The ScaleFree Pattern Language
http://www.nooron.org/know/scalefree_pattern_language
Scale Free Patterns give us some tools to talk about things which occur
across many different scales. HIV/AIDS, for example, can be viewed from
various characteristic scales: genetic, cellular, immune system, person,
family, community, national, or evolution of the species. ScaleFree
gives us some tools for talking about things which cross many scales -
the intrinsics of the situation. It allows us to link things across
divergent scales, and to think in terms of Foamy Spaces, which have
fractal properties, rather than dense fixed dimensions. Is there a way
to build a fractal browser which gives us the ability to view things
from the perspective of their intrinsics? Is there a way of using foamy
spaces to understand complex, multi-scale, multidimensional systems?
Can we speak about cascades of activities caused by intrinsics? Can we
discover activation energies which are capable of causing a cascade of
uplift?
Cascade
Intent
A cascade is an action which occurs at multiple characteristic
scales simultaneously. They may be created by Intrinsics. While Causality is
generally discussed in terms of a single characteristic scale, cascades are
based on interactions between scales which may not recognized at a certain
characteristic scale.
RelatedPatterns
Intrinsic
Cause
CharacteristicScale
Diachronic
Cause
Intent
A causal effect within a defined characteristic scale.
RelatedPatterns
Cascade
CharacteristicScale
Characteristic Scale
Intent
A portion of the continuum of scale which is used for a perspective, typically chosen
in order to understand causality. For example, physics, chemistry, and biology typically have defined
characteristic scales within which they are able to perform scientific experiments to establish
causality. Intrinsics which cut across scales, and interact as cascades, are not necessarily prominent
at specific characteristic scales, even though they may be significant contributors to a cascade. For
example, the intrinsic of TRUST may not be significant at the 'patient billing' characteristic scale,
but it is a very significant factor in a cascade of effects ranging from patient-physician interaction,
health care system, and society as a whole. The loss of trust at one level may have cascading effects
at other levels. Similarly, the reintroduction of trust mechanisms at the patient care level may have
a cascading effect on the rest of society.
Diachronic
Intent
A perspective across time, showing the evolution or flow of an activity.
RelatedPatterns
Synchronic
FoamySpace
Intent
Foamy Spaces are those in which dimension is a dimension. As perspectives on the
space move about the space or in time, different dimensionality may emerge. Foam may be
caused by Named Voids describing specific Unknowledge (for example, the cells in the Period Chart
of the Elements which were unknown when Mendeleyev created the chart). Or, spaces may be of
fractal dimensions, such as the Mandelbrot set.
RelatedPatterns
Intrinsic
Cascade
FractaLink
Intent
A way of linking objects across arbitrary ranges of scale and perspective. This
may include objects in Foamy Spaces, Intrinsics, Cascades, and other scale-free phenomenon. It may
link to eras (diachronic specification), or it may describe the flow of activities over time.
RelatedPatterns
FoamySpace
Intrinsic
CharacteristicScale
Diachronic
FractalScope
Intent
A perspective browser which presents knowledge and information in a scale-free manner.
This browser allows the viewer to take the perspective of an intrinsic across different dimensions.
A hypothetical model would be a camera with an extreme range of zoom lens. As the lens zoomed, the
viewfinder would have a fixed patterns, perhaps outlining certain features, such as identity. The
viewfinder may show the identity of a mountain at telephoto range, the identity of a galaxy at telescopic
range, the identity of a tree, house, person, organ, cell, or chromosome.
RelatedPatterns
Intrinsic
FractaLink
Intrinsic
AKA
Scale-Free Property
Intent
Intrinsics are properties which are evident independent of any
particular characteristic scale
KnownUses
Health may be viewed from a continuum of characteristic scales,
such as molecular, genetic, cellular, organ, immune system, whole person/mind, family,
community, nation, species. The notion of IDENTITY applies at all these levels,
so that one might speak of the identity of an immune system and the identityt of a
community.
RelatedPatterns
Cascade
CharacteristicScale
OptimisticExtreme
Intent
The understanding that a positive action may have a cascading effect for the positive.
For example, connecting people and their positive core values, coupled with effective action
could trigger a general uplift cascade.
RelatedPatterns
PathologicalExtreme
Cascade
PathologicalExtreme
Intent
A rare but attention-getting extreme situation may have the effect of tipping
the attention of a scale-free space. For example, a sequence of news stories about shark attacks may
gather public attention, despite the fact that the prevalence of these attacks may be down. A
patient complaining of a headache may be given an MRI rather than two aspirin and bed rest, simply
out of the fear of the pathological extreme.
RelatedPatterns
Cascade
OptimisticExtreme
Synchronic
Intent
The perspective of a snapshot in time.
Motivation
Our current perspective tends to be limited to synchronic within
certain characteristic scales. An alternative to this pattern, the Diachronic Intrinsic
perspective, provides language to talk about the evolution of ideas and knowledge across scales,
as well as provide a mechanism for communicating the role of cascades.
RelatedPatterns
Diachronic