The lineage of **informatics** can be traced back through its precursor, **Information Dynamics (ID)**, which was itself informed by the **Informational Universe Hypothesis (IUH)**. The IUH, in turn, drew on significant earlier work, notably **Susskind’s holographic principle** and **Wheeler’s “it from bit”**. Furthermore, the IUH, and consequently ID and informatics, consider the implications of work on consciousness, such as that of **Roger Penrose**. Here’s a breakdown of this lineage: - **The Informational Universe Hypothesis (IUH)**: This hypothesis posits that **information is the fundamental substrate of reality**. It suggests that the universe is not made of matter or energy alone, but is “woven from the threads of information”. The IUH aims to provide a unified framework for understanding reality, governing the organization and behavior of both biological and non-biological systems. - **Influence of John Wheeler’s “It from Bit”**: The IUH is rooted in **John Wheeler’s “it from bit” hypothesis**, which proposed that every particle, field, and force arises from informational processes. This idea suggests that the physical world ultimately derives its existence from binary choices or bits of information, making information ontologically primary. - **Influence of the Holographic Principle**: The IUH also draws upon the **holographic principle**, which suggests that the universe can be described as information encoded on boundaries, such as black hole event horizons. This principle implies a deep connection between information, gravity, and spacetime. The IUH aligns with this by suggesting that phenomena like gravity arise from the distribution of information, potentially mirroring the holographic idea of a boundary encoding the volume. - **Consideration of Consciousness (e.g., Roger Penrose)**: The IUH extends to biological systems and considers consciousness as an informational manifestation. While **Roger Penrose’s** specific theories on consciousness (like Orch-OR) are not explicitly detailed as direct influences in the sources, the IUH’s aim to bridge subjective experience with objective dynamics aligns with the broader scientific interest in understanding the physical basis of consciousness. The IUH attempts to do this through the lens of information processing. The idea that the universe might be a conscious entity or that consciousness is fundamental and interwoven with information connects to the philosophical considerations within the IUH. - **Information Dynamics (ID)**: ID builds upon the foundational idea of the IUH that information is fundamental. ID aims to provide a **rigorous mathematical framework** for this idea, starting from the concept of **existence** ($X$) as the capacity to possess distinguishable information states. It then develops a hierarchy of derivatives based on concepts like **information** ($i$), **change** ($\Delta i$), **contrast** ($\kappa$), **sequence** ($\tau$), and **repetition** ($\rho$). ID seeks to address the continuum-discrete duality of information and provide testable explanations for phenomena ranging from quantum mechanics to consciousness. Philosophical predecessors, including **Descartes’ “cogito ergo sum”**, further inform the foundational aspects of ID. - **Infomatics**: **Infomatics** represents a further development from ID, aiming for a more geometrically grounded physics by emphasizing the role of **natural constants π and φ**. It seeks to move beyond discretization at the Planck scale, viewing it as potentially an artifact, and instead aims for a **continuum-based reality** governed by these mathematical constants. Informatics condenses the progression from the broad philosophical postulates of the IUH, through the dynamical variables of ID, to the mathematical rigor of the π-φ formalism, ultimately aiming for testable experiments. In summary, **informatics** is the latest stage in a conceptual evolution that began with the philosophical insights of **Wheeler’s “it from bit”** and the theoretical framework of **Susskind’s holographic principle**, leading to the **Informational Universe Hypothesis**. The IUH, with its consideration of consciousness-related questions, then informed the development of **Information Dynamics**, a more formalized attempt to build a theory based on fundamental information. Finally, **informatics** refines ID by integrating fundamental mathematical constants to provide a framework for geometric physics, aiming for a unified and testable description of reality.