Table of Contents
Law of Nature
Our universe is full of intricate, dynamic systems that go well beyond biology. Different combinations of materials can frequently be sculpted into considerably more complicated structures, as seen in the formation of stars and prebiotic chemistry.
However, in contrast to a great deal of other physical phenomena, a discrete law has not yet been developed to capture their shifting character.
In an exciting new peer-reviewed work, a group of US astrobiologists, philosophers, data scientists, theoretical physicists, and mineralogists explain the “missing law” of nature.
“Given the ubiquity of evolving systems in the natural world, it seems odd that one or more laws describing their behaviors have not been more quickly forthcoming,”
The “law of increasing functional information” developed by the team states that increased patterning, diversity, and complexity in natural complex systems are inexorably brought about by evolution in all its manifestations.
The Earth’s biosphere is by no means the only highly complex system where evolution occurs; the Solar System, stars, atoms, and minerals are just a few examples.
“New combinations of atoms, molecules, cells, etc. are created by the universe,” explains research first author and astrobiologist Michael Wong of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC.
“Combinations that exhibit stability and have the potential to generate more innovation will persist in their evolution. Life is the most striking example of evolution because of this, although evolution can be found everywhere.”
The article explains how the earliest stars were formed by the combination of just two elements, hydrogen and helium, which were the most prevalent at the time of the Big Bang. Towards the conclusion of its life, a star can produce over 100 elements and around 2000 different types of isotopes.
From basic beginnings, an immense diversity of mineral ‘species’ were generated on Earth between 4.55 and 2.5 billion years ago during the formation of the planet. Currently, over 5,900 distinct mineral species are recognized on Earth; These species grew more chemically complicated when new life forms entered the atmosphere and released oxygen.
In conjunction with other minerals, iron’s reaction with oxygen-based minerals ushered in a new era in the history of life and set the stage for our own evolution.
The formation of ecosystems and the evolution of life from single-celled to multicellular organisms increased the complexity of Earth’s surface mineralogy. The vast array of minerals that were created altered both the direction and possibilities of evolution.
The diversity of biological and mineral systems is constantly influenced by one another, and this interaction is what gives rise to life as we know it.
“These evolving systems appear to be conceptually equivalent in that they display three notable attributes,” the authors state.
- 1) They form from numerous components that have the potential to adopt combinatorially vast numbers of different configurations;
- 2) processes exist that generate numerous different configurations;
- 3) Configurations are preferentially selected based on function.”
So what explains the common features of seemingly disparate evolutionary systems if not some aspect of information transfer mechanisms? Is there a basis for selection that is universal? Both answers, in the team’s opinion, are yes.
“An important component of this proposed natural law is the idea of ‘selection for function,'” Wong states.
In the context of biology, Darwin believed that an organism’s main purpose is to secure its own existence for as long as necessary to enable successful reproduction. According to the team, this new concept highlights three different sorts of functions that exist in the natural world, which broadens our understanding.
The primary role that we may refer to as “static persistence” is the upkeep of steady atomic or molecule configurations.
“Dynamic persistence” explains that systems with steady energy sources and a dynamic nature are also more likely to survive.
Finally, the term “novelty generation” describes the tendency of evolutionary systems to produce novel configurations, which may lead to unexpectedly novel behaviors or qualities.
The functions of macroscopic natural systems are governed by the laws of motion, gravity, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics, as noted by Wong et al. It follows that there ought to be a natural law governing evolution.
“An asymmetric trajectory based upon functionality may seem antithetical to scientific analysis,” the group concluded.
“Nevertheless, we conjecture that selection based on static persistence, dynamic persistence, and novelty generation is a universal process that results in systems with increased functional information.”
read also: The tiny, deserted Irish island has a fascinating History
Missing ‘Law of Nature’ Found That Describes The Way All Things Evolve (msn.com)
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