An amazing tool was invented recently that may help save countless lives by helping babies that are stuck in birth canals. The idea came to a car mechanic, while he was sleeping, after he saw a YouTube video on removing a cork from a wine bottle. Doctors who support the Odón device, named after the mechanic, believe that it could be a huge help to the millions of women and babies who face problems with obstructed labor. As Dr. Merialdi, the World Health Organization chief coordinator in charge of improving maternal health, puts it, “But first, this problem needed someone like Jorge. An obstetrician would have tried to improve [existing tools], but obstructed labor needed a mechanic.” There simply is no substitute for thinking like a mechanic.
It comes as no surprise that the straightforward problem-solving techniques mechanics are known for are being espoused and adapted to other result oriented professions. One business woman encourages her clients to think like mechanics when it comes to being proactive about caring for their investments – constantly taking stock and fixing small problems before they snowball into huge issues, like the business equivalent of brake failure. From a totally different point of view, a creative writer encourages other writers to think like mechanics if they want to really improve their writing, examining their work stringently and fixing problems instead of just dealing in fantasy and magic.
Of course, it’s amusing that the one time that “thinking like a mechanic” really isn’t going to cut it is when you actually need a mechanic. If you take nothing else from these words, let it be this lesson: get a trustworthy, certified mechanic. The fact that everyone is trying to emulate them should be the first indication that the brain processes of a mechanic are different, born usually of many years of tinkering, experience, certified training, and general mechanical knowledge.
Several news sources report that prices for used cars are at a four-year low. This may make purchasing one more tempting than ever, and according to US News and World Report, prices may go even lower in 2014. However, if you’re purchasing a used car, instead of trusting a previous owner, or even a dealer, consider having your own trusted auto body shop look the vehicle over before you put your signature on a single piece of paper. After all, as Odón’s lifesaving device proved, there’s absolutely no substitute for the brain of a mechanic.
