Research foundation for the 2040 experience and physical-intelligence programme. Conclusions and load-bearing evidence synchronised with the verified DOCX on 7 September 2026. Every major claim is traceable to an external source; evidence tiers, horizons and counter-evidence are made explicit. Governing question: what will shape how people live and interact by 2040, and what does that mean for the role of hardware?

EVIDENCE DISCIPLINE — feasibility ≠ adoption · prototype ≠ product · trial ≠ clinical success · announcement ≠ capability · funding ≠ validation · forecast ≠ inevitability · plausibility ≠ 2040-probability. FACT · FORECAST · SYNTHESIS · HYPOTHESIS · FRONTIER kept distinct.