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Record

Definition

A record is a persistent distinction that can be repeatedly accessed and used to condition future dynamics without immediate degradation.

Persistence is necessary but not sufficient; a record must also be readable and causally efficacious.

Ontic / Core Claim

A persistent distinction functions as a record when physical interactions allow its state to be:

• accessed without erasing or destabilizing it,
• reused across multiple interactions,
• coupled selectively to other system dynamics.

This requires controlled interaction channels that preserve the distinction while allowing it to influence future state evolution.

A record is therefore an ontic structure, not a semantic object or representation.

Distillation

A record is a distinction that can be consulted without being destroyed.

Why it matters

• Memory: Distinguishes mere stability from usable storage.
• Computation: Clarifies what physical states can function as memory registers.
• Recursion: Enables feedback and state update conditioned on prior outcomes.
• Time: Provides the physical substrate required for ordered state change.

Links

• Related atoms:

  • Distinction
  • Persistent Distinction
  • State Space
  • Bit

• Used in molecules:

  • (none yet)

• Conflicts with:

  • Views that treat memory as abstract or cost-free

Sources

Re-contextualization Log

• 2025-12-26 · context: Introduced as successor to Persistent Distinction
  effect: created
  note: Formalized the conditions under which persistence becomes usable as memory or control.