In the middle of the night....

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Greg_Lewis
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In the middle of the night....

Post by Greg_Lewis »

The subconscious mind is an interesting thing. I'll be trying to solve some sort of shop problem, and I just can't get past a certain point. It might be a fixturing issue, an order-of-operations issue, or perhaps a basic design question. I'll consider plan A, plan B, and even plan C, none of which looks like it is right. I'll give up, head inside for dinner, and then I'll wake up at about 2 a.m. and the answer will pop into my head. This has happened at least three times recently, and when the answer presents itself, it seems so obvious I don't understand why I didn't think of it earlier.

The latest example is the refrigerator doors in my truck camper. If you have an RV or similar, you probably know what happens when you forget to prop the fridge doors open before putting it away. New life forms will develop inside the fridge and your departure will be delayed by the time it takes you to spray it all down with Lysol and clean out the gunk. So I was trying to come up with a way to keep the doors open yet also keep them from swinging farther open and bang against the cabinetry should I need to drive the truck before my next road trip. There are aftermarket thingies to do this, but being stubborn I wanted to come up with my own solution. (Why the manufacturer of the fridge didn't design the latches to do this is beyond me.) Anyhow, I considered several options, none of which were practical. Then last night when I awoke for my 2 a.m. bladder relief, the answer was there waiting for me. Two spring clamps and two short bungees, all of which I already had, and the problem is solved.

And I didn't even have to write it down!
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
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NP317
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Re: In the middle of the night....

Post by NP317 »

I used to teach my Mechanical Engineering students machining skills. They often have challenges creating process plans: What order to machine surfaces without losing the reference origin of the part.
I suggested that when the are in the shower in the morning, and suddenly get that clear process plan in their brains, then they are starting to think like machinists and Engineers.
And I had many of them excitedly tell me that's exactly what happened!
Brains. Interesting.
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Steggy
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Re: In the middle of the night....

Post by Steggy »

Greg_Lewis wrote: Wed Jul 20, 2022 9:38 pm The subconscious mind is an interesting thing...then I'll wake up at about 2 a.m. and the answer will pop into my head. This has happened at least three times recently, and when the answer presents itself, it seems so obvious I don't understand why I didn't think of it earlier.

I’ve solved a lot of “bare metal” computer programming problems while in the shower. I’ve also awakened in the dead of night, not because the bathroom beckoned, but because some stubborn problem on which I’d been working suddenly had a solution. One of those middle-of-the-night inspirations led to one of my U.S. patents. :shock:

This phenomenon is not limited to technology, at least not for me. A jazz tune I composed came to me when I had awakened for an unknown reason (I’ve slept erratically ever since my Navy days). Not only did I have a melody in my head, I also had the chord progressions and even the form.

Obviously, the brain doesn’t shut down while you are sleeping. Activity in the cerebrum is ceaseless, and that includes in the areas in which analytical skills exist. This applies to everybody with a functioning brain—which leaves out some politicians. :D My guess is while you are sleeping, the more primitive areas of the brain are “idling” or “running” at reduced throttle, leaving more energy for the cerebrum to keep working on problems. Disclaimer: I’m not a neuroscientist, so it’s purely speculation.

I'm sure this nighttime epiphany experience happens to many people, so you and I are hardly unique. :D Sorry! :P
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Music isn’t at all difficult.  All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!  :D
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rmac
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Re: In the middle of the night....

Post by rmac »

BigDumbDinosaur wrote: Wed Jul 20, 2022 11:41 pm I'm sure this nighttime epiphany experience happens to many people.
Happens to me now and then for sure. I've also noticed that I make far fewer dumb mistakes when asleep than awake. :D

-- Russell Mac
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Harold_V
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Re: In the middle of the night....

Post by Harold_V »

NP317 wrote: Wed Jul 20, 2022 11:19 pm in the shower
Interesting. That's usually where I am when I solve such puzzles. I also often solve them while resting, where my head seems to wander a great deal.

It is my belief that one of the things that sorts machinists is their ability to solve setup and machining problems. Those with a good imagination seem to be above others in capability.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
atunguyd
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Re: In the middle of the night....

Post by atunguyd »

Back when I used to be a developer and had a particularly difficult programming problem to solve it would often come to me in my sleep.

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Bill Shields
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Re: In the middle of the night....

Post by Bill Shields »

Lizard brain mentality
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
curtis cutter
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Re: In the middle of the night....

Post by curtis cutter »

When we dream we dream "outside the box".

Just yesterday morning I was working on a section of the pasture and contemplating how a person thinks outside the box. Is it a learned behavior or is it innate in some individuals?

While working it occurred to me I have one 20 acre wide open field for hay and beside it another 20 acres with smaller like maybe 3-4 acre sections. When I pull in, I always start in a CW direction... No idea really why other than that is the way I do it.

Gregg
Gregg
Just let go of it, it will eventually unplug itself.
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Steggy
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Re: In the middle of the night....

Post by Steggy »

atunguyd wrote: Thu Jul 21, 2022 4:35 amBack when I used to be a developer and had a particularly difficult programming problem to solve it would often come to me in my sleep.

I’ve tried my best over the years to not go to bed right after monkeying with computer software. I lay there with visions of source code dancing in my brain and by the time I do fall asleep it’s time to get up.
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Music isn’t at all difficult.  All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!  :D
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Bill Shields
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Re: In the middle of the night....

Post by Bill Shields »

curtis cutter wrote: Thu Jul 21, 2022 9:04 am When we dream we dream "outside the box".

Just yesterday morning I was working on a section of the pasture and contemplating how a person thinks outside the box. Is it a learned behavior or is it innate in some individuals?

While working it occurred to me I have one 20 acre wide open field for hay and beside it another 20 acres with smaller like maybe 3-4 acre sections. When I pull in, I always start in a CW direction... No idea really why other than that is the way I do it.

Gregg
Coriolis effect.....or because you are living in a right handed world (even if you are left handed) :D
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
curtis cutter
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Re: In the middle of the night....

Post by curtis cutter »

Bill Shields wrote: Thu Jul 21, 2022 9:24 am
curtis cutter wrote: Thu Jul 21, 2022 9:04 am When we dream we dream "outside the box".

Just yesterday morning I was working on a section of the pasture and contemplating how a person thinks outside the box. Is it a learned behavior or is it innate in some individuals?

While working it occurred to me I have one 20 acre wide open field for hay and beside it another 20 acres with smaller like maybe 3-4 acre sections. When I pull in, I always start in a CW direction... No idea really why other than that is the way I do it.

Gregg
Coriolis effect.....or because you are living in a right handed world (even if you are left handed) :D
I always go CROCKwise I guess.
Gregg
Just let go of it, it will eventually unplug itself.
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rmac
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Re: In the middle of the night....

Post by rmac »

Don't want to climb cut that hay.
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