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Regulative development as a model for origin of life and artificial life studies

Authors :
Chris Fields
Michael Levin
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
Center for Open Science, 2022.

Abstract

Using the formal framework of the Free Energy Principle, we show how generic thermodynamic requirements on bidirectional information exchange between a system and its environment can generate complexity. This leads to the emergence of hierarchical computational architectures in systems that operate sufficiently far from thermal equilibrium. In this setting, the environment of any system increases its ability to predict system behavior by “engineering” the system towards increased morphological complexity and hence larger-scale, more macroscopic behaviors. When seen in this light, regulative development becomes an environmentally-driven process in which“parts” are assembled to produce a system with predictable behavior. We suggest on this basis that life is thermodynamically favorable and that human engineers are acting like a generic “environment” when designing artificial living systems.

Details

Database :
OpenAIRE
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....060bd732cbd635d40551f5d8f9478aaa