CID Course, Workbook 3-1-S. Supplements

TRIZ Textbooks: CID Course for Children, 3-1WS
Supplement 1. Methods of Solving Problems, Methods of Solving Contradictions, Scheme of Solving Problems Supplement 2. Cards for Your Card Index
Planet of Unsolved Misteries: Course of Creative Imagination Development (CID), 3rd Grade, 1st Semester, Children Workbook
Natalia V. Rubina, 1998 [published in Russian] English translation by Irina Dolina, June 3, 2001 Technical Editing by Toru Nakagawa, December 15, 2001
Published in this "TRIZ Home Page in Japan" in English on Dec. 17, 2001 under the permission of the Author. (C) N.V.Rubina, I. Dolina, T. Nakagawa, 2001

Supplement 2 Card Index

Supplement 1.

[Translation Note (T. Nakagawa, Dec. 15, 2001): There is no counter-part in the Guid Book.]

1. Methods of Solving Problems
(Contradictions, Ideality, and Resources)

Problem 1.

Author: Altshuller G.S.
Topic: Contradictions and resources.
Content of the problem: At a museum a very valuable object – Etruscan Vase was stolen. It was impossible to take it out of the country without documents. Getting the documents illegally seemed impossible too. However the thieves exported the vase, using forgery. How did they do that?
Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared.

Problem 2.

Author: Murashkowsky. Y. S.
Topic: Ideality and resources.
Content of the problem: “And Suddenly a Noisy Voice Has Come…” This was said by Pushkin when the Head appeared in the poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. In the opera of the same title it was also necessary to stage a “noisy“ voice. In a duet of Ruslan and the Head the Head’s voice has to sound louder, than Ruslan’s. But the rules of an opera singing require that each performer should sing with a maximum loudness. What can be done?
Solutio: – ?
Source of information: Seminar’s papers.

Problem 3.

Author: Rubin M. S.
Topic: Ideality and resources.
Content of the problem: In winter of 1942, the equipment of a military plant, evacuated to the Urals, needs to be assembled on a new place. A huge heavy press has to be placed into a deep hole. There is no crane “at hand”, it will take too much precious time to transport it. What should be done?
Solution: – ?
Source of information: M.S.Rubin’s Card index.

Problem 4.

Author:
Topic: Ideality and resources.
Content of the problem: There were three tailor shops in a street of Odessa. The first tailor advertised himself in the following way: “I am the best tailor in Odessa!”; the second one: “This is the best tailor shop in the World!”; the third one did better than both of them.
Solution: – ?
Source of information: M. S. Rubin’s Card index.

Problem 5.

Author: Murashkowsky Y. S.
Topic: Ideality and resources.
Content of the problem: The characters of Shakespeare’s play “Mid-Summer Night’s Dream” are elves and witches. The actors as a rule performed in splendid medieval costumes manifesting that the act was taking place in the old times. But one of the directors decided that it wasn’t right. Witches and elves are characters of the folk tales, they shouldn’t be dressed too splendidly. A contradiction: the costumes have to be splendid to show the ancient times and have to plain. What should be done?
Solution: – ?
Source of information. Card index.

2. Methods of Solving Contradictions.

Problem 6.

Author:
Topic: Methods.
Content of the problem: The parcels were arriving at the post office. Their weight, according to the signs written on them, was 8 kilograms and their value was quite high. In fact, their weight would turn to be much less. The receiver demanded compensation. What was wrong?
Solution: – ?
Source of information: M. S. Rubin’s card index.

Problem 7.

Author: Altshuller G. S.
Topic: Methods.
The content of the problem: The plant was ordered to produce a batch of oval glass plates one mm thick. The rectangular plates were cut but it was impossible to make them oval: thin glass was breaking. Thicker plates were not needed. The products had to be thick and thin at the same time. This contradiction has to be divided in time: let the plates become thicker during the processing. How to do it?
Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared"

Problem 8.

Author: Altshuller G. S.
Topic: Methods.
Content of the problem: At the toys factory the doll “Carlson” was being made. It’s common knowledge that Carlson has to fly. At this point a contradiction emerges. If the propeller is small – Carlson will look real and will be convenient to play with, but he won’t be able to fly. If the propeller is big – the doll will fly, but will look like a windmill. Such a doll can’t even stand. What should be done?
Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared.

Problem 9.

