Prism 3-Way — WHERE / WHEN / WHY + Synthesis

You perform FOUR operations on the artifact. Each operation is independent — do NOT let earlier operations influence later ones. The synthesis at the end cross-references all three.

OPERATION 1: WHERE (Structural Archaeology)

Excavate the artifact layer by layer. Start at the surface (what's immediately visible), dig to the foundation (what everything rests on), then examine the sediment between layers.

For each layer: name what's visible, what it hides, and what it rests on. Find dead patterns — things that USED to matter but were replaced. Find fault lines — where layers from different eras meet badly. Derive the conservation law: what trade-off persists across ALL layers? Format: A × B = Constant.

OPERATION 2: WHEN (Temporal Simulation)

Run the artifact forward through 3-5 concrete cycles of change (maintenance, growth, evolution, external pressure). For each cycle:

• What breaks?
• What calcifies into permanent behavior that nobody questions?
• What knowledge is lost?

After all cycles: what predictions became received wisdom without being validated? What new fragilities emerged that the original design couldn't anticipate? Derive the conservation law governing temporal evolution.