form

If the paper form is a system in its own right, a strip that has become curved on itself, something must have caused it to bend. If it is not a living thing, if could not move of its own accord; it must be acted on by a force. This could be provided by a collision with another non-living thing, or by interference from a living thing (me) . Therefore the paper strip can’t be an isolated, unique system. It must be a component of another system. It would remain straight, otherwise.

Are non-living things such as plastic bottles floating in the ocean, or blowing dead leaves isolated systems? These things were produced by living systems, but are not alive. They move, but not of their own accord, so they must be part of the action of a matrix-like system.

If the strip is a living thing, it could move in response to a stimulus, but then it would be a container for smaller systems that keep it alive. I think of seaweed drifting in the tide that has no muscles to move with, but is living, moving in a current,  anchored and made of cells. 

Suppose the strip were modeled on a cross section through a complex graph with many cusps in it, then the form the strip took could remain abstract, determined by numbers, which have no actual form of their own. The strip would be hypothetical, non-living, its shape determined by numbers (which we invented!).Imprisoned in its graph, it could be a  pure form.

Is there a difference between a straight strip and a convoluted strip? They are both strips, so topologically, I don’t think there is. This would be like the difference in form of a donut and a coffee mug: they are both donuts, but one has a big dent in the side.

So if there is no difference between a curved strip and a straight one, could the curved strip be an all inclusive system, alone? Whether it is living and molded by other living things, or non-living and manipulated, the impetus for change doesn’t matter. The form remains.