walking in a straight line

There is an interesting new research study from one of the Max Planck institutes in Germany. Researchers tested the theory that people lost in the woods walk in circles. They attached GPS devices to subjects, put them in a forest or desert, and told them to walk in a particular direction. Without the aid of the sun or moon, subjects began to walk in circles. Here is a short account of the research. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820123927.htm)

In one discussion of this story, the point was made that the idea of a straight line is relatively new, there are almost no straight lines in nature and no other animals move in straight lines. Humans are obsessed with straight lines because of our built environment--straight roads and sidewalks, squared buildings and city blocks. The "need" to walk straight is only a result of the world we have created.

It makes me think about linear thinking, as well as walking. A few comments from the article above were interesting. For instance, "Without an external directional reference to recalibrate the subjective sense of straight ahead, that "noise" may cause people to walk in circles, the researchers said." Aren't there other aspects of life where the "noise" may interfere with our ability to maintain a sense of "straight ahead?" A bit of wandering may be good, but is circling around and around aimlessly useful? We use landmarks and external cues not just for walking, but for thinking, too. Sometimes ignoring those cues can lead to great discoveries, sometimes they can lead to confusion and frustration.