this post was submitted on 16 May 2025
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[–] 0x01@lemmy.ml 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Binary search, there are so many instances where problems in life can be solved by eliminating half of a given set repeatedly.

Blender broken? There are only so many things that can go wrong, analyze the situation and try to find something that cuts your problem in half.

  1. Is the light on? It’s not electricity and that's a huge chunk of what makes a blender work.
  2. Light not on? Well now you've eliminated (temporarily) mechanical systems and electrical remains. Further splitting that part of the blender means either house power or internal blender power, check the outlet with another machine

This approach involves further splitting the problem into 2 as evenly as possible each time. It doesn’t make sense to whip out the multimeter if the on light isn't shining, you don't need to check on your house's breakers if the light is on, etc.

This system works for troubleshooting almost anything, all you have to do is find chokepoints and identify sections of your target. Toilet not flushing, faucet not on, car not starting, neck pain, allergies, it's almost harder to think of something it doesn't apply to.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 4 points 1 day ago

Yeah, I kind of think that that should go into core curriculum in school, because it's such a mechanical process, yet people just need to figure it out on their own.