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Brownian Motion and Good Ideas



This is a java applet demonstrating Brownian motion for gas molecules but serves as an instructional metaphor for business.


Qualitative evidence of the microscopic nature of gases is shown by an effect called Brownian motion. This is sometimes called the "random walk" or the "drunkards walk". Simply put, the collision with other objects moving in their own path's alters the course of an object.


Consider what happens when an idea is floated at your business. 


The idea gets knocked around by everyone who makes contact with the new concept whether it actually involves them or not. Everyone has an opinion and those opinions generally move the idea off course. Rarely do we see path-clearing support arise for new thought. (Can the red ball move in a straight line to any point? No.)


Pick any point within the bounds and think of that as the goal point. You could even say that reaching ANY edge is reaching the point of implementation as having reached an edge means you have cleared or eluded the opposing forces.


Then watch what happens as your idea is hammered by jealousy, internal politics and the Devil's advocates.


To start, input N which is a number of possible people who might hear about the idea.


Next, try this interesting thought exercise. Right Click the screen. This stops the action. Drag the RED ball in a corner. Notice two things: 1. How difficult it is for an idea to break out   2. How battered the path is out of the corner


This idea cannot be over estimated for your business. Consider an idea trying to break free within a large business by using N=2000.  And look at the battering an idea will take with only N=5!  Experiment with "weighting" the idea. m2/m1= Larger numbers give the idea more weight (importance?). The big idea moves slowly. And an idea of little consequence? Moves rapidly and chaotically around the organization.


What's the point? I have a fantastic presentation on how you get good ideas and good thinking moving smoothly through your business. We must foster good thinking and quit kicking the ball around. It's time to innovate and compete.


Grey Balls = Co-Workers and Management   Red Ball = "The" New Idea



Brownian Motion

    Each grey circle represents a member of your business who has contact with "the" idea.
    N is the total number of employees involved.
      Enter value into the Text Field and press RETURN.
m2/m1 is the mass ratio of red ball (Idea) to gray balls (employees).

    (Try it, and find out the difference)
    Press + will have a smaller time interval. (faster motion)
    Press - for slower motion.

    Click trace check box to show the trace for one of the molecules (red).

      Click it again to turn it off and clear the screen.

Right Click to stop the animation, click it again to resume.

While the animation is stopped, drag the red ball to relocate its position.

If you click No boundary checkbox,
particles moving to the right edge will appear at left edge again (No collision with the wall).

I used a Brownian Java app developed by Fu-Kwun Hwang of The National Taiwan Normal University to produce this demonstration.


All content may be used freely but please cite the source: Chris Reich, BizPhyz.

You may contact Chris by email at Chris@BizPhyz.com