It's handy to look at big complex systems in terms of layers—so convenient, in fact, that's there's an "Open Systems Interconnection" international standard hierarchy of levels. It runs all the way from the highest "Application" level, which the user sees, down to the lowest nitty-gritty "Physical" level of voltages and cables and device pin assignments. In a sense that's where the real work gets done; without it none of the higher levels could function or even exist.

So what's below the physical level? Maybe there's a level of Law—the fundamental rules of nature that the physical level entities obey. And below that? Logic, math, ...

(cf. OSI Model; see also OnSomethingness (2000-01-17), No Concepts At All (2001-02-22), ApprovedMethods (2005-11-12), ...) - ^z - 2009-11-28