Will Radio, Part I -- Strategies for Idiosyncratic and Creative Thinking
Channel: William Byrd
Date: 29/01/2024

Episode 0011 of Will's Guide to Programming Languages, Programming, Computation, and What-Have-You.

Next episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdexPhDAPwA

Will Radio, Part I -- Strategies for Idiosyncratic and Creative Thinking

* identify the most promising or standard approaches to a
  problem, and then do anything but that (algorithms class)

* 20 techniques/20 problems (Feynman)

* Cisco's Rule

* Olin's Rule -- standard advice is for standard outcomes
  (Ed Fredkin & reversible computing, kiloTube, miniKanren, most scientific advances, etc.)

* "My next one will be better!" (Ed Wood, at least in the movie)

* find a way to get past your self-censorship and natural aversion to looking foolish
  (kiloTube as a way to get into an work-a-day mindset about making videos; How to Write a Lot)

* succeed epically or fail epically! (kiloTube, H211, my spelling of 'epically')

* Edward Kmett's rule: do the thing people are less likely to believe is true;
  also, anything people laugh at (much of miniKanren)

* the start of becoming good at something is being bad at something
  (see anything I've ever done,
   interesting observation I heard from HB&B:
   one reason kids learn quickly is they are used to being bad at things)

* identify the assumptions people have about a topic, and find ways around them
  (impossibility proofs; on the roof with a chainsaw for cryptanalysis; program synthesis book)

* play! (Feynman; Friday Night Hack Nights and Ignobel Prize)

* play to explore, not to win (game night; StarCraft tournament; Day[9]'s Funday Monday)