Lines & Arrows showcase

An interactive example of the la-actor-select event. Click a lineage

@Neanderthals icon users-three tag sister group tooltip A close human lineage adapted to western Eurasia; ancient DNA records contact with both Homo sapiens and Denisovans. tooltip-icon fingerprint @Denisovans icon mountains tag DNA-defined tooltip Discovered through DNA, then traced through a skull, jaws, teeth, and living genomes across Asia and Oceania. tooltip-icon dna @Homo sapiens icon globe-hemisphere-west tag living tooltip Our lineage originated in Africa, then dispersing populations met other human groups across Eurasia. tooltip-icon globe-hemisphere-west parallel Encounters across Eurasia, ~100-45 ka | Western Eurasia, ~60-45 ka Neanderthals -> Neanderthals: Build a life in Eurasia tag deep roots tooltip Neanderthals controlled fire, made clothing and sophisticated tools, and weathered immense climate swings across Europe and western Asia. tooltip-icon campfire Homo sapiens -> Neanderthals: Meet and have children tag gene flow tooltip Ancient genomes record repeated contact rather than a single encounter. tooltip-icon dna | Denisova Cave, Siberia, ~90 ka Neanderthals -> Denisovans: Denisova 11 is born tag F1 hybrid tooltip Her genome shows a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father. tooltip-icon identification-card | Asia, several encounters Homo sapiens -> Denisovans: Populations meet tag gene flow tooltip Living genomes suggest contact with more than one Denisovan-related population. tooltip-icon users-three gap Hundreds of generations pass legacy Living genomes Neanderthals --> Homo sapiens: Inherited fragments persist tag widespread tooltip Neanderthal-derived DNA is distributed across living populations in different proportions. tooltip-icon fingerprint Denisovans --> Homo sapiens: EPAS1 crosses time tag adaptation tooltip A Denisovan-like EPAS1 haplotype contributes to high-altitude adaptation in Tibetan populations. tooltip-icon mountains

Software engineering

Rename a column without waking the pager

An expand-and-contract migration keeps old and new application versions compatible while a canary decides when the legacy column can disappear.

@Release icon rocket-launch tooltip Orchestrates flags and migration steps across releases tooltip-icon git-branch @Application icon app-window @Database icon database tag shared schema @Backfill Worker icon arrows-clockwise @Telemetry icon pulse Release -> Database: Add nullable display_name tooltip Expanding first keeps the old application compatible tooltip-icon plus-circle Release -> Application: Enable dual writes parallel Compatibility window | live profile updates repeat Every accepted write Application -> Database: Write name and display_name | historical profiles repeat Batches under load Backfill Worker -> Database: Copy name into display_name Database --> Backfill Worker: Batch committed Application -> Telemetry: Report read mismatches choice Canary reads | mismatch rate is zero Telemetry --> Release: New column is ready Release -> Application: Prefer display_name | mismatches appear Telemetry -> Release: Hold the rollout tag SLO guardrail tooltip Keeps the compatible path while engineers inspect the cohort tooltip-icon warning Release -> Application: Keep reading name gap One release after every old reader retires Release -> Database: Require display_name Release -> Database: Drop name

Service-oriented architecture

A checkout that knows how to unwind

An order saga coordinates payment and stock, then compensates earlier work when a later service cannot commit.

@Storefront icon storefront @Order Service icon receipt tag saga owner tooltip Owns the saga state without sharing a database tooltip-icon flow-arrow @Payment Service icon credit-card @Inventory Service icon warehouse @Delivery Service icon truck Storefront -> Order Service: Place order Order Service -> Payment Service: Authorize payment choice Payment result | authorized Payment Service --> Order Service: Hold approved Order Service -> Inventory Service: Reserve items choice Stock result | reserved Inventory Service --> Order Service: Reservation confirmed Order Service -> Delivery Service: Schedule shipment Delivery Service --> Order Service: Delivery window Order Service --> Storefront: Confirm order | unavailable Inventory Service --> Order Service: Reservation rejected critical Compensate prior work Order Service -> Payment Service: Release hold Payment Service --> Order Service: Hold released Order Service --> Storefront: Explain stock conflict | declined Payment Service --> Order Service: Authorization declined Order Service --> Storefront: Request another payment method

Data flow and streaming

The window waits for watermarks

A fraud pipeline joins live payments with recent behavior, emits alerts, and revises evidence when late events cross the watermark.

