CE204 CREATIVE THINKING

1. CE204CREATIVE THINKING based on lateral thinking concepts developed by Edward de Bono Adapted by J. (Hans) van Leeuwen

2. Instructor of the week Professor J(Hans) van Leeuwen from/of the Lions • Born in Gouda, Netherlands • Grew up in South Africa • Lived in Australia for 7 y • Lived in Ames for 7 y Specialty: Environmental Engineering Particularly resource recovery from industrial wastes and wastewaters

3. Edward de Bono • Maltese • Island Malta

4. Edward de Bono Biography • http://www.edwdebono.com/debono/biograph.htm • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_de_Bono • Global Companies using de Bono's methods: 3M - ABB - American Express - AT&T - Barclays Bank - Bausch& Lomb - Bayer - Bell - Benson & Hedges - Boeing - BP - Ciba-Geigy British Airways - British Coal - Canada Life - Citibank - Conco - DuPont - Eli Lily - Ericsson - Exxon - Ford - General Foods - General Motors - IBM - Johnson & Johnson - Kelloggs - Kodak -KPMG - Labatt - Mars - Merck - Microsoft - Monsanto - Motorola - NASA - NTT - Pepsi Cola - Polaroid - Procter & Gamble - Prudential - Pfizer - Rothmans - Siemens – Sithline - Beecham - Statoil - Total - Xerox

5. List of Books by de Bono • The Use of Lateral Thinking (1967) ISBN 0-14-013788-2, introduced the term "lateral thinking" • New Think (1967, 1968) ISBN 0-380-01426-2 • The Five-Day Course in Thinking (1968), introduced the L game • The Mechanism of the Mind (1969), Intl Center for Creative Thinking 1992 reprint: ISBN 0-14-013787-4, suggests that the mind is a pattern matching machine • Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step, (1970), Harper & Row 1973 paperback: ISBN 0-06-090325-2 • The Dog-Exercising Machine (1970) Technology Today (1971) Practical Thinking (1971) • Lateral Thinking for Management (1971) Po: A Device for Successful Thinking (1972), ISBN 0-671-21338-5, introduced the term Po • Children Solve Problems (1972) ISBN 13-978-0060110246, ISBN 10-0060110244 • Po: Beyond Yes and No (1973), ISBN 0-14-021715-0 • Eureka!: An Illustrated History of Inventions from the Wheel to the Computer (1974) • Teaching Thinking (1976) • The Greatest Thinkers: The Thirty Minds That Shaped Our Civilization (1976), ISBN 0-399-11762-8 • Wordpower (1977) The Happiness Purpose (1977) • Opportunities : A handbook for business opportunity search (1978) Future Positive (1979) • Atlas of Management Thinking (1981) De Bono's Course in Thinking (1982) • Learn-To-Think: Coursebook and Instructors Manual (1982), ISBN 0-88496-199-0 co-authored with Michael Hewitt-Gleeson and co-founder of the School of Thinking • Tactics: The Art and Science of Success (1985) Conflicts (1985) • Masterthinker's Handbook (1985) Six Thinking Hats (1985) ISBN 0-316-17831-4 • I Am Right, You Are Wrong: From This to the New Renaissance: From Rock Logic to Water Logic (1990) ISBN 0-14-012678-3 • Six Action Shoes (1991) Handbook for the Positive Revolution (1991) ISBN 0-14-012679-1 • Serious Creativity: Using the Power of Lateral Thinking to Create New Ideas (1992) ISBN 0-00-255143-8– a summation of many of De Bono's ideas on creativity • Sur/Petition (1992) ISBN 0-88730-543-1 - creating value monopolies when everyone else is merely competing. • Teach Yourself How to Think (1995) How to Be More Interesting (1998) Simplicity (1999) • Thinking in the New Millennium (1999) Why I Want To Be King of Australia (1999) • How to Have A Beautiful Mind (2004) Six Value Medals (2005) • H+ (Plus): A New Religion (2006) How to Have Creative Ideas (2007) De Bono has also written numerous articles published in refereed and other journals, including The Lancet and Clinical Science.

