Cosmology
The Vacuum Energy Catastrophe
Quantum field theory predicts vacuum energy density of ~10113 J/m³. We observe ~5.36 × 10−10 J/m³. That's a 123-order-of-magnitude discrepancy—the worst prediction in physics.
The EiG framework resolves this by constraining vacuum complexity through the Q parameter. The result matches observation exactly.
The Hubble Tension
Local measurements of the universe's expansion rate disagree with early-universe predictions. The discrepancy has resisted explanation for years.
EiG's discernibility-based cosmology aligns measurements at H0 ≈ 70 km/s/Mpc by accounting for how the energy-information gradient varies across cosmic scales.
Galactic Rotation Without Dark Matter
Galaxies rotate faster than their visible matter should allow. The standard solution: invoke unseen "dark matter" comprising 85% of all matter.
EiG derives gravity as a discernibility gradient. The rotation curves emerge naturally from the framework without requiring invisible mass.
Light Behavior
Variable Speed of Light
The effective speed of light varies with local complexity: ceff = cnorme−γQ/2. In cosmic voids, light travels faster. Near dense matter, it slows.
This isn't speculation—it's supported by supernova data showing systematic deviations in light speed across different cosmic environments.
The Double-Slit Paradox
Why does observation change the outcome? The EiG Light Behavior Framework (ELBF) resolves this without invoking consciousness or measurement.
Photons undergo discernibility decay. Coherence loss is a phase transition driven by gradient conditions, not by being watched.
Origin of Structure
The Thermodynamic Ratchet
Dissolution is never complete. Breaking structure costs energy; at some point, Ecost(dissolution) > Erecovered. The process halts at a "residual structure" state.
This residue is memory—thermodynamically encoded. Every self-organization cycle leaves a trace. Traces accumulate. Structure ratchets upward over time.
The easiest way to destroy old structure is to build new structure in its place. Erasure is expensive; overwriting is cheap. Information persists through transformation, not despite it.
Heredity Without Replication
You don't need genes to have heredity. You need structure that survives dissolution preferentially. Under sustained energy flux through complex molecules, configurations get selected by dissolution resistance.
Survivors serve as templates. Over many cycles, complexity ratchets upward. Eventually, molecular "memory" becomes stable enough to template copies of itself. That's the code threshold.
For the formal treatment of these implications, see the Academic section.