To begin with, understand patterning.

There is matter; there is information.

Matter is like a rock. You can't double a rock, it just is. If you kick it, it moves.

Information is like email. If you kick an email, there are two. At every hop, it leaves a ghost behind. Information is about patterning. When there are two copies, or three copies, or n copies of this same pattern of matter (of magnetic ones and zeros on the hard drive), that's information.

The universe is a little bit more redundant after communication takes place. Like this. What's the difference that makes a difference?