“We are so good at seeing patterns that, often, we see them where they don’t exist.” --Michael Mauboussin Question #26: If you flip a coin 14 times which is more likely to occur: a) The coin will land on "heads" 14 straight times (H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H); or b) this random outcome: T-T-H-T-H-H-H-T-T-H-T-H-T-T? The answer is that the [...]

The future is accelerating. The rate of change is itself changing and becoming ever faster. One of the consequences of this state of affairs is that knowledge is becoming obsolete at an ever accelerating pace. This leads to a paradox: Education is becoming both less and more important at the same time. It's becoming less [...]

“Beware of false knowledge, it is more dangerous than ignorance.” –George Bernard Shaw Question #24: Do more people die jaywalking or in the crosswalk? The answer is the crosswalk. The reason is because people are lulled into a false sense of security due to the allure of existing rules such as painted crosswalks and flashing [...]

"We must unlearn the constellation to see the stars.” --Jack Gilbert from the poem “Tear it Down” Question #23: In 2003, what money-losing product far exceeded its sales projections for the year in spite of the fact that manufacturer made no material upgrades to the product and spent less money on advertising? The answer is [...]

“I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” --John Cage Question #7: Write the letter “E” on your forehead. (Go ahead, I’ll wait. You may also just trace the letter on your forehead if that’s more comfortable for you). Did you write the letter in a self-oriented [...]

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” –Marcel Proust Question #22: There is a small town that has only one street. The street runs in an east-west direction and is exactly one mile in length. The town council recently granted liquor licenses to two taverns with [...]

The very first post I ever wrote on my other blog (www.schoolofunlearning.com) explained the story of how I first came to appreciate the importance of unlearning. The piece (No Strings Attached) recounted the story of how I had tied my shoes "bunny ear style" for 37 years before I finally unlearned that habit and relearned [...]

“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” --Voltaire Question #21: How much of the earth is water? Did you say somewhere between two-thirds and 75 percent? If so, you are incorrect. As John Lloyd and John Mitchinson explain in their delightful book, The Book of Ignorance, “Seven-tenths of the earth’s surface is [...]