6. Exercise on adding numbers 1-100 • The average value is ½(1 + 100) = 50.5 For 100 numbers, the sum is 50.5 x 100 = 5050 • One way would be to plot the series of numbers as x from 1 to 100 and showing the value as y 1 to 100. To form a triangle, we need to start at 0, so we have 101 numbers. The sum of the numbers is the integral of the triangle, i.e. ½ basis x height, i.e. 101/2 x 100 = 5050

7. Introduction • Lack of creativity in society - indicators • Engineers are not creative • temperament • measurables • risk management • competence

8. Roots Development of technology and intelligence The origin of thinking - flee or fight

9. Topics of Discussion • Barriers to creativity • Misconceptions • Perceptions • Logic of creativity • Need for creativity • Techniques to be more creative • Exercises

10. Barriers to Creativity Misconceptions • Art is always creative • Creativity is a talent • School performance • IQ is HP - repartee - 2-finger typing

11. Groove thinking • Zombie • “What is” vs. “What could be” • Crossing Barriers Provocative operations • square wheels • landing plane

12. Perceptions Thinking process Perception  Process • 90% of errors • Math, Stat, Comp, Logic IT is readily available THINKING IS SCARCE!

13. Examples • Violin • TV host • Releasing wood block • Coins

14. Need for Creativity • Innovation - competency • Technology lacks in value • Input-time efficiency • Examples • Halve a rectangle • Communication

15. Exercise How to reduce gasoline consumption • Engineering: more efficient engines • Engineering: improved aerodynamics • Engineering: alternative fuels • Better: public transport • Still better: walk, bicycles • Creative: work from home, shop on-line

16. Supporting information and examples • Oil wells • Life insurance • Olympics • Blood flow in lungs • Parallel thinking

17. Techniques of Creativity • Asymmetry of thinking • Leaf on tree • Hindsight • Humor - golf clubs • Blowing balloons • Overcoming hurdles • Skew pathways - walk for a change

18. Techniques to overcome obstacles • Random provocation • Creative pausing • Challenge • Alternatives • Concepts • Six thinking hats • Stratals • Filaments

19. Provocation • Close the letter after mailing • Peer exams • Die before you die • Criminals pay the police force • Shoplifters identify themselves • Plane waits for you • More room on airplane

20. Random Provocation Pick a random word or concept and link Example – parking Link to… Exercises

21. Examples and Exercises • Advertising - town crier • Industry - compliance with discharge regulations • Taxiknows the way P

22. Examples and Exercises • Chicken and dog - • fence, food • Prevent person to go from A  B • C • Redesign umbrella

23. Word Play • Butterfly • Go-getter? • Vegetarian eats vegetables • Humanitarian? • How do you get off a non-stop flight? • Drive on parkways and park on driveways? • Ship goods – cargo; by truck shipment? • Isn’t a good steak rarely well done?

24. The REAL problem Automobiles – main problem in a city? • Busy streets • Smog • Parking • Centralization • Meeting

25. Example: Parking Problems • Time value of hunting • Risks • Buy a spot? Tokyo • Buy a right? Singapore • Buy it with the car?Toyota

26. Tips: • Have fun • Think radically • Violate the constraints • Work quickly • Do not dwell on any idea • Build out ideas of others • Stay focused on the problem • Write down the ideas • Use a random noun to “seed” when stuck Brainstorming Cardinal rule: Anything goes, just be polite

27. Gyro Gearloose Name:   Gyro Gearloose Address:   He lives together with his Helper in a house or perhaps in his workshop in Duckburg. Born:   19?? on the Northside, Duckburg First appearance:   1952 in Gladstone's Terrible Secret. Created by:   Carl Barks Father:   Fulton Gearloose Mother:   Unknown Siblings:   Unknown Spouse:   None Children:   None Other close relatives:   Ratchet Gearloose (grandfather) Nephew called Newton (wearing a mortar board hat) Occupation:   An intelligent, but not always successful inventor

28. Gearloose Inventions

29. The illogical • Dear Abby, A couple of women moved in across the hall from me. One is a middle-aged gym teacher and the other is a social worker in  her mid twenties. These two women go everywhere together and I've never  seen a man go into their apartment.  Do you think they  could be Lebanese? • Dear Abby, What can I do about all the Sex, Nudity, Fowl Language and Violence on my VCR? • Dear  Abby, I have a man I can't trust. He cheats so  much, I'm not even sure the baby I'm carrying is his. • Dear Abby,I  was married to Bill for three months and I didn't know he drank until one night he came home sober. • Dear Abby,My forty year old son has been paying a psychiatrist $50.00 an hour every week for two and a half years. He must be crazy.

