http://programmer.ie/tags/bitemporal-memory/ Recent content in Bitemporal Memory on Programmer.ie: Modern AI programming Hugo en-us Mon, 14 Sep 2026 05:00:08 +0100 http://programmer.ie/books/memory/08-chapter/ Mon, 14 Sep 2026 05:00:08 +0100 http://programmer.ie/books/memory/08-chapter/ <h2 id="the-same-events-a-different-story">The same events, a different story</h2> <p>Consider three remembered events from the migration history:</p> <div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" style="color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#272822;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;"><code class="language-text" data-lang="text"><span style="display:flex;"><span>A = benchmark detects SQLite contention </span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span>B = team decides to adopt PostgreSQL </span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span>C = PostgreSQL deployment completes </span></span></code></pre></div><p>As an unordered set, <code>{A, B, C}</code>, the system knows all three happened. As a trajectory, <code>A → B → C</code>, it can say something stronger: the benchmark preceded the decision, and the decision preceded the deployment. Now hold the contents constant and change only the ordering to <code>B → A → C</code>. Nothing was added and nothing was removed, yet the benchmark can no longer have motivated the decision. It may corroborate the decision, strengthen confidence in it, or justify retaining it — but a later measurement cannot have been the reason for an earlier choice.</p>