46
Engineering Systems Integration
the infectious pathogenic agent. Immunity is the result of an interaction
between the body (object) and the pathogen object (a protein-coated shred of
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA)) has now become
part of the body’s DNA or RNA structures. In the case of a virus touching the
DNA or RNA in our body, the touching is likely an integration of proteins.
The boundaries of both objects are presumed to be in physical contact. As we
will determine, boundaries are more than physical. Functions and behaviors
of objects can be juxtaposed (and even separated by great distances), yet still
have causal effects.
Consider the case of a boundary between two people—one being the carrier of the virus (sender object), the other being the recipient of the virus
(receiver object). Neither person comes into physical contact with the other,
but a cough from the sender expels a pathogenically contaminated mix of air
into the surrounding environment. The boundary of the sender’s body is
breached by the cough with the resultant spray extending into a volume outside the physical boundary of the contaminated object. The receiver moves
through that contaminated region of air breathing in the virus, and later
developing symptoms of the infection. The function of the sender ‘to hack
and expel air’ from their lungs, throat, and mouth extends the consequences
of the object, which is the same as their normal breathing—extending the
consequences of the object by expelling matter (object). The function to ‘to
hack and expel air’ from the sender has extended the boundary of the object.
The physical boundary is therefore extendable by a function of the object.
The functional boundary of the contaminated air has a lifecycle, that is, from
the moment the pathogen has left the sender’s body until the virus is no longer pathogenic or is physically unable to enter a host susceptible to infection
by the pathogen.
Now we find that the habits of the infected receiver are unsanitary. The
physical boundary of the sender’s body has been extended by behaviors
through the enactment of a function(s). The receiver incubates the virus for
a period, develops symptoms, and becomes contagious. During this contagious time, the receiver shakes hands with another unsuspecting person
and transmits the virus from hand to hand (physical boundary). The habits
of the infected person are extending the boundary of the originally sick
person, each person in turn becoming a vector for the pathogen. The physical boundary of an object is extensible by functions and by behaviors. The
physical boundary has been referred to as the bona fide boundary and the
extended boundaries (by function and behaviors) as the fiat boundaries
(Smith 1994, 1995).
Objects can be physical or abstract (abstract in some incarnation, but transformed in the physical domain for the purpose of boundaries). Objects
receive inputs, have mechanisms, transform inputs into outputs, and have
losses. Their mechanisms transform inputs into outputs. The inputs are possible combinations of EMMI. Through their mechanisms, objects can transform the inputs into an output and send the results. Mechanisms are broadly
Engineering Systems Integration
the infectious pathogenic agent. Immunity is the result of an interaction
between the body (object) and the pathogen object (a protein-coated shred of
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA)) has now become
part of the body’s DNA or RNA structures. In the case of a virus touching the
DNA or RNA in our body, the touching is likely an integration of proteins.
The boundaries of both objects are presumed to be in physical contact. As we
will determine, boundaries are more than physical. Functions and behaviors
of objects can be juxtaposed (and even separated by great distances), yet still
have causal effects.
Consider the case of a boundary between two people—one being the carrier of the virus (sender object), the other being the recipient of the virus
(receiver object). Neither person comes into physical contact with the other,
but a cough from the sender expels a pathogenically contaminated mix of air
into the surrounding environment. The boundary of the sender’s body is
breached by the cough with the resultant spray extending into a volume outside the physical boundary of the contaminated object. The receiver moves
through that contaminated region of air breathing in the virus, and later
developing symptoms of the infection. The function of the sender ‘to hack
and expel air’ from their lungs, throat, and mouth extends the consequences
of the object, which is the same as their normal breathing—extending the
consequences of the object by expelling matter (object). The function to ‘to
hack and expel air’ from the sender has extended the boundary of the object.
The physical boundary is therefore extendable by a function of the object.
The functional boundary of the contaminated air has a lifecycle, that is, from
the moment the pathogen has left the sender’s body until the virus is no longer pathogenic or is physically unable to enter a host susceptible to infection
by the pathogen.
Now we find that the habits of the infected receiver are unsanitary. The
physical boundary of the sender’s body has been extended by behaviors
through the enactment of a function(s). The receiver incubates the virus for
a period, develops symptoms, and becomes contagious. During this contagious time, the receiver shakes hands with another unsuspecting person
and transmits the virus from hand to hand (physical boundary). The habits
of the infected person are extending the boundary of the originally sick
person, each person in turn becoming a vector for the pathogen. The physical boundary of an object is extensible by functions and by behaviors. The
physical boundary has been referred to as the bona fide boundary and the
extended boundaries (by function and behaviors) as the fiat boundaries
(Smith 1994, 1995).
Objects can be physical or abstract (abstract in some incarnation, but transformed in the physical domain for the purpose of boundaries). Objects
receive inputs, have mechanisms, transform inputs into outputs, and have
losses. Their mechanisms transform inputs into outputs. The inputs are possible combinations of EMMI. Through their mechanisms, objects can transform the inputs into an output and send the results. Mechanisms are broadly