Inclusive inquiry: Welcoming diverse forms of information into mathematical descriptions

"For now we see through a glass, darkly". Noise, complexity, and mystery all impede comprehension of the systems which govern our lives. The variety and power of obstacles to understanding favour an opportunistic approach to quantitative inquiry, in which the knowledge we seek is not that which would be supremely advantageous, but that which would be possible given the availability of information and other resources. We survey varied approaches for diverse situations. The range of information exploited, in conjunction with the breadth of understanding achieved, demonstrates the advantage of an inclusive approach, incorporating diverse forms of information, to quantitative inquiry.