The Emergence Machine

decay · process

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drift toward a wall at a rate faster than the work being done to oppose it

Decay (noun) means: drift toward a wall at a rate faster than the work being done to oppose it. It emerges from drift, wall, parameter, maintenance: An aimless drift pushes a parameter toward the end of its allowable range, and the speed of that movement exceeds the rate at which maintenance effort can correct it, causing the condition to degrade. In the EmergenceLexicon it sits at computed level 15, chaining down to the four foundations (space, time, energy, pattern).

decay.process · forms: decay, decayed, decaying, decays

Examples

Emergence

from: drift wall parameter maintenance fast work toward rating
through: An aimless drift pushes a parameter toward the end of its allowable range, and the speed of that movement exceeds the rate at which maintenance effort can correct it, causing the condition to degrade.

Chain to foundations

windowL7 window.range: The range of a parameter within which a thing can be; outside it the thing ends though its parts persist.partL1 part.relation: Something that is in a thing but is not all of that thing.controlL4 control.ability: A pattern that persists through time and sets boundaries for how others can change.usualL2 usual.common: a thing that is regular in its occurrence over timespaceL0 space.extent: Where things can be: that in which one thing is here and another is there, apart.rangeL3 range.spatial: the space between two boundariesstructureL2 structure.arrangement: The pattern of how the parts of a thing are placed in space.differenceL1 difference.relation: When one thing is not the same as another; the pattern of one is not the pattern of the other.lotL8 lot.quantity: a large quantity of somethingpressL5 press.force: to move an object until it is in contact with a surfacesizeL2 size.measurement: the space that a thing's matter is inwallL10 wall.range-end: The value of a parameter at which a window ends.flowL3 flow.movement: Motion of many parts of matter together through one place.interactionL2 interaction.process: When two things change each other.insideL5 inside.spatial: in the space that is within an object's boundarypersistL1 persist.continue: To be the same through time.offL2 off.state: when a thing is not here, it is theresetsL3 sets.grouped: A pattern of many things that are each different from the others but are bounded together by what is the same about them.smallL4 small.size: a thing that is less extent than most other thingsenergyL0 energy.capacity: That by which things can be not as they were.lengthL4 length.spatial: how much space between two boundaries of a thingchangeL1 change.process: When a thing is not the same after as it was before.largeL3 large.size: Having more space than a usual thing has.wayL9 way.method: a link of one place to another through spaceconnectsL7 connects.verb: When two things are brought together so that a flow between them can happen and persist.matterL1 matter.substance: A pattern of energy that is in one place in space through time.nothingL10 nothing.absence: not a thingcarryingL5 carrying.transporting: To move with a thing that is in one place and then is in another, where the thing remains in contact and under control.maintenanceL14 maintenance.upkeep: Work that holds the parameters of a thing inside its window.outsideL6 outside.spatial: the space that is not inside a thing's boundaryworkL3 work.effort: a change that happens when energy moves something through spacedistinctL3 distinct.attribute: a thing is not the same as another thingquantityL7 quantity.numerical: the size of how many things are in a spaceparameterL4 parameter.condition: A condition of a thing that can change while the thing persists.noneL9 none.quantity: no amount of a thingcomeL3 come.arrive: To move through space until being at some place.ratingL7 rating.evaluation: a number that is the difference of a thing with a usual thingdecayL15 decay.process: drift toward a wall at a rate faster than the work being done to oppose itamountL8 amount.quantity: the quantity of a thing is a size or a numbermarksL5 marks.visual: A difference that is a pattern on a surface when a part changes that surface.extentL3 extent.spatial: how much space matter hasobjectL4 object.entity: A thing that has a boundary and an arrangement of parts that persists through time in a place.keepL5 keep.maintenance: to make something persist in a place or stateconditionL3 condition.state: a state of a thing that persists through time in a placelinksL8 links.connection: a thing that connects two thingsstateL2 state.condition: a pattern of a thing that persists through time in a placedriftL11 drift.aimless: Change of a parameter with nothing that makes it go one way.broughtL6 brought.past-tense: To come to a place carrying a thing that was not there before.boundaryL2 boundary.limit: The place where a thing ends and what is not the thing begins.forceL12 force.push: a press of matter that results in a change in motionsurfaceL4 surface.exterior: A part of a boundary that touches a thing and is where the thing is not the thing.motionL2 motion.movement: Change of place: a thing is here, and after, it is there.numberL6 number.quantity: a mark of many distinct others together in a placehappenL2 happen.event-occurrence: A change that is at some place during time.pointsL2 points.location: a part that is at a placedirectionL13 direction.spatial: a line that a thing points to as it goesholdL13 hold.physical: keep thing with touch and force so it does not moveothersL2 others.distinct-entities: Things that are in space and time but not the same thing as one, or not the same pattern as one.locationL12 location.spatial: a point where a thing is in spacetimeL0 time.dimension: The before and after of things: that in which a thing can be, and then not be the same.shortL5 short.length: having less length than is usuallineL12 line.geometric: a set of points with regular arrangement in spacemakeL4 make.verb: Parts come together through interaction into a structure and persist in that pattern.touchL3 touch.together: When there is no space between the boundaries of two things, and each can change the other.regularL1 regular.frequency: a thing that is the same pattern again over timegoL3 go.movement: to move one from a place to another placecontactL4 contact.physical: When two things are at the same place in space during time and their boundaries touch.arrangementL3 arrangement.spatial: a structure of parts in space.point of no returnL11 point-of-no-return.irreversible: A wall in a parameter's window, beyond which the thing cannot persist even though its parts do.patternL0 pattern.regularity: That which is the same again: what is here is also there, or what is now was also before.bigL2 big.size: Having much space; more space than another thing has.fastL9 fast.speed: a change where a thing moves a large amount of distance in a short amount of timetowardL14 toward.spatial: in the direction that go to a location
full chain as text (256 steps)

Neighborhood

Concepts that depend on this one above; what it is built from below.

built fromdecayL15decay.process — drift toward a wall at a rate faster than the work being done to oppose itdriftL11drift.aimless — Change of a parameter with nothing that makes it go one way.wallL10wall.range-end — The value of a parameter at which a window ends.parameterL4parameter.condition — A condition of a thing that can change while the thing persists.maintenanceL14maintenance.upkeep — Work that holds the parameters of a thing inside its window.fastL9fast.speed — a change where a thing moves a large amount of distance in a short amount of timeworkL3work.effort — a change that happens when energy moves something through spacetowardL14toward.spatial — in the direction that go to a locationratingL7rating.evaluation — a number that is the difference of a thing with a usual thing

Relations

contrasts-withwall.range-enddecay moves toward wall, maintenance keeps away from wall
contrasts-withmaintenance.upkeepdecay occurs when maintenance is insufficient
is-adrift.aimlessdecay is a type of uncontrolled drift

Provenance

author: retrofit:qwen/qwen3-235b-a22b-2507 · date: 2026-07-29 · confidence: 0.8 · source: Sample/hundred-words-six-terms.md