Over the past few days I’ve been tinkering with some thought experiments. I’ve been having to figure out how to properly create a functional model for steam. And within hours I already was able to frustrate myself with the idea of not knowing enough about thermodynamics in order to make the model work correctly. But I’ve been reading a great book called, “The Tao of Physics” by Fritjof Capra and I’m two-thirds through it. In the book, the author discusses the differences between Newtonian Physics and more relativistic forms of thought. After taking in the book to heart, I realized that I was over-thinking the entire model situation.
I don’t need to actually know everything there is to know about water, thermodynamics, surface tension, water cohesion and the myriad of other knowledge related to steam in order to get my model to work. All I really need to know is some formulas related to boiling points, pressure and kinetic input-energy-ratios. And believe me, this is a much smaller piece of the pie, then trying to create some kind of model that actually “knows” all the rules of thermodynamics.
So by breaking the problem into simpler and more manageable parts, I was able to overcome a huge hurdle in the pen to paper thought experiment. But that wasn’t enough, I wanted to actually draw the model and see if it made sense. But there were a bunch of things that were missing. One was namely the transfer of energy from one object to another. Yet after go through thought experiment after thought experiment, the solution presented itself and was far less daunting than I had originally anticipated. So the pen to paper rough concept came out and looked good.
Part of the beauty of simplicity is much more than the strange affinity the universe has with symmetry and balance. There is a way of accepting the unknown and putting it in a large enough box that has familiar properties, and if the box works…go ahead and use it.
One of my first invention concepts had to do with absorbing aggregate wind energy through a type of scoop. I spent money on the project and it ended up being a complete failure. But one thing that I learned from the project, is that simple parts can be connected to make impressive things. Even though the device collected no energy, it had a strange alternate use as an odd sound modification unit. If I still had it, it would have been cool to use on a recording for some hip-hop. But alas, it is gone now…yet the knowledge that was attained through its construction is permanently embedded in my mind because I spent so much time and energy on it.
As I look at the concept art for this new idea, I see a combination of old skills and information mixed with a new understanding of intermediaries and energy flow. And to my surprise when I opened my sketch book and began drawing, I saw my old calculations for the size of the main component on the last used page. How fitting it was to find them when I was finally able to put the thing together.
-Tyler