Every year, some Industry Market Trends coverage rises to the top. Here are your five favorite IMT articles of this year, including the most-read Expert’s Corner, plus three posts from 2010 we think are worth checking out.

In case you missed them in our biweekly e-newsletters, below are IMT’s five most-read articles in 2010, plus a few we think are particularly worth checking out. Here’s your chance to catch up on (and discuss) the issues that have mattered most to our readers, from disruptive thinking and innovative people to entrepreneurial qualities and transformative science.

READER FAVORITES

An Idea So Crazy it Might Work: Tips for Disruptive Thinking
Stepping sideways to see things from another angle often leads to breakthrough thinking, which in turn creates new markets and topples traditional ones. For people trying to innovate and work within a creative, adaptive culture, we offer 11 ideas for extreme outside-the-box thinking.

A Look at the 2010 Inventors Hall of Fame
Each year, the National Inventors Hall of Fame inducts a new group of groundbreaking and inspiring inventors from the worlds of science and engineering. Here we look at the latest round of Hall of Famers joining the hallowed ranks.

Entrepreneurs: Born or Made?
For more than four decades, research has assumed that the tendency to engage in entrepreneurial activity is explained by learned individual differences or situational factors. Yet a recent study suggests that a person’s genes determine his or her ability as an entrepreneur.

7 (Supposedly) Impossible Scientific Achievements
A human being stepped foot on another heavenly body and, at the touch of a button, virtually any piece of information is available. The following seven scientific achievements, previously thought impossible, have transformed our lives.

Expert’s Corner: Sherlock Holmes’ Problem-Solving Formula
What’s the best way to solve a problem? One approach, based on the logic used by Sherlock Holmes, can deliver significant results, according to the following excerpt from Gregg Young’s new book Reasoning Backwards: Sherlock Holmes’ Guide to Effective Problem Solving.

STAFF PICKS

A Glimpse into the Future of Engineering
Advances in technology, materials and business practices are likely to transform the way we engineer and produce goods. Here we look at some of the developments in science and manufacturing poised to shape the future.

Can’t Give Bonuses? Try Recognition
Tough economic times require management to think creatively about rewarding and retaining employees, which is why many managers are leveraging non-monetary means, such as employee recognition, to motivate their workforces.

Avoid “Death by PowerPoint”
What’s worse than poorly run meetings? Meetings overly dependent on PowerPoint slideshows. Consider these ideas for creating effective PowerPoint presentations.

In case you missed it: Mid-Year Reader Favorites: Engineering Report Card, Stressful Jobs and DIY Basics