Information Architecture · Feb 2026
Atomic Notes
Most people write "Molecular Notes" — large paragraphs where definitions,
context, and actions are mixed. Atomic Notes break knowledge
down to the smallest possible unit. CLN enforces this by
treating every line as a distinct semantic atom.
01/The Problem of Molecules
"Active Recall is a study method where you test yourself. It's
better than rereading. Use Anki for this."
= Def: Active Recall
+ Advantage: Testing
| Tool: Anki
02/Atomic Decomposition
CLN Process
How CLN transforms a paragraph into reusable atoms:
. Visual
Boundary: The line break is the edge of the
atom.
. Semantic
Boundary: One operator per line (e.g., you
can't mix a
! and a =).. Contextual
Boundary: Use
#tags to label the
atom's properties.
03/Why Size Matters
+
Reusability: An "Anki" atom can be linked to
100 different projects.
+
Queryability: Find all
! risks
without reading the = definitions.+
Connection: Small bricks are easier to stack
than heavy boulders.
04Syntactic Pressure
*
Insight: CLN acts as a mold that casts your
thoughts into standard bricks.
*
Self-Test: Is a whole page considered an
"Atomic Note" in CLN? ||
Technically, the page is the container, but the "Atom"
is the individual line. CLN shifts the unit of value
from the Document to the Node. ||