Photo Gallery

---

 “The problem is not the answer. It’s the question.” [Willy Beraman anesthesiologist]

Humans who have an Inquiring, Inquisitive, Curious Mind are extremely interested in learning more about everything.

The problem with a question is not the answer itself. 

• The problem is why the question was necessary in the first place. 
• Is it a dumb question with and obvious answer?  Or an obvious answer known by the majority, not the individual?
• Or is it a scientific or philosophical question and the answer is widely known to everyone except an individual or a group? 
• Or is it scientific or philosophical question and the answer is not widely known by the majority? and the answer to the question is vitally important and necessary for humanity.

For example, one of the most perplexing questions is: How did Life begin on Earth?  “Life on Earth began more than 3 billion years ago, evolving from the most basic of microbes into a dazzling array of complexity over time. But how did the first organisms, loscated on the only known home to life in the universe (Earth) develop from the primordial soup necessary for life?” ...."Scientists have an excellent definition for the beginning of the Universe, but admit they don't have a good definition for the exact circumstances beginning of life! [7 Theories on the Origin of Life By Charles Q. Choi, Live Science Contributor, March 24, 2016, LiveScience]

Imagine; every possible question will never be asked by Humans during the useful lives of all Humans and lduring the useful longevity of our Universe, the Multi-Universes and Eternity, if the 3 are proved with certainty to exist.

The inquiring, inquisitive Mind of Albert Einstein and many other Humans were Neuroanatomically and Neurophysiologically formed from a Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorous and Sulfa (CHNOPS) substrate, the atomic elements necessary for all the componennts of  life, and did not a spontaneously happen. His Mind was intelligently designed by our Creator in the first 2 minutes after the 'Big Bang'.

How does our Brain Work? 

Comparatively speaking, the adult Human Brain operates on 25 watts of power every second which extrapolates to 25 joules of energy per second. The adult Human Heart can beat 25 times on 25 joules of energy. The heart beating 75 beats per 1 minute (60 seconds) is powered by 75 joules of energy per 1 minute and  the Brain thinking for 1 minute is powered by 1500 joules of energy that same 1 minute 

Wisdom, ignorance, inquisitiveness, curiosity and all of the Mindful assets in between are encoded in the DNA of the Human Brain at conception of life forming the one cell zygote.

Neuroanatomical NeuroNetworks for the Neurophysiology of the Mind within the Human Brain stemmed as growth and development of the embryo and fetus proceeded and continued after live birth of the newborn Human. 

Ultimately, normal modern anatomical cognitive Humans, Homo sapien-sapiens’,  wil or will not willfully activate Consciousness and their Minds, with sensory stimulations, when the stimulations are received, integrated, processed, memorized and, thereafter, consciously triggered for designated actions and executed, when necessary.
 

Humans when conscious manifest their Mindfulness. The Neuroanatomical Claustrum in the Human Brain initiates Consciousness. The Human Brain awakens and is ‘open for business' when cybernetically-switched-on by the Claustrum. 

Cybernetic Feedback Biologcal systems occur "when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause-and-effect, push-pull circuit or loop.[2] The system can then be said to Feed Back System into itself. Biological cause-and-effect-feedback-systems are common in the Animal Kingdom, which includes Humans.  

1. W. Ross Ashby (1957). An introduction to cybernetics (PDF). Chapman & Hall.
2. Andrew Ford (2010). "Chapter 9: Information feedback and causal loop diagrams". Modeling the Environment. Island Press. pp. 99 ff. ISBN 9781610914253. [Wikoipedia]

“The human brain is the command center for the human nervous system. It receives signals from the body's sensory organs and outputs information to the muscles. The human brain has the same basic structure as other mammal brains but is larger in relation to body size than any other brains.

• The Human brain is the largest brain of all vertebrates in the Animal Kingdom relative to body size.
• The Human brain weighs about 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kilograms).
• Average male has a brain volume of 1,274 cubic centimeters.
• Average female brain has a volume of 1,131 cm³.
• Brain makes up about 2 %  of the Human body's weight.
• Brain contains about 100 billion nerve cells (neurons), 
• Brain Neuron cells are the "Gray Matter of the Brain."
• Brain contains billions of nerve fibers (axons and dendrites), the "White Mater of the Brain."
• These neurons are connected by trillions of connections, or synapses.
• There 3 times as many glial cells as Neurons.

