[John Isbell]

That is an interesting Wikipedia article. However it appears - unless I am totally missing the point - to pass over what seems to me one more relatively simple solution, my own favorite and one implied by the teleportation example: that focus on "parts" itself fundamentally misses the point, and that existence is instead relational, a truism since Einstein if not long before. The relation of subatomic particles to each other - their ratio - determines what element something is. Existence is built from that. Further, the relation of atoms and molecules within us determines our physical existence. And lastly, energy, be it particles or waves, is constructed relationally. A wave is a series of relations between points. This seems to me so self-evident, both as principle and as solution, that I am somewhat astonished to find it missing from the Wikipedia page, which might perhaps benefit from a tad less philosophy and a tad more basic science.

Cheers,
John

Update: just to add that "the internet is a series of tubes."
Update II: just to add, Andrew, that I enjoyed your poem, termites and all, as well as Jennifer's translations. Susan's I've been following.