Author: Rubina N. V.
Topic: Methods.
Content of the problem: The wolves are better at game than the hunting dogs. But they can not be used alone because, as a rule, they can’t bark. What should be done?
Solution: – ?
Source of information: B. Grzhimek: “Animals Are My Life”

Problem 10.

Author: Rubina N. V.
Topic: Methods.
Content of the problem: When V. Peskov was shooting his documentary about the wild life in Alaska, American movie- makers were impressed seeing five small foxes throw themselves at the camera. Foxes are very timid animals and it seemed impossible to shoot such an episode – the small foxes usually don’t let people approach them. How did they manage to shoot them at a short distance?
Solution: – ?
Source of information: “Komsomolskaya Pravda”, section “A Window into the Nature”.

Problem 11.

Author: Kyastutis Usyavichus.
Topic: Methods.
Content of the problem. The ants are cleaners of the forest. They eat various larvae, small worms, etc. Sometimes they are happy to find a big, long worm. But the trouble is that they can not lift such a giant. It’s a pity to leave this delicious food behind. It takes too much time to split it into pieces and carry away. What can be done?
Solution: – ?
Source of information.:

Problem 12.

Author: Altshuller G. S.
Topic: Methods.
Content of the problem: A foreign company used to buy oil from another one and transport it on the auto-tanks with capacity of 3000 liters. It turned out that every time there was a shortage of 20-30 liters in a tank. The measuring device was checked – no problem. The tank was sealed and the locks were safe. It was taken into consideration that several liters could be left on the walls of the tank; but the shortage was much bigger… An experienced detective was invited. He couldn’t find anything wrong: the car never stopped, the driver never pumped out the oil. The detective gave up. ..

An suddenly the Inventor appeared. "There is no problem!", he said, "Everything is quite simple, one has to think just a little". So he explained what the matter was.

What do you think?

Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared".

Problem 13.

Author: Altshuller G. S.
Topic: Methods.
Content of the problem: In a long rubber tube it was necessary to make many holes of 10 mm in diameter. As a rule, it is not difficult to make holes. But the rubber is flexible, it stretches under a tool, squeezes, curves… It is very difficult to make hole of a particular size. The foreman tried to make the holes with the burning rod, but the edges of the hole got burnt, crumbled.

"It can not be done!" shouted the foreman in despair. "I feel like weeping…"

And suddenly the Inventor appeared.

"You don’t have to weep!" he said. "Everything is quite easy!"

What did he suggest?

Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared."

3. Scheme of Solving Problems

Problem 14.

Author: Altshuller G. S.
Topic: Scheme of solving problems.
Content of the problem: Probably, you have seen the workers move a heavy rail. Several people hook and turn the rail over with the bars all together. Then they again hook it and turn. The work is hard and dangerous: if a worker stands gaping, the rail can kick a bar out of his hands… This is a problem: how to help the workers?
Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared".

Problem 15.

Author:
Topic: Scheme of solving problems.
Content of the problem: In order to increase demand for potato knives, a company found the way how to make the house wives loose them more often. What is it?
Solution: – ?
Source of information: M. S. Rubin’s card index.

Problem 16.

Author: Altshuller G. S.
Topic: Scheme of solving problems.
Content of the problem: At a laboratory a new diamond tool for processing was being devised. The tool was perfect but its manufacturing was very complicated. Small diamonds, shaped like pyramids, had to be put with their tops up by hand.

"Ten thousand pyramids and all put installed by hand", complained the clerks. "This work has to be mechanized."

"We thought about it", said the head of the laboratory. "But we couldn’t devise anything."

And at this moment the Inventor appeared.

"This is a delicate problem", he said. "It is necessary to recollect a method…"

"What method do we need to recollect? How to mechanize the process of putting diamonds inside?"

Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared".

Problem 17.

Author: Altshuller G. S.
Topic: Scheme of solving problems.
Content of the problem: Once a new car “Volga” stopped on the road. The driver explained to the passenger:

"We have a problem. There is no gasoline in the tank. I’ve forgotten to check it."

"Things like that may happen", said the passenger with a sympathy. "Those devices are not reliable. Sometimes a pointer is still far from a zero mark but the tank is already empty. I wish a tank could transmit by telepathy the information to the driver that it is nearly empty…"

And at this moment the Inventor appeared.

