{"id":20888,"date":"2020-09-22T10:00:26","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T08:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hatrabbits.com\/?p=20888"},"modified":"2020-09-22T11:48:15","modified_gmt":"2020-09-22T09:48:15","slug":"use-contradictions-to-innovate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hatrabbits.com\/en\/use-contradictions-to-innovate\/","title":{"rendered":"Use contradictions to innovate – you might find aliens"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every contradiction is an opportunity to find creative solutions. Use contradictions to innovate and you are likely to find beautiful win-win situations. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Many problems consist of a conflict of interests. You need to satisfy two demands that seem incompatible. For example, you need more computing power but, at the same time, you have to cut costs. CPU isn’t cheap, so this is a problem. As the saying goes ‘You can\u2019t have your cake and eat it too.’ <\/em>Both goals can be achieved, but achieving them at the same time <\/em>seems impossible. It appears you need to make a choice. Either cut costs, \u00f3r buy extra CPU.<\/p>\n

Contradictions like these are nasty dilemmas. Assignments that set you up to fail. However, it’s precisely these ‘annoying’ situations that should excite you, for each contradiction is a wonderful opportunity to innovate. Take the example above, for instance. Providing more computing power without spending any extra money. This was the impossible task given to the people working on the SETI project<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

The cheapest supercomputer imaginable<\/strong><\/h4>\n

SETI stands for \u2018Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence\u2019<\/em>. This search is mainly conducted by analysing radio signals. Unfortunately, this quite a time-intensive job, requiring lots of computing power. In the ’90s the required computing power started to become a problem. SETI needed much more CPU than it had available, but there was no budget to buy new supercomputers. The task the SETI engineers were faced with: double or triple our computing power without<\/em> spending an extra penny.<\/p>\n

Quite the challenge, as supercomputers aren’t cheap. Luckily, a clever scientist came up with an ingenious solution. David Gedye, a computer scientist working at Berkeley, realised that the extra CPU didn’t necessarily have to be paid for by SETI. Gedye knew that most people only use a fraction of the CPU available in their personal computer. Could the excess CPU be used by SETI? Gedye came up with SETI@home<\/a><\/span>; consumers can ‘donate’ their excess computing power to a cause of their liking (for instance, the search for extraterrestrial life). All this excess CPU will then be used to run analytics. A brilliant strategy. In the years since the project has been launched, millions of people have donated their excess CPU to SETI. Together, all these little bits of computing power basically form an enormous supercomputer.<\/p>\n

Is your contradiction correct?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Contradictions can be found anywhere. You hear them in politics, you read them in vision documents and if you’re really unlucky you notice them coming from your manager’s mouth. Think about statements like the following:<\/p>\n