The Emergence Machine

Switch

physical · Technology · Level 13 · E9

E9Cultures

Each concept here is mapped to its prerequisites — the ideas you'd need first to understand it — all the way down to four foundations: Space, Time, Energy, Pattern. Click any prerequisite to drill down, or scroll for the chain graph.

Trace. Question. Emerge.

Emergence definition

Switches are devices that control the flow of electrical current through a closed path, which is a manifestation of meaningful patterns that can be communicated, and are used to manipulate the flow of energy and matter in a structured and predictable way.

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Wiktionary senses

External reference — all senses of the word “switch” on Wiktionary. This atlas concept maps to only the slice of meaning relevant to the prerequisite graph.

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Source: Wiktionary — “switch”. Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Historical origin

Origin language
English

Prerequisite chain

Possible path of this concept down to the fundamental substrate.

thisfoundationsL13L12L11L10L3L2L1L0SwitchCircuitConductorElectricalElectricitySoftwareBuildingCellDigital… intermediate l…ForceFormInformationLifeActionChangeMatterMotionEnergyPatternSpaceTimeE1 concrete → E14 abstract

Neighborhood

Direct prerequisites above, concepts that depend on this one below.

used byprerequisitesCode SwitchingL14RelayL14SwitchL13SoftwareL3CircuitL12E1 concrete → E14 abstract

In other languages

Prerequisites

What you need to understand first.

  • Software L3 (requires)
    switch builds on the concept of software
  • Circuit L12 (requires)
    Switches control circuit connections and disconnections.

Used by