From the Fungus Garden, III

It's true: they are relentlessly observing themselves observing themselves, meta et al, etc. There is not much that's left to say about that. Even: it's becoming a paradigm in physics, bastion of the last to adopt paradigms, that recursion characterizes all kinds of human structures, that it exists at low levels among particles--every particle's existence involves the existence of a network of virtual particles, each with their own networks, ad infinitum--and on up the hierarchy to the level of humans observing particles.

There's this quote from Douglas Hofstadter, author of a book I am still trying to finish, regarding the complexity of diagramming a propagating particle (here, an electron) and its infinite networks in order to get at the final behavior of the electron: "Fortunately, the more complex a diagram, the less important its contribution."

All of the worlds within worlds, bubbles within bubbles, networks withing networks--whatever metaphor you want to use--can be summed up with enough of the simplest diagrams.

These diagrams do in a more technical way what any good literary metaphor does: creates continuity where there's a gap of no meaning between effects. Meaning seems to come out of the connection, somehow, in an odd reciprocal way. And it seems that simulations are nice enactments of Hofstadter's quote and the general principle by which metaphors work.

So if you ever find yourself living inside a termite nest, or booking your next hotel room in one, consider the extent of humans' metaphor-generating capabilities. Ask to stay in the fungus garden.