Game: The 500 piece Jigsaw

It took me around six hours to solve, and I have never learned formally how to solve the jigsaw. Jigsaws don't come with an instruction manual. This raises the topic of formal training vs self-learning.

Tell someone the rules of the game, but don't give any instructions on how to play it. i.e. in case of cricket don't tell him what in-swinging delivery is, in case of poker don't tell him what a "check-raise" is. Given enough time, the person can still learn how to play, but I believe the 99% of the people will only go so far. Its like discovering maths without knowing about the pythogoras theorem. I don't think the human lifespan is enough to re-discover the learning of generations of human existence in every field. Thus always learn the current state of knowledge in any field and go from there.

However I will do the bang opposite for jigsaw puzzles, and here are some of my techniques to solve the jigsaw
1. Separate the edges from the other pieces.
2. Take a piece, and find it on the picture, and place it accordingly.
3. While looking for a particular piece, work with patterns.
4. Concentrate on regions of the jigsaw, one at a time. Low hanging fruits first.

The debate on formal training vs self-learning is on. Ofcourse, it is not limited to sports, but applicable to life at large.

- MG

Tennis: Greatness

Roger Federer vs James Blake Shanghai 2006 Final



Tennis doesn't get much better than this. I guess the creator will continue to make people like Federer, to give others a level to strive for, and hence a reason to live.

Philosophy: Happiness

The Secret to Happiness is Low Expectations. - Barry Schwartz (author of "The Paradox Of Choice") Barry Schwartz is a sociology professor at Swarthmore College and author of The Paradox of Choice. In this talk, he persuasively explains how and why the abundance of choice in modern society is actually making us miserable. (Recorded July 2005 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 20:22) - More TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com

Philosophy: Signs

In an interview Jeannette Walls, the author of the book The Glass Castle, is asked about the signs of homelessness in kids. She replies that the kid will often hesitate when asked address the address of his house; often he would wear the same set of clothes for days. Signs are a very powerful tool and are used all over. In a chemistry lab, when a substance turns grey upon reaction with an agent, we are able to determine its composition. Similarly, when the skies become cloudy, it is a sign that it is about to rain. When the car wobbles a bit on the freeway, it’s a sign that the wheels need to be aligned.

Upon further analysis, signs can be derived by observation. What I mean by observation is that if an action/event (say A) is followed by or results in action/event (say B) many times, one can assume it will happen the nth time. This is very similar to the principle of mathematical induction in math. In simple terms, lets take a person had too many chilies, and is jumping up and down. Say he sees milk somewhere and drinks it, and it gives him relief. On another day, he eats too much hot stuff, and this time looks for milk, and drinking it gives him relief. He probably suggests the same to his wife and kids. Thus is born a sign that milk provides relief for hot food.

Signs in science and medicine are elaborately studied and documented. Lets focus on the concept of signs in a personal context. In a conversation when a person is sitting back in a relaxed way, it’s a sign that he/she is not interested. However, I wish to look at the power of signs well beyond this, and in a much more tailored way. Hypothetically lets take a person Chris. Chris has found that his relation with domineering girls never work out. Chris observes that domineering girls show early signs by being overly assertive. So next time Chris sees a girl as overly assertive in simple things, he will be wary from the start. This can be extended to all walks of Chris's life. Say he discovers that whenever a client is interested in Chris's business proposal, he asks Chris to join him for lunch. Another sign, Chris can use. Chris, now watching out for signs, which he has mastered, walks around knowing in advance the outcome of things. The implications of this are immense.

I guess the question, which now arises, is if it is even possible for one to master sign's to such an extent. One must take into account that people belong to different age group, communities, social standing etc. Would the signs be too varied for one to master. And say one is able to master them, can't people fake signs.

In the end, I guess the power lies in the skill of the practitioner.

Philosophy: In brief

There is a democratic way of doing things, and there is a right way of doing things.