Carol typed that "breakthrough ideas often emerge as we look for
connections across traditional boundaries". I couldn't agree more. You
have very succinctly described an essence of the learning process:
connection making.
In grappling with what is ostensibly new and incomprehensible, we make
connections with what we already know. W.J.J. Gordon of Cambridge, Mass,
president of SES Associates and the "inventor" of the term "synectics"
(later used by others), fondly spoke of making the strange familiar. He
went so far as to define a problem-solving method in which analogs are
used. He also believes that all ideas (ALL of them) have a hidden
paradox.
More on this is available, I think, from SES Associates. They had a book
called "The New Art of the Possible: The Basic Course in Synectics", by
William J.J. Gordon and Tony Poze, Cambridge, Porpoise Books, 1980. Their
phone number is 617 868-5747, according to the info. inside the cover of
my copy!
Regards,
-- Barry Mallis bmallis@markem.com