Mind Gym John Backwell

Introduction Knowledge Skills Understanding Patience Systematic Thinking Organised Making sense of things Accuracy Memory

Acting on information

The following short quiz consists of four questions which help us decide whether you are qualified to be regarded as a ‘professional’ person. Andersen Consulting plc* Extract from: Critical Thinking Test (used for clients / recruitment) * Now known as ‘Accenture plc’

How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator? 1 ANS: Open the refrigerator door, put in the giraffe and close the door. (This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way).

How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator? 2 Open the refrigerator door, put in the elephant and close the door? WRONG !!

How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator? 2 ANS: Open the refrigerator door, take out the giraffe, then put in the elephant and close the door (This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your actions).

The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. Which animal does not attend? 3 ANS: The elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. (This tests your memory)

OK, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your abilities.

There is a river you must cross, but it is inhabited by crocodiles. How do you manage it? 4 ANS: You swim across. All the crocodiles are attending the animal conference. (This tests whether you learn quickly by mistakes )

According to Andersen Consulting* World-wide, around 90% of professional people tested got all questions wrong. *Andersen Consulting are now known as Accenture plc

Accuracy

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE- SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIF- IC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF MANY YEARS

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE- SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIF- IC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF MANY YEARS

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE- SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIF- IC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF MANY YEARS

Reader required …

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearer at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Matt Davis (MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge University)

Now compare the following three sentences: All three sentences were randomised according to the "rules" described in the meme. The texts may seem to get progressively more difficult to read – why? 1. A vheclie epxledod at a plocie cehckipont near the UN haduqertares in Bagahdd on Mnoday kilinlg the bmober and an Irqai polcie offceir 2. Big ccunoil tax ineesacrs tihs yaer hvae seezueqd the inmcoes of mnay pneosenirs 3. A dootcr has aimttded the magltheuansr of a tageene ceacnr pintaet who deid aetfr a hatospil durg blendur

Matt Davis (MRC Cognition & Brain Studies Unit, Cambridge University)

Working things out

Predict the missing letters … OTTFFSS???

OTTFFSS???

OTTFFSS???

OTTFFSSENT

PROBLEM 1. You are a doctor faced with a patient who has a malignant tumour in her stomach. The patient is delicate and surgery is not possible – yet the tumour must be removed to save the patient. Radiation treatment is possible if the intensity is sufficiently high to destroy the tumour. Unfortunately high-intensity radiation will also destroy much of the tissue through which it passes to reach the tumour. While low intensity radiation can be safely used, it will not affect the tumour either. What solution can you the doctor adopt?

PROBLEM 2. A small country is ruled by a dictator from a strong fortress in the middle of the country, surrounded by farms and villages. Many roads radiate out from the fortress like the spokes of a wheel. To free the country, a great general raises an army on the border and decides that if all his army could attack the fortress it could be captured. However, he learns that the dictator has mined the roads in such a way that while small numbers of people can pass over the mines safely, a large force would blow the road, kill many men and render the route impassable. A full frontal attack is out of the question. What can the general do to capture the fortress and overthrow the dictator?

The general’s solution is to divide his army into many small groups at the head of each road and, when the signal is given to attack, to charge the fortress safely and yet arrive at full strength and overthrow the dictator.

PROBLEM 1. You are a doctor faced with a patient who has a malignant tumour in her stomach. The patient is delicate and surgery is not possible – yet the tumour must be removed to save the patient. Radiation treatment is possible if the intensity is sufficiently high to destroy the tumour. Unfortunately high-intensity radiation will also destroy much of the tissue through which it passes to reach the tumour. While low intensity radiation can be safely used, it will not affect the tumour either. What solution can you the doctor adopt?

Instructions

Draw a large circle. Draw the largest square possible within the circle. Bisect the square diagonally. Fill the upper half with a striped pattern.

Draw a large cube showing three sides. Draw a square, circle and triangle on the sides of the cube. Make sure the circle is above the square and the triangle points to the circle.

or or…

Call out the actual colour that you see below: BLACK RED ORANGE YELLOW GREEN BLUE PURPLE PINK

Call out the actual colour that you see below: RED ORANGE YELLOW GREEN BLUE INDIGO PURPLE

Meaning

Catchphrase or Dingbats … There is no one right answer …

Summary Knowledge Skills Understanding Patience Systematic Thinking Organised Making sense of things Accuracy Memory

Cognitive Acceleration Research

Any questions …