Theoretical study models human cognitive evolution via non-equilibrium phase transitions during the Late Pleistocene, suggesting physical quench dynamics govern cognitive and biological emergence.
This work presents the LSED (Late Stage Energy-Driven / Limit-Stress Driven Evolution) framework — a unified physical theory of cognitive transition, longevity, and information conservation. Drawing on non-equilibrium phase transitions, the framework proposes that the emergence of Homo sapiens and the cognitive revolution of the Late Pleistocene can be understood as a quench-driven phase transition governed by a dual-parameter criterion: r>1 (stress intensity exceeding the critical threshold) and τ≪1 (environmental switching rate far exceeding the system's relaxation rate). The framework is built on six foundational ordinances, anchored by the Time-Dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equation, Kibble-Zurek (KZ) scaling, and the Directed Percolation (DP) universality class. A standardized quench intensity Qstd is defined and calibrated against Pleistocene climatic records, identifying the MIS 6→5 termination window (∼130 ka) as the strongest recorded quench event, with Qstd=15.2 exceeding the critical threshold Qc=15, and τ≈0.17. The framework extends across quantum systems (as the mother theory), earthquake nucleation, AI emergence, ecosystem transitions, and social dynamics, unified by a common mathematical skeleton. Sixteen explicitly falsifiable predictions (P1–P16) are presented, each with quantitative falsification criteria and a self-destruct clause (Ordinance 5). A molecular triple-lock criterion (AMBN A253G, FOXP2 regulatory networks, OXTR/AVPR1A) defines the Energy-Information Network (EIN) state, distinguishing Homo sapiens from Neanderthals and Denisovans. The final chapter extends the framework to longevity thermodynamics, deriving Lmax∼Qmet/S˙acc and information conservation Itotal=Ilocked+Iν=const, concluding that consciousness cannot migrate across substrates and that death is the settlement of the energy account. Appendix OOA establishes a mandatory academic protocol for the Out-of-Africa paradigm, shifting the burden of proof from "prove East Asian origins" to "refute LSED through physical rules."
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Jing Zhang (2026) studied this question.
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