| THE COLUMBUS EGG
The Columbus Egg is a story that is used
to represent how a difficult problem can be solved with an
extremely simple solution - hard to find but, once it is
known, looks obvious.
The story traditionally
has its origins in a tale about the 15th century navigator,
Christopher Columbus, in which he is told by the Spanish
courtiers that a problem was too difficult to solve. In response he challenges
the courtiers to stand an egg on end. When all their
attempts fail, Columbus takes the egg, lightly cracks the
shell at one of the poles and stands it on end, telling them
that it's easy "Yes, when I've shown the way".
Why, if Columbus
should be there,
the company would beg
He'd show that little
trick of his
of balancing the egg
- Oliver Wendell Holmes
The Complete Poetical Works |
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