Thought Experiments

We have indulged in thought experiments from our school days.

BASIC EXERCISES

Remember the game about reducing the length of a line, without touching it? Draw a longer one. Actually, there’s considerable depth in the puzzle. It teaches students the power of comparison, and how our perspectives are framed.

It extends to the most recent book I’m reading – Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire, by Luke Bergis. It says none of our desires are original. We want things only because others have those, or expect us to have those.

OUT-OF-THE-BOX

Then came the game about connecting six dots with four lines. We had to extend the line beyond the square frame of the dots. It was a thought experiment, which taught us to stretch beyond boundary lines.

And that is the crux of all thought experiments – feeling inadequate within boundaries of our knowledge and existence, and wanting to explore the space beyond it.

MOLDING REALITY

At the same time, we are consumed with the desire to mold reality to give us happiness. Augmented reality and virtual reality are born out of this. It started with the 3-D glasses used to watch a movie and feel characters leaping out at us. The limitation was they could bring a fire or snow peak to you but could not make us feel the temperature.

 A website called secondlife.com landed in controversy a couple of years ago and was banned. People were spending money to buy online property and objects, and even finding partners in the virtual world. The site is operational again. It shows there are takers for fantasy living.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I consistently experience a small bit of telepathy. Think about a person, and s/he calls or rings the bell.

I am fascinated by a writing prompt, and find a phrase, article or picture somewhere related to it.

Now, voice sensors of our phones make my reality redundant. Google shows me recipes for a food item I purchased, or even something I cooked the night before.

The world is connected, and all of us are under surveillance. There are no islands to protect our privacy. We have moved beyond George Orwell’s realm of imagination.

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