@Payment Edge icon credit-card @Event Stream icon queue tooltip Partitioned by account to preserve local ordering tooltip-icon info @Window Processor icon funnel tag event-time @Risk Model icon gauge @Risk Desk icon shield-warning Payment Edge -> Event Stream: Publish payment repeat For each account partition Event Stream -> Window Processor: Deliver payment event Window Processor -> Window Processor: Update five-minute features Window Processor -> Risk Model: Score current window choice Score result | suspicious Risk Model --> Window Processor: High risk Window Processor -> Risk Desk: Emit alert | routine Risk Model --> Window Processor: Below threshold gap Watermark advances choice Arrival timing | within allowed lateness Event Stream -> Window Processor: Deliver late payment Window Processor -> Window Processor: Revise window Window Processor -> Risk Model: Rescore corrected features Risk Model --> Window Processor: Corrected score Window Processor -> Risk Desk: Amend alert evidence | past retention Event Stream ->x Window Processor: Drop expired event tooltip Window state has already been compacted tooltip-icon clock-countdown

LLM agents

The diagnosis earns its citations

An investigation agent retrieves versioned evidence, cites every diagnosis, and leaves the consequential rollback decision with a human reviewer.

@Engineer icon terminal @Research Agent icon robot tag advisory only tooltip Builds claims from retrieved evidence but cannot approve action tooltip-icon shield-check @Search Index icon magnifying-glass @Source Documents icon books @Human Reviewer icon user-check tag approval gate Engineer -> Research Agent: Investigate the failed deployment Research Agent -> Search Index: Query errors and change history parallel Gather grounded context Search Index --> Research Agent: Return relevant records Research Agent -> Source Documents: Open exact passages Source Documents --> Research Agent: Return versioned evidence Research Agent -> Research Agent: Draft a diagnosis with citations Research Agent -> Human Reviewer: Propose cause and rollback tag cited evidence tooltip Every claim points to a retrieved passage tooltip-icon file-text Human Reviewer -> Source Documents: Verify cited passages choice Review outcome | evidence holds Human Reviewer --> Engineer: Approve the rollback plan | evidence conflicts Human Reviewer --> Research Agent: Request a narrower claim Research Agent -> Search Index: Search for the missing evidence

Stock trading

One bell, one opening price

An opening auction collects queued buy and sell orders, finds one price that matches the most shares, then publishes the opening trades.

@Investor icon user @Broker icon buildings @Opening Auction icon arrows-left-right tooltip Collects eligible orders before continuous trading begins tooltip-icon chart-line-up @Market Data icon chart-line-up @Trade Tape icon broadcast Investor -> Broker: Submit a market-on-open order Broker -> Opening Auction: Route the eligible order repeat Until the opening cutoff Opening Auction -> Opening Auction: Add and cancel auction orders Opening Auction -> Market Data: Publish indicative price and imbalance Market Data --> Investor: Show the changing auction signal gap Opening auction cutoff Opening Auction -> Opening Auction: Choose the price that matches the most shares choice Executable cross | enough opposing volume Opening Auction --> Broker: Fill at one opening price tooltip All matched auction orders execute at the same opening price tooltip-icon scales Broker --> Investor: Confirm shares filled Opening Auction -> Trade Tape: Publish opening trades | not enough opposing volume Opening Auction --> Broker: Report no opening execution Broker --> Investor: Report no opening fill

Molecular biology

A molecular address check

A guide RNA points Cas9 toward a candidate site, where the editor checks the molecular address before making a cut.

@Guide RNA icon crosshair tooltip RNA sequence that steers Cas9 toward a matching DNA site tooltip-icon target @Cas9 icon scissors @Target DNA icon dna @Cell Repair icon gear Guide RNA -> Cas9: Load the target pattern repeat Search the genome Cas9 -> Target DNA: Test PAM and sequence choice Binding result | PAM and close match Cas9 -> Target DNA: Cut both strands Target DNA -> Cell Repair: Signal a break Cell Repair --> Target DNA: Patch or rewrite | weak match Cas9 --> Guide RNA: Release site and keep searching

Immunology

The immune system's dress rehearsal

Vaccination builds antibodies and memory in parallel, preparing a faster response when the matching antigen returns.

