Dimostrazione is considered one of the character traits that made Leonardo da Vinci one of the most influential geniuses in history. It is one approach to problem solving. It means a commitment to test knowledge through, experience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. Some might call it "trial and error" and consider it a poor way to solve a problem.

1. Demonstrazione
de-mo-stran-zia
demonstration
Problem SolvingProblem Solving

2. How do you feel about solving problems by
testing knowledge through experience,
persistence, and a willingness to learn from
mistakes?

3. Leonardo da Vinci
• Dimostrazione is considered
one of the character traits that
made Leonardo da Vinci one
of the most influential
geniuses in history.
• It means a commitment to test
knowledge through,
experience, persistence, and a
willingness to learn from
mistakes.

4. As a teacher or learner…
• Do you welcome trial & error as
a methodology?
• Do you encourage or allow for
failure?
• Is there a way to make trial &
error more efficient?

5. HERE ARE A FEW
QUESTIONS TO
ENCOURAGE YOU
TO TRY PROBLEM
SOLVING

6. • You are driving along in your new two-
seater Porsche on a bitterly cold, snowy,
stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and
you see three people waiting for the bus:
– An old lady who looks as if she is about
to die.
– An old friend who once saved your life.
– The man/woman of your dreams.
Which one would you choose to offer a ride
to, knowing that there could only be one
passenger in your car?

7. One solution:
"I would give the car keys to my old friend, and
let him take the lady to the hospital. I would
stay behind and wait for the bus with the
woman of my dreams."

8. What is unusual about the following group of words?What is unusual about the following group of words?
assess
banana
dresser
grammar
potato
revive
uneven
voodoo

9. In all of the words listed, if you take
the first letter and place it at the end
of the word, then read in reverse order,
it will be the same word.
assess
banana
dresser
grammar
potato
revive
uneven
voodoo

10. You’re in your new home and have a
little problem. On the top floor are
three incandescent lights. On the
ground floor are three switches which
control the lights, presently all in the
"Off" position. You don't know which
switch controls which light, except that
there is a one-to-one correspondence.
You're alone on the ground floor and
want to label the switches but you
want to do it in as few trips upstairs as
possible.
What is the minimum
number of trips this takes?

11. Here’s a way to accomplish this in one trip.
• Turn two switches to the "ON" position.
• Wait a few minutes.
• Turn off one of the two switches.
• When you reach the three lamps on the top
floor, one light will be on (the switch that is
still on),
• one light will be off and cool (the untouched
switch),
• one light will be off, but still warm (it was on
but then switched off)

12. What do an Adam’s apple, diesel engines,
100Hz and a Venn diagram have in common?

13. An Adam’s apple, diesel engines, 100Hz and a
Venn diagram are all EPONYMS – a name
taken from a person (inventor, discovered
etc.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_eponyms