Formalising and abstracting, much as it is a useful tool, does pose a certain threat: Look at how we count: 1 human, 2 human.... person 3, person 4... 5, 6, 7, 8

Some History

Denkern grew, much like any other plant, system or thought complex and sharing some of its history I think is vital to gain a deeper understanding of it and to understand its OP_n (Ordering-Principle) and OP_n^x (Ordering-Potential). 

Where did this start? - Well, I did fret quite a bit, actually, because the explanations of the adults were lacking. Like a blanket thrown over an unmade bed. I could see all the bumps sticking out and it did not make sense. I could not tie what I observed with what was explained to me. Did nobody understand me? Why just gloss over my questions? So - yes, I could say it started with my birth 😉

But, as with all things small and great, it also does have several inputs, spaced "randomly in time", which, as it turns out is only a sequencing algorithm and not a factual occurrence, and each input grew and added to the whole. Let me forego this sequencing algorithm and narrate in the present.

Learning is like assembling a puzzle: Collect all pieces together, sort and catalogue, fit pieces together and form a congruent whole, repeat until finished.

One of the most invigorating  to me is this very intriguing question: What is it that makes a poison be a poison? Now, as I said before, the answers given to me by the establishment flatline when landing on my turf. I can understand them from the thinking model supporting those answers, as well as value them, but they are of no use to me. So what am I to do?
I wait and I observe and live life. It does take time to progress from "Why does this poison me?" to "What is it that makes it be a poison to me?" and that is included in this narrative.
About 1986 I start involving and educating myself in nutrition and metabolism. And this is a point where it shows again what influence the language you have at your command has on your thinking and problem-solving. In german metabolism is Stoff-Wechsel - the literal translation into english would be: to change matter, from one thing into another, from one location to another. This goes hand-in hand with Stoff-Wechsel-Bahnen - meaning metabolic pathways. In german it is a very descriptive, very literal way of naming what is happening.

I dig into nutrition and metabolism and learn all I can, not contiguously, more like patches here and there that then come together to form a quilt. After years and years I enter a time where I travel a lot and am exposed to many humans travelling through railway stations and airports, each schlepping their little or large suitcase, entering and exiting static and moving objects, each one following a little bit their own path, but in the big picture pre-given pathways, taking stuff from one location to another, packing it, unpacking it, changing it, packing it again, transporting it again to yet another location to repeat that cycle - and as I sit next to the window in the plane or the train, observing and mulling over it, not really thinking, rather like witnessing it, I realise that here I am observing, literally, the Stoff-Wechsel, the changing of matter/metabolism along Stoff-Wechel-Bahnen, metabolic pathways, 1:1 as it happens in the body: Some stuff is grabbed by some body, packed into a suitcase, transported along some route to a central station, transits and travels faster to some destination, gets checked by customs, exits that other central station and travels, carried by somebody, to the destination, where it gets unpacked. There some (chemical process) happens, like bleachingin the sunlight, being washed in a salty solution, cleaned, dried and packed, and changed the stuff gets packed again and returns via the same or similar metabolic pathways to (another) location. This is continuously going on, incessantly, without stop or consideration for where it originated, teeming life.

Concurrently with this rising awareness, it literally dawned on me during a sunset take off, the awareness of the role of the metabolic pathways creeps in, how vital a role they play in metabolism, Stoff-Wechsel. How formative they are: Without metabolic pathways you just have stuff, sitting there, not doing anything. Without stuff you just have pathways, empty, not doing anything. Both together - that generates life, that brings buzz, brings energy to the system. That is what makes things happen.

From this grows the insight how tightly these two fit together and then of course, taking this further, how it would affect the metabolism of the system if a non-fitting stuff would be introduced. This is mirrored by: What would happen if a different metabolic pathway infrastructure would be introduced.

The answer is quite simple: Both scenarios would try and cope with that introduced change. If there are capabilities available, enough buffer if you will, the system will Verarbeiten / process and continue "living". If there are no capabilities to process, either to much of either metabolites or pathway infrastructure, one or the other metabolic organism will prevail or both will be damaged or both will die - no Stoff-Wechsel any more.

Here is the tie-in to denkern: The metabolites and metabolic pathways of a system present an order, they are set up in a pattern, that follows a certain logic. This starts at some point, generally a seed, i.e from ,a kernel. then it grows iteratively, by repeating that logic, applying it again and again. So it grows from simple into (more) complex with each iteration. Ordering-Principle (rule set) and Ordering-Potential (number of iterations).

A metabolic organism, thus any system if you abstract it, when confronted (with the stuff of) another metabolic organism will try to accommodate or assimilate.
If there is a difference in metabolites or the metabolic pathways do not match up each organism, each system will act a s a poison to the other. The greater the difference the greater and harsher the effect of the "poison".
This also applies if you have the same system at differing iterations: The road network in Namibia and the road network in germany is the same system, but each is at a different iteration. Neither organism (country) could handle either the amount of traffic the other has or the road network the other has.
In case one: To many cars for the existing road network, i.e. overload - and - to few cars to keep up the metabolic rate of the economy.
In case two: To few roads to handle the number of vehicles - and - to many roads to be maintained, for what?

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Another one of the building blocks, if you will is this interesting question: In how many ways can you divide a square, or rectangle for that matter to get mirror halves?
The answer is not really intuitive and, if you do not know it already, may give cause for some thought. Ponder it for a while, till I return to this page.