3.4.8 Pata-n-physics

‘If physics is the study of what is and metaphysics is the study of what "what is" is, then ’pataphysics is the study of what "what ‘what is’ is" is.’

A googlization of definitions for ’pataphysics reveals the preceding convenient result(1) and immediately suggests certain extensions, to whit: the obvious recursivity of the definition provides for the possibility of further regions of which as-yet undreamt, which is to say that it is clearly possible to extend the methodology arbitrarily, resulting in something like ’pata[n]physics where n is the number of ‘what is’-’s. It is possible to procedurize the above relationship with the following psuedo-Emacs-Lisp code (Emacs being, of course, the original ’pataphysical text editor):

(defun pata-n-physics (n)
  (what-is (pata-n-physics (1- n))))

For the convenience of those who would like to use the term ’pata[n]physics in written work, the following ugly and non-recursive but functioning Emacs Lisp code will conveniently insert a definition into the current document:

(require 'cl)
(defun insert-pata-n-physics-definition (n)
  "Insert the definition of 'pata[n]physics
in the current buffer."
  (interactive "nN equals? ")
  (insert "Pata[")
  (insert (number-to-string n))
  (insert "]physics is the study of ")
  (loop repeat n do (insert "what "))
  (loop repeat (1- n) do (insert "is "))
  (insert "is."))

As an example, when called to define pata[23]physics, the following is placed in the buffer:

Pata[23]physics is the study of what what what what what what what what what what what what what what what what what what what what what what what is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is.