On the Art of Extrapolation...

Taking stock of the situation with the use of an art learnt while studying Physics seems to serve me pretty well, which being the art of extrapolation... I want to dedicate this piece to the art that I hold very dear to me and prize.
Back in the days when I studied quantum mechanics, particle science, atomic chemistry and modern physics in high school, I realised two fundamental things -
1) Every phenomenon in the world is based on a firm ground called "the ideal case"; and
2) The various phenomenon based on the same 'ideal case' are the "real" variants affected by the circumstantial parameters.

The next thing I observed was the fact that most of the theories that were explained in Physics and Chemistry were designed on two basic ingredients - Assumptions and Extrapolations, which were of course later tested and verified scientifically. Then again, there were many theories which remained what they were, mere "theories", but still considered with great weightage, like the whole Wave-Particle ambiguity over the nature of matter. No one seems to know for sure what exactly matter is, but yet, the assumptions and conjectures seem to be revered and appreciated as intellectual wealth.

An intriguing factor in determining, visualizing and making REAL progress in the field of science seemed to lie in the ability to assume the unthinkable and extrapolate on it, apply blind assumption and materialize results realtime. And this very brave act re-enacted countless number of times seemed to have led to the gargantuan progress of science.

Naturally my thoughts drifted to the possibility of applying the same to various other thinking processes, for science is but another stream of thinking based on a lot of numbers and of course, imagination.

Thereby applying the same art of assumption and extrapolation in other fields would in fact, I thought, help an individual find an accelerated way of understanding the intricacies of many fields and arts, sciences and subjects, ideologies and specializations.

I realized the potential of the ability to extrapolate and tried using it in various situations. Some would call it thinking too much, but I think this is REAL thinking. Wherein you do not need to spend years researching, studying, and learning the intricacies of a single expertise but rather try to listen to the gists, listen to the synopsis of the abstract sciences, philosophies, arts and trade, make a few assumptions and extrapolate your thought on the little pattern that you catch from the experts.

Though through this technique, I haven't been able to get the hang of any single subject in great depth or minutest of details, I certainly have managed to broaden the perspective, the base of the various fields I have touched upon. Though I might not specialize in anything else, I can prize the fact of my ability to extrapolate.

And in the German way of Gestalt Psychology, as an Extrapolator, I think, by knowing various pieces of the jigsaw, ever so minutely, as you can, you can at least gain the ability to complete the puzzle and win the game...

As in the game of life, the world, the mankind, "The Picture is the sum total of all the Individual Pieces".

© Karthik Adithya Singaraju