Lattice Cognition

Could Crystalline Defects Exhibit Proto-Computational Behaviors in Solid-State Materials?

Abstract

This speculative article explores the idea that crystalline defects in solid-state materials could give rise to rudimentary computational or cognitive-like behaviors. Drawing upon insights from condensed matter physics, information theory, and complexity science, we examine whether defects such as vacancies, dislocations, and grain boundaries might behave as decentralized agents capable of processing environmental stimuli. If true, this could challenge conventional definitions of cognition and suggest a broader material basis for information processing, extending the search for intelligence beyond neural or even biological systems.