For the past few years, I’ve been chasing an idea that just won’t let go.

I’ve read dozens (hundreds maybe?) of books in my spare time—biology, history, tech, systems theory, information theory, philosophy—you name it. I'm a pharmacist by day, a dad of two at night... and somewhere in between, this idea grew into an obsession…(a healthy one I promise)

Now I need to know: **Is this worth pursuing—or have I gone too far?**

Here it is, as simply as I can put it:

I think there may be a **recurring pattern**—a feedback loop between **information and complexity**—that explains not just evolution and civilization, but also why AI is suddenly accelerating so fast…even perhaps the sort of changes we might expect next





# A 5-Layer Loop of Recursive Information Growth

# 1. COPY (Genes)

Life begins with information stored in DNA. It copies itself. It evolves. This is the first engine of complexity.

# 2. COORDINATE (Multicellular Life)

Cells begin to coordinate. Information is no longer static—it's shared in real time. Bodies form. Specialization emerges.

# 3. COMPUTE (Brains)

Nervous systems process inputs, remember the past, simulate the future. Intelligence appears.

# 4. CULTURE (Language & Writing)

Knowledge escapes biology. It can now persist and scale across generations. Civilization begins.

# 5. CODE (Digital Systems & AI)

Now information breaks free from biology entirely. It becomes abstract, scalable, lightning-fast—and maybe even self-improving.



It’s called **recursive information-driven complexity emergence (RICE)-** A fractal pattern of accelerating complexity





# Why This Might Matter

Each layer:

* Builds on the **informational scaffolding** of the last
* Emerges **faster** (billions → millions → thousands → decades) 
   * It’s spooky how consistent the compression is
* Adds new **recursion depth**—from genes, to neurons, to software
   * More and more abstract layers of complexity, built on top of eachother

Maybe AI isn't a modern anomaly.. Maybe it’s just the **next loop in a very old pattern**. A natural continuation of an ancient process 

	\-Similarly cultural evolution was another gear shift in the accelerating complexity





# Key Definitions (briefly):

* **Information**: Not just raw data, but patterns that *cause change* in systems that can interpret them— A pattern in matter or energy that represents something beyond itself.
   * DNA, language, neural signals, code.
* **Complexity**: Not just “lots of parts,” but **structured, interdependent systems**, built through recursive use of information. A spectrum of functional interdependence. 
   * A cell, an organism, a society





I’ve started sketching ways to define and measure this loop across domains using cross-domain proxies like:

* number of cell types
* synaptic depth
* symbolic systems
* recursion in code, etc.

Happy to go deeper into that if it’s of interest...





# But here's what I really want to ask:

**Does this pattern hold up? Or am I just a guy who’s connected one too many dots?**

I’ve tried to falsify it. I’ve read broadly, talked it through with people, many people. I've reminded myself that it's too neat..too grandiose…it must be a strange delusion

And still…I come back to it. The idea almost keeps getting stronger and more detailed the more I try and poke holes in it…It reveals connections to disciplines that are seen as unrelated

So—genuinely, human to human: *Am I onto something? Or do I need to take up painting or woodworking or something?* 😅

I’m not here to preach or sell a theory of everything. I just want good, grounded feedback from smart/curious people.

\*I appreciate it more than you know\*

\-What do you see?   What's missing?     Would you continue on? 

Let’s discuss. If there's something here, help me find it. If there's not…**set me free** 



\*I've written/rewritten thousands of pages about this…but nobody got time to read nothing from a nobody like me, so this is a **condensed version** designed to get it out there, and see where I'm at….or if I'm lost in some rabbit hole

  
  


P.S. I have many authors, of many great books to thank for this…it was not created in a vacuum. Sharing this, however it's received, feels like a duty..a debt owed almost. Thank you for reading & thank you even more if you have any feedback…good or bad 🙂



Could a 5-Layer Feedback Loop Between Information and Complexity Be Driving the Rise of AI?