I wrote this last year, but the notion was kicking around in my head for (I think) years prior. The notion that many (most?) of our running programs have an unb

I wrote this last year, but the notion was kicking around in my head for (I think) years prior. The notion that many (most?) of our running programs have an unbroken lineage that goes back decades is still something that is fascinating to me. When doing systems research, I often argue that we have to treat computer systems like mini-universes: there's enough complex interaction of parts that experimentation is the only reliable way of figuring out what, exactly, is going on. I'm fascinated that we have have to use the scientific method to understand our own creation. This biology parallel is another component of that.