Physics of Becoming

1. Canonical Definition

The Physics of Becoming is the law governing branch of Meaning System Science.

It defines formal relationships among Truth Fidelity (T), Signal Alignment (P), Structural Coherence (C), Drift (D), and Affective Regulation (A), and specifies the proportional conditions under which interpretive stability is maintained or lost. It treats drift as a rate pressure that rises when stabilizers lose proportionality under load and constrains the range of viable system behavior.

The First Law of Moral Proportion is the first formal law in this branch.

2. Featured Lineage

Ilya Prigogine — Order Out of Chaos (1984)
Showed that sustained pressure produces regime shifts and reorganization. MSS adapts this to meaning systems by modeling non stable proportional states under rising drift pressure.

Claude Shannon — A Mathematical Theory of Communication (1948)
Formalized reliability limits under noise and constraint. MSS extends this by treating drift as a measurable rate pressure on interpretive stability.

3. Plainly

The Physics of Becoming explains the lawful side of meaning system stability. It clarifies which variable relationships must hold for interpretation to remain compatible at scale.

4. Scientific Role in Meaning System Science

Within MSS:

• MSS defines the variables

• the Physics of Becoming defines the laws that govern their interaction

• Transformation Science models these interactions over time

This positions the Physics of Becoming as the predictive core for meaning system behavior.

5. Relationship to the Variables (T, P, C, D, A)

• T: constrains reference accuracy and verification

• P: constrains whether signals converge across channels and roles

• C: constrains whether pathways distribute meaning consistently under load

• D: constrains stability as a rate of accumulated contradiction

• A: constrains update throughput and correction completion under pressure

6. Relationship to the Physics of Becoming

L = (T × P × C) ÷ D

The First Law is a primary law within the Physics of Becoming. The Physics of Becoming defines the law layer as a whole, while the First Law provides one governing equation for legitimacy as proportional stability.

7. Application in Transformation Science

Transformation Science uses the Physics of Becoming to interpret variable thresholds, proportional imbalance, and conditions under which structural updates are required to restore viable ranges.

8. Application in Transformation Management

Practitioners use the Physics of Becoming to evaluate whether stabilizers scale with demand, whether drift pressure is increasing, and which variable relationships require correction to restore proportional stability.

9. Example Failure Modes

• variable relationships move outside viable ranges, increasing interpretive variance

• drift pressure increases faster than stabilizers can scale

• pathways and governance do not support correction throughput

• signals diverge from verified conditions across channels

10. Canonical Cross References

Meaning System Science • First Law of Moral Proportion • Proportionism • Legitimacy (L) • Truth Fidelity (T) • Signal Alignment (P) • Structural Coherence (C) • Drift (D) • Affective Regulation (A) • Thermodynamics (Meaning System) • Transformation Science • Transformation Management • Meaning System Governance