The Thing (1982) & (2011)

Movies on Problem Solving

The Thing (1982) & the 2011 Prequel are great movies on Problem Solving

The Context:

1982- A group of US scientists run into an alien creature called “The Thing” which assimilates and imitates lifeforms to a cellular level.

2011- Focuses on what happens before the US scientists run into.

Both deal with the same problem.

The Problem: What is this “Thing” & How do you tell who is human and kill “The Thing”?

Let’s break it down….

Note: “The Thing” is a horror movie with gore. I am not embedding the images of the monster in the post, but I will link it for those interested.

Researching:

Many Key events happen which prompt the team to dive into researching the problem:

1. The team kills a manic Norwegian scientist who is shooting at a dog.

2. Outside Norwegian base miles away, they find the charred body of what looks like human being torn into 2 people. If you want to see what it looks like, click here.

3. They encounter the “thing” on their base.

They separate into teams:

• One goes back to the Norwegian Base for further study.

• The doctor conducts a biopsy of the charred body.

• Others search the base for “The Thing”.

With their combined knowledge, they learn 4 key facts:

1. The Norwegians dug up the “The Thing” from Ice.

2. “The Thing” is over 10,000 years old.

3. “The Thing” imitates lifeforms on the cellular level.

4. The cells of the charred body are not dead…

Questions & Solutions:

“The Thing” is inside the U.S base & can imitate any lifeform. How do you know who is human?

From their research, they ask questions, use data, & form solutions.

Both movies the 1982 & 2011 versions use 1st Principles Framework:

1st Principles framework breaks problems down into basics truths.

Each problem has basic truths. Find those & then work to complexity.

Here’s how they

First principles: Break down complex problems into basic elements and create innovative solutions from there.untools.co/first-principles

Question: How does “The Thing” function & assimilate?Data: Biopsy of the Thing + 1st EncounterFundamental Truth: It mimics biological material. Solution: Look for anything metal (like fillings, Jewlery, etc.) cannot be mimicked.

Question: What’s “The Thing’s” weakness.Data: The Charred bodyFundamental Truth: Fire harms it. Solution: Flamethrowers and explosives kill it.

Question: Who is human? Data: “The Thing” assimilates. If you separate it, it recombines later.Fundamental Truth: It’s a hive organism that works together. Solution: Take blood samples from everyone & put them under a flame. If it is the Thing, the blood will retreat from the fire & go to the infected host.

Notice each solution has a success metric with a specific data point.

Each question starts vague but gets more specific as they research and gather data.

The Thing (1982) & The Thing (2011) are great examples of problem solving to check out!