30. Nature of concepts We are in the business of • selling gold-plated pens • selling writing instruments • selling prestige writing instruments • luxury personal items • luxury goods • selling whatever people want • making our directors happy • making profits

31. Concept Fan Problem: Hang something from ceiling • Ladder • New concepts - lengthen arm - throw object - use a stand instead

32. Example of the concept fan:Problem: Coping with Water Shortage Reduce consumption • Increase efficiency of use • Reduce wastage • Discourage use • Getting to it: Education Increase supply • New sources • Recycling • Less wastage Do without • Stop water using processes • Avoid need to use water • Use other fluid Use other fluid • Wastewater • Oil • Air/vacuum  

33. Concept fan • Place the problem in a circle. • Fan out with possible solutions. • If needed, step back for a broader view. • Generate solutions to the broader problem. • Repeat steps 3-5.

34. Example Allow free dumping at ports Impose large fines Reduce pollution from ships Monitor Improve sewage treatment Imprison polluters Improve WQ Ban solid discharge Extend outfalls Make polluting unprofitable Control pollution entering sea Filter sea water Patrol beach litter Eliminate it Contain trash dumped at sea Reduce return to beaches Inspire public outrage Control ag & industrial pollution Monitor river WQ Clean water at local beach From mindtools.com

35. Lateral thinking “Approaching problems indirectly at diverse angles instead of concentrating on one approach at length” • Problem: Muhammad won't come to the mountain. • Mountain must come to Muhammad (the classic answer) • Use a video conference • Use an intermediary • Ask him what he wants to come to the mountain • See if he'll accept a free timeshare slot in a holiday home, which just happens to be on the mountain • Wait until he changes his mind • Cut your losses and tackle a different problem From wikipedia.org

36. What is creative thinking? You frequently encounter a problem that staples used in attaching fly-screens do not penetrate the timber frame well. Suggest two or three creative alternative approaches, bearing in mind what the ultimate objective is. We need to move beyond engineering solutions. • Use glue instead of staples • Use insect repellent to kill flies • Replace screens with glass and an air conditioner • Use a softer frame • Kill flies with UV lights • Clamp the screens into the frame • Eliminate the window and use a camera and a monitor to view the outside • Lure insects away from window with food or pheromones From CE 203, Fall 2005, exam 1

37. Lateral thinking puzzles • A carrot, a pile of pebbles, and a pipe lying together in the middle of a field. • Joe, wearing a mask and carrying an empty sack, leaves his house. An hour later he returns with a full sack. He goes into a room and turns out the lights. • A man walks into a bar and asks for a drink. The bartender pulls out a gun and points it at him. The man says, "Thank you," and walks out. • Mr. Browning is glad the car ran out of gas. • A man ate some food that was not poisoned, yet nevertheless caused him to die. • A man leaves a motel room, goes to his car, honks the horn, and returns. From rinkworks.com

38. More Exercises • Urgent parking • Urgent telephones • Page numbering • Shape of glasses

39. More Exercises • Ballpoint • Cut square in 4 pieces • Construction drill bits

40. Parallel Thinking – 6 Hats Obtain facts Feelings Benefits Disadvantages Creative thinking Overview

41. Engineering slant – logic? • To the optimist, the glass is half-full. To the pessimist, the glass is half-empty. To the engineer, the glass is 2x as big as it need be. • What is the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers? Mechanical engineers build weapons and civil engineers build targets. • Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it’s safe to add more features.

42. The Illogical Thought

43. Logic?

45. Question 1, Assignment • Create a joke of your own • Consider some de Bono techniques in doing this • By preference, the joke should be based on wordplay, e.g. double meanings or similar sounding words, or illogical thoughts • Include explanation of how constructed • Statement on authenticity to be included • Send to leeuwen@iastate.edu – heading must include “CE204 joke”