# digital (electrical)

information that is made of distinct patterns

- Computed level: L7 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: emergence  ·  Arena: definition

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [information](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-information.knowledge), [pattern](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-pattern.regularity), [distinct](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-distinct.attribute), [make](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-make.verb)

**Through:** information and pattern interact through distinction and assembly, making a structured, persistent form.

**Novel properties:**
- discrete representation
- reliable replication
- abstract encoding

## Examples
- The Voyager 1 probe transmits data using binary pulses that distinguish between two voltage levels. *(engineering)*
- Morse code on a telegraph line uses short and long electrical pulses to represent letters. *(communications)*
- A CD stores music as a sequence of pits and lands read by a laser in a digital pattern. *(computing)*

## Used by
- [computer](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-computer.digital) (L11)
- [database](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-database.information) (L9)
- [files](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-files.digital) (L10)
- [pics](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-pics.visual) (L14)
- [printer](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-printer.tool) (L17)

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-digital.electrical*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-digital.electrical.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*