E8: Map of the universe?

Garrett Lisi constructed a theory of everything in physics using the model discovered in late 19th century, called E8, whose reflectional hyperplane diagram has 248 points mapping symmetries in 248 dimensions. By particle physics standards, Lisi's model is simple. Even the simple explanation baffles me. Can you make sense of it? I find it hard to even distinguish the diagram from a religious mandala.

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