Since you raised the idea of abstraction (and having typed my fair share of Lambdas) I'd say that it's a powerful idea we can both focus on. Not all abstraction

Since you raised the idea of abstraction (and having typed my fair share of Lambdas) I'd say that it's a powerful idea we can both focus on. Not all abstractions are mystified. Some are. Clearly there are things that do not exist yet retain utility as concepts; money, democracy, wellness. And there are "real" things that only muddy the waters. Yes, one can point to a specific computer and say that it is part of The Cloud, just as you can point to a neuron or person and say that is part of a brain or a society. But what does that really tell us about societies, brains or clouds? I'm obviously channelling an inner Douglas Hofstadter here. The Cloud is something mystical not because it's an abstraction but because people don't care. It's more of an abdication than an abstraction. You can read a thousand comments here on HN literally saying stuff like "I don't care how it works". We positively celebrate it's mystery. It's not a noble-savage argument to ask, whether there is more intelligence and honour in the hopelessly unscientific, lost person who in their heart knows astrology is nonsense, but cares.... or the well educated scientist who has the capacity to deeply understand the Cloud but chooses not to as a "don't care" coping mechanism for complexity. That is what I mean by modern mysticism .