When Two Plus Two Equals Five

There are a few things that are recognized by nearly every single being in modern culture on the face of this earth. Coca Cola, for one, is the most recognized brand in the world, the bible is the most read book, and the word ‘okay’ is the most recognized word.  Along the same lines, 2 + 2 is probably the most recognized equation in the world.  How it beat out 1+1 or even 3+3 is beyond me but in the world of math, 2 +2 is king!  Since 2 +2 is king, we can all assume that if asked, every single person on the face of this earth who is familiar with the equation would probably write down the same answer. Don’t believe me?  Quick, write it down. 2 + 2 = _____. What is the answer? Write it down before you continue and no cheating. No seriously, write it down.  I’ll patiently wait…………………. You wrote 4 didn’t you?  Now ask everyone else in the house. In fact, call all your friends and family on your calling plan. The answer will be the same, 4! But what if I told you that your answer along with everyone else who answered the same was inherently wrong, or at best, incomplete? By now you have suspected a trick, and you would be correct. Let me ask it in a different way. Write down all the answers that it could be. In that light, you see, the answer is not just 4. The answer or better yet, the answers are actually infinite. The answer to 2+2 could be 3+1, or 5-1, or even the square root of 16 (for those who are doing the math, the square root of 16 is 4.) Traditionally, it has been ingrained into us that the answer to this popular equation is simply 4. That’s it, case closed. In the same way, it is ingrained in us that most problems have one very specific and in some ways, a final answer to it.  Don’t get me wrong, the traditional answer is 4, but what if we need more than the traditional answer? Sometimes, answers to questions and problems are solved and solved better by simply looking at it differently and refusing to be stymied by a traditional approach. The most popular toy in U.S. history, as disputed by toy enthusiasts, is the famed Frisbee. So popular that in the late 70’s, 9 out of every 10 homes in the U.S. had one. How did it come to be? In the late 40’s, poor college students found that tossing the unique metal pie pans from the nearby Frisbie Baking Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut made a cheap and simple sport.  A passerby by the name of Walter Frederick Morrison recognized the opportunity to cash in on the American publics’ infatuation with UFO’s. He literally turned over the pan and with no significant changes to its design, marketed it as a toy. Such a simple thinking solution made him a millionaire. Along the same lines, the inventor of the Slinky was trying to design a super-spring to combat tension found in submarines and the inventor of post-it notes was trying to design a new adhesive that would rival superglue. Both failed miserably in the traditional sense but recognized the answer to the problem was found simply looking at things a bit different. Many great events in our history, including our greatest inventions, our greatest inspirations, and even our greatest revolutions, started out as nontraditional answers or responses to traditional problems. Noted science journalist and author Roger Lewin is quoted as saying “Too often children are given answers to remember, rather than problems to solve.” Maybe the greatest gift to our own children is to instill in them a sense that it is okay to look at things differently. When it comes to raising and educating our children, the best thing we can do is not to give them answers but to give them the desire to find their own answers to their problems. 2 + 2 equals 5? Crazier things have been discovered. Rumor has it that the world might just be flat!