Mencken

How to get blown

clipped from www.awea.org Small Wind Turbine Equipment Providers The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has compiled the following list of U.S. manufacturers and suppliers of wind turbines for use in residential, farm, and commercial/industrial applications. Many have Web sites or are accessible through E-mail links. Links are also provided to the company listings on the AWEA Industry Member Directory. Commercially proven U.S. equipment providers*include:

Whimsical Wind

clipped from tech.blorge.com Looking more like a whirly gig than a wind turbine, the Energy Ball is a new Swedish wind turbine specifically designed to be quiet and efficient.  Home Energy, the company that created the Energy Ball, primarily designs green energy systems for the home. This new wind turbine utilizes the Venturi effect.  One example of the Venturi effect is the increased wind speed of winds funneled between buildings.  The unique design of the Energy Ball funnels the wind through the spherical blades increasing the energy harvested.  Taking advantage of this principle allows this wind turbine to generate at wind speeds as low as 2 m/s or 4 mph. The Energy Ball is also extremely quiet making it more acceptable to neighbors and zoning boards.  Since this wind turbine is not your typical three bladed giant, it may also gain points in the looks department.  The design looks fun and whimsical rather than utilitarian.

Energy Center

I stumbled upon this "Green Technology Tower with Wind Turbines" and immediately connected the concept to my vision of converting David's Island, off the coast of New Rochelle, NY in the Long Island Sound, into both an energy farm and environmental energy education center. Now I'm not advocating an eight story structure on the island, but I do believe a self-sustaining structure can be designed to harvest the free energy from the Sun, the wind, and possibly the tides. The building can serve as both a model of cutting edge clean energy technology and a public education center.

clipped from www.tuvie.com

Elegant Wind

Who says wind turbines are ugly?

clipped from www.idsa.org   Natura Levo Natura Levo is a small, vertical-axis wind turbine with two non-traditional blades that can catch wind from any direction. The center axis is a beautifully formed stationary shape that mounts to existing structures, such as a telephone pole, an old chimney mount or a flag pole in a person’s backyard. Natura Levo is intended to raise awareness of natural energy by peacefully coexisting with its natural surroundings. Contact: Laura Sink: laurasink@gmail.com Credit: Laura Sink of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Client: