[SMFT basics may refer to ==> Unified Field Theory of Everything - TOC]
Appendix B. Glossary: Tick, Collapse, iTime, Semantic Entropy, etc.
This glossary defines core concepts used throughout the Semantic Meme Field Theory (SMFT). These terms bridge quantum physics, organizational life, classical cosmology, and semantic dynamics. Most are not isolated definitions but part of a networked ontology, defined relative to each other.
Tick (Collapse Tick, τₖ)
A collapse tick
is a discrete semantic event when a memeform Ψₘ(x, θ, τ) collapses from
superposition into an actualized interpretation through observer
projection (Ô). Analogous to Planck time in physics, each tick marks a
cultural decision, memory inscription, or institutionalization.
Example: A policy decision, a viral tweet, or a ritual declaration.
Collapse
The
irreversible process where a memeform in semantic superposition
(multiple potential meanings) is actualized by an observer's projection.
It produces one meaning from many potentials, embedding it into
cultural memory.
Formula: ÔΨₘ(x, θ, τ) → φ_j(x₀, θ₀, τₖ)
Collapse commits.
Imaginary Time (iTime, iT)
The imaginary component
of semantic time, representing the hidden buildup toward collapse. It
includes subconscious priming, narrative tension, or group anticipation.
Interpretation: iT is to τₖ what potential energy is to kinetic—what gives collapse its weight.
Semantic Time (τ)
An
emergent dimension not tied to chronological time but to cultural and
interpretive momentum. It progresses through ticks (τₖ), and its speed
depends on attention, coherence, and saturation.
Slow τ systems: Religions, traditions.
Fast τ systems: Twitter, viral media.
Projection Operator (Ô)
A
cultural or cognitive lens through which observers collapse memeforms.
Each observer’s Ô encodes narrative preference, emotional charge, and
interpretive style.
Ô is what selects from the field.
Semantic Entropy (Sₘ)
A measure of interpretive saturation.
High semantic entropy indicates that a memeform has been collapsed into
too many incompatible meanings, making new collapses less coherent.
Low Sₘ: Interpretive freshness, open resonance.
High Sₘ: Cliché, noise, burnout.
Semantic Phase Space (x, θ, τ)
The abstract coordinate space in which memeforms exist:
-
x: Cultural location (e.g., platform, institution).
-
θ: Semantic orientation (e.g., ideological spin, emotional tone).
-
τ: Semantic time (cultural momentum).
This is the stage on which memes evolve, interfere, and collapse.
Memeform (Ψₘ)
A complex-valued wavefunction representing a meme’s potential meanings. Before collapse, it exists as a superposition in the semantic field.
Amplitude: How “in the air” a meme is.
Phase: How aligned it is with a given Ô.
Semantic Clock (ωₛ)
The frequency with which an observer or system generates collapse ticks.
High ωₛ: TikTok user.
Low ωₛ: Legislative body.
Semantic clocks define interpretive rhythm and observer timeframes.
Semantic Gravity
An emergent attraction between observers and memeforms with aligned θ. As alignment increases across observers, a meme becomes a semantic attractor—resistant to reinterpretation and bending surrounding meaning trajectories.
Collapse Failure
Occurs when a memeform is projected either too early (before iT maturity) or too late (after semantic window closes). This leads to misfire, backlash, or meaningless interpretation.
iT Drift / Collapse Delay
When an observer’s Ô collapses a memeform after the field’s iT potential has already discharged, leading to missed timing.
Example: Institutions responding too late to a meme crisis.
Semantic Tokens (σᵢ)
Discrete
carriers of meaning that mediate memeform exchange across observers,
such as hashtags, rituals, or KPIs. They function like bosons in
physics—not meaning themselves, but its transport medium.
Examples: #MeToo, quarterly earnings, prayer gestures.
Collapse Entropy
The decay of coherence due to repeated or chaotic projection. It rises with overexposure and misalignment, and is a signature of semantic fatigue or burnout.
Curled Dimensions (θ-compactification)
Under repeated collapse, the θ-dimension (semantic orientation) can become compactified—curled into narrow bands of allowed meaning. This leads to semantic rigidity (e.g., ideological dogma, brand clichés).
Phase Bubble
A localized semantic region where a group of observers shares a coherent θ-alignment, creating an internal interpretive echo chamber. Analogous to wrapped branes in string theory.
Semantic Collapse Framework
The overall model through which potential memeforms, field evolution, observer projection, and collapse events are related. It treats culture as a wave–particle duality of meaning, with collapse as the mechanism of actualization.
Would you like this glossary formatted as a table or exported to a PDF/Word file? Let me know if you'd like to expand it with terms like “Collapse Cascade,” “Observer Curvature,” or “Semantic Currency.”
Full United Field Theory Tutorial Articles
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Disclaimer
This book is the product of a collaboration between the author and OpenAI's GPT-4o language model. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, clarity, and insight, the content is generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence and may contain factual, interpretive, or mathematical errors. Readers are encouraged to approach the ideas with critical thinking and to consult primary scientific literature where appropriate.
This work is speculative, interdisciplinary, and exploratory in nature. It bridges metaphysics, physics, and organizational theory to propose a novel conceptual framework—not a definitive scientific theory. As such, it invites dialogue, challenge, and refinement.
I am merely a midwife of knowledge.
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