The Flavour of Experience, a Taste of Instinct

Scientific pursuit is a highly satisfying endeavour. It often involves a rational and focused enquiry towards understanding things around us: Why are objects the way they are? What would have happened had they been the other way round? Why do phenomenon occur in a certain way, is there a possibility to utilise and alter them to innovate and build. One begins with a question, and tries to construct probable reasoning around it, without exactly knowing where the quest would lead to, only some assumptions to support it and a goal to attain. 

As much as this journey involves self-questioning, vigorous learning and fact-probing, over the time one realises that it is also a unique blend of experiential insights. One doesn't begin walking a path by knowing everything (people don't really claim it at the end too). We learn certain things along the way, implement them toward a better comprehension and move on. For instance, the research journey begins with a hypothesis: this is a plausible reasoning to solve something, which would be tested further. The investigation begins here: it could be either experimental lab work or a thought experiment (in the head rather than a lab, like a few of Einstein's initial papers). Researchers build solid proofs around the hypothesis that may act both ways: in-favour or against the initial assumption. This is not an ordinary voyage but a long route that involves learning, building, re-learning, implementing and multiple attempts that shape the final outcome. Years of science goes into creating intricate technologies which we use as if they've been always lying around. The road to innovation and knowledge discovery is quite rocky yet tempting at the same time.

The role of experience can be truly appreciated in this journey when one needs a quick hint or a piece of advice to solve something or is unable to move it through the limited understanding acquired up to that particular point. Insights from people who have already walked that path come a big way. Because of having worked for years and being couple of miles ahead, these people are able to see and guide with a highly efficient objectivity and elegance. They not only see through the mess, but also show the way out of it. Just by looking at a particular experimental set-up, seeing the obtained data points or even through a brief verbal review, they know what's wrong or right. But here's the catch: one has to be careful while choosing their guiding light. People might not know a thing, yet enjoy blabbering out endless, baseless advice which could be totally wrong. On the other hand a quick insight from the right person could do wonders.  

Taking experiential guidance from others does not necessarily mean that you lose your ability to figure out stuff. That builds up too along the way: your own bag of experience pivoted in the acquired knowledge. A fine discretion develops that lights the path. Amidst all this, gradually grows the inner instinct, strong enough to lead us ahead. Each step takes us to the truth we all are seeking-that might be either too complex or way too simple, based on our perception, the weight of our experiential baggage and the alignment of the inner instinct!

©Neha Kanase