All knowledge is worth having? Data points in favor.

[flexagon]

At work, the binary I work on saves some information to log files. The last tech lead said "hey, we could save some space by not storing this one thing!" and then they left the design up to me. I made it way more aggressive and asked people "what do you use?" Then when all the replies were in, I suggested we trash the specific things that nobody mentioned... ultimately releasing a huge cascade of simplifying results.

Before minimalism, I would have asked the wrong question. I would have asked "what don't you use", which nobody can really answer. I would have been frustrated, and not much space would have been saved. 
Last Sunday we were assembling flat-pack dressers. The directions said "use your thumb to press these pieces into place". It hurt my thumb a little, so after a couple of these, I set them into place and gently pressed them into place with my toe by stepping on them. (I also used body weight in place of a hammer for some other pieces -- quieter).

Before acroyoga taught me about Thai massage, it would not have been second nature to apply force using body weight.

So this is a post about how knowledge from one field can be applied in another, and how it happens in the most unexpected ways, in projects big and small, and you may not even realize it's happening until much later when you ask "I wonder how it was that I thought to do that".

Do you have any recent examples? I'd love to hear them.

Comments

[nahele-101.livejournal.com]

When considering what to get for the kitchen, we realized we already had pots in possession in our camping supplies. We only got a single cast iron skillet cause I adore cast iron.

Our only recent purchase chops/blends/purees all in a single unit and does them all well. Using items for multiple purposes saves space and sanity.

[dancing-crow.livejournal.com]

I found out today that horses and canoe paddles have a surprising similarity, and it has everything to do with physics.

The canoe paddle only pushes water past the boat until it is at your hip, after that you are lifting water as much as you are pushing it forward.

My instructor was trying to say that the horse needed to get her hind legs in under her more, to be more powerful. If her back legs (in particular) are out behind the point of her rump, her effort is not going the direction she needs.

The first part does sound like a raven and a writing desk though!

[miyyu.livejournal.com]

This one might not be as much of an exciting revelation, but how I deal with animals (including my own) is informed with how I handle my students, and vice versa. Body language means a LOT. If you start with a soft voice, everything you illicit will be softer too. Pause before speaking or doing, don't react instantaneously, or you could spook them, or else escalate an already bad situation. Don't draw a line in the sand unless you are prepared to stand there, and then gently but firmly enforce that line. Be ready for lots and lots of repetitions until someone finally learns something!

[miyyu.livejournal.com]

Also - they can always, ALWAYS smell fear. So never show any uncertainty, even when you have no clue what to do. Standing still calmly until you can decide what to do is best.

[flexagon]

Hah, I've been doing that one a WHOLE lot at work with my team members -- two of whom are older than me and outrank me.

[flexagon]

That's an amazing example. I do hope you're eliciting responses and not doing illicit things with your students, though. Aren't they, like, third-graders? :)

[miyyu.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, what a terrible spelling error! And I pride myself on being a good speller, too. Well, at least that one is funny. :)

[soong.livejournal.com]

I once compared cross learnings I took from Karate into Swing Dance. Later I generalized this into: "You know how to move". I think there are lots of systems of movement where having studied them it is easier to learn other things. You know how to move, you just don't know this one new motion yet, but you'll pick it up fast. Martial Arts. Dancing. Yoga. Gymnastics. Etc. Although, "upside-down" seems to be a special class of movement that has to be learned at least once.

a huge cascade of simplifying results

I like the sound of that change.