It has been decades since Christopher Alexander wrote A Pattern Language, but it is still a very important book in eco-architecture. While much of the contents are dated, the concept of laying out a system of patterns which build on each other is a very valuable one. In fact, this has been my archetype for this blog.
This goes far deeper than "Towns, Buildings, Construction," (the subtitle of A Pattern Language). The more famous John Archibald Wheeler, physicist, struggled with the implications of quantum theory. In particular, there is a relatively famous "double slit" experiment (described in better detail in The Ghost in the Atom) which challenges our notions of reality. If electrons go through a single slit, they end up in a simple bell-shaped curve. If they go through two slits, they interfere with each other and create a much more complex pattern. Where it gets really strange is if they slow down the electrons so only one is going through at a time, the complex pattern is still generated. The electrons still interfere with each other, even though only one is present at a time.
Cutting to the chase, what this really means is that all our formulas, theories, and laws don't really matter. All we really have are patterns to recognize and follow.
I will try to be your guide to the patterns you will encounter on the Long Ascent.
All Language/Codes have Patterns.
ReplyDeleteBut not all Patterns have Language/Codes
Hmmmm?
That is a good point. Unfortunately, by definition we can't talk about those patterns that don't have language. I won't be able to help much with those. We each have to discover those on our own. The best I can do is lead you down the path that I took to recognizing them.
ReplyDelete"The Tao that can be expressed is not the eternal Tao."
"Cutting to the chase, what this really means is that all our formulas, theories, and laws don't really matter. All we really have are patterns to recognize and follow."
ReplyDeleteThat's my kind of tax preparer.