The Small Questions
Questioning the apparently obvious.
We humans have a knack for asking big questions such as "what is the meaning of life?" and "why are the laws of physics the way they are?". Elusive and ambiguous, the answers to these questions are never unanimously settled on. In the sea of questions lie the smaller ones, often addressing taken-for-granted matters. Why do we boil eggs the way we do? Why does ice float over liquid water? How does the keyboard using which I am writing (typing) this post work?
The big questions take us in with their mystique and allure, while the smaller ones may bore the less perceptive. To be able to find a matter fascinating enough often requires a particular kind of perspective and a way of interpreting reality, one which emphasizes the exact intricacies by which even the most mundane and everyday processes function, revealing a deeper layer of reality typically not considered.
Data transfer through the internet can be seen as a mundane background process which most people do not need to learn too much about, or as the transfer of digital information represented by EM waves in particular configurations travelling at the maximal possible speed in the universe bouncing through fiber optic cables to reach the exact intended destination to be interpreted again as information a computer can directly manipulate...phew!
Yet, the small and the big questions do not exist in separate chambers devoid of the other. Following through the so-called small inquiries, observing patterns and then generalizing to a broader idea often leads to the smaller questions elucidating bigger ones. Ouch! Why did the apple fall on my head? Newton (probably) asked this to himself and found out about gravity, which surely is not contrained to the phenomenon of apples falling. It also answers why rain falls down, why jumping from a cliff is a bad idea, and why trying to walk on the sky makes one look like they had every drug under it.
Furthermore, if our smaller questions include habits, social norms and prevalent ideas often taken for granted, then they can potentially shed light on issues which would not otherwise have been considered. They can shed light on harmful habits, modes of thought and behaviour we normalize beyond what is warranted and foster improved awareness. Sometimes, simple habits and norms can have significant consequences, like what we do after waking up in the morning or whether our culture allows us to expressly disagree with our elders. For many of us, the former sets our tone for the day and the latter can impact variables such as how assertive we grow up to be and whether we feel safe expressing critical thoughts and driving change in society. Intentional Abrupt End of the Experimental Post.
