Technology Recapitulates Phylogeny

Four elements of the sculpture installation with house lights up

The left frame holds an image of a circuit board on acetate. The two middle images hold human brain cells on acetate. The right form is an aluminum basket with a plate of live tubefex worms and a Hollyhock root underneath comparing various tree structures.

Sculpture in a dark room

The light in the center of the basket is activated by human presence and projects the shadows of the tubefex worms on the wall and ceiling above the sculpture. Note how the worms are extending themselves up the side to the plate. When you touch the end of one of these fingers the whole plate of worms reacts as if a single creature. (supra-organism)

Hollyhock root

The similarity of these root structures to the mass of worms and brain cells indicates that nature has evolved an efficient structure for matter, energy and information distribution, across many different species. Note the dendrite-like smaller roots off the main root.

Human brain Cell

This is a cell of the Thalmanic Nucleus.

Circuit board

This circuit board demonstrates a classic tree structure with centralized microchips fanning out along branches of wires and circuits to remote sensory and activation devices.

Tubefex worms

Notice how the worms organize into small supra-organized clumps with all clumps remaining in contact with others through interconnecting worms.

Tubefex worms

Here there are two central masses clumping

Source: http://www.ylem.org/artists/krinaldo/emergent1.html