• “The largest part of the human brain is the cerebrum, which is divided into 2  hemispheres, right and left.
• Underneath lies the brainstem, 
• and behind that sits the cerebellum. 
• The outermost layer of the cerebrum is the cerebral cortex. 
• The Brain consists of 4 lobes: the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital. [Nervous System: Facts, Functions & Diseases]

• “Like all Animal Kingdom vertebrate brains, the human brain develops from 3 sections known as the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. 
• Each of these contains fluid-filled cavities called ventricles, which make the brain weigh less. 
• The forebrain develops into the cerebrum and underlying structures; 
• the midbrain becomes part of the brainstem; 
• and the hindbrain gives rise to regions of the brainstem and the cerebellum.

• “Cerebral cortex is greatly enlarged in human brains and is considered the seat of the complex Mind. 
• Visual processing takes place in the occipital lobe, near the back of the skull. 
• The temporal lobe processes sound and language, and includes the hippocampus and amygdala, which play roles in memory and emotion, respectively. 
• The parietal lobe integrates input from different senses and is important for spatial orientation and navigation."

• “The brainstem connects to the spinal cord and consists of the medulla oblongata, pons and midbrain. The primary functions of the brainstem include relaying information between the brain and the body; supplying some of the cranial nerves to the face and head; and performing critical functions in controlling the heart, breathing and consciousness.
• “Between the cerebrum and brainstem lie the thalamus and hypothalamus. 
• The thalamus relays sensory and motor signals to the cortex and is involved in regulating consciousness, sleep and alertness. 
• The hypothalamus connects the nervous system to the endocrine system — where hormones are produced — via the pituitary gland.
• “The cerebellum lies beneath the cerebrum and has important functions in motor control. It plays a role in coordination and balance and may also have some cognitive functions.

• The human brain is divided into 2 (left and right) hemispheres, connected by a bundle of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum. 
• The left brain controls all the muscles on the right-hand side of the body 
• and the right brain controls the left side. 
• One hemisphere may be slightly dominant, as with left- or right-handedness.
• “The left brain contains regions involved in speech and language (called the Broca's area and Wernicke's area, respectively) and is also associated with mathematical calculation and fact retrieval, Holland said. 
• The right brain plays a role in visual and auditory processing, spatial skills and artistic ability, more instinctive or creative things, Holland said, though these functions involve both hemispheres. 
• "Everyone uses both halves of their Brain all the time," he said.

[Human Brain: Facts, Functions & Anatomy By Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer |  September 28, 2018, live science]

"Brain NeuroNetworks have different functions. Where and how in the Human brain is the center for the Inquiring Mind, inquiringness, curiousness, investigationess, and questioning?"

Andreas Vesalius was “a free-thinking medical man of the Renaissance, an inquisitive anatomist and left a lasting legacy on neuroanatomy. He published Tabulae anatomicae (1538), which contained highly detailed drawings of the human body. The opportunity to dissect human bodies and the preparation of Tabulae anatomicae and slowly led Vesalius to realize that Galen's views on anatomy were erroneous. 

“Vesalius wrote that the human heart ventricles are not different in shape from those of other mammals in the Animal Kingdom, although other animals do not compare to humans when it comes to reasoning powers or other attributes of the rational soul. [CHAPTER Andreas Vesalius: The New “Human” Neuroanatomy by Stanley Finger in Minds Behind the Brain Published in print March 2005, ISBN: 9780195181821]
 

• Bob Claxton wrote ‘6 ways to develop an inquiring Mind’ and commented:
• 2% of people think.
• 3% of people think they think.
• 95% of people would rather die than think. 

• 70% to 80% of Humans are Scientifically Illiterate, depending on the reference.
• “Manufacturing Doubt and Untruths about Science and Knowledge” and the construction of ignorance is as old as civilizations themselves, but a new sociological discipline under investigation. 
• Manufactured Scientific Illiteracy and Ignorance negatively impacts politics and governance and paralyzes and destroys civilizations. [Manufacturing doubt: journalists' roles and the construction of ignorance in a scientific controversy’ by S. Holly Stocking, Lisa W. Holstein, August 6, 2008 Research Article, Public Understanding of Science 2009; 18; 23 originally published online Sep 16, 2008; scientific controversy https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662507079373] 
• Manufactured Doubt and Untruths about Science and Knowledge and Scientific Illiteracy and Ignorance are becoming significant  struggles for the Scientific Community.

