In the mid 1960’s, two scientists from Bell Labs named Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson were trying to remove sources of interference in readings from a radio telescope to perform research. No matter what they did, a constant source of noise plagued their efforts. They went to great lengths in attempts to rectify the issue, going so far as to remove pigeon droppings from the telescope. Baffled and convinced something was wrong, it took a shift in thinking to explain their observations. Eventually, they accepted that their equipment was working fine, focusing on a theoretical explanation rather than an equipment issue. What they were measuring was the Cosmic Background Radiation left over from the creation of the universe.
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| Bell Labs Horn Antenna |
Assumptions can generate blind spots and our past experiences convince us that what we’re seeing now is what we have seen before. These cognitive systems exist because they often serve us well, but they can frustrate us when faced with novel challenges. When Penzias and Wilson decided to tentatively accept the data in front of them rather than remain convinced that the source of the readings was interference, they empowered themselves to escape from the limitations of their current thought processes. In doing so, we gained a new understanding of the universe we live in.
When working through challenges such as debugging code or interrogating data, we sometimes get stuck. Our assumptions may not always help us, just as the assumption that the background noise from the telescope readings was interference did not help the two scientists. Whether the solution is as easy as updating permissions or as complex as realizing that two systems are incompatible and cannot interoperate, there are some tricks to help us more quickly resolve problems we are faced with when we’re stuck.
One strategy is to walk away and come back hours or days later with a refreshed mind. This isn’t giving up, it’s a conscious decision to return to the problem later. At first, this can feel like defeat as we don’t get the satisfaction of completing the task. However, with experience and maturity, we learn that we can increase our chance of success if we leave and return, and the delayed gratification is enough to overcome the feelings of defeat. If you don’t have the luxury of time, find a fresh mind. Enlisting the help of a colleague or peer forces us to organize our thoughts and communicate them, often leading to a solution just by virtue of those requirements.
Problem solving is at the core of our careers in computing and data. There’s no world where problems no longer exist, and we may find ourselves increasingly having to solve problems not generated by humans as AI-generated code proliferates. Those with well honed skills in problem solving are the best team members, are more highly valued, and find themselves with more opportunities for advancement. Next time you’re stuck, remember Penzias and Wilson cleaning bird poop out from their expensive radio telescope in hopes that it solves their problem.