Encoding

The problem: how do you encode meaning so a future reader can decode it without your language, your culture, or your software?

The answer is not one trick — it’s layers.

Layer 0 — Marks that mean “count”

Start with tally logic:

  • A single mark means one.
  • Equal spacing implies separate units.
  • Grouping implies base / structure.

This is the first bridge because it doesn’t need translation.

Layer 1 — Reference standards

Create a shared ruler and clock using nature:

  • Length: define a unit from a stable physical phenomenon (e.g., wavelength reference) and then provide a physical scale.
  • Time: define from a repeatable oscillation (atomic transition references are ideal; mechanical approximations can be taught).

If the reader can reproduce the standard, measurements become portable.

Layer 2 — Visual dictionary

Use pictures to teach:

  • object → label
  • process → sequence
  • relation → diagram

Then repeat the same concept in multiple forms (picture + count + geometry).

Layer 3 — Mathematics as the universal compression

Once counting, measurement, and geometry are established, you can teach:

  • fractions, ratios
  • right triangles
  • circles
  • coordinate grids

After that, you can encode:

  • star maps
  • orbital mechanics
  • engineering drawings

Layer 4 — Checksums and redundancy

Assume damage.

  • Repeat key tables in multiple places.
  • Include “this should equal that” identities.
  • Provide small worked examples and answers.

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