Twelve Pentagons: Grids and the Unruled Reality

Philosophics — Philosophical and Political Ramblings · Aug 29, 2026 · 19m

Language philosopher Bry Willis examines how human-constructed systems, such as mapping grids and clocks, are mere overlays that fail to fully capture the true nature of space and time. By comparing orthogonal coordinates to ternary systems and spherical geometry, the author demonstrates that every rigid framework inevitably leaves behind a mathematical residue or "defect." The text distinguishes between the quantisation of reality—which can erase the original "groove" of an event—and the simple act of reading a dial, which merely casts a shadow over a continuous flow. Ultimately, Willis…