“The race will go to the curious, the slightly mad (according to other people), and those with an insatiable passion for learning and dare relentless inquiry” Tom Peters  [6 Ways to Develop an Inquiring Mind by Bob Claxton, Aug 17, 2016 HuffPost Plus]

“Curiosity (from Latin cūriōsitās, from cūriōsus "careful, diligent, curious", akin to cura "care") is a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in humans and other animals.[1][2] Curiosity is heavily associated with all aspects of human development, in which derives the process of learning and desire to acquire knowledge and skill.[3]

“The term curiosity and inquiring can also be used to denote the behavior or emotion of being curious, in regard to the desire to gain knowledge or information. Curiosity and inquiring as a behavior and emotion is attributed over millennia as the driving force behind not only human development, but developments in science, language, and industry.[4]

“Curiosity and inquiring be seen as an innate quality of many different species. It is common to human beings at all ages from infancy[5] through adulthood,[1] and is easy to observe in many other animal species; these include apes, cats, and rodents.[2] Early definitions cite curiosity as a motivated desire for information.[6] This motivational desire has been said to stem from a passion or an appetite for knowledge, information, and understanding.

“These traditional ideas of curiosity have recently expanded to look at the difference between curiosity as the innate exploratory behavior that is present in all animals and curiosity as the desire for knowledge that is specifically attributed to humans.

Origins of Curiosity and Inquiring: Curiosity-drive theory relates to the undesirable experiences of "uncertainty". The reduction of these unpleasant feelings, in turn, is rewarding. This theory suggests that people desire coherence and understanding in their thought processes. Curiosity is developed strictly out of the desire to make sense of unfamiliar aspects of one's environment through interaction of exploratory behaviors. Once understanding of the unfamiliar has been achieved and coherence has been restored, these behaviors and desires will subside.

Optimal-arousal curiosity theory developed out of the need to explain the desire for some to seek out opportunities to engage in exploratory behaviors without the presence of uncertain or ambiguous situations. Optimal-arousal theory attempts to explain this aspect of curiosity by suggesting that one can be motivated to maintain a pleasurable sense of arousal through these exploratory behaviors.

“The shortcomings of both curiosity-drive and optimal-arousal theories, attempts have been made to integrate neurobiological aspects of reward, wanting, and pleasure into a more comprehensive theory for curiosity. 

“Research suggests that the act of wanting and desiring new information directly involves mesolimbic pathways of the brain that directly account for dopamine activation. The use of these pathways and dopamine activation may account for the assigning of value to new information and then interpreting as reward.[7][9][10] This aspect of neurobiology can accompany curiosity-drive theory in motivating exploratory behavior.

“Due to the complex nature of curiosity, research that focuses on specific neural processes with these characteristics can help create a better understanding the phenomenon of curiosity as a whole. The following are characteristics of curiosity and their links to neural aspects that can be thought of as essential in creating exploratory behaviors: Motivation and reward

“Dopamine Pathway in the Brain: The drive to learn new information or perform some action is often initiated by the anticipation of reward. In this way, the concepts of motivation and reward are naturally tied to the notion of curiosity.[9]

“This idea of reward is defined as the positive reinforcement of an action that encourages a particular behavior by using the emotional sensations of relief, pleasure, and satisfaction that correlate with happiness. Many areas in the brain are used to process reward and come together to form what is called the reward pathway. In this pathway many neurotransmitters play a role in the activation of the reward sensation, including dopamine, serotonin and opioid chemicals.[9]

“Dopamine is linked to the process of curiosity and inquiring, as it is responsible for assigning and retaining reward values of information gained. Research suggests higher amounts of dopamine is released when the reward is unknown and the stimulus is unfamiliar, compared to activation of dopamine when stimulus is familiar.[9]

“The nucleus accumbens is a formation of neurons and is important in reward pathway activation. As previously mentioned, the reward pathway is an integral part in the induction of curiosity and inquiring. The release of dopamine in investigating response to novel or exciting stimuli. 

