"The penalties for having no belief may not be so grand as the rewards for holding them.
But in an…"
The mixing of religious and non-religious beliefs in an individual.
Evolution and Physics
An interesting article looks at understanding the nature of evolution through the lens of thermodynamics. See:
http://www.physorg.com/news137679868.html
"As a biological ecosystem evolves by the process of natural selection, it disperses energy, increases entropy, and moves toward a stationary state with respect to its surroundings. Similarly, as energy flows in various physical phenomena, they too cause biological systems to move toward stationary states with respect to their surroundings, in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. Whether an object is animate or inanimate, science does not seem to make a distinction. In both cases, energy flows toward a stationary state, or a state of equilibrium, in the absence of a high-energy external source. "
Note that such shifts in energy utilization may be beneficial for a period of time and then, as the ecosystem changes, less beneficial, where the term "beneficial" refers to persistence and perpetuation of the species.
This also helps to address the erroneous notion that systems only move in a direction of greater simplicity and cannot move in a direction of increased complexity. Clearly, that's just a brain dead notion.
Undoubtedly, there is some scripture somewhere written a few thousand years ago by a half-starved psychotic that might shed more light on the situation.
http://www.physorg.com/news137679868.html
"As a biological ecosystem evolves by the process of natural selection, it disperses energy, increases entropy, and moves toward a stationary state with respect to its surroundings. Similarly, as energy flows in various physical phenomena, they too cause biological systems to move toward stationary states with respect to their surroundings, in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. Whether an object is animate or inanimate, science does not seem to make a distinction. In both cases, energy flows toward a stationary state, or a state of equilibrium, in the absence of a high-energy external source. "
Note that such shifts in energy utilization may be beneficial for a period of time and then, as the ecosystem changes, less beneficial, where the term "beneficial" refers to persistence and perpetuation of the species.
This also helps to address the erroneous notion that systems only move in a direction of greater simplicity and cannot move in a direction of increased complexity. Clearly, that's just a brain dead notion.
Undoubtedly, there is some scripture somewhere written a few thousand years ago by a half-starved psychotic that might shed more light on the situation.
Tags: Evolution
Views: 0
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Maju on -
Whether an object is animate or inanimate, science does not seem to make a distinction. In both cases, energy flows toward a stationary state, or a state of equilibrium, in the absence of a high-energy external source.
Sounds like the prefect pretext for couch-diving - favorite human sports across the ages, at least since sofas were invented, what probably pre-dates the wheel anyhow. :-D
This also helps to address the erroneous notion that systems only move in a direction of greater simplicity and cannot move in a direction of increased complexity.
Why does it? I understand that systems evlove in the directions (never a single direction) of greater fitness (which is contextual ayhow, never absolute) and that may imply greater or lower complexity, what is not really so relevant in itself. Greater complexity though normally requires more energy, what also demands greater fitness to justify it.
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Permalink Reply by george on -
Fitness is relative to the conditions in which the organism lives. The route toward increasing complexity is related to the energy state of the system. Higher energy, potentially greater complexity. This does not preclude complex organisms developing simpler or less complex features, of course. To wit:
“A system evolves to reach a stationary state with respect to its surroundings,” Annila explained. “That is to say, when the surrounding environment is high in energy, then the system will evolve to a high-energy stationary state. Matter on Earth has evolved over eons in increasing its energy content to match that of the solar radiation density. During this process, mechanisms of energy transduction have improved, but presumably there are still ways to catch more of the sunlight to power activities that are presently fueled by non-renewables.”
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Permalink Reply by Maju on
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Matter on Earth has evolved over eons in increasing its energy content to match that of the solar radiation density.
There's much more energy per square centimeter in Venus, Mercury or indeed the Sun. Not sure about Venus but Mercury is more like a barren desert precisely because of excess of energy and nobody seems to think life can exist on the Sun either.
There seems to be need for a balance, like with Yang and Yin. Life needs Fire but also Water.
Fitness is relative to the conditions in which the organism lives.
I already said that: though I used the term "contextual" instead.
The route toward increasing complexity is related to the energy state of the system. Higher energy, potentially greater complexity.
Only if that implies greater fitness too. Unnecesary complexity will tend to disappear with time because it's energetically costly - and, even if the system is high in energy, processing it may not be easy. Complexity will therefore only evolve and persist if it adds to relative fitness.
... presumably there are still ways to catch more of the sunlight to power activities that are presently fueled by non-renewables.
Actually there have been major advances in this regard this very year: see this and this.
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