I know very little about this field, so what I've said is only a ladle's view of the sea.
Tips
history
From 东方朔's 《答客难》 in the Han dynasty, which pairs it with 以管窥天 "to look at the sky through a tube". Both mock a view too narrow for what it tries to judge.
mistakes
蠡 is lí here, a ladle made from a gourd or shell. The same character is read lǐ in the name 范蠡 and in 蠡县 in Hebei.