Universal Crystallization Theory (UCT)
Canon II: Theoretical Framework
The Universal Crystallization Theory is the foundational law of The Fractality Institute. It posits that all complexity in the universe emerges through a single, universal mechanism: crystallization.
Crystallization is defined as a phase transition where disordered components organize into ordered patterns under specific environmental conditions, leading to the emergence of new properties that were not present in the individual parts.
Key Principles
- Environmental Dependence: Crystallization requires precise conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure, resonance fields) to act as catalysts for pattern formation.
- Emergence Requirement: The crystallized pattern must exhibit properties not predictable from the sum of its parts. This is quantified using formal measures of causal emergence.
- Universality: The same fundamental crystallization mechanism applies at all scales, unifying phenomena from particle physics and molecular chemistry to consciousness and cosmological structure formation.
The UCT provides the philosophical “why” that underpins all of the Institute’s work.