I can empathise with that guy very easily. In school I developed my own methods of doing math. I refused to show my work because my teachers were trying to force me to do math their way. For example, I had the following method for determining the answer to 5 x a: If a is odd subtract 1. Divide by two. Times by ten. If a is odd add 5.

For example: 5 x 6 6/2 = 3 3 x 10 = 30 5 x 6 = 30

My teachers wanted me to memorise times tables instead. Another example of how I'd figure something out is with the seven and eight times tables. My method is very complicated: I memorised 7 x 7, 7 x 8 and 8 x 8. I also memorised 7 x 1-3 and 8 x 1-3. With 4 x 7 or 4 x 8 I'd double 2 x 7 or 2 x 8. With 5 times one of them I used the five times rule. With 6 x 7 and 6 x 8 I'd remember 7 x 3 and 8 x 3 and double them. With 9 x 7 and 9 x 8 I used a 9 times rule(a - 1 x 10 + (9 - a)). Ten and 11 times were easy. With 12 x 7 and 12 x 8 I'd either times it by 11 and add 7 or 8, or add (7 x 2) + (7 x 10) or the same for 8.

Also, my tendency to think outside the box is evident in other things. I took a babysitting course and here's one of the questions they had on the test: List 3 reasons a baby might be crying. What they didn't mention was that they wanted the 3 most common reasons. I think I answered uncomfortable position(they're in an uncomfortable position and can't get out of it), sensory defensiveness and colic, and what they were wanting was hunger, tiredness and dirty diaper. In many instances thinking outside the box can be a benefit. If you think outside the box you will notice things others don't. In the example you gave, what if the barometer was broken? Most people would be stuck but he had plenty of other options.