The Photon Paradox: Why Dark Matter May Be Hidden in Ordinary Light

I propose a novel theoretical framework called the "Photon Paradox", which offers a unified solution to the dark matter and dark energy problems without introducing new particles. By postulating a string-scale entanglement between ordinary photons and the Higgs vacuum expectation value, each photon acquires a tiny, scale-dependent invariant rest mass m_γ. The cumulative effect of approximately 1.47 × 10^89 photons in the observable universe naturally accounts for the observed dark matter density (Ω_DM ≈ 0.27). The model distinguishes two effects: (1) free photons in intergalactic space contribute to dark matter, and (2) absorbed photons transfer part of their fictitious rest mass to baryonic matter — in addition to the standard E=mc² contribution. This naturally reproduces the observed dark-to-baryonic matter ratio Ω_DM/Ω_b ≈ 5.5 as a direct consequence of the extreme emptiness of the Universe. The framework makes concrete, testable predictions for Fast Radio Bursts (dispersion), CMB observations, and laboratory precision mass measurements under intense laser irradiation. This preprint presents the core idea, mathematical formulation, cosmological implications, and falsifiable predictions.