Biosystems. 2026 Aug 23:105932. doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2026.105932. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Unifying physical and biological systems under a common information-theoretic framework requires reconciling two long-standing positions: that information is a universal structural feature of the environment and that it becomes meaningful only when a system registers a difference that alters its state. We propose a substrate-process-agency synthesis in which N-Space denotes a relational substrate of latent distinctions, while Order-Disorder-Reflexive Control (ODC) describes a phase-structured grammar through which bounded systems with memory render such distinctions operational. In this formulation, information becomes causally effective only through partition-mediated interaction that reduces uncertainty. Across domains, this framework predicts a set of falsifiable statistical signatures, including transient coordination during state alignment, non-memoryless persistence, boundary-dependent settling dynamics, and phase-dependent responses to perturbation. We argue, however, that these signatures need not appear identically in every system: some regimes are pulse-driven rather than sustained oscillators, and some support timing-sensitive responses more strongly than residence-time inference. To illustrate this point, we combine a minimal synthetic model, a nonlinear physical example, and an illustrative biological reanalysis of NF-κB signaling dynamics. Together, these analyses support the view that ODC is best interpreted as a phase-structured transition framework rather than a strictly periodic cycle model. The contribution of this work is not to introduce a new physical entity, but to provide a unified, empirically testable grammar for how relational structure, boundary conditions, memory, and timing jointly shape information flow across scales.
PMID:42633804 | DOI:10.1016/j.biosystems.2026.105932
