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Hobbies have led to discoveries and can get very adventurous depending on the type of person you are. Three such hobbies are discussed below, with some light on the origin of the word ‘hobby’ and a couple of discoveries made through hobbies. 

We all know hobbies are something that we do to amuse ourselves when we are bored or have nothing to do. Hobbies vary greatly in its activity as some hobbies can become very adventurous carried out by daring people, nonetheless, hobbies are meant for fun and recreation. 

The term became what it is today in the 21st century to denote past time activities in a positive sense, but was not considered the same in the beginning.

In the beginning

When did the usage of the word ‘hobby’ come into existence? There is no clarity as in who and why it was used. The word ‘hobyn’ meant a horse pony in the 13th century and the word ‘hobby’ is derived and used since 1816 extensively by the English.  The term is used to describe some childish activities with contempt that yield no results or fortunes and hence was an activity widely disliked.

Discoveries made through hobbies

Do not write off hobbies as activities for personal fulfillments and as a waste of time as there are instances when hobbies have led to ground breaking discoveries. Celestial bodies and comets have been found by hobbyists and some significant examples are the following.

Linux OS

Linux Kernel, a basis for Linus operating systems, was found out of a computer programming hobby. Linus Torvalds, a then 21 year old student from Helsinki Finland started working on an operating system that later became the basic kernel for the popular Linux Operating system.

Father of Modern Chemistry

Antoine Lavoisier, a French chemist who is considered as the father of modern chemistry, was an administrator and a member of aristocratic council, who started working with chemicals as a hobby to become one of the pioneers in the field of chemistry.

He was also inspired by his tutor Abbe Nicolas Louis De Lacaille, who is again an observational astronomer.  Enough said about the discoveries, let us see some three hobbies that can be adventurous and mind blowing that may bring some exciting experiences to your life.

People watching

This is not about spying someone. Once you try doing this and get some affinity towards it, you may come out of the social media world, as this is one interesting hobby that offers a lot to learn.  People watching, also known as crowd watching can be a hobby in which you observe the people around and their interaction with the universe.

Peoples’ behavior, body language, clothing, expressions, the way they hold their mobile phones, things they are interested while walking on the street etc. can be observed in people watching, which will help you become a good thinker and of course in your interpersonal and decision making skills. 

Writers , poets, photographers and various other artist do this to get a feel of their surroundings, and there are people who do people watch without their knowledge.

Who knows, your thoughts may flow like an avalanche to light up your brain with new ideas and bring out the you within you. Do not let go off this psychoanalytic hobby. Worth trying once!

Foraging

This is an impromptu hobby that can take you to newer routes. Conventionally, foraging is defined as the search for food resources by wild animals.

As a hobby, you may not have to search for food, but for experiences.  For instance, on an early Sunday morning, you may decide to go out for a walk in a particular direction. Decide that you take the first bus (wherever its destination is) and disembark whenever you feel like.  You need to be very adventurous in deciding where you are getting down and this could say a lot about you.

If you are choosing an abandoned place or a crowded place- will talk a lot about you.  Now spend the whole day at least until evening there experiencing the food, people and their lifestyle. This will help a lot to learn about you.  This works well, if you are in some rural areas as the experience could be more exciting than in the suburbans or urban areas.

Amateur Astronomy

A simple night sky watch with a binocular can be exhilarating. As said earlier, celestial bodies are invented by casual observational astronomers and the field is called as amateur astronomy. 

These astronomers can help professional astronomers in making discoveries or can themselves discover some comets or any other heavenly bodies.  There are well known amateur astronomers including George Alcock, David H. Levy and many others who have discovered something new in the space or have helped in such ventures. 

There are societies for these astronomers and they are awarded for their significant contributions.

Image Source: qz.com