30-05-2020, 07:23 PM
(28-05-2020, 10:33 AM)-JKP- wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.It just happened to me this morning. A few days ago I had been trying to solve a computer-graphics related problem and wasn't sure how to go about it. After numerous fruitless attempts, I put it aside. I woke up this morning and there it was... a strategy that didn't occur to me while I was consciously trying to solve it. But I don't think it would have bubbled to the surface if I hadn't already had a reasonably good understanding of the subject matter. I suspect that inspiration is 90% preparation.
I absolutely agree that inspiration can only happen on the basis of fundamental knowledge. And the breakthrough cannot be achieved by newcomers (see for example "amateur" Michael Ventris). However, is the fundamental knowledge itself without act of inspiration capable of solving nontrivial tasks - is a big question.
Coincidentally I found You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. article in Russian today (which is translation of an You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. by Isaak Asimov). Good citation on... hmm.... the topic:
"Obviously, then, what is needed is not only people with a good background in a particular field, but also people capable of making a connection between item 1 and item 2 which might not ordinarily seem connected."