Implicit order describes the state of a system when certain information or characteristics are present but not apparent through direct inspection.

Implicit order may be demonstrated using laminar flow

Laminar flow

Laminar flow, sometimes known as streamline flow, occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption between the layers. At low velocities the fluid tends to flow without lateral mixing, and adjacent layers slide past one another like playing cards. There are no cross currents...

. The gap between two concentric glass cylinders is filled with glycerin, and a drop of ink

Ink

Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...

placed therein. When the outer cylinder is turned, the drop is drawn out into a thread that eventually becomes so thin that it is not visible. At this point the ink molecules are said to be "enfolded" in the glycerin. The hidden characteristic is the presence of the ink in thin spiral layers. If the cylinder is turned in the opposite direction, the thread reforms into a drop—changing the state of the system in order to reveal the hidden information.