Researcher
About
R.D. Kitcey
Robert D. Kitcey is an independent theoretical researcher working at the intersection of general relativity, galactic kinematics, and the foundations of the dark matter paradigm. His current research develops the Intrinsic Response framework — a constitutive metric response as a candidate identity for cold dark matter, tested against the SPARC database of 175 galaxies.
Beyond theoretical physics, Kitcey's broader research program at Lernaean Research addresses human systems dynamics, consciousness studies, and the intersection of symbolic systems with physical reality. His work integrates insights from cognitive science, philosophy, economics, and ecology to develop comprehensive frameworks for understanding human behavior and societal patterns.
The physics research presented on this site represents a distinct domain of inquiry — rigorous, empirically grounded, and structured as a falsifiable research program in the tradition of Lakatos. It is part of the broader Lernaean Research mission to develop frameworks capable of genuine structural understanding across domains.
Research Context
Theoretical Physics
The Intrinsic Response framework proposes that galactic rotation-curve anomalies are explained not by a new particle species, but by a constitutive metric response of spacetime to baryonic matter — a dark gravity rather than dark matter. The framework is tested against 175 SPARC galaxies and presents explicit falsification criteria.
Human Systems Research
Through the NiCE (Nature-Consciousness-Environment) Framework at humanparadigm.org, Kitcey develops integrated theoretical frameworks explaining how biological embodiment, narrative consciousness, and environmental scaffolding interact to shape human experience and collective behavior.
Methodological Approach
The physics research is structured as a progressive research program in the sense of Lakatos — incomplete but not vague, with a well-defined hard core and a protective belt of auxiliary hypotheses that generate testable predictions.
Falsification-First
Explicit discriminants ladder with pre-registered falsification criteria at each rung. The framework earns engagement by being testable, not by being complete.
Empirical Grounding
All claims are anchored to observational data — 175 SPARC galaxies, rotation curves, photometric mass models. Theory follows measurement.
Parsimony
One free parameter per galaxy, BIC-validated. The scientific content lies in the compression of residuals with a low-DOF model.
Ontological Agnosticism
The response sector is defined by its observational role, not its physical constitution. The framework is compatible with multiple physical realizations.
Lernaean Research
The parent organization framing humanity's systemic challenges through the myth of the Lernaean Hydra — developing frameworks capable of genuine structural understanding across domains.
lernaean.netHuman Paradigm
The NiCE Framework website — Nature-Consciousness-Environment — a comprehensive triadic systems approach to understanding human dynamics.
humanparadigm.org