@Vaccine icon syringe tooltip A simplified model of training immunity without reproducing the full disease tooltip-icon shield-check @Antigen-Presenting Cell icon microscope @Helper T Cell icon person @B Cell icon shield-check @Pathogen icon virus Vaccine -> Antigen-Presenting Cell: Deliver an antigen cue Antigen-Presenting Cell -> Helper T Cell: Present the cue parallel Build adaptive protection | antibodies Helper T Cell -> B Cell: Activate a matching clone B Cell --> Pathogen: Produce antibodies that fit | memory Helper T Cell -> B Cell: Preserve memory cells gap Months or years later Pathogen -> B Cell: Matching antigen appears again B Cell --> Pathogen: Mount a faster response

Marine ecology

When a reef loses its solar partners

Heat-stressed coral expels its energy-producing algae, then either declines or begins recovering as ocean temperatures change.

@Warm Ocean icon thermometer-hot @Coral icon waves tooltip Bleached coral is stressed and can still recover if conditions improve tooltip-icon first-aid @Symbiotic Algae icon leaf @Reef Community icon fish Warm Ocean -> Coral: Sustain heat stress Coral -> Symbiotic Algae: Expel stressed partners Symbiotic Algae --> Coral: Supply less photosynthetic energy gap If the heat lasts for weeks choice Temperature trend | stays high Coral -> Reef Community: Habitat begins to erode | cools in time Symbiotic Algae -> Coral: Recolonize tissue Coral --> Reef Community: Recovery becomes possible

Planetary exploration

A rover drives between phone calls

A Mars rover receives a plan, navigates locally while the orbiter is out of sight, then returns its science.

@Mission Control icon globe @Relay Orbiter icon radio tag intermittent tooltip Communicates with the rover only during a relay pass tooltip-icon broadcast @Rover icon robot tag autonomous @Navigation Camera icon camera @Rock Outcrop icon mountains Mission Control -> Relay Orbiter: Upload the sol plan Relay Orbiter -> Rover: Forward commands gap The orbiter drops below the horizon Rover ->x Relay Orbiter: Send a late status packet repeat Autonomous drive segment Rover -> Navigation Camera: Scan the next few metres choice Route assessment | clear Navigation Camera --> Rover: Safe path Rover -> Rock Outcrop: Drive and sample | blocked Navigation Camera --> Rover: Hazard ahead Rover -> Rover: Plan a detour gap Next relay pass Rover -> Relay Orbiter: Send images and telemetry Relay Orbiter --> Mission Control: Downlink the science

Marketing

The campaign earns its budget

A small creative test follows two promises through qualified conversions, waits for evidence, then scales the stronger idea.

@Strategist icon target tooltip Starts small enough to learn before spending at scale tooltip-icon chart-line-up @Ad Platform icon megaphone @Visitor icon user @Landing Page icon browser @CRM icon users Strategist -> Ad Platform: Launch a small test experiment Creative split | promise Ad Platform -> Visitor: Show the benefit-led ad | curiosity Ad Platform -> Visitor: Show the question-led ad Visitor -> Landing Page: Follow the ad choice Visit outcome | interested Landing Page -> CRM: Record qualified lead tooltip Conversion wins on fit, not clicks tooltip-icon chart-line-up CRM --> Strategist: Report conversion | unconvinced Landing Page --> Ad Platform: Record bounce gap After the confidence interval closes Ad Platform --> Strategist: Compare cost per lead Strategist -> Ad Platform: Scale the winner

Civic operations

When a ballot needs a second look

An ambiguous mark moves from machine reading to rule-bound human review while the ballot remains anonymous.

@Voter icon person @Poll Worker icon identification-badge @Ballot Scanner icon scan @Review Panel icon scales @Public Count icon chart-bar Voter -> Poll Worker: Submit paper ballot Poll Worker -> Ballot Scanner: Feed sealed ballot choice Machine reading | mark is clear Ballot Scanner --> Poll Worker: Accepted Ballot Scanner -> Public Count: Add anonymous vote | mark is ambiguous Ballot Scanner --> Poll Worker: Flag for review tooltip Reviewers see the ballot marks\nnot the voter's identity\nPublished rules decide the outcome\nbefore the vote enters the count tooltip-icon eye gap After polls close Poll Worker -> Review Panel: Deliver sealed ballot Review Panel -> Review Panel: Apply published intent rules Review Panel -> Public Count: Add adjudicated vote Poll Worker --> Voter: Ballot deposited