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Spherical Cows
Turns out they are real!
In physics there is an old joke:
First assume a spherical cow…
The joke pokes fun at the way physicists solve problems. We make a lot of simplifying assumptions like “uniform density”, “no air resistance”, and “object is a sphere”. Some of the starting assumptions might sound ridiculous, but they often produce surprisingly accurate results.
The philosophy is simple: start with the simplest possible model, then only add complexity when it is actually needed. There is no reason to make a model more complicated if a simpler one already works. In many ways, this “spherical cow” mindset is similar to Lean Startup theory. Build the minimum viable product first, then iterate only where reality demands it.
But here is the funniest part: it turns out spherical cows actually exist in real life!
It is called an Amorphous Globosus, a rare bovine birth defect where a malformed fetus develops into a roughly spherical mass. They are not viable cows, but they are cows nonetheless. And they are spherical!
So maybe “spherical cow” is not such a ridiculous assumption after all.
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