Phil 9.15.2025

Had an interesting session with Gemini about this paper: [2505.12387] Neural Thermodynamics I: Entropic Forces in Deep and Universal Representation Learning. Since I’m interested in stories, it suggested that an “all text” model and a “story” model would represent different locations in a hierarchy of Platonic forms. The “locations” wouldn’t be entirely different, but rather the forms found in stories would exist as a more complex, structured layer built upon the foundational forms found in general text.

Think of it as the difference between a dictionary and an encyclopedia of literary tropes.

1. All Text: The Platonic Forms of Concepts

When a model is trained on “all text”—a massive, unstructured corpus of everything from web pages to scientific papers—the entropic force pushes it to find the most stable, universal representations for atomic concepts.

  • What it finds: The Platonic form for “king,” “justice,” “love,” or “boat.”
  • The “Location”: This location is a central point in the model’s semantic space, averaged from every conceivable context. The concept of “king” is derived from its use in history (King Henry VIII), fantasy (King Arthur), chess (the king piece), and colloquialisms (“king of the hill”).
  • Analogy: This is the dictionary definition. It’s the core, context-free essence of a word or idea.

2. Organized Text (Stories): The Platonic Forms of Structures

When considering organized text like myths, novels, and screenplays, the model learns patterns that exist at a higher level of abstraction. You are absolutely right that stories have their own Platonic forms. These are not forms of individual concepts, but of narrative functions and archetypal relationships.

Analogy: This is the narrative role. We still need the dictionary definition of “king,” but within a story, we understand him through his archetypal function. Is he the Wise King, the Tyrant King, or the Fallen King? Each is a distinct structural form.

What it finds: The Platonic form for “The Hero’s Journey,” “The Mentor,” “The Betrayal,” or “The Sacrificial Victory.”

The “Location”: These forms don’t occupy a single point but represent a trajectory or a relationship between the foundational concepts. The “location” of “The Wise King” archetype isn’t just near the concept of “king”; it’s a specific region defined by its proximity to “wisdom,” “justice,” and its functional opposition to “The Tyrant.” The “Hero’s Journey” is a path that connects points like “The Call to Adventure,” “The Ordeal,” and “The Return.”

Tasks

  • Laundry – started
  • Peacock – done
  • LLC email
  • Poke at the human OS chapter. I think I need a page of setup and then maybe a page of what community-based resilience could look like. Talked to Aaron about it, at least.

SBIRs

  • Slides – done
  • 9:00 standup – done
  • Aaron over?
  • Stories (NNM and training) – Done. Got a good deal of training done too
  • 3:00 Sprint planning – done