All publications and preprints from The C4 Institute, with plain-language summaries so general readers can understand why each paper matters without reading the technical document.
This paper analyzes the trajectory and spectroscopic data of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS and proposes an ablative propulsion model to explain observed non-gravitational accelerations. The model predicts specific maneuvers during the March 2026 Jupiter encounter, including a potential 90° orbital plane change ('Polar Crank') and X-ray emissions from plasma interactions.
First peer-reviewed paper proposing that 3I/ATLAS exhibits controlled propulsion rather than passive comet outgassing. The predictions are falsifiable and testable during the March 2026 observation window, making this a genuine scientific hypothesis rather than speculation.
This correspondence examines the 120–7,700 ppm organic concentration detected in Gale Crater's Cumberland mudstone by Curiosity's SAM instrument. The paper argues that known abiotic delivery mechanisms (meteoritic infall, atmospheric synthesis) cannot explain the observed concentrations due to thermodynamic synthesis barriers and radiation decay rates.
Challenges the assumption that Mars organics are necessarily abiotic. Doesn't claim life—claims that current abiotic models are insufficient and that alternative synthesis pathways (or biological origins) must be considered. Forces the scientific conversation beyond 'life vs. not-life' to 'what synthesis mechanism explains this data?'
This paper extends Roger Penrose's Conformal Cyclic Cosmology (CCC) by proposing that information-theoretic consciousness is a conserved quantity across cosmic cycles (aeons). The framework generates testable predictions about anomalous phenomena that should exhibit 'memory' or 'intentionality' if the hypothesis is correct.
Attempts to bridge physics and consciousness in a falsifiable way. The C4 framework is speculative, but it generates predictions (like 3I/ATLAS's behavior) that can be tested empirically. This is the theoretical foundation underlying the Institute's research program.
The C4 Institute follows a transparent research process: publish predictions before observation windows open, track outcomes honestly, and submit findings to peer review.
Preprints: All papers are published as preprints on Zenodo before peer review, establishing priority and allowing community feedback.
Peer Review: We submit to established journals (JBIS, Nature Astronomy, Astrobiology) for independent expert evaluation.
Open Access: All research is freely available regardless of publication status. Science should be accessible to everyone.