“The sensation pleasure of "liking" can occur when opioids are released by nucleus accumbens. This helps someone evaluate the unfamiliar situation or environment and attach value to the novel object. These processes of both wanting and liking play a role in activating the reward system of the brain, and perhaps in the stimulation of curious or information-seeking tendencies as well.[8][10][12]

“The caudate nucleus, is a region of the brain that is highly responsive to dopamine. The caudate nucleus is another component of the reward pathway. Research has suggested the role of the caudate nucleus anticipates the possibility of and is in anticipation of reward of exploratory behavior and gathered information, thus contributing to factors of curiosity.[12][13]

“Regions of the anterior Human Brain cerebrum cortices correspond to both conflict and arousal and, as such, seem to reinforce certain exploratory models of curiosity.[14]  Cortisol is a chemical known for its role in stress regulation. However, cortisol may also be associated with curious or exploratory behavior. 

“Attention is important to the understanding of curiosity because it directly correlates with one's abilities to selectively focus and concentrate on particular stimuli in the surrounding environment. 

“As there are limited cognitive and sensory resources to understand and evaluate various stimuli, attention allows the brain to better focus on what it perceives to be the most important or relevant of these stimuli. Individuals tend to focus their energies on stimuli that are particularly stimulating or engaging. Indicating that the more attention a stimulus garners, the more frequent one's energy and focus will be directed towards that stimulus. 

“This idea suggests an individual will focus their attention on new or unfamiliar stimuli in an effort to better understand or make sense of the unknown over the more familiar or repetitive stimuli. Creating the idea that curiosity demands attention.[16]

“The striatum is a part of the brain which coordinates motivation with body movement. It would seem natural that the striatum plays a role in attention and reward anticipation, both of which are important in the provocation of curiosity.[14]

“The precuneus is a region of the brain that is involved in attention, episodic memory, and visuospatial processing. There has been a correlation found between the amount of grey matter in the precuneus and levels of curious and exploratory behaviors; suggesting that the precuneus density has an influence on levels of curiosity.[17]

“Memory plays an important role in the understanding of curiosity and inquiring. If curiosity is the desire to seek out and understand unfamiliar or novel stimuli, one's memory is important in determining if the stimuli is indeed unfamiliar.

“The hippocampus is important in memory formation and recall and therefore instrumental in determining the novelty of various stimuli.[18] [2][19][20]

“The parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), the area of grey matter surrounding the hippocampus, may be involved in the amplification of curiosity more so than the primary induction of curiosity.[12]“The amygdala has a potential connection with curiosity.[21]

