Nice, Eric!
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/02/evolution-as-bi.html Abstract:Most evolutionary biologists cherish Darwin's theory of natural selection (NS) as the process of adaptive evolution more than 140 years after publication of his first book on the subject. However, in the past few decades the study of self-organization (SO) in complex dynamical systems has suggested that adaptation may occur through intrinsic reorganization without NS. In this study, we attempt to describe the logical framework that relates the general process of SO to the specific process of NS. We describe NS as a mechanism that coordinates the coevolution of species in an ecosystem to effectively capture, process and dissipate solar energy into the earth's shadow. Finally, we conclude that NS is an emergent process founded on the same thermodynamic imperatives that are thought to underlie all SO. This perspective suggests that the theory of self-organizing systems offers a broader physical context in which to understand the process of NS, rather than contesting it. It even suggests the possibility that there may be a physical basis for understanding the origin of the process of NS. Rather than being merely a fluke of nature, the origin of NS that may be driven by energy flows across gradients. --- -. . ..-. .. ... .... - .-- --- ..-. .. ... .... Stephen.Guerin at Redfish.com www.Redfish.com 624 Agua Fria Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501 mobile: (505)577-5828 office: Santa Fe, NM (505)995-0206 / London, UK +44 (0) 20 7993 4769 |
Interestingly, I was just the other day reading a fairly technical
paper making essentially the same point: Stanley & Miikkulainen (2004) J. AI Research vol 21, pp63-100 "Competitive Coevolution through Evolutionary Complexification". Cheers On Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 05:11:26PM -0700, Stephen Guerin wrote: > Nice, Eric! > > http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/02/evolution-as-bi.html > Abstract:Most evolutionary biologists cherish Darwin's theory of natural > selection (NS) as the process of adaptive evolution more than 140 years after > publication of his first book on the subject. However, in the past few decades > the study of self-organization (SO) in complex dynamical systems has suggested > that adaptation may occur through intrinsic reorganization without NS. In this -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- A/Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile) Mathematics UNSW SYDNEY 2052 hpcoder at hpcoders.com.au Australia http://www.hpcoders.com.au ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
In reply to this post by Stephen Guerin
Thanks Steve,
I didn't know that this existed. It is really hopeful that the author of the series puts Guy's work in the same frame as Carl Woese's, probably without realizing that I am part of collaborations with both of them. That suggests that the idea is taking on some recognizable coherence of its own, because the way Carl says these things is rather drastically different than the way Guy does, and Carl considers a rather different set of questions to be primary. However, I also believe it is correct to see the two representations as reflecting the same essential missing parts in current biological theory (which parts are also a missing part of current physical theory). So the author must be seeing the idea through its very different set of representations. Best, Eric |
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