A Framework for Cosmic Evolution via Informational Inheritance

Introduction The quest to understand the origins and ultimate fate of the cosmos drives the frontiers of theoretical physics. Foundational questions persist: What, if anything, preceded the Big Bang? What is the fundamental nature of the information that constitutes reality? And by what mechanism do the physical laws and initial conditions of our universe arise? This framework presents a speculative model designed to address these questions, proposing a universe that is not a singular event but one cycle in a potentially infinite sequence of cosmic evolution driven by the inheritance of information. This framework proposes a model of cosmic evolution governed by a Principle of Informational Inheritance. It posits that the universe undergoes a potentially infinite sequence of cycles, where the terminal phase of one cycle impresses a residual informational structure upon the foundational state of the next. The proposed physical mechanism for this process, termed De-Actualization, is the gravitational memory effect—a prediction of General Relativity—generated by cataclysmic events such as black hole mergers. These events broadcast and permanently encode key information into the geometric fabric of spacetime, creating the "Informational Imprint" that biases the subsequent cycle. It is essential for the reader to understand that this framework rests on a dual foundation: one anchored in established physical theory and the other in necessary philosophical speculation. The core mechanism is deliberately tied to the potentially testable predictions of General Relativity. However, to create a coherent narrative, the framework knowingly introduces several concepts that are, at present, philosophical postulates unsupported by proven scientific theory. These include: the foundational ground state of "Neutral Mass Information"; the primary driver termed the "Cosmic Refusal"; and the specific causal mechanism proposed for conscious observation. These concepts are presented as speculative instruments for theoretical exploration, not as claims of established fact. The work required to move them beyond postulation is immense, but as you so aptly put it, what else is one to do with something of this sort? The document that follows will systematically build upon this foundation, exploring the framework's principles, processes, implications, and its relationship to established physical laws.