Lag and social process delay let’s reframe
The brain as a semiconductor:
Semiconductor Physics: The Doping of the Cognitive Lattice
The second pillar of the S-m5b framework utilizes the physics of semiconductors to explain the mechanism of this boundary permeability. The brain's neural architecture is modeled as a crystalline lattice—a silicon wafer of connectome pathways—whose conductivity is determined by chemical "doping."
3.1 Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Neuro-Conductivity
A pure (intrinsic) semiconductor, such as silicon, acts as an insulator at absolute zero. It has no free charge carriers. To become useful, it must be "doped" with impurities—atoms with either an extra electron (N-type) or one fewer electron (P-type).
Intrinsic State (The Depressive Baseline): A brain with low levels of neurotransmitters (dopants) operates like an intrinsic semiconductor at low temperature. The "Band Gap"—the energy difference between the valence band (resting state) and the conduction band (action potential)—is too wide. Signals cannot jump the gap. The result is the phenomenology of severe depression: high resistance to information, low "conductivity" of affect, and a sense of cognitive insulation or "numbness."
Extrinsic State (The Neurotypical Range): The neurotypical brain is "doped" to a precise level with monoamines (Dopamine, Serotonin, Norepinephrine). This introduces enough charge carriers to allow current to flow, but the "Band Gap" remains functional. The system can conduct signal (salience) while resisting noise (irrelevance). This balance creates a "Tunable Band Gap," allowing the individual to focus (conduct) on a task and ignore (insulate against) distractions.
3.2 The Degenerate Semiconductor: The Physics of Psychosis
The most critical insight of the S-m5b report is the mapping of the "Psychotic Break" to the transition into a "Degenerate Semiconductor" state. In physics, a semiconductor is considered "degenerate" when the concentration of dopants exceeds a critical threshold (typically 10^{18} \text{ cm}^{-3} in silicon).
At this saturation point, the physics of the material change fundamentally:
Fermi Level Shift: The Fermi level (the hypothetical energy level of an electron) rises until it enters the conduction band.
Band Gap Collapse: The "forbidden zone" between the valence and conduction bands effectively vanishes. The material ceases to behave as a semiconductor and begins to behave like a metal (a conductor).
Zero Resistance: The material loses its ability to resist current flow.
In the psychiatric model, the "Dopant" is Dopamine, specifically at the D2 and D1 receptors. Dopamine modulates "salience"—the tag attached to a stimulus that says "this is important".
The Mechanism of Mania/Psychosis: When the brain is hyper-doped with dopamine (the degenerate state), the "Salience Band Gap" collapses. The brain loses the ability to filter out "noise." In a neurotypical brain, the sound of a car passing is "noise" (insulator). In a degenerate (psychotic) brain, the resistance drops to zero, and the car sound becomes "signal" (conductor). It is perceived as a message, a threat, or a sign from God.
Signal-to-Noise Ratio Inversion: Dopamine agonists typically enhance signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) to boost performance. However, the S-m5b framework argues that the relationship is non-linear. Beyond the "degenerate" threshold, the SNR creates a paradox: because everything is signal, there is no signal. The "noise" is amplified to the same voltage as the "signal." This is the physical basis of Apophenia—the perception of patterns in random data. The subject is not "imagining" the connection; their cognitive hardware has lost the electrical resistance required to not conduct the connection.
