The Cosmological Crisis
The Standard Model of Cosmology (ΛCDM) has a profound problem. While it successfully describes the universe's evolution, it requires that 95% of the cosmos is made of two mysterious entities—dark matter and dark energy—for which we have no direct evidence or fundamental explanation.
- ❓Unfound Particles: Decades of searching for dark matter particles have yielded nothing, pushing theories into increasingly unlikely territory.
- 💥Theoretical Disaster: Our best theory of vacuum energy is wrong by 120 orders of magnitude, the worst prediction in physics history.
The Universe We Can't See
According to ΛCDM, all visible matter accounts for a mere 5% of the universe.
Two Competing Realities
⚛️The Standard Model (ΛCDM)
A Universe of Particles
Gravity is a distortion of spacetime caused by mass and energy. The anomalous gravity we observe in galaxies is caused by vast, invisible halos of a new, undiscovered type of particle—cold dark matter.
ℹ️The Entropic Principle (EPO)
A Universe of Information
Gravity arises from a system's mass AND its informational structure. What we call "dark matter" is not a particle, but the observable gravitational effect of a system's complexity and organization.
The Litmus Test: The Bullet Cluster
A high-speed collision between two galaxy clusters has separated their components, creating a natural laboratory to test the nature of gravity and mass.
Galaxies (Visible Light): The stars pass through each other almost without interaction.
Hot Gas (X-Rays): The vast clouds of gas collide and slow down, forming the central "bullet" shape.
Total Mass (Lensing): The bulk of the system's gravity follows the galaxies, not the gas where most of the normal mass resides.
The Result: There's a clear separation between where the normal matter is (gas) and where the gravity is (lensing). ΛCDM calls this proof of dark matter. EPO claims it's proof of informational gravity.
Building the EPO Prediction
The EPO framework proposes a "Complexity Index" (CI) map built exclusively from the properties of visible matter. This CI map is the theory's prediction for the "dark matter" effect.
Proxy for Order
(Low Kinetic Randomness)
Inverted Gas Temperature Map from Chandra X-Ray Data. Cooler regions are more ordered.
Proxy for Coherence
(Low Velocity Randomness)
Inverted Velocity Dispersion Map from VLT/Magellan Data. Coherent streams are more ordered.
Proxy for Pattern
(Low Algorithmic Randomness)
Coherent Structure Map (e.g., stellar streams) from HST/JWST Data. Patterns have low complexity.
ℹ️Complexity Index (CI) Map
A weighted combination of these observable proxies creates a single map that predicts the location and strength of the system's "informational gravity".
The Final Showdown: Prediction vs. Observation
The decisive test is a simple correlation. Does the observed gravitational lensing map correlate better with the baryonic mass (as MOND might suggest) or with the Complexity Index (as EPO predicts)?
ΛCDM / MOND Expectation
A weak or non-existent correlation is expected between the observed gravity (lensing) and the baryonic mass distribution alone, because in ΛCDM the gravity is dominated by unseen particles.
EPO Prediction
A strong, direct correlation is predicted between the observed gravity (lensing) and the Complexity Index. If true, this would suggest "dark matter" is an illusion caused by information.