On Mon, Nov 17, 2003 at 11:44:07AM -0800, Alan Kay wrote:
> >>It's worthwhile contemplating that most bits in computers are 
> >>dynamic relations between processes, so "state" is really a kind of 
> >>process .... Quite a few of the ideas in Special Relativity on "how 
> >>one knows about things going on" apply to these ideas.

<and also wrote:>

> In hardware, an inverter that sends a message back to its input 
> becomes a clock (this is because there is a delay). Two of these can 
> be made into a flip-flop which is a more interesting delay. Etc.
> 
> Of course, this is only one way to think about these ideas (but this 
> perspective is often useful).
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Alan

Wow, that is really a very eloquent description that gets to the heart
of the matter.  I "sort of" understood this point before (with my
level of understanding waxing and waning), but thanks to you example,
I now get it, period.  Now to incorporate it into my "common sense"
understanding of computation...

Thanks,
Joshua