Quantum Jim's Journal: Intellectual Masturbation

Dave Shea of Mezzoblue recently posted a blog about long-term love affairs and exploration. Doesn't that sound dirty? ;-)

Actually, he was ranting on how much he enjoys the pursuit of knowledge. Dave Shea Sites says he could spend hours upon hours reading triva from sites such as Wikipeida and the Internet-Movie Database among others. Give them a ring.

I can relate: I've spent hours of joy researching the bounty of information located not only on web sites but also in journals, magazines, and in the bliss of the library. However....

Warning: The following opinion is exaggerated for effect.

I don't think that kind of exploration is as noble and fun as he makes it out to be. It certainly feels enriching; however, reading such trivia doesn't help in my understanding of it. Not really. Nothing is really discovered - just taught through literature.

The kind of exploration that I really enjoy is though experimentation and trial. I don't just read about cooking but create a meal. I don't want to just learn about the circuit but wire the thing together and view the results. I don't just want the physics taught to me; I want to derive the equation myself. I don't just learn XUL - I write apps with it.

I find experimentation much more satisfying. Researching is important and rewarding; however, it is mostly useful to me as a guide, overview, or link for free association. I want to understand a thing and not just learn about it!