How many years has it been? The Long Pause is over! For now...
One thing about the idea of information transfer though is that the transfer does not occur between a single party. A transfer must occur between a giver and a receiver. With that in mind, we might ask, "What purpose does the universe exist to serve?" And reply, "To transfer information to a new entity."
When we consider evolutionary theory, a being is born, learns from others/takes in information (the information returns to the host), and then the being teaches that information to others (transfers information), then the being (if still alive at this point) and those impacted by the information adapt, and those beings change. Adapt, or die.
If we can consider life and the universe as beings, a being requires self-preservation. Life keeps life alive.
What would happen if it were to end though? What is after the cycle? Another cycle? Does it end?
Many spiritual practices have wondered about this, have considered life's endless toil of cyclical birth and death, and found it wanting.
Maybe the death of the universe would only be a hibernation of sorts? That eventually, conditions would arise for a rebirth? Wouldn't it be interesting to consider all of the narratives about rebirth—Jesus, Krishna, etc.—were really, metaphorically, referring to life itself? Or reflections of the greater truth about life? That there would come a time when the universe would sacrifice itself to be reborn from the ashes and pave the way for a new universe so that life could live on?
A being lives, transfers information to itself and others, learns, adapts, dies, but most often not before something else has been born (remember my last blog—I know, it's been a while, 5 years or so).
So the conditions for life should already be in place when the universe dies. And then the pattern continues. Maybe something unlike the universe we know, too—does the world today look anything like your great grandparents' generation?
This is one perspective though. It is an example provided by focusing on the universe as a physical entity, which it might be, but this example also disregards the other layers that might be involved in the rest of the process. It's possible we're only looking at the sunset here still. I'll discuss more of the (possible) full picture in my next post!
