The Use of Metapatterns… Tyler Volk
Metapatterns are thought to be functional patterns or principle functions that are known to a large set of systems both drawing from and encapsulating both culture and biology by claiming that evolved systems are created from any repetitive sequence of replication, variation, and selection.
16 examples of Metapatterns
Spheres: Maximum volume, minimum surface, containment: grapes, domes
Sheets: Transfer surface for matter, energy, or information: fish gills, solar collectors
Tubes: Surface transfer, connection support; leaf veins, highways, chains of command
Web Networks: Parts in a relationship within systems; subsystems of cells, organisms, ecosystems, machines, society.
Borders: it’s a specialized system that functions to both isolate a system from the environment, and to regulate the exchange of matter, energy, and information with the environment, usually by using the ability to open and close pores. Ex.: thick protective perimeter walls that Renaissance Italy’s cities used to employ.
Binaries: minimal and thus efficient system: two sexes, two party system, bi-furcating decision making processes
Gradients: Continuum of variation between binary poles; chemical waves in cell development, human quantitative and qualitative values
Centers: Key components of system stability; DNA, Social insect centers, political constitutions and government
Layers, or Holarchy: Levels of webs, in which successive systems are parts of larger systems; biological nestings from biomolecules to ecosystems, human social nestings, engineering designs, computer software.
Emergence: general phenomenon when a new type of functionality derives from binaries or webs; life from molecules, cognition from neurons.
Holons versus Clonons: Parts of systems as functionally unique versus interchangeability; Hearts-lungs-liver (holons) of body versus skin cells (clonons) of the skin
Clusters: subset of webs, distributed system of parts with mutual attraction; birds flock, ungulate herds, children playing, egalitarian social groups.
Arrows: stability or gradient-like change over time: biological homeostasis, growth, self-maintaining social structures
Breaks: Relatively sudden changes in system behavior; cell division, insect metaphorsis, coming of age ceremonies, political elections
Triggers: initiating agents of breaks, both internal and external; sperm entering egg, precipitating events of war.
Cycles: recurrent patterns in systems over time; protein degradation and synthesis, life cycles, power cycles of electricity generating plants, feedback cycles, educational grade levels (cyclic design w/in an arrow of overall educational progress)
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