John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
Stanford bioengineer Michael Fischbach has developed a framework to assist scientists and students in identifying meaningful problems to solve. Fischbach, alongside his mentor, the late Christopher T. Walsh, created this approach to guide individuals in choosing impactful challenges.
“In every discipline, you find people who have good taste in problems. They work on things that are important, with great opportunities, that have tremendous impact. That’s treated as a rare trait,” said Fischbach. “But I wondered: How could you teach this to someone who didn’t know how to start?”
Fischbach emphasizes taking time when selecting a problem, likening it to practices such as yoga or meditation. He suggests that spending more time on this process helps develop skills for finding solutions.
He also highlights the importance of structure in the brainstorming phase. “You just have to put something concrete down, something on paper, which makes for good discussion,” he stated.
Fischbach's framework includes prompts known as "intuition pumps," inspired by Daniel Dennett’s book "Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking." These prompts aim to stimulate creativity and help identify potential areas for innovation.
Additionally, Fischbach warns against common pitfalls such as choosing problems because they are easy or trendy. He stresses the importance of understanding risks involved in problem-solving processes. “I think sometimes you feel like you need to find something that is sure to succeed... The more honest and useful thing to do is to just be open about what the risks are,” he explained.
He advises keeping goals clear while remaining flexible with details and methods used to achieve them. “You have to be very honest with yourself about what you’re solving for,” said Fischbach.
Furthermore, Fischbach notes that problem-solving is rarely straightforward and involves adapting plans as new information emerges. He calls this adaptability the "altitude dance."
Facing challenges directly is crucial according to Fischbach: “The problem you’re confronting has incredibly high information content: It’s telling you about key weaknesses in your idea.”
Michael Fischbach holds multiple roles at Stanford University and his work was published in Cell journal under the title "Problem choice and decision trees in science and engineering" in April 2024.
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