matterthings

Matterthings are a hypothetical class of discrete units envisioned to carry both material mass and informational state. In theoretical discussions and in speculative fiction, a matterthing is treated as a modular building block that can be combined, rearranged, or separated to form larger objects. The term is not part of established physics, but serves as a conceptual device to discuss how matter and information might be linked.

Origin and usage: The term arose in late 20th to early 21st century in science fiction worldbuilding and in thought experiments about information-physical duality. It is used to illustrate ideas about modularity, emergent properties, and the relationship between state and substance.

Definition and properties: Each matterthing possesses a mass and a set of state attributes describing its configuration. It has an informational payload that encodes properties such as position, energy, and structural state. In models that use matterthings, the total mass is approximately additive when matterthings combine, though energy exchanges can alter effective states. Matterthings are assumed to be indivisible at a chosen scale, but on a higher scale they can be reconfigured into different arrangements.

Interactions and dynamics: Matterthings can fuse to form larger composites or split into smaller ones according to rules defined in a given model. Transformation may require energy input or release. Some frameworks allow matterthings to change state without altering their count, while others permit changes that affect the total number of units in a system.

Applications and examples: In science fiction, matterthings underpin worldbuilding, enabling plausible explanations for modular economies or adaptive fabrics. In philosophy and physics-focused discussions, they serve as thought experiments about the link between information and material substance and the limits of reductionism. Real-world science does not recognize matterthings as a measurable entity.

See also: information theory, material science, nanotechnology, modular design.