Let us suppose two computing systems. The first is a system for teaching and training skills within a community through one-on-one mentorship. This training takes place via a method of See-One Do-One Teach-One (sodoto). The system utilizes nineum as SODOTO Tokens for relating where someone is in a skill.
The second system is a game where players can be vampires. Vampirism is spread via a disease-like mechanic. After infection there is a three-day period before full-on vampirism sets in. Once vampirism sets in, the new vampire must feed before gaining their full powers. Once at full power the vampire can then spread their vampirism to future vampires. This system utilizes nineum as VAMPIR Tokens for relating where someone is in vampirism.
For the sake of brevity, I'll just use the letters in the tokens to show what's going on. There are four states in both systems:
* With no tokens, a user is in the ready state * Once a learner sees one they receive a SO token, and once a player is infected they receive a VA token. * Once a learner does one they receive a SODO token, and once a player reaches the three day mark they receive a VAMP token. * Once a learner teaches one they receive a SODOTO token, and once a player feeds they receive a VAMPIR token
And since computers are DFAs using regular language alphabets, SODOTO and VAMPIR can be represented by the same mishmash of unreadable ones and zeros that the computer actually likes (0010101011...). And so, THE SAME TOKEN CAN BE USED IN EACH SYSTEM TO REPRESENT THE ONTOLOGY OF TRAINING HUMANS AND BECOMING VAMPIRES.
And if that doesn't get you pumped up, I don't know what will.
Fwiw these aren't just contrived examples. The first is an actual use case from Marc Pierson, and the other is how vampirism works in the game Skyrim.