To solve the equation \( x^2 = 78 \) by inspection, we can find the two real solutions by taking the square root of 78.
The two solutions are:
- \( x = \sqrt{78} \)
- \( x = -\sqrt{78} \)
Since you asked to enter the lesser number first, the solutions in the required format are:
\[ {-\sqrt{78}, \sqrt{78}} \]