Our Brains Typically Overlook This Brilliant Problem-Solving Strategy

Our Brains Typically Overlook This Brilliant Problem-Solving Strategy

2 years ago
Anonymous $4BDEsVAtYS

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/our-brains-typically-overlook-this-brilliant-problem-solving-strategy/

For generations, the standard way to learn how to ride a bicycle was with training wheels or a tricycle. But in recent years, many parents have opted to train their kids with balance bikes, pedalless two-wheelers that enable children to develop the coordination needed for bicycling—a skill that is not as easily acquired with an extra set of wheels.

Given the benefits of balance bikes, why did it take so long for them to replace training wheels? There are plenty of other examples in which overlooked solutions that involve subtraction turn out to be better alternatives. In some European cities, for example, urban planners have gotten rid of traffic lights and road signs to make streets safer—an idea that runs counter to conventional traffic design.