My experience tells me that most, if not all, toddlers are quite innovative, especially when they are unaware of being observed. Of course, the educational system is designed to mold these independent thinkers into "model citizens", resulting in the near universal destruction of creativity much too early in life. Those who are able to nurture and cultivate their internal creative natures in spite of the constant destructive impact of modern education are the ones who will grow up to be tomorrow's inventors...

Want to understand how to nurture innovation in others? Start by taking a two year old, set her or him down in a room near some blocks, maybe a couple of metal pans and a wooden spoon- anything, so long as it is mostly "formless" from the child's standpoint (dolls and stuffed critters and such tend to distort the results of this demonstration). Le the child believe you have left the room, then stick your head around the corner, and watch what happens.

Pure, unadulterated invention.

Unless you start the experiment too close to nap time....

Fantasy was always faster than thought back then. That's about all I remember. I wish I could still be in that state and sometimes find myself just dawdling away at something, even nowadays. That is mostly just before bed time but is a good close to the day.

I had very similar insight watching my grand children just dissolve in to what they were doing. Nice to observe, you are right.

Talk soon, Ky.

Hi Warner,

I have big respect for your comment. A newborn to around 6 years old can learn but we put we little in their mind. Are we jealous, incompetent, uneducated or what? Imagine, I was 36 years old when I learned how to cut carrots on a TV show by observing the cook. He never told me or someone else how to do it. Probably he learned too by observation.

No one teach you how to learn other than open the book and read. How to be parent and educate your children. And, all these come when you are over 6 years old and sometimes never. Same thing in my profession. Today, I realize that I use very little what I learned in the schools from elementary to university, except the basics in everything. I really learned my profession after in libraries and doing things after work in overtime without pay. Today, decades later, I get the salary for it!

The English created the group of innovative people in the middle of 1700s, which changed the world for ever. Like Cavendish, probably he asked why during the last 2,000 years no one contested the Greeks. He discovered the smallest atoms H and O, part of water, concidered by Greek Aristotle and everyone after as unique and undissolvable. With questions we can also invent and innovate. To one question, we can produce many answers, and so on...

Thanks for the thoughts, Gil.

Hi Warner,

I wood like to know if you cut carrots as do most people or you use the innovative way? Let me know, I am curious, Gil.

Is there a way to cut carrots?

yes there is a right way (to cut all vegetables)... get the right knife, with a rounded edge, and always keep part of the blade in contact with the cutting board.. use a regular reciprocating motion (partial slice, partial chop), and maintain precise indexing of the material (carrot) by keeping contact between both hands and the knife... that way, you don't cut your fingers, and the cutting is fast, reliable and precise... this is the way the chefs do it.

chris

here is a training site.

Chris, thanks for your support, Gil.

Hi Wasta,

Yes, there is two ways to cut carrots, the good and the ordinary but not efficient.

Try to cut fine longitudinal slices, around 2 mm thick, in a carrot and let me know if it's easy to do. This is the ordinary way and hard way to do the work.

Take another carrot and cut all long of the carrot a thin slice, 1 to 2 mm thick that will produce a flat side, which will be the bottom of the next operation. This is the good and easy way to cut carrot.

If you don't believe me, ask a good cook how to do it, Gil.

NB: It's simply convenience and productivity!

Hi off topic,

One day, when the first time this was done, was an innovative way to cut a carrot, and adopted by most of the cook on this Earth, Gil.

I earn my keep in this world by developing innovative solutions that solve problems for my customers. That is my company mission statement, and the meat of my business plan. It works.

Hi Warner,

I support 100% your "mission statement" related in "your business plan". This is good to excellent! However, you don't give us the way you cut carrot? There is an innovative way.

I explain: On a cutting board put the carrot on after washing well. With a sharp knife cut on one side a fine filet all long of the carrot. Now, you have a flat surface, which can be put on the cutting board and slice the carrot the way you want, longitudionally or cut into rounds. When you do as said, you will discover how easy to do what you want to do!

This innovative way to cut carrots was not "my" invention but it works too, Gil.

1. If I don't havbe a cutting board, I will figure out how to cut the carrot without one.

2. If I don't have a knife, I will come up with some other tool to accomplish the task.

3. There is a good chance that the customer is not really wanting cut carrots, but that is the only way he knows how to describe what he wants. The final solution (if I am to get paid) delivers what the customer wants, no matter how he describes the problem.

This is innovation.

I used to work as a chef and still have my knives. They are all any one will ever need. It is not what you cut but with what you cut it that counts.

All this veggie cutting stuff is solved. Many many times over. I am still the fastest union dicer around. Wanna bet?

It is a different matter when it comes to chicken, fish or any other meat for that matter. De-boning comes to mind as well. Note the second knife from the left. I have put a "loop" in the top. It has this function:

When one fillets chicken breast it is some times required to remove the tender loin. Now that is no problem if you have only one or two. When you have to do 500 of them it becomes and issue. The time I save by not turning the breast around but using the very sharp "loop" to cut the bristle, sinew off. Instead of turning I make a forward cut.

After doing a few thousand it becomes a quick down and up affair and one can tend to yelling at the young blokes who still haven't bloody finished the carrots. Lazy bastards

This little innovative step has saved me a lot of time and if done correctly will end up with a more consistent cut hence better product.

I never let anyone else sharpen them, ever, Ky.

What a beautiful set of knives! I am not anywhere near what one would classify as a chef, but always, always, when I have access to a kitchen, the first thing I want to see are the knives- one can tell a lot about the quality of the restaurant by the cutlery (and, generally, the chef will not let ANYONE touch his personal knives!). I never, EVER let anyone else sharpen my knives, even though I don't normally use them for cooking...

I like your notch- THAT is innovative...

A Notch, that's what it is called.

Hi Warner,

If you want to laugh, just do it but I understand that you don't want to learn because I am 100% sure you don't have the technic to do it the way a good cook does. I am right, isn't it?

Yes, it was an invention but never became an innovation. Sorry for the difference!

If you want to be paid, innovate on the knife or the cutting board and you can become rich. On the carrot, you can do nothing. I wish you all the best, Gil.

Hello Warner,

You see when you are differernt from others you get explanations from many and probably "off topic" notes. Lokk thre next ones. They tell you what is available for you and others to mcut what you ahve to cut, Gil.

Read the book "Outliers" for an amazing look at this question.