CID Course, Workbook 2-2-01. Introduction and Topic 1

TRIZ Textbooks: CID Course for Children, 2-2W01
Introductory Lesson Methods of Solving Problems Topic 1. “We wouldn’t be happy if misery didn’t help us” (Contradictions)
Fantasy City: Course of Creative Imagination Development (CID), 2nd Grade, 2nd Semester, Children Workbook
Natalia V. Rubina, 1998 [published in Russian] English translation by Irina Dolina, May 4, 2001 Technical Editing by Toru Nakagawa, September 3, 2001
Published in this "TRIZ Home Page in Japan" in English on Sept. , 2001 under the permission of the Author. (C) N.V.Rubina, I. Dolina, T. Nakagawa, 2001

Guide-Book of this chapter

Guidebook

Introduction.
World of Difficult Problems

“The history of mankind started with an invention. First stone instruments of labor were devised and first man, homo sapiens, a man of reason appeared on Earth… It’s difficult to enumerate how many inventions have been made since then. Everything that surrounds us had to be invented. For example, we don’t know who invented a sail; this wonderful invention has been living for thousands of years. And it will live: there are projects of space ships with sun sails, absorbing the light pressure. Can you imagine what an inventor was feeling when he was setting a sail for the fist time? Probably, it was a sunny and windy day. A rush of wind filled the roughly made mat and a sail, a raft, left the shore. The first in history mast creaked, bending. Patches of sunlight were dancing on the waves, but the man didn’t notice them. His heart was beating madly: he was not sure where he would manage to reach the shore again. He was scared to look back, but all the same – there was a shocking, crazy great moment of victory! The wind was obeying the man for the first time, the raft was racing forward, splitting the wave noisily…” (“And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared”, G. Altov, Moscow, ”Detskaya Literatura”, 1984., p.126.)
Thus, the inventions surround us everywhere. Let’s go along the streets of our Fantasy City and look around through the eyes of an inventor.

Problem 1. In summer the branches of the trees hide the traffic lights. The workers come, dig out the post, replace it by another one, higher or curved. It takes half a day. What can you suggest in this situation?

     Let’s try to figure it out. It is necessary that the traffic lights should be seen. In summer the branches hide the traffic light. It is possible, of course, to cut the branches, but they will grow again. Usually the procedure is as follows: The traffic light pole is replaced. What should be done to make the traffic lights be seen well if the pole not to be replaced at all.? Let’s formulate it another words.
     If the traffic light pole is replaced often, the lights will be seen well (+), but it takes much time (–).
     We need the pole that can change its size and its shape, and we don’t have to replace it often. Have you imagined such a pole? What does it look like?

Write down your answer.

________________________________________________

And now, draw your attention to the definition that helped us to find the correct answer. Let’s write down this definition, taking away everything that refers to the concrete problem.

Definition 1: A contradiction is a situation where any change of the system or its parts can be considered good and bad at the same time.

To formulate the contradiction the following form is used:
IF……………, it is good (+), but it is bad (–).

This definition of the Contradiction helps us see the essence of a problem, the most important thing in the problem under consideration. To solve the problem means to solve the contradiction. In other words, it is necessary to preserve (+) and remove (–).

Problem 2. In a Latin American country the government noticed that the merchants were concealing their profits. To increase taxes, it seemed ineffective to reinforce punishments. All the merchants were given the same forms of the bills to fill in when they sold any product. But they began to sell goods, without writing the bills (the customers didn’t need the copies of the bills and didn’t ask them). What should be done?

If ………………………………………………………………….,
then (+) ……………………………………………………………,
but (–) ……………………………………………………………

Problem 3. In the presence of the police it is necessary to distribute the invitations to the secret seminar. What should be done not to attract the attention of the policemen?

If………………………………………………………………….,
then (+)……………………………………………………………,
but (–)……………………………………………………………

     “The inventions, including the process of creating, testing, and implementing, are always connected with the fascinating adventures. The victory over a new technical problem needs a flexible mind and courage not less than those that d’Artagnian needed to fight the crafty designs of the Cardinal Rishilieau… However, the inventory problems sometimes are stronger and more cunning than any cardinals. If you want adventures, modern, clever, and useful to people, invent! The fascinating adventures that will last your whole life are waiting for you in the sphere of technical creativity. But you have to prepare yourself for these adventures, beginning from childhood; the earlier, the better, as in sports. So, don’t waste your time…
     I wish you much success!”
     (“And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared”, G. Altov, Moscow, “Detskaya Literatura”, 1984, p. 126).

