Physics

Physics is the study of material reality: matter, energy, space, time, and the interactions that bind them. Within the Continuum Universes, physics is not treated as an absolute or isolated truth, but as a local rule-set—a structured expression of deeper Universal Law shaped by cosmological context.

Physics defines what is *normally possible* within a given universe. Metaphysics defines why those possibilities exist at all.

Definition

In Continuum terms, physics governs:

• The behavior of matter and energy
• The structure of spacetime
• Causality and temporal progression
• Fundamental forces and constants

Every universe possesses its own physical configuration, often referred to as its Physical Constant Profile. These constants determine whether stars ignite, magic propagates, or life can emerge.

Physics as a Layer

Physics is one layer of reality, not the foundation.

While it appears fundamental to observers within a universe, physics itself is constrained by higher-order systems:

• Metaphysics — determines allowable deviations and exceptions
• Universal Law — enforces multiversal consistency
• Narrative Causality — governs probability and outcome weighting

Thus, physics is stable, but not inviolable.

Forces and Interactions

Most Continuum universes recognize familiar forces such as gravity, electromagnetism, and nuclear interactions. However, additional forces may exist depending on the universe’s metaphysical permissions.

Common extended forces include:

• Psionic coupling
• Aetheric tension
• Probability pressure
• Dimensional shear

These forces are measurable, repeatable, and predictable—once the correct instruments exist.

Relativity and Scale

Physics behaves differently across scales:

• Micro-scale — quantum instability, probability dominance
• Meso-scale — classical mechanics, biological systems
• Macro-scale — stellar evolution, galactic structure
• Cosmic-scale — universe formation, entropy curves

In some universes, scale transitions introduce discontinuities rather than smooth progressions, allowing phenomena such as localized time dilation, spatial folding, or causal echoing.

Technology

Technology is applied physics.

Advanced civilizations within the Continuum exploit their universe’s physical laws to:

• Travel faster than light (where permitted)
• Manipulate gravity
• Convert matter to energy
• Stabilize hostile environments
• Engineer artificial worlds

Technological limits are not moral or cultural—they are physical ceilings imposed by the universe itself.

Failure States

When physics is pushed beyond tolerance, predictable failure modes occur:

• Spacetime fracture
• Vacuum collapse
• Entropic runaway
• Temporal decoherence
• Dimensional bleed-through

Physics does not punish hubris; it simply stops functioning coherently.

Physics and Magic

In science fantasy universes, physics and Magic coexist.

Magic does not replace physics—it overrides local constraints through metaphysical authorization. Where physics resists change through energy cost, magic negotiates change through alignment.

Both systems obey limits. Both can fail. Neither is supreme.

Multiversal Perspective

Across the multiverse, physics varies widely:

• Some universes forbid faster-than-light travel entirely
• Others lack stable matter
• Some allow consciousness to influence probability directly
• Others collapse under minimal perturbation

Despite this diversity, all physics operates within the same overarching meta-laws, ensuring that cause, identity, and consequence persist across universes.

Philosophical Implications

Physics suggests a universe governed by structure rather than chaos. Yet in the Continuum, that structure is contextual, not absolute.

Reality is lawful—but the laws themselves are chosen, inherited, or imposed.

To study physics is to understand how a universe behaves.

To study metaphysics is to understand why that behavior is allowed.

See Also

• Metaphysics
• Universal Law
• Magic
• Cosmology
• Technology
• Multiverse