ABSTRACT
Comparing something unfamiliar (such as a problem) to something familiar is a common and powerful way to find understanding and, often, solutions. Direct transfer is a popular problem-solving method that millions of patents exist to protect unique solutions from wholesale copying by others. Nevertheless, many excellent solutions are not patented and can often be readily transferred to the situation at hand. The study of plants and animals provides an endless source of good ideas for problem solving. An analogy compares two things by identifying one or more points of similarity between them. A simple example would be to say that the kidney is like a water filter, because both filter out impurities. A remote analogy results when the problem is compared to something outside the problem area. The analytic techniques for generating ideas involve manipulating the problem by breaking it down, turning it around, or distributing it to many others.
