Unravel the enigmatic layers of folklore through the lens of the '5 Whys' methodology. Delve into the monumental mysteries that have captivated generations, and discover the truth that lies beneath the tales we've all grown to love.
The Lincoln Memorial Lighting and Midge Study
Although the work predated the Google search by nearly a decade, and despite never warranting an official publication, there are more than 140,000 pages on the internet which reference the study.
- Why should we care about some little-known, unpublished report from a study on insect behavior performed almost 25 years ago?
- Sitting in a file folder in the desk drawer of Don Messersmith resides a report on perhaps the single, most famous problem ever solved
The Moral of the Story
Without knowing the whole story, it’s difficult to say exactly what the most important lesson is.
- Perhaps it’s the value that a thorough understanding of cause and effect has on the efficiency and effectiveness of solutions.
- Or, perhaps, the importance of hope.
- Because if recent images of the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial at sunset are any indication, than there might just be hope for my government yet.
The Classic 5 Whys Example: A Monumental Mystery
The 5-whys is a method of root cause analysis in which the learner repeatedly asks, “why?” in order to drill down from higher-level symptoms to the underlying root cause(s) of a problem.
- Deep understanding of the root causes of our problems yields simpler and more effective solutions.
Debunking the 5-Whys Example
Whose monument is it, anyway?
- Some versions specify the Washington Monument, but this is relevant to both the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials
- Cleaning chemicals are not the sole cause of the deterioration
- The large amount of bird droppings from starlings and sparrows did contribute to the need for daily scrubbing of both monuments
- Large volume of water applied during the cleaning process poses the greatest threat to the marble and limestone buildings
- Midges (not gnats) swarmed to the river-side monuments because the lights replicated their preferred mating conditions
- When it came to the lighting of the monument as a solution to the problem of deterioration, there are really two separate myths at play
- First, the true impact of the story comes from the belief that a simple story can effectively prevent a recurrence of problems of which there are multiple solutions to
- Second, the whole story becomes very analytical and detailed
- It must be noted that both versions of this particular problem take place over a whole lot more years than just five
