Problem Solving—What Can We Learn from Grand Chess Masters and Speed Cubers?

You are an experienced surgeon faced with a difficult case, a complex reoperation for example. You look and almost immediately have a plan of action and execute it effortlessly. Your trainee asks you afterwards why you did what you did and it actually takes effort to dissect your thinking but they are clearly impressed. During the discussion you wonder if certain aspects of the surgerySurgery might have been better another way but don’t let on, why ruin a perfectly good moment? You continue to think about this later that evening whilst reading a bedtime story to your child and feel rather guilty about not giving them your full attention. Actually, you can’t remember reading anything at all, but you do have a plan for doing the surgery differently next time!