Your discussion of thinking in networks reminded me of the following quote from a sci-fi story published in 1952, emphasizing thinking in networks as a human quality as opposed to other species thinking sequentially.
The context is - Lavon, a microscopic human navigating the first ever watership (analogous to a spaceship) up a slope together with several other microscopic organism on a journey to the edge of the water:
"“A little more work from your diatoms, Tanol,” Lavon said. “Boulder ahead.” The ship swung ponderously. “All right, slow them up again. Give us a shove from your side, Tol—no, that’s too much—there, that’s it. Back to normal; you’re still turning us! Tanol, give us one burst to line us up again. Good. All right, steady drive on all sides. It shouldn’t be long now.”
“How can you think in webs like that?” the Para wondered behind him.
“I just do, that’s all. It’s the way men think. Overseers, a little more thrust now; the grade’s getting steeper.”
This was taken from "Surface Tension" by Anthony Blish:
I love that!
Your discussion of thinking in networks reminded me of the following quote from a sci-fi story published in 1952, emphasizing thinking in networks as a human quality as opposed to other species thinking sequentially.
The context is - Lavon, a microscopic human navigating the first ever watership (analogous to a spaceship) up a slope together with several other microscopic organism on a journey to the edge of the water:
"“A little more work from your diatoms, Tanol,” Lavon said. “Boulder ahead.” The ship swung ponderously. “All right, slow them up again. Give us a shove from your side, Tol—no, that’s too much—there, that’s it. Back to normal; you’re still turning us! Tanol, give us one burst to line us up again. Good. All right, steady drive on all sides. It shouldn’t be long now.”
“How can you think in webs like that?” the Para wondered behind him.
“I just do, that’s all. It’s the way men think. Overseers, a little more thrust now; the grade’s getting steeper.”
This was taken from "Surface Tension" by Anthony Blish:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_Tension_(short_story)