How would you stabilize this structure? Most people chose to add Lego blocks to each corner of the roof rather than removing the existing block, allowing the roof to sit on the wide base. Credit: University of Virginia.
When faced with a problem, people tend to use solutions that involve adding new elements rather than considering subtracting existing components. In other words, people tend to choose complicated solutions even when removing things is ideal. For instance, removing stoplights and signs from intersections rather than adding more actually improved safety in some Dutch towns. There are many other such examples.
Engineers at the University of Virginia noticed this bias and decided to embark on a study that might reveal a psychological explanation for why people tend to prefer additive problem solving rather than subtraction. As it turns out, we really have a propensity for overcomplicating our lives. But in the process, the researchers also found some brain hacks to ma
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Why our brains miss opportunities to improve through subtraction
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Less is more! Human brains struggle to subtract, scientists say
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