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Some psychologists studying how people
solve problems set up an experiment one
day, and invited a physicist and a mathematician
to participate.
The physicist was led into a room where
an empty saucepan was sitting in a sink,
next to a gas stove. "Boil water," instructed
one of the researchers.
The physicist filled the pan from the tap in
the sink, carried it over to the stove, and
placed it on a burner. He turned the burner
on, and waited patiently. A few minutes later,
the water boiled, and the physicist sat down.
Next, the mathematician was presented with
the same situation. He filled the pan from
the tap in the sink, carried it over to the stove,
and placed it on a burner. He turned the burner
on, and waited patiently. A few minutes later,
the water boiled, and the mathematician sat
down.
For their second experiment, the psychologists
placed a full pan of water on the stove, and
brought in the physicist. "Boil water."
The physicist turned the burner on, and waited
patiently. A few minutes later the water boiled,
and the physicist sat down.
Finally, the mathematician was brought in to
do the new experiment. "Boil water," said the
researchers.
The mathematician walked to the stove, picked
up the pan, carried it to the sink, dumped out
the water, and sat down.
"Is that it?" asked one psychologist incredulously.
"Yes," replied the mathematician, perfectly
calm, "I've reduced it to a problem with a
known solution."
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