Lack of Imagination --- Beating Computers and Software

The New Silk Road,  Hardly an oasis, Kazakhstan turns geography to advantage as China builds a “New Silk Road”
Nov 15th 2014

As Chinese manufacturers move inland, getting their products to European markets has become more complicated. The journey back to the coast and halfway around the world by sea takes up to 60 days—an eternity for the latest iPads and other “fast fashion” products. Kazakhstan offers a backdoor route. Trains from Chongqing in south-west China to Duisburg in Germany, 10,800 kilometres (6,700 miles) via Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus and Poland, supposedly take just 14 days.

Computers will think and decide like this:

days_on_route_1 = 60
days_on_route_2 = 14

if days_on_route_2 < days_on_route_1
    select(days_on_route_2)
else
    select(days_on_route_1)

Humans, especially those well-versed in Chinese culture, on the other hand, may have read Sun Tzu and they may know better.