Parameter Change is one of the 40 Inventive Principles of Problem Solving.
Why do I want to fit Principles into SCAMPER approaches? In a recent post (check it here first) I explore how SCAMPER can embrace the 40 Principles of Inventive Problem Solving. The goal is to wrap the complexity of the Principles in the approachability of SCAMPER. Modify defined in Applied Imagination Under the category of…
Proven reusability “For a long time people were using the space shuttle as an example of why reusability is dumb. You can’t take a single case example and make an entire theory out of it.” Elon Musk Musk has frequently made the case that discarding a rocket is like flying a jumbo jet across the…
“The refrigeration system makes one end cold and and one end warm.” Dave Pearson, Star Refrigeration This Youtube interview reveals some innovative thinking going into more renewable heating options for Scottish homes. The air conditioning systems we are familiar with in North America typically pump heat out of the building into the ambient air, so…
Like buttah! This 2014 Kickstarter project raised AU$ 360,286 (the Canadian and Australian dollars are very close to parity), dwarfing its original AU$ 38,000 goal with 15,251 backers. The Stupendous Splendiferous ButterUp butter knife has small built in grater holes that cuts the butter into thin curls. This makes the butter easier to spread and because it has a…
The problem As I described in an earlier post, some elementary students in Ontario were suspended for incomplete immunization records. This series of posts is an effort to come up with ideas using each of the 40 Principles. Remember the cardinal rule: there are no stupid ideas, only ideas that may serve to inspire the…
E-Fan X All-electric airplanes are already in service in limited applications like trainers and for towing gliders. These small planes boast low energy use and low maintenance, but battery capacity and weight remain limiting factors for longer range aircraft. Airbus, Rolls Royce and Siemens are thus employing the same strategy used by automobile manufacturers before…
Don’t you give up on me now! I’m not a doctor. I get woozy when I hear the theme from Scrubs. But this was too good an innovation not to share. Gravity fed intravenous (IV) dip is an important method of administering medications and fluids to patients. IV infusions are one of the most common…
Yesterday’s Falcon Heavy launch was an amazing (if not unblemished) success. In the glow of this event it is possible to forget that SpaceX was at risk of failing as a venture as recently as 2008. At that time, Wired interviewed Musk after its third high profile failure, when a Falcon 1 second stage failed…
A dish best served cold SpaceX uses supercooled, “deep cryogenic” liquid oxygen, or LOX, to propel its Falcon 9 rockets. This is colder than more commonly used liquid oxygen which is chilled only to its condensation temperature. Principle 35 – Parameter Change The advantage is that the oxidizer is more dense, allowing SpaceX to cram more onto their rocket.…
When the M178 AMG V8 biturbo engine came out, it was a dramatic improvement over its predecessor. Its features showcase Inventive Principles. Lower displacement The new engine is 4.0 litres in displacement, compared with its 6.2-liter M156/159 predecessor, a whopping 35% reduction. Principle 35 – Parameter Change With improvements listed below, the new engine is…