Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

>life is circular motion that has the general character of memory and reproduction.

This is totally random but that bit reminded me of a quote from Black Elk Speaks:

>Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves. Our tepees were round like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation's hoop.



That's lovely, but my meaning is a little more specific and technical, and comes from the singular observation that Life cannot be constructed from unbounded linear motion. The sun shines on the planet, making things move, but gravity pulls it all down again. It's only "circular" in the same sense that a human can be approximated by a sphere of water.

P.S. Would really like to know why the downvote.




Consider applying for YC's Winter 2026 batch! Applications are open till Nov 10

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: