Kuhn's (1962) concept of the paradigm shift states that knowledge builds upon itself and that new discoveries are based on the evolution of past knowledge. When current knowledge does not adequately explain the way things work, then the time is ripe for a change in our understanding of the world-that is, ripe for a paradigm shift. Without research, knowledge remains stagnant, and new paradigms are unlikely to evolve.
The following exercise challenges our traditional way of viewing the world and is a metaphor for the importance of making paradigm shifts. Your task is to connect the nine dots with four straight lines without lifting the pen or pencil from the paper. The answer can be found at the end of the chapter.