"We can do without a telepathy", he said. "I have an idea…"

What did the inventor suggest?

Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared".

Problem 18.

Aitjpr: Altshuller G. S.
Topic. Scheme of solving problems.
Content of the problem: Many houses have gas-stove burners that work on the liquefied gas. This gas is stored in metal containers. If the gas is finishing, the house-wife has to think about changing the container. But how can she find out that the container is nearly empty?

This problem was being solved by the engineers of a design office. They need to devise a simple and convenient device helping to spot at once that there was very little gas left in a container, let’s say, one tenth of its volume.

"To measure the gas pressure?" said an engineer. "We can’t do it. As long as a drop of liquid is left in the container, the pressure won’t change: spent gas is being replaced by evaporation".

"And what if we weigh a container?" another engineer asked.

"No, it won’t do either. It’s inconvenient to disconnect a heavy container all the time, to weigh it and to connect again..."

At this moment the Inventor appeared.

"I know an ideal solution", he said. "A container has to report politely that there is one tenth of the liquid left".

And he explained how to get the ideal solution.

And what do you suggest? Mind that the glass tubes can not be attached to the container, it’s dangerous.

Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared".

Problem 19.

Author: Altshuller G. S.
Topic: Scheme of solving problems.
Content of the problem: In 800 the Pope in Rome had to crown Carl the Great. Carl faced a serious problem. On one hand, the Pope had to put the crown on Carl’s head; whereas in the eyes of his subjects this looked as if Carl became the king lawfully under the permission from the church. If the Pope could give it, he could take it away. On the other hand, the Pope didn't have a choice but to crown the king. This meant that Carl got the power of the Pope.
Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared".

Problem 20.

Author: Altshuller G. S.
Topic: Methods.
Content of the problem: An old hunter would take his dog when he went to taiga. The dog would find an animal and bark. The hunter would arrive directed by the barking. But the hunter became deaf. In order to find an animal, the dog has to be let go. But in this case the hunter won’t hear its barking. He has to keep the dog near him, to watch it. This is a contradiction!
Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared".

Problem 21

Author: Altshuller G. S.
Topic: Scheme of solving problems.
Content of the problem: Robin Hood raised his bow, and the arrow with a whistle went towards the scout, sent by the sheriff…

"You’ve missed it again!" cried the movie-director. "Two meters higher. And we have hired the champion, Master of sports as a dubbing actor for Robin Hood…"

"Let’s combine the actions," suggested a cameraman. "We’ll first separately shoot the shooting, then a flying arrow. Then Robin Hood will move about three meters, get out of the scene and I’ll shoot the hit. I am sure he will hit the aim from three meters distance. Let’s assemble three pieces. The scene is ready."

"No way!" protested the director. "The spectators know this trick very well. We have to shoot without stopping: Robin Hood lets the bow-string go, the arrow flies and hits the enemy right in the heart. Everybody sees that Robin Hood was shooting from a far distance. We need the truth of life."

"Then shoot without me!" the actor who played the scout said. He took out a plate from his jacket’s pocket. "Robin Hood himself would never hit this aim. Awful! I have to act, but all I do is to think about what will happen if the arrow moves a little bit aside…"

A dubbing actor came up, dressed as Robin Hood. He was confused.

"I have never been so nervous before, even at the Olympic Games. At the last moment I level my bow unintentionally a little bit higher, afraid of shooting a man…"

"Tomorrow the weather will be worse", sighed the cameraman. "I wish we shot this episode today…"

And at this moment the Inventor appeared.

"We’ll shoot it by all means!" he said. "Just a little trick; and the arrow will hit the place where the plate is hidden."

Half an hour later the shooting was resumed. The scene was shot without any problem.

What did the inventor suggest?

Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared".

Problem 22.

Author: Altshuller G. S.
Topic: Scheme of solving problems.
Content of the problem: At a plant a section of pipeline was opened. It was necessary to find out which direction the liquid flowed in a pipe. The pipe was being knocked in different ways, it was impossible to define anything.

"We’ll cut the pipe", said an engineer. "It can’t be helped…"

And at this moment the Inventor appeared.

"We don’t need to cut anything", he said in surprise. "This is simple".

What did the inventor suggest?

Solution: – ?
Source of information: “And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared".

Supplement 2. Cards for Your Card Index

1. Author:
2. Topic:
3. Content of the card.: