ESP - The Emergent Spacetime Paradigm: An Effective Information-Theoretic Framew

We present the Emergent Spacetime Paradigm (ESP), an effective field theory framework in which gravitational dynamics emerge from the collective behavior of an informational substrate with dissipative properties. The model introduces a conserved information current whose backreaction manifests as a relativistic bulk viscosity, modifying the Friedmann equations and providing a natural mechanism for late-time cosmic acceleration without a cosmological constant. Local gradients in the information density modulate the Hubble parameter, providing a potential resolution to the ∼ 5σ tension between CMB and local measurements (H0 local ≈ 72.8 km s−1 Mpc−1). Viscous suppression of structure growth yields S8 ≈ 0.774, in agreement with weak-lensing surveys. The framework also generates testable predictions including regular black holes with de Sitter cores, scale-dependent gravitational-wave damping, and suppressed Lorentz invariance violation consistent with current astrophysical bounds. All model parameters are constrained by existing cosmological data; no additional dark energy or non-baryonic dark matter fields are required.