atuur

Aatuur is a term used primarily in speculative fiction and certain online discussions to denote a hypothetical fundamental substrate of reality. In such usage, aatuur refers to an underlying field or informational structure that, in principle, encodes all physical processes and conscious experience.

Etymology and usage: The word is a neologism without a single canonical origin. It has been proposed as a constructed term chosen for its phonetic characteristics, and different authors have offered varying backstories or mythologies to accompany it.

In fiction and philosophy: In fiction, aatuur may be described as a universal medium that characters can access or manipulate, explaining nonlocal connections, memory of the cosmos, or the emergence of phenomena not easily accounted for by conventional physics. In philosophy and information theory, it is used as a thought experiment about grounding and causation.

Reception: Aatuur is not part of established science and is regarded as speculative. Proponents see it as a convenient shorthand for discussions about foundation, information, and the nature of reality; critics warn that vague definitions can hinder clear argument.

See also: substrate; information theory; metaphysical grounding; paninformationalism.