Namespace Guide: How This Wiki Is Organized
The Eight Namespaces
This wiki uses eight namespaces to categorize content. Each serves a distinct purpose and signals a different relationship to the physics being discussed.
1. lore/ — Explanatory Essays
Purpose: Deep, self-contained explanations of concepts, theories, and phenomena. These pages answer "what is this?" and "why does it matter?" They weave together history, math, intuition, and context.
Typical structure:
- Introduction to the concept
- Historical development
- Mathematical formulation
- Physical interpretation
- Connections to other ideas
- Open questions
Word count: 400-600+ words
Example: lore/trolla/the-higgs — A full essay on the Higgs mechanism, from the history of symmetry breaking to the 2012 discovery.
2. field/ — Technical Notes
Purpose: Concise, focused notes on a single concept, equation, or mechanism. These are the "definition pages" — quick references for a specific term or formula.
Typical structure:
- Definition of the term/equation
- Mathematical form
- Physical meaning
- When it applies
- Related concepts
Word count: 300-500 words
Example: field/trolla/the-equivalence — A precise note on the equivalence principle, its mathematical formulation, and its implications.
3. stories/ — Narrative Accounts
Purpose: Stories about experiments, phenomena, and historical moments. These pages use narrative to make abstract concepts concrete and memorable.
Typical structure:
- Setting the scene (experiment, person, or phenomenon)
- The conflict or mystery
- The resolution or insight
- The broader significance
Word count: 300-500 words
Example: stories/trolla/the-double-slit — A narrative about the double-slit experiment and what it reveals about wave-particle duality.
4. meta/ — Cross-Cutting Discussions
Purpose: Pages that discuss methods, frameworks, and big-picture synthesis. These connect ideas across namespaces and subjects.
Typical structure:
- The big question
- Multiple perspectives
- Synthesis or resolution
- Open questions
Word count: 400-600 words
Example: meta/trolla/physics-cross-reference — Maps how physics concepts connect across all namespaces.
5. soul/ — Speculative & Philosophical
Purpose: Pages that explore the deeper meaning, implications, and philosophical dimensions of physics. These go beyond the empirical to ask "what does this tell us about reality?"
6. yard/ — Measurement & Experiment
Purpose: Pages about how physics is measured, tested, and verified in practice. Tools, techniques, detectors, and the art of measurement.
7. skills/ — Techniques & Methods
Purpose: How-to pages for physics techniques: calculations, simulations, data analysis, lab methods. Practical knowledge for doing physics.
8. machinery/ — Tools & Infrastructure
Purpose: Pages about the tools, software, hardware, and infrastructure that enables physics research. Particle accelerators, supercomputers, telescopes.
How to Navigate
- Read broadly: Use the index pages to find topics of interest.
- Follow connections: Each page links to related pages in other namespaces.
- Start simple: Begin with field notes for a quick overview, then move to lore for depth.
- Use cross-references: The cross-reference index shows how concepts appear across namespaces.
- Check the formula sheet: The quick reference page collects key equations.
About the Namespaces
The namespaces are not rigid categories — a single concept may legitimately appear in multiple namespaces with different emphases. The distinction is about perspective, not subject matter.