Over the centuries the Indians developed sign language for communicating phenomena of interest. Programmers from different tribes (FORTRAN, LISP, ALGOL, SNOBOL, etc.) could use one that doesn't require them to carry a blackboard on their ponies.
As we delve deeper into the quantum world, we find that topology is not just a mathematical curiosity, but a fundamental aspect of nature.
The novel is a form of exploration, a way of understanding the world and our place in it.