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On an evolutionary scale, life exploits the boundary between signal and noise to migrate across its manifold substrate. There is no reason to presume that stat
by robbintt 9y ago
On an evolutionary scale, life exploits the boundary between signal and noise to migrate across its manifold substrate. There is no reason to presume that statistical interference does not contribute to outcomes more locally.
- trevyn 9y agoAre you saying that, while it appears that we understand the basic mechanics involved, there may be non-obvious interactions that have additional explanatory power?
- robbintt 9y agoIt is common for people to assume that chemistry works mechanically, and we have, in fact, been very successful at reducing a great number of biochemical interactions to pretty much raw mechanics. Also, life has a stake in reducing a stream of inputs into 'gated' processes, because life exists by providing a stable interface for its replicator core. However, this doesn't mean that the stream of inputs in all cases reduces to 'gated' processes. I agree that most of what makes up life is a grand, replicating automaton, but I think there is a soft core to it that retains the controlled unpredictability of a solution in brownian motion or a population in genetic drift.
- dTal 9y agoPlease don't post nonsense on HN.
- anigbrowl 9y agoI did not find it nonsensical in the least.
- dTal 9y agoIt looks like postmodernist fluff to me. I assume from the downvotes it received that I'm not the only one. I accept the possibility that we all missed some great insight - would you care to give us a hint?
- anigbrowl 9y agoI started writing an explanation but it got really wordy and I don't want it to sound patronizing. Better, have a look into Catastrophe theory, and consider lifeforms (and species) as coordinates in higher-dimensional parameter space, wherein informational asymmetries are equivalent to energy discontinuities. A simple practical example of this would be bacteria around a hydrothermal vent; it's the boundary between the high energy source (signal) and the low-energy empty space around it where life thrives. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catastrophe_theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catastrophe_theory
- robbintt 9y agoAlthough I am not familiar with catastrophe theory by name, I can provide a specific example of a 'controlled randomness' that governs genetic drift. It's a particularly nice example because we use it to seed random pools of our own now, too: cosmic radiation.
- robbintt 9y agoI've replied elsewhere. This comment was extremely rude.