What are ways of putting things together?

Answer 1

Ways of combining things is a different question. That would have to do with what is called "permutations" in mathematics.

There are almost innumerable ways of "putting things together."

People have been joining things for a long time. Gravity is used to put stones or solid objects together to form fences, towers or structures, and even arched bridges. Beavers make their dams out of the branches of trees. Carpentry uses nails, glue and specially carved joints to join wood pieces. Welding joins metal to metal.

In physics and chemistry, properties of atoms and subatomic particles is studied to find ways of joining atoms and molecules in new ways. Electrolysis is a way of covering one metal with a different metal. Simply mixing liquid Mercury and gold together causes the two elements to combine. Examples of physically joining things together are practically endless.

In a more abstract sense, one can think of joining ideas together, and this touches on mathematics and theories of science. "Putting two and two together" is a common maxim meaning, "reasoning it out." Humans are storehouses of ideas, and often put ideas together to form new ideas, or ideas that explain things better than before.

The abstract sense would also encompass manipulation of language, and possibly working with jigsaw and other types of puzzles. An editor of a newspaper, for example, will try to ensure that a story or article is "put together" in the best possible way, for a reader to understand properly and easily. It's much the same with a jigsaw puzzle -- you put the pieces together so that you can see the picture clearly.

Joining things also applies to sociology -- humans put together families, social groups, communities, cities, states and nations. These are built on the glue of common precepts, or shared ideas.

Every type of "putting things together" involves some kind of "glue," or, in other words, something that makes the things stay together after they are joined. For carpentry, it is nails, real glue, or specially carved fittings. For welding, it is molten metal. In chemistry, it is atomic number and electromagnetic charge. In more abstract applications, it is the ability to recognize a relation or the ability to agree with others.