the network
The Network
Eight generations of zooid societies, built from six primitive species of unit — each able to do exactly one job, and honest about what it cannot.
The six archetypes
Recognizer
Learns a region and recognizes membership. Doesn't map inputs to outputs.
Perceptron
Learns an input → output function. One boundary, not a whole graph.
Sensor
Transduces raw input into features. Reads the world; doesn't decide.
Operator
Performs one operation; a graph computes by synchronized pulses. Evaluates, doesn't prove.
Arbiter
Holds one rule and renders a verdict. Judges; doesn't learn.
Analyst
Reads content and extracts a relationship. Finds structure; doesn't rank.
The eight generations
A timeline of the eight generations — each with the honest ceiling it named — lands in Phase 3.