Editing Neural physics

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Quote|Precursors felt the Mantle extended to the entire universe, energy and matter as well as living creatures ... some say. The universe lives, but not as we do.|[[IsoDidact|Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting]] explaining the premise of neural physics.<ref name="c103">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 103''</ref>}}

'''Neural physics''' was a [[Precursor]] concept and science which posited that the [[Mantle]] encompassed the entire universe, including living beings, energy and matter. The principles of neural physics also postulated that the entire universe was living, but in a way that was different from biological organisms.{{Ref/Reuse|c103}} Blurring the line between philosophy and science, neural physics was not a mere belief to the Precursors as [[Technological Achievement Tiers#Tier 0: Transsentient|transsentient]] entities. They were able to harness its principles as a transcendent form of technology, used to create solid structures or travel the stars. The workings of neural physics were completely beyond the conventional technologies of younger races, even the [[Forerunner]]s, the most technologically adept civilization since the [[Forerunner-Precursor war|downfall]] of the Precursors themselves.{{Ref/Reuse|s40}}

==Overview==
Drawing from an exotic neurophysical energy permeating the cosmos,<ref name="s40">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 40''</ref> the Precursors made their artifacts effectively indestructible, allowing them to exist for millions or potentially billions of years without decay. As such, evidence of the Precursors' mastery of neural physics remained in the galaxy after their disappearance, in the form of [[star road]]s and many other vast, effectively eternal structures. In a concept later echoed by the Forerunners in their philosophy of [[Living Time]], the Precursors cherished the interaction of living beings with the universe, all individual experience adding to the totality of a transcendent universal wisdom.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 267''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 365, 367''</ref> To record and retain these life-patterns for all of time, the Precursors created the [[Domain]], a metaphysical, ever-changing library of the collective experiences of living things, stored in neural physics architecture within the [[Milky Way]] galaxy.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 322-323''</ref>

In the final years of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], it was revealed that the [[Flood]] was able to control the Precursors' neural physics artifacts. After the proliferation of planet-sized [[Key Mind]] forms, the Flood [[Gravemind|compound mind]], itself of Precursor origin, had amassed enough beings to elevate its intelligence to a state of transsentience,<ref>'''[[Bestiarum]]'''</ref> enabling it to use its vast mental capacity to access the neural architecture.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 186-187''</ref> The Flood also began to utilize neural physics-based Precursor superluminal travel, which made [[Slipstream space|slipspace]] unsuitable for Forerunner [[Slipspace drive|drives]] on an interstellar scale. This form of travel used an exotic form of causality compensation evidently unlike the [[reconciliation]] the Forerunners relied on, although the principles of this mechanism were wholly unknown to the Forerunners.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 111''</ref> Ships using neural physics transit would shed multiverse residues relatively slowly upon returning to normal space, rendering them momentarily vulnerable. This manifested visually as an aura of purple radiation surrounding the object undergoing the transmission.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 231''</ref> In [[Battle of the 78th Thema|one known instance]], the Forerunners were able to exploit this weakness: catching the Flood fleet by surprise, the Forerunners flung [[asteroid]]s at the arriving ships. While the Flood vessels could save themselves by repositioning by several thousand kilometers, many were disintegrated as the incoming asteroids abruptly merged with the ships' mass upon passing into their emergence fields.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 213''</ref>

The nature of neural physics construction made Precursor architecture susceptible to the effects of the [[Halo Array]], which specifically targeted neural systems. When a Halo was tested near [[Charum Hakkor]], the weapon's effect negated neural physics within the region and shattered every Precursor structure on the planet. Likewise, the Halos' activation at the conclusion of the Forerunner-Flood war destroyed all neural physics-based architecture in the galaxy.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 326''</ref> According to [[Ancient humanity|ancient human]] records accessed by the Forerunners after the conclusion of the [[Human-Forerunner wars]], the Flood could be repelled by neural physical attacks. The study of these records—and the many breakthroughs that followed—contributed to the creation of the Halo Array.{{Ref/Book|Id=HM18|HM|Page=18}}

A select few non-Precursor technologies utilize neural physics; the only known Forerunner creation to do so is the [[Composer]], a form of [[mind transfer|sublimation device]] capable of emitting high-energy fields that resonate with any neural structure in range and effectively convert biological bodies and mental content into digital format in a process not truly understood even by the Forerunners themselves.<ref name="wp comp">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/tech/composer '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Composer'']</ref>

==Trivia==
The premise of neural physics is similar to [[Wikipedia:Panentheism|panentheism]], the philosophical concept that the divine intersects every part of the universe and also extends beyond space and time.  


==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Cryptum]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Silentium]]''
*''[[Halo Mythos]]''
*''[[Halo: Epitaph]]''

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

[[Category:Ideology]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Precursor]]