Claxton writes about three different modes of thinking, each with its own inherent processing speed; fast, reflexive, faster than thought thinking that he calls wits, D or deliberative thinking, which is very analytical and lastly, slow knowing, a dreamy, contemplative mode of thinking. It is Claxton's postulation that this type of thinking is oft the most satisfactory and effective mode of problem solving, a process that is everything D-mode is not, a process that doesn't rush to conceptualize, leaving us with a more supple, agile mind. He talks about the brain's plasticity and how this last type of thinking might be our best cognitive bet.
One of the interesting things in the book is his use of puzzles. And I leave you with a famous one. The Luchins Jars. Answer later.
Claxton notes that researchers Abraham and Edith Luchins demonstrated the importance of shifting into slow thinking in 1942. These tests took place in their lab. Milton Rokeach discusses the tests in his "The effect of perception time upon the rigidness and concreteness of thinking" Journal of Experimental Psychology, Vol 40. (1950) pp. 206-16.
Imagine that you are standing beside a lake and that you are given three empty jars of different sizes. The first holds 17 pints, the second jar holds 37 pints of water and the third 6 pints. Your job is to see whether, using these three jars, you can measure out exactly 8 pints.
Next solve the problem with 31, 61 and 4 pints and end up with 22.
Finally 23, 49 and 3 pints and finish our experiment with 20 pints.
Please email me or post the answer to comments. No fair looking it up. I finally arrived at the proper answer but typically, not in typical fashion.
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| Water to Wine © Rick Griffin Estate |
11 comments:
That wine will burn a hole through your heart.
Haa haa haa, I was amazed at how quickly I got all three, perhaps because I am not even awake yet!
Shawn
1. 17, 37, 6 = 8/ (editorial redaction by management)
This seems a little convoluted to me, but I think it works:
Fill the 17 twice with the 37
Leaves (3oz) in the 37
Pour that (3oz) into the empty 17
Pour the 6 into the 37: 6 times - makes (36oz) in the 37
Fill the 6 once more and top off the 37 with (1oz) from the 6 leaving (5oz) in the 6
Add the (5oz) remaining in the 6 to the (3oz) left in the 17
Equaling (8oz)
Next,.... ouch! Brain pain and chronic laziness prevent me from further computation.
Brilliant Bill! And hilarious. Four answers so far, all seemingly correct, and all completely different. I will post the "correct" or orthodox answer tomorrow and then mine and Shawn's.
Okay, (possible spoiler alert!) now that I've posted my answer to the first part of the problem and had a chance to unwind after a 6 hour drive today, I took the liberty of Googling the Luchins Jars puzzle. I'm sure I would have plodded blindly through all three parts in the traditional manner.
I tend to be a creature of habit.
Interesting research.
Your first puzzle was way too easy. Had to respond. Fill vessel with 37 pints. Pour out 17 into the other vessel, leaving 20. Then pour 6, leaving 14. Then pour out 6 again, leaving 8.
Will try the others later,
Linda
I don't look at it as easy Linda. I prefer to think of you as exceptionally gifted.
Shawn's whole post:
Haa haa haa, I was amazed at how quickly I got all three, perhaps because I am not even awake yet!
1. 17, 37, 6 = 8
take the 37, pour out 6= 31 pour out 17= 14 pour out 6= leaving 8
2.31, 61 and 4 pints and end up with 22
pour 31 pints from the 61, leaving 30, full the 4 twice and left with 22
3. 23, 49 and 3 pints and finish our experiment with 20
pour the 23 into the 3 leaving 20
Fun!
The fix from the book:
Fill the largest jar and from it fill the middle jar once and the smallest twice. You are left with the desired volume in the big jar.
There may be easier ways to do this, but this is what I came up with… took me about an hour.
A lake and three empty jars; a 17 pint jar, a 37 pint jar, and a 6 pint jar - use these empty jars and the lake to measure out 8 pints of water
1. Pour six 6 pint jars of lake water into the empty 37 pint jar = 36 pints in the 37 pint jar
2. Fill the empty 17 pint jar from the 37 pint jar = 19 pints remaining in the 37 pint jar
3. Empty the 17 pint jar
4. Fill the 17 pint jar from the 37 pint jar containing 19 pints = 2 pints remaining in the 37 pint jar
5. Empty the 17 pint jar
6. Pour a full 6 pint jar of lake water into the empty 17 pint jar = 6 pints of water in the 17 pint jar
7. Pour the 2 pints that remain in the 37 pint jar into the 17 pint jar = 8 pints of water in the 17 pint jar
A lake and three empty jars; a 31 pint jar, a 61 pint jar, and a 4 pint jar - use these empty jars and the lake to measure out 22 pints of water
1. Fill the 4 pint jar from the 61 pint jar = 57 pints remaining in the 61 pint jar
2. Empty the 4 pint jar and repeat step 1 - do this 14 times for a total of 15 pours = 1 pint remaining in the 61 pint jar
3. Pour the 1 pint of water from the 61 pint jar into the empty 31 pint jar = 1 pint of water in the 31 pint jar
4. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 = 2 pints of water in the 31 pint jar
5. Pour five 4 pint jars of water into the 31 pint jar containing 2 pints of water = 22 pints of water in the 31 pint jar
A lake and three empty jars; a 23 pint jar, a 49 pint jar, and a 3 pint jar - use these empty jars and the lake to measure out 20 pints of water
1. Fill the 3 pint jar from the full 23 pint jar = 20 pints of water in the 23 pint jar
k
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