「It from Wave」: Phase Propagation as the Physical Basis of Information and Conduction

Modern physics and information theory are grounded in a shared ontological assumption: that information is encoded in discrete states of localized entities. From classical bits to quantum qubits, physical reality has been modeled as a collection of state-bearing units whose configurations define information and meaning. In this paper, a fundamentally different premise is proposed: information is not a property of states, but a property of phase differences arising through interaction. Building on this premise, a minimal dynamical framework is introduced in which information, conduction, and coordination are unified as manifestations of phase propagation in relational networks. Using a simple phase-coupled model, we show that dissipationless propagation can occur without particle transport, and that thermal noise may function as a resource for global phase coherence rather than an obstacle. A macroscopic illustration—the stadium wave—is employed to demonstrate how coherent propagation emerges from local phase transitions under noisy conditions. This model reframes electrical conduction as phase-gradient propagation, generalizes the concept of superconductivity beyond low-temperature regimes, and provides a unifying physical language applicable across condensed matter, biological coordination, and collective social dynamics. The paper is conceptual and does not claim a microscopic mechanism for room-temperature superconductivity. This paper provides a minimal physical instantiation within the broader “It from Wave” research program. Its conceptual foundations are developed in a companion ontological work, while an interpretive study situates phase propagation within the scientific history of electrical conduction and superconductivity. Together, these works form a coherent framework in which phase relations, rather than localized particles or states, underlie physical transport and information. This paper forms part of a conceptual trilogy exploring the transition from a Machine OS to a Life OS through an It from Wave perspective. The trilogy consists of:(i) a foundational conceptual work reframing information, existence, and generation beyond the It from Bit paradigm;(ii) a minimal theoretical study addressing nonlinear generative time, resonance, and feedback dynamics; and(iii) an applied interpretation engaging recent cosmological observations, including extreme intracluster heating in the early universe. While each paper is self-contained, together they articulate a unified framework in which reality is understood as a resonant, generative process rather than a sequential, machine-like assembly.