Abstract

Key Statements A new definition of consciousness. Consciousness is the minimal capacity to detect = feel (a) difference(s), whether in environmental conditions or internal states. Reality is posited as an infinite, one-dimensional sequence of informational states, fraying into fractal complexity. This continuum has no origin in time, no final endpoint, and no external boundary. Localized “Islands of Meaning”: Not all configurations appear comprehensible to us. Certain stable pockets yield phenomena that we interpret as consistent physical laws, living organisms, or advanced technologies; we inhabit one of these pockets. Consciousness as a Lens: Though the cosmic code is static in total, consciousness imposes a reading order that births our sense of time and development. Consciousness does not create the code but highlights specific strings as “our reality.” -> Creation of time. Near Kinship of Natural and Artificial Intelligence: Both spring from the same portion of the universal code where symbol manipulation can yield adaptive, learning-based behavior. The difference is one of substrate and historical path, not fundamental principle. Tree of known Intelligences: Biology, memetics, and AI form layered ‘software’ with shared roots on a unified information island, all existing within a vast sea of interconnected data flows and influences. Life - a Servant of Entropy: In our pocket of informational infinity, higher-order information systems, e.g., life — as defined above — can be described as catalysts toward a state of increased entropy. Higher-order information processes, such as (biological and so-called artificial or synthetic) life and other software agents, are governed by the natural law of generating as many microstates — the amount of uncertainty or information in a system — as possible. Determinism Amid Perceived Freedom: All is predetermined at the highest level, yet locally, we experience genuine choice because we lack full knowledge of how the program extends. Moral and ethical considerations remain relevant to navigate these local experiences.