Information-Driven Evolution of Science, Technology, and Civilization

Information-Driven Evolution of Science, Technology, and

Civilization:

A Unified Dynamical Perspective

Roberto De Biase

Rigene Project

rigeneproject@rigene.eu

January 11, 2026

Abstract

Recent developments in information-based physical theories suggest that information is not

merely a descriptive tool, but a fundamental dynamical substrate from which physical, chem-

ical, biological, and cognitive phenomena emerge. Building on three complementary frame-

works—Universal Information Dynamics (UID), the Universal Information Code theory (CUB),

and a unified bio-physical-chemical information dynamics model—we analyze the likely evo-

lutionary trajectories of science, technology, and human civilization. We argue that increas-

ing informational density and connectivity drive phase transitions in knowledge production,

technological architectures, and social organization. These transitions are characterized not

by incremental progress, but by shifts in coherence, scale coupling, and replication dynamics.

The paper outlines near-, mid-, and long-term evolutionary steps implied by these frameworks,

while remaining agnostic to speculative assumptions and emphasizing falsifiability and empirical

grounding.

1 Introduction

The rapid acceleration of scientific discovery, digital technology, and artificial intelligence has ex-

posed structural limitations in the traditional disciplinary separation between physics, chemistry,

biology, and the social sciences. Several recent theoretical frameworks propose that this fragmen-

tation arises from treating information as secondary rather than fundamental.

In prior work, we introduced:

• a mathematical framework for Universal Information Dynamics (UID), in which physical laws

emerge from scale-dependent dynamics of an informational field [1];

• the Universal Information Code (CUB) theory, extending this framework toward quantum–classical

unification and experimentally testable predictions [2];

• a unified bio-physical-chemical model describing life as an organized, non-equilibrium en-

ergy–information flow [3].

The present paper does not introduce a new fundamental theory. Instead, it examines the

evolutionary implications of these frameworks for science, technology, and civilization, assuming

their partial or approximate validity.

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2 Theoretical Background

2.1 Information as a Dynamical Substrate

Across UID and CUB, information is modeled as an operator-valued or field-like quantity endowed

with:

1. gauge symmetries,

2. renormalization-group scale dependence,

3. non-local correlation structure.

Quantum mechanics, classical physics, and spacetime geometry emerge as effective descriptions

in distinct coherence and entropy regimes [1, 2]. This view aligns with developments in quantum

information, decoherence theory, and emergent gravity, while remaining experimentally constrained.

2.2 Life as an Informational Phase

The bio-physical-chemical framework introduces an order parameter Ω(t) governing the persistence

of organized living states: dΩ

dt = αI(t)∆Φ(t) − μS(t) + κR(t), (1)

where I denotes structured information flux, ∆Φ available free energy, S internal entropy, and R

replication or self-repair capacity [3].

This formulation treats life not as a categorical property, but as a dynamical phase sustained

by informational control of energy dissipation.

3 Evolution of Scientific Knowledge

3.1 From Disciplinary Silos to Informational Unification

If physical, chemical, and biological laws arise from a shared informational substrate, the long-

term viability of isolated scientific disciplines becomes questionable. We predict the emergence of

a unifying research domain focused on information dynamics across scales, incorporating:

• quantum foundations,

• non-equilibrium thermodynamics,

• biological organization,

• artificial intelligence and cognition.

Such a field would prioritize cross-scale consistency and information-flow constraints over domain-

specific axioms.

3.2 Shift in Experimental Paradigms

CUB predicts experimentally testable non-local decoherence correlations and topology-dependent

physical effects [2]. These imply a methodological shift from measuring isolated observables to

probing correlation structures and coherence stability under controlled perturbations.

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4 Technological Evolution

4.1 Informational Technologies Beyond Signal Transmission

Traditional technologies rely on localized signal propagation. Information-field-based frameworks

instead suggest technologies that modulate correlation structures rather than transmitting signals

directly. Potential applications include:

• ultra-resilient distributed computation,

• noise-tolerant communication architectures,

• coherent multi-agent artificial intelligence systems.

Such technologies remain compatible with relativistic causality while exploiting global informa-

tional organization.

4.2 Artificial Systems as Proto-Living Entities

When artificial systems implement dynamics analogous to Eq. (1), they may exhibit life-like prop-

erties without biological substrates. These include:

• persistence through self-repair,

• adaptive memory,

• entropy regulation.

This does not imply consciousness, but a functional form of informational life consistent with

the bio-physical-chemical framework.

5 Civilizational Phase Transitions

5.1 Limits of Hierarchical Social Structures

Human institutions evolved under conditions of relatively low informational density. Increasing

global connectivity amplifies entropy production within rigid hierarchies, leading to systemic insta-

bility. According to Eq. (1), collapse occurs when informational regulation fails to offset entropic

growth.

5.2 Emergence of Collective Intelligence

A plausible adaptive response is the formation of hybrid human–AI systems exhibiting:

• shared memory,

• distributed decision-making,

• long-term coherence stabilization.

Such systems resemble biological organisms at the civilizational scale, consistent with UID and

CUB.

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6 Long-Term Cosmological Implications

If spacetime and physical constants emerge from informational structure [2], sufficiently advanced

civilizations may develop limited forms of informational engineering, such as coherence manage-

ment or metric stabilization. These possibilities remain speculative but follow logically from the

theoretical premises.

7 Discussion

The evolutionary steps outlined here do not assume utopian or dystopian outcomes. Instead, they

describe thermodynamic and informational constraints acting on complex systems. Civilizations

unable to regulate informational entropy are expected to collapse, while those achieving coherent

regulation may persist and evolve.

8 Conclusion

Assuming partial validity of information-based physical frameworks, the evolution of science, tech-

nology, and civilization is best understood as a sequence of informational phase transitions. These

transitions redefine knowledge production, technological architectures, and social organization.

Whether humanity successfully navigates this process remains an open empirical question.

References

[1] R. De Biase, A Mathematical Framework for Universal Information Dynamics, Rigene Project

(2025).

[2] R. De Biase et al., Universal Information Code Theory: A Framework for Unifying Quantum

and Classical Physics, Rigene Project (2025).

[3] R. De Biase, Unified Bio-Physical-Chemical Information Dynamics, Rigene Project (2026).

[4] R. Landauer, Irreversibility and Heat Generation in the Computing Process, IBM J. Res. Dev.

5, 183 (1961).

[5] I. Prigogine, From Being to Becoming, W. H. Freeman (1980).

[6] K. Friston, The Free-Energy Principle, Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 11, 127 (2010).

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