A new and provocative theory proposes that the two greatest mysteries in modern cosmology, dark matter and dark energy, might not be exotic forms of matter or energy at all. Instead, a physicist suggests they could be different manifestations of a single, unexpected phenomenon: information. The hypothesis argues that information itself is a physical entity with a quantifiable mass, and its collective properties across the cosmos could account for the missing mass holding galaxies together and the strange force driving the universe’s accelerated expansion.
This radical idea directly challenges the standard cosmological model, which requires the existence of undiscovered particles and an unknown form of energy to make sense of astronomical observations. While the prevailing model has been successful, it leaves approximately 95% of the universe’s content unexplained. By reframing the problem around information as a fundamental state of matter, this new work offers a potential path toward a more unified and simplified description of the universe, though it remains highly theoretical and awaits experimental validation.
A New Equivalence Principle
At the heart of this proposal is the mass-energy-information equivalence principle. This concept extends Einstein’s famous E=mc² equation, which established that mass and energy are interchangeable. The new principle adds a third component to this relationship, suggesting that information is also a form of energy and therefore possesses a small but non-zero mass. According to this framework, every elementary particle in the universe stores a fixed amount of information about itself, such as its spin, charge, and position. This information, the theory posits, contributes to the particle’s overall mass.
While the mass associated with a single bit of information would be infinitesimally small, the cumulative effect across the trillions of billions of particles in a galaxy or galaxy cluster could be enormous. The researcher behind the theory calculates that the total mass from this stored information could be substantial enough to explain the gravitational effects currently attributed to dark matter. This would eliminate the need to search for hypothetical particles like WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) or axions, which have so far eluded all detection efforts despite decades of searching.
Calculating Information’s Mass
The theory provides a specific formula to calculate the potential mass of a single bit of information. Based on the principles of thermodynamics and information theory, the work suggests that at the current observed temperature of the cosmic microwave background (about 2.73 Kelvin), a single bit of information would have a mass of approximately 10⁻³⁷ kilograms. While this number is incredibly small, the sheer volume of information contained within the visible matter of the universe could make it a cosmologically significant quantity. The theory projects that the information stored in all the universe’s baryons (protons and neutrons) could precisely account for the total amount of missing dark matter.
Solving the Dark Energy Puzzle
Beyond explaining dark matter, the information-based model also provides a novel explanation for dark energy. In standard cosmology, dark energy is a mysterious repulsive force or property of space itself that is causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate. Its origin and nature are completely unknown. The new theory connects this acceleration to a fundamental concept in physics: entropy, which is a measure of disorder or, in this context, information content.
The second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system can only increase over time. The researcher proposes a corollary, an informational law of thermodynamics, which states that the information entropy of the universe must also increase. As the universe expands, it can contain more information, and this continuous increase in information content requires energy. The theory suggests that this “information energy” is what we perceive as dark energy. It creates a kind of outward pressure, pushing space apart to make room for growing information content and driving cosmic acceleration as a natural consequence of thermodynamic principles.
From Abstract Concept to Testable Science
A scientific theory is only as valuable as its ability to make testable predictions. While the idea of information as a physical entity seems abstract, its proponents have outlined specific experimental and observational pathways to verify or falsify it. These tests range from small-scale laboratory experiments to large-scale cosmological surveys.
Laboratory Verification
One proposed experiment involves observing particle-antiparticle annihilation. When a particle like an electron collides with its antiparticle, a positron, they annihilate each other, converting their mass into pure energy in the form of photons. Because the particles contained information before their destruction, the theory predicts that the process of information erasure itself should produce additional, specific energy signatures. By carefully measuring the energy and frequency of photons emitted during annihilation, scientists could potentially detect the unique infrared photons predicted to be released from the destruction of the particles’ information content. A successful detection would provide direct evidence for the mass-energy-information equivalence principle.
Cosmological Observations
The theory can also be tested against astronomical data. If dark matter is simply the mass of information stored in ordinary matter, its distribution throughout the cosmos should closely follow the distribution of stars, gas, and dust. This might produce subtly different predictions for phenomena like gravitational lensing or the large-scale structure of galaxy filaments compared to models based on cold, non-interactive dark matter particles. Future high-precision telescopes, such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, could map the distribution of matter with enough accuracy to distinguish between these competing models.
Scientific Reaction and Future Outlook
The proposal has been met with a mix of intrigue and deep skepticism from the broader physics community. On one hand, its elegance is appealing. The ability to solve two of the most significant problems in physics with a single, unifying concept is a powerful motivator in theoretical science. It provides a new avenue of thought in a field where progress on these fundamental questions has been slow. Some researchers have praised the idea for its creativity and its attempt to connect disparate fields like cosmology, thermodynamics, and information theory.
On the other hand, significant hurdles remain. The theory is still in its infancy and lacks a complete, rigorous mathematical foundation that integrates with quantum mechanics and general relativity. Many physicists remain unconvinced that the proposed mass of information is sufficient to account for all observed dark matter, or that the link between information entropy and cosmic expansion is robust. Until the theory’s predictions can be experimentally confirmed, it will remain a speculative but fascinating alternative to the standard cosmological model. The ultimate verdict will depend not on its conceptual appeal, but on whether evidence for information as a physical form of matter can be found in a laboratory or observed among the stars.