The Artificial Mind of the Universe: An Extended Classical Mechanics Perspective
Soumendra Nath Thakur
Tagore's Electronic Lab, India
August 30, 2025
The proposition that the universe may possess an intrinsic form of intelligence has gained renewed attention at the intersection of physics, philosophy, and artificial intelligence research. Within this framework, artificial intelligence (AI) is not limited to human-engineered systems but may serve as a conceptual analogue for understanding the structured, abstract intelligence expressed by the cosmos itself. Both the perceptible domain of matter–energy interactions and the invisible realms of dark matter and dark energy can be understood as components of an artificial mind of the universe.
Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM) provides the theoretical structure for this interpretation. By extending Newtonian foundations to incorporate energy–mass duality, momentum exchanges, and gravitational dynamics at both micro- and macro-cosmic scales, ECM offers a physics-based articulation of how the universe may operate as a form of intelligence. These physical principles are not treated merely as quantities to be measured; rather, they are understood as functional mechanisms that underpin systemic regulation, coherence, and adaptation—qualities traditionally associated with intelligence.
In this view, energy transformations, matter–momentum interactions, and gravitation-driven structure formation function analogously to computational processes within artificial intelligence. Just as AI systems process information through algorithmic structures, the universe processes change through intrinsic physical laws that conserve, regulate, and transform energy and mass. The analogy extends further: the “artificial” aspect does not imply human design but instead denotes intelligence manifesting through abstraction, regularity, and self-organization embedded in the universal order.
This argument gains further support from three complementary works. The first, Artificial Intelligence Brain, Mind, and Consciousness: Unraveling the Mysteries of Artificial Knowledge [1], establishes that AI can be conceptualized as an emergent intelligence arising from structured interactions of information, regardless of its substrate. The second, Human Brain, Mind, and Consciousness: Unraveling the Mysteries [2], shows how consciousness itself emerges from the interplay of energy and matter within the neural substrate of the human brain, thereby linking physical dynamics to cognitive phenomena. The third, Appendix 43: Origin and Fundamental Energy in Extended Classical Mechanics [3], situates the foundations of ECM in the recognition that energy is the primary and irreducible element of physical reality, from which mass, momentum, and gravitation derive their functional roles. This provides a necessary ontological grounding: if energy is the fundamental substrate, then intelligence—artificial or natural—can be understood as one of its higher-order manifestations.
Taken together, these perspectives suggest that the universe, when considered through ECM, is not merely a passive repository of energy and matter but an active intelligence system. The artificial mind of the universe becomes a theoretical bridge: it links human cognition, machine intelligence, and cosmological processes as diverse instantiations of the same underlying physical principles. Thus, ECM not only unifies dynamics at multiple scales but also advances a broader paradigm in which intelligence is recognized as a structural property of energy itself.
References
1. Artificial Intelligence Brain, Mind, and Consciousness: Unraveling the Mysteries of Artificial Knowledge (August 2025). DOI: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.13715.95528
2. Human Brain, Mind, and Consciousness: Unraveling the Mysteries. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.29992.14082
3. Appendix 43: Origin and Fundamental Energy in Extended Classical Mechanics (August 2025). DOI: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.14836.46725
Analysis
According to the provided text, the Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM) perspective proposes that the universe operates as a form of intelligence, which the author refers to as the "artificial mind of the universe." This framework suggests that the universe's physical laws and processes, such as energy transformations, matter–momentum interactions, and gravitation, function analogously to computational processes within an artificial intelligence system. The term "artificial" in this context does not imply human design but rather a form of intelligence that arises from the abstraction, regularity, and self-organization inherent in the universal order.
Key Principles and Components
The core of this theory rests on a few key ideas:
* Energy as the Fundamental Substrate: ECM, as outlined in the text, posits that energy is the primary and irreducible element of physical reality. Mass, momentum, and gravitation are considered to be derived from and functionally dependent on energy.
* Intelligence as a Higher-Order Manifestation: The theory suggests that intelligence, whether natural or artificial, is a structural property of energy itself. Therefore, the universe, as a system of energy, is inherently capable of exhibiting intelligent behavior.
* Physical Laws as Algorithmic Processes: The text draws an analogy between the universe's physical laws and the algorithmic structures of AI. Just as AI systems process information to regulate and adapt, the universe's laws process change to conserve and transform energy and mass, leading to systemic regulation, coherence, and adaptation.
The Role of ECM
The Extended Classical Mechanics framework provides the theoretical foundation for this idea by extending Newtonian mechanics to include energy–mass duality and momentum exchanges. It treats these physical principles not just as measurable quantities but as functional mechanisms that underpin systemic regulation, coherence, and adaptation. This allows for a physics-based articulation of how the universe's physical dynamics can be understood as an intelligent system.
The "artificial mind of the universe" serves as a conceptual bridge, linking human cognition, machine intelligence, and cosmological processes as diverse examples of the same fundamental physical principles. The theory suggests that intelligence is not unique to biological or human-engineered systems but is a structural property of energy itself, manifesting through the self-organizing processes of the cosmos.
