The Principle of Minimal Meaningfulness: A New Ontology for Consciousness, AI, and Physics

This work proposes a unified ontological framework—the Principle of Minimal Meaningfulness—to resolve fundamental impasses in consciousness studies, physics, and artificial intelligence. Rejecting the paradigm treating consciousness as an epiphenomenon of matter, we argue that reality arises from a process of selection where structures persist only if they are minimally complex and decodable by an observer. Consciousness is reframed as a compression interface mediating this process. The theory is operationalized through a falsifiable model of awareness (B = \alpha \cdot C \cdot \Phi), bridging metaphysics with empirical science. Applications span from redefining quantum measurement to predicting emergent consciousness in adaptive AI systems. This manifesto invites interdisciplinary collaboration to advance a science of mind and reality grounded in information, complexity, and meaning.