Got a Problem?
When was the last time you worked at figuring something out? Did you piece together a jigsaw puzzle? Noodle on a riddle? Maybe you cracked a tough math equation. Whatever the problem, solving it probably felt satisfying.
Meet four professionals who employ problem-solving at work. They use math and science skills. They use time-management and communication. One even designs problems, or puzzles, for other people to enjoy solving. These professionals have different careers, but they have something in common: They’re good at diving headfirst into a tricky problem. —By Lillian Stone
Creative Code: Software Engineer
Kendra Claiborne helps keep YouTube up and running. She juggles a lot as a senior application engineer for the video platform. An average day might mean tinkering with complex software, writing code, and collaborating with other engineers. She told TIME for Kids that an engineer needs to be “curious” and “interested in solving problems that are known and unknown. Someone who can deal with ambiguity.” Take debugging, for example. It’s the process of finding and fixing bugs, or errors, in software. That’s an important part of Claiborne’s job. “There isn’t one way to solve a problem,” she says. “There are so many approaches that one can take.” —By TFK Kid Reporter Asha Curley
Careful Calculations: Anesthesiologist
When people picture a dental professional, they often imagine someone who cleans teeth and fills cavities. Amy Maya doesn’t do either of those things. She’s a pediatric dental anesthesiologist. She helps kids receive dental care. She puts her patients to sleep to keep them calm and comfortable during important dental work.
Problem-solving is key to Maya’s job. She’s trained to constantly monitor everything. She watches closely to make sure everything runs according to plan, she told TFK. That way, Maya says, she can spot a problem “before it can get even the tiniest bit worse.” Her training helps keep patients safe. —By TFK Kid Reporter Aubrey Lamirault
Professional Puzzler: Games Editor
Games are serious business for Paolo Pasco. When Pasco was 4, his mom “brought home Sudoku printed out on a sheet of paper,” he told TFK Kid Reporter Hanming Wang. “I would try and solve it in crayon on the kitchen floor.” Now he creates puzzles for others to solve. He’s the games editor at TED, the nonprofit media company behind TED Talks. He’s also written a crossword book for kids.
Pasco says puzzling doesn’t have to be a solo activity. It’s a great way to spend time with friends. “It’s very collaborative,” he says. If you’re not sure how to solve a puzzle, Pasco recommends working on it with others: “Your life will be so much richer for it.” —L.S.
Block by Block: City Planner
Nathen Causman grew up playing SimCity, a city-building video game. He’s still dreaming up ways to improve communities. Causman is a city planner in San Diego, California. He helps solve big problems facing San Diego, such as traffic, limited housing, and the effects of climate change. To do so, he works with partners. “My role is to work with technical experts, engineers, and scientists who are answering complex questions,” he told TFK. He then takes those ideas and turns them into plans for the future of San Diego. He developed the graphic above with the help of designers. It shows ways to improve a San Diego street for pedestrians and cyclists. —L.S.
