Are Your Lights On?

Are Your Lights On? by Donald Gause and Gerald Weinberg is a about problem finding. Making sure you identify the correct problem BEFORE you attempt to solve it.

Many consider problem finding to be a more critical skill than problem solving. Throughout the formative education years; primary, secondary and post-secondary school, we are taught how to solve problems using previously taught methodologies. The assumption is that we will be able to correctly identify the problem type and apply the correct methods. In mathematics, this can be relatively easy. For example, when you see 56 + 72 your training tells you how to proceed to find an answer of 128. When you see (3 + 4) * (1 + 5), again, your training tells you how to proceed to find an answer of 42.

What we were not trained to do is ask "Is 56 + 72 the correct problem to solve?" or "Why is (3 + 4) * (1 + 5) a correct representation of the problem at hand?"

Gause and Weinberg attempt to expand our thinking by asking us to examine the problems we encounter and how we frame them.

Are Your Lights On?: How to Figure Out What the Problem Really Is is a series of stories used to illustrate the points the authors are trying to make.

The title of the book was derived from the solution to a problem discussed in the book. The story goes like this. A brand new auto tunnel is opened in Switzerland. A warning sign is posted at the beginning to the tunnel. The sign instructs: "WARNING: TUNNEL AHEAD PLEASE TURN YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON." So far, all is well.

About 1/4 mile past the end of the tunnel is the world's most scenic rest stop. Hundreds of tourist stop to enjoy the view each day. And every day 10 or more of the 100s return to their cars to find a dead battery. They left their car lights on and the battery is dead. What to do?

The first question we have to ask is "Whose problem is it?" Possible problem owners are listed as:
the drivers
the passengers (if any)
the chief engineer of the tunnel
the police
the mayor of the nearest town
the automobile clubs
none of the above
all of the above

The engineers of the tunnel felt it was their duty to try to remedy the situation. They crafted several well meaning messages to post at the end of the tunnel:

IF IT IS DAYLIGHT, AND IF YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON,
TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS.

IF IT IS DARK, AND IF YOUR LIGHTS ARE OFF,
TURN YOUR LIGHTS ON.

IF IT IS DAYLIGHT, AND IF YOUR LIGHTS ARE OFF,
LEAVE YOUR LIGHTS OFF.

IF IT IS DARK, AND IF YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON,
LEAVE YOUR LIGHTS ON.

To get to a final solution, the engineers shifted problem ownership to drivers. With that in mind, a simple question prompt was posted at the end of the tunnel:

ARE YOUR LIGHTS ON?

The 20 stories in this book are intended to illustrate and highlight six questions about problem finding:

1. What is a problem?
2. What is the problem?
3. What is the problem really?
4. Whose problem is it?
5. Where does the problem come from?
6. Do we really want to solve the problem?