Black Walls: Intelligence at the Edge of Time
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) July 6, 2026 Haamed Ghiassian
Intelligence requires ordered, causally connected change over time. This paper constructs two minimal models of intelligence—one from philosophy of mind and cognitive science, another from complex adaptive systems—and subjects them to a thought experiment where fundamental temporal properties are removed. When all change is impossible, every component of intelligence collapses. When change occurs but states are completely uncorrelated, information processing, learning, and goal-directedness dissolve. The analysis shows that within current consensus models, operational temporality—ordered, causally connected state transformation—is a necessary condition for intelligence. The conclusion is conditional, not a claim of metaphysical necessity across all possible worlds.