Applying a real world observation toward something not related is called cross-domain technological transfer.
I did the same with fishing at a lazy brook in 1983.
I observed how the river get all bendy shape of the letter “S”, how the banks are shallow on inside curves, recalled a geostat photos over decades and finally noticed how these increasingly curvy S finally touch the other curve to a point of making a new waterway path, leaving behind a stagnant bend to dry up.
Network modeling, and the many architectural variants of TCP flows came soon afterward, notably delay-tolerant TCP variant called Space Communication Protocol Specification (SCPS).
TCP-SACK was instrumental precursor toward its delay-tolerant design.