Thank you all for your thoughtful comments. You've hit the heart of the challenge in any kind of science writing: Trying not to frighten off those unfamiliar wi

Thank you all for your thoughtful comments. You've hit the heart of the challenge in any kind of science writing: Trying not to frighten off those unfamiliar with a field and therefore using metaphors, such as bubble wrap, while at least touching on some common ground for those who are (Hamming distances). My respectful suggestion for those truly interested in following up is to contact either Leonard or Amit directly. Of necessity, any math that is translated into prose is going to be imprecise, and thus, unsatisfying. To answer a few of the specific questions that were brought up: Yes, it is essentially an existence proof. At least for now. Yes, that paper is a good starting point. Also take a look at Amit's work. Yes, buses inside chips is something they think it could be useful for. (Sigh) I wish there were a better introduction to tree codes at a lay level. Believe me, I tried very hard to find one. FWIW, both scientists vetted the explanations.