[jzer0cool]

I'm curious too. Does this mean data is first normalized into this "columnar format" as the primary source and all applications are purely working off this format?

I do see yet clearly how the data is being transferred if no serializing/deserializing is taking place if someone here can help fill in further. It almost sounds like there is some specialized bridge for the data transfer and I don't have the right words for it.

[alisonkisk]

I think you've got it. Data is shared by passing a pointer to it, so the data doesn't need to be copied to different spots in memory (or if it is it's an efficient block copy not millions of tiny copies).