1. References
2. 1. Berlyne DE. (1954). "A theory of human curiosity". Br J Psychol. 45 (3): 180–91. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8295.1954.tb01243.x. PMID 13190171.
3. 2.  Berlyne DE. (1955). "The arousal and satiation of perceptual curiosity in the rat". J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 48 (4): 238–46. doi:10.1037/h0042968. PMID 13252149.
4. 3. Zuss, M. (2012) The Practice of Theoretical Curiosity. New York, N.Y.: Springer Publishing.
5. 4. Keller, H., Schneider, K., Henderson, B. (Eds.) (1994). Curiosity and Exploration. New York, N.Y.: Springer Publishing.
6. 5. Ofer G, Durban J (1999). "Curiosity: reflections on its nature and functions". Am J Psychother. 53 (1): 35 51. doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1999.53.1.35. PMID 10207585.
7. 6. Loewenstein, G (1994). "The psychology of curiosity: a review and reinterpretation". Psychological Bulletin. 116 (1): 75–98. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.320.1976. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.116.1.75.
8. 7. Edleman, S. 1997. Curiosity and Exploration. California State University, Northridge. Retrieved from "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-12-30. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
9. 8. Litman, Jordan (2005). "Curiosity and the pleasures of learning: Wanting and liking new information". Cognition & Emotion. 19 (6): 793–814. doi:10.1080/02699930541000101. ISSN 0269-9931. See also a non-paywalled publication
10. 9. Costa, Vincent D.; Tran, Valery L.; Turchi, Janita; Averbeck, Bruno B. (2014). "Dopamine modulates novelty seeking behavior during decision making". Behavioral Neuroscience. 128 (4): 556–566. doi:10.1037/a0037128. PMC 5861725. PMID 24911320.
11. 10.Kakade, Sham; Dayan, Peter (2002). "Dopamine: Generalization and bonuses". Neural Networks. 15 (4–6): 549–559. doi:10.1016/s0893-6080(02)00048-5. PMID 12371511. Archived from the original 2017-09-13.
12. 11."Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
13. 12.Min Jeong, K.; Ming, H.; Krajbich, I. M.; Loewenstein, G.; McClure, S. M.; Wang, J.; Camerer, C. F. (2009). "The Wick in the Candle of Learning: Epistemic Curiosity Activates Reward Circuitry and Enhances Memory". Psychological Science. 20 (8): 963–973. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02402.x. PMID 19619181.
14. 13. LEHRER, JONAH. "The Itch of Curiosity". wired.com. Wired. Archived from the original on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
15. 14. Jepma, M., Verdonschot, R., van Steenbergen, H., Rombouts, S., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (2012). Neural mechanisms underlying the induction and relief of perceptual curiosity. Frontiers In Behavioral Neuroscience, 6
16. 15. Karen, J.; Kimberly, L.; Christine, L.; Alan, F.; Steven, E.; David, M. (2007). "Early life stress and novelty seeking behavior in adolescent monkeys". Psychoneuroendocrinology. 327 (7): 85–792. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.05.008. PMC 2716798. PMID 17604913.
17. 16.Jump up to:a b Stuart, Z.; Cecelia, M.; Allan, L.; James, L. (2011). "Predicting the onset of Alzheimer's disease with a behavioral task". Alzheimer's & Dementia. 7 (4): S549. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2011.05.1549.
18. 17. Kimberley, A.; Francys, S.; Chet, C. (2012). "Curious monkeys have increased gray matter density in the precuneus". Neuroscience Letters. 518 (2): 172–175. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2012.05.004. PMID 22579821.
19. 18.Saab BJ, Georgiou J, Nath A, Lee FJ, Wang M, Michalon A, Liu F, Mansuy IM, Roder JC (2009). "NCS-1 in the dentate gyrus promotes exploration, synaptic plasticity, and rapid acquisition of spatial memory". Neuron. 63 (5): 643–56. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2009.08.014. PMID 19755107.
20. 19.Sahay A, Scobie KN, Hill AS, O'Carroll CM, Kheirbek MA, Burghardt NS, Fenton AA, Dranovsky A, Hen R (2011). "Increasing adult hippocampal neurogenesis is sufficient to improve pattern separation". Nature. 472 (7344): 466–70. doi:10.1038/nature09817. PMC 3084370. PMID 21460835.
21. 20.Leussis MP, Berry-Scott EM, Saito M, Jhuang H, de Haan G, Alkan O, Luce CJ, Madison JM, Sklar P, Serre T, Root DE, Petryshen TL (2013). "The ANK3 Bipolar Disorder Gene Regulates Psychiatric-Related Behaviors That Are Modulated by Lithium and Stress". Biological Psychiatry. 73 (7): 683–90. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.10.016. PMID 23237312.
22. 21.Montgomery, K (1955). "The Relation Between Fear Induced By Novel Stimulation and Exploratory Behavior". Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology. 48 (4): 254–260. doi:10.1037/h0043788.

Einstein about curiosity and questioning said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Never lose a holy curiosity.”

‘Innovation expert and questionologist Warren Berger studied hundreds of the world’s foremost innovators, entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers to learn how they ask questions, generate original ideas, and solve problems. 

Berger is the author or co-author of 8 books, including ‘THE BOOK OF BEAUTIFUL QUESTIONS: The Powerful Questions That Will Help You Decide, Create, Connect, and Lead’ and the bestseller ‘A MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas’ and the internationally acclaimed ‘GLIMMER’ named one of Businessweek’s Best Innovation and Design Books of the Year. 

His writing appears regularly in Psychology Today, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and The New York Times. He lives in New York. Follow him on Twitter at @GlimmerGuy and subscribe to his blog posts.

Einstein, curiosity and questioning: Exploring the inquiring mind of one of our greatest thinkers.

see above

“It’s a funny thing: People are sometimes afraid to ask questions out of fear of seeming “stupid.” And yet the smartest people on the planet are often the ones who ask the most questions. Case in point: Albert Einstein.”

