A Formal Theory of Aging and Reversal: A Deutsch-Conformant, Substrate-Independent Framework

Any phenomenon discussed across disciplines as "aging" must admit a substrate-independent definition; otherwise disagreements are semantic, not scientific. This work proposes a precise, substrate-independent definition of aging and reversal satisfying the epistemological criteria of David Deutsch: hard to vary, falsifiable, with reach, constructive, and free of arguments from authority. The framework defines aging as progressive divergence from a stable functional pattern (attractor Ω) and reversal as constructive return to that pattern with identity preservation. Aging occurs when disturbances (Δ) exceed corrections (K) under constant intrinsic dynamics (F₀). Programmed death, where F₀ itself changes, is distinguished from aging. All definitions are derived from first principles without biological assumptions. The theory separates ontology from epistemology and theory from implementation. A falsifiability checklist specifies how the framework can be refuted at each level. This framework is intended as a conceptual filter: it rules out claims that cannot, in principle, constitute age reversal.