From: jl@glen--canyon.com   
      
   On Mon, 1 Dec 2025 11:25:49 -0800, Joerg    
   wrote:   
      
   >On 12/1/25 10:56 AM, john larkin wrote:   
   >> On Tue, 2 Dec 2025 05:07:57 +1100, Bill Sloman    
   >> wrote:   
   >>   
   >   
   >[...]   
   >   
   >>> Brainstorming is much less ambitious - it's just a mechanism for getting   
   >>> people to think of less obvious potential solutions to the problem that   
   >>> needs to be solved. There's a well known problem in multi-parameter   
   >>> curve fitting where the search algorithm latches onto a local minimum in   
   >>> the search space, and you can need to get the search process to check   
   >>> out a bunch of more or less arbitrary points to get a feel for how deep   
   >>> the minima may get.   
   >>   
   >> Even one brain has a lot parallel processing capability. The advantage   
   >> of brainstorming is that it randomizes searches to break out of   
   >> conventional wisdom, namely local minima. That's why an intern can   
   >> inspire a genius.   
   >>   
   >   
   >Or an external consultant. EMC issue, lots of head scratching. Only   
   >happened every few seconds for whatever reason. Thinking, gazing out the   
   >window. "What's that thing up there on top of the hill that glistens in   
   >the suns every few seconds?" ... "That? Nothing, it's just a military   
   >radar. Oh, OH DANG!" ... closed the metal blinds, no more EMI, opened   
   >the blinds, EMI was back.   
   >   
   >   
   >> What's fun is to brainstorm a project that's well along, and maybe   
   >> reboot the design. Sunk cost thinking is the enemy there.   
   >>   
   >   
   >Or "We've always done it that way so what's wrong with it now?" thinking.   
      
   Orf worse, "we've already wasted $200K on a stupid idea, so we don't   
   want a better, cheaper design now."   
      
   >   
   >   
   >> Parts obsolescence isn't all bad.   
   >>   
   >   
   >It has resulted in some income for me the last few years :-)   
   >   
   >Chinese export stops have made sure that income stream will now last a   
   >while. The new game is to find out whether an IC solution can be done in   
   >discretes without costing more or being much larger. Often it ends up   
   >costing less. A main requirement is that all parts have at least one   
   >source (real production source) that is outside China and not Chinese-owned.   
      
   John Larkin   
   Highland Tech Glen Canyon Design Center   
   Lunatic Fringe Electronics   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)