nfkro

Of course it’s rooted in the natural world. Even technical language is analogy and metaphor to natural phenomenon.

Any reputable scientist will tell you just that.

Using swarm in the context science fiction bugs is indirection.

It could be conceptualized otherwise but in writing at large it’s almost always used as an analogy to animal behavior (like a swarm of $natural_being).

I believe what you believe the accepted understanding is is just your opinion. It’s not my understanding of it at all.