To get a sense of how Einstein felt about questioning, just look at some of the many famous quotes from him on this subject.

see

above 

“Einstein thought questioning and curiosity were the key to learning. In Warren Berger’s book, he address the matter of encouraging students to question and explore in school, as opposed to just throwing “knowledge” at them and requiring them to memorize it. 

Einstein was keenly aware of this problem many years ago, when he said, “It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.” He also said, “I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”

This  scientific investigator remembers during his summers between undergraduate and medical school semesters, after Dr. Benjamin Eiseman, pictured above, world renown surgeon, hired him and his football teammate buddy, Howard Mize, now a hand surgeon, 2 upstart academics, formerly rugged football athletes, to work in experimental surgery, that Dr. Eiseman queried and discovered that we had the curiosity to inquire and self-teach. These were Dr. Eiseman’s keys for his students’ potential successes; indicators he believed drive students through and beyond their certain potentials and difficulties.

University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Department of Surgery Tribute: “Dr. Ben Eiseman, November 2, 1917 - November 19, 2012 was a longtime faculty member with our department, was a giant in 20th century surgery, beginning with his involvement in World War II from 1943-1946, following graduation from Harvard Medical School and internship at Massachusetts General Hospital. He spent 53 years of his career in Denver, beginning at the Denver VA Medical Center as Chief of Surgery in 1953, following which he was recruited to become the first Chief of Surgery at the University of Kentucky. He returned to Denver in 1967 to assume the position of Chief of Surgery at the then Denver General Hospital and continued on the CU Department of Surgery faculty until his death in November 2012.

“Dr. Eiseman was a strong personality who demanded excellence, attention to detail, hard work, and honesty. He had a zest for life and in particular the outdoors—skiing, mountain climbing, hiking. He had a special talent for connecting with young physicians beginning with medical students, residents and young faculty, but also mentored older faculty and stimulated all to have passion and an inquisitive mind about their profession.

“He was honored in many ways throughout his career, as you will see in the testimonies on this website. Dr. Eiseman received many national and international awards and was honored by being selected as the National VA Distinguished Physician. The Denver VA Intensive Care Unit was dedicated in his name, and he received the Society of University Surgeons Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Eiseman also had an extraordinarily successful military career and following World War II continued as a Navy reservist and was involved in multiple other wars and conflicts, including the Korean War, the Vietnam Conflict, the Iraqi Conflicts, and the Afghanistan Conflicts. He achieved the rank of Rear Admiral.

Although these awards and achievements are all very important, of particular note is Dr. Eiseman’s passion and interest in teaching and in developing surgeons of the future. The many medical students, residents, and faculty that he touched all greatly admired him and appreciated this mentorship at varying points in their careers and attributed much of their professional success to it. It is for all of these reasons that we dedicate this testimony for many to see and emulate.

Dr. Eiseman had similar modus operandi as Einstein.  Both Dr. Eiseman in surgery and military medicine and Dr. Einstein in physics approached questions and seeking answers with an intense and steadfast passion, curiosity, inquisitiveness and unyielding truth.

Dr. Eiseman often said, "When you hear hoofbeats think horses not zebras." Consider the most logically applicable questions first; rule-out the most obvious, most commonly occuring  diagnoses first for the development of a sucessful diagnostic acumen.

Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask… for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”

“The point is, you’ve got to figure out the crux of the matter, the essential problem or question to be addressed, before focusing in on answers.

“One more bit of Einstein questioning lore: Einstein’s theory of relativity began with an early “beautiful question” he posed, “What if I rode a beam of light across the universe?” and then he set out to answer the question.

[Innovation expert and questionologist Warren Berger has studied hundreds of the world’s foremost innovators, entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers to learn how they ask questions, generate original ideas, and solve problems. He is the author or co-author of 8 books, including THE BOOK OF BEAUTIFUL QUESTIONS: The Powerful Questions That Will Help You Decide, Create, Connect, and Lead, the bestseller A MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas, and the internationally acclaimed GLIMMER, named one of Businessweek’s Best Innovation and Design Books of the Year. His writing appears regularly in Psychology Today, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and The New York Times. He lives in New York. Follow him on Twitter at @GlimmerGuy and subscribe to his blog posts.