It From Bit Is information more fundamental than matter?

For centuries, science has focused on matter and energy to explain how the universe works. But what if these are not the most basic elements of reality? Some now argue that information might come first, shaping everything else we see and know.

For much of modern science, matter and energy have been seen as the basic building blocks of the universe. Atoms, particles, and forces, this is the language we’ve used to describe reality.

But some thinkers have proposed a radical shift: that information might be more fundamental than either matter or energy.

One of the earliest to articulate this idea was physicist John Archibald Wheeler. Toward the end of his career, Wheeler proposed the phrase “it from bit”, the idea that every particle, every field, every force, derives its function, meaning, and even existence from binary choices, or bits. In his view, the universe may be fundamentally informational at its core.

This is not just about data or digital technology. It’s a deeper claim. It suggests that the physical world emerges from informational processes that structure and pattern come first, and material substance follows.

This changes the questions we ask. Instead of “What is it made of?” we might ask, “What information does it encode, transmit, or respond to?” It reframes how we think about complexity, about life, about cognition. It even invites us to reconsider what we mean by reality.

The science behind this is still evolving, and not without controversy. But it’s a compelling shift. If Wheeler was correct, then understanding information may be more than a technical challenge. It may be the key to understanding the universe itself.

If information is more basic than matter, we need to rethink how we study, communicate, and make sense of the world. This means paying closer attention to patterns, relationships, and meaning. We can begin by questioning how we define information and how that definition influences what we understand and what we overlook.