Methods of Solving Problems

Topic 1. “We wouldn’t be happy if misery didn’t help us”
(Contradictions)

Guide-Book

Lesson 1.

Problem 4 . The accident in an elevator. Four people got stuck there. Three of them are upset, one is happy. Who is he?

Let’s make a chart:

. + –

A student with high grades

A student with low grades

A teacher

So, the same incident may be considered to be good and bad. All depends on a super-system, in which it happens.

Three piglets live in Fantasy City.
Nif-Nif is a cheerful piglet;
Naf-Naf is a grumbling piglet;
Nuf-Nuf is a clever piglet.

Problem 5. How to see three different piglets?

In order to learn how to devise an invention, it is important to see (+) and (–) of any incident, and to remove (–), preserving (+).
We can change systems with the help of the methods of image making. Let’s look at these changes through the inventor’s eyes:

choose a system;
apply any method of making images;
what is good and what is bad in these changes.

Problem 6. In the end of the last century some interesting attraction was being demonstrated in the circuses around Europe: an elephant that could count, add up, subtract, multiply and divide within the limits of 100. There was a screen on the arena, with the numbers from 1 to 100, distinctly written on it. The elephant took the pointer with his trunk and pointed out the correct answer to the question, asked by the audience. Guess the clue to this trick.

If………………………………………………………………….,
then (+)……………………………………………………………,
but (–)……………………………………………………………

Problem 7. At the toys factory the doll “Carlson“ was being made. It is common knowledge that Carlson has to fly. But at this point a contradiction has appeared. If a small screw is made, Carlson will look like a real character and it will be very convenient to play with him. But he won’t be able to fly. If a screw is big, the doll will fly, but it will look like a windmill. Such a doll can’t even stand on its legs. What can be done?

If………………………………………………………………….,
then (+)……………………………………………………………,
but (–)……………………………………………………………………

Guide-Book

Lesson 2

     Contradiction: In the north it is getting dark very early. In order to light up the room, many candles are needed. If there are many candles, (+) the room is lighted up brightly, but (–) the candles are expensive, they smoke, and they burn out quickly.
     You will be surprised, but the best solution is an ordinary electric lamp. We got used to it and even don’t notice, how our life has changed with the appearance of the electric appliances.
     Do you know what contradiction is concealed in such a usual and convenient lamp? The lamp doesn’t burn itself, it’s only the spiral that burns, it consists of some special staff. This staff gives light when it is heated, but gradually it evaporates and, unfortunately, is quickly broken. This is a contradiction: if an electric lamp is heated much, it (+) gives bright light, but (–) it is quickly broken. What is to be done?
     Solution: day-light luminescent lamps, in which a gas substance is burning instead of solid, metallic spiral. The gas inside the flask can not evaporate and break, like a spiral.
     As you see, the inventions are taking place around us.   Let’s look around through the eyes of an inventor. Which contradictions have been solved in the following systems?

- a desk;
- a book;
- scissors;
- a pencil; - a blackboard;
- an eraser;
- a pencil-case;
- shoes.

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Problem 8. One of the most fascinating performances demonstrated by the lion’s tamers is when a lion opens his mouth wide and a tamer places his head inside. This performance is very dangerous because even the most obedient lion remains a beast of prey, no matter how well he was tamed. How do the tamers manage to demonstrate this trick?

If………………………………………………………………….,
then (+)……………………………………………………………,
but (–)……………………………………………………………………

Guide-Book of this chapter

Home Page	New Information	Introduction to TRIZ	TRIZ References	TRIZ Links
TRIZ News & Activities	TRIZ Software Tools	TRIZ Papers and Tech Reports	TRIZ Forum	Home Page

Last updated on Sept. 11, 2001. Access point: Editor: nakagawa@utc.osaka-gu.ac.jp

.	+	–
A student with high grades
A student with low grades
A teacher