Avant propose: These very abstract statements summarize the processes that shaped and continue to shape the evolution of planet Earth, human cultures included. When the specific physical, chemical, biological and cultural processes are liberated from their respective details their common features come evident. These tweets aim to show the common thread of the simple processes that describe planetary evolution, which already have been researched to a fair stage [*].
1. The story of Planet
Earth: the evolution of the geosphere,
biosphere, and now the noosphere. Currently, the planetary evolution,
driven by the human species and their noosphere, is heading towards the Anthropocene with
an open outcome; climax or anticlimax depending on the
cultural-evolution of societies of the human species.
2. The
science of evolution:
a philosophical insight and a story about the development from
stardust to social networks. Evolution has a much wider scope than
describing 'survival of species'. Evolution is more than weeding out
'the least fit' for an environment with limited resources. Evolution
is an iterative process to assemble and replicate increasingly
complex structures. The key feature of biological evolution is
self-replication, thus reproduction. Competition is for efficient
processing of energy, matter and information to support reproduction.
3. Self-assembling:
simple components aggregate to more complex structures. The
aggregation of the components is spontaneous with in the respective environment. It happens without any other external driver. These "aggregated components" show new
characteristics, which are more than the sum of the characteristics
of their components. Getting their turn, these "aggregated
components" spontaneously aggregate again; and so on.
4. Replication:
copying an original structure. Replication is about, at least, to
keep a copy of the initial structure while the original structure has
broken apart. Replication is achieved, if that process has come
through before the "to be replicated" structure starts to
break up. Thus, the replication process is competitive. An efficient
replication process multiplies the original structure before it
breaks up. A replication may not be entirely faithful but approximate
only and, so, leads to variants of the original structure.
5. Self-replication:
structures replicate themselves. A self-replicating structure is
understood as "living". The self-replicating process is
called reproduction. An approximately self-replicating structure is
changing its features, and that is what biological evolution is
about.
6. Reproduction
- boundaries:
self-replication confined to an enclosed space. “Stuff” outside a
closed boundary is excluded from the replication; that's
self-replication. Boundaries limit the “self-replicating structure”
and its “environment”. Excluding structures outside a limiting
boundary from a replication process turns that replication process
into a reproduction process. Reproduction is about reading and
applying information for the purpose to replicate a “limited
structure” before it breaks up. Thus, reproduction is about
processing a limited set of information in a race against time.
7. Reproduction
- targets:
First, to timely access resources outside the limits of the structure
that is reproducing itself. These resources are energy and matter.
Second, to appropriately transfer these resources into the structure
that is to reproduce. Third, use these resources for reproduction;
thus building a new structure with its proper outer boundary. For
successful reproduction, these three targets have to be met before
the 'to be replicated' structure breaks up.
8. Reproduction
- fitness:
modest reproduction efficiency. Namely that, within a limited elapse
of time and for the purpose to self-replicate, a limited structure
transports matter as well as energy and processes information.
Evolution happens if the self-replication is not faithful.
Reproduction errors occur and variations of the original structure
form with varying efficiency. The least fit variants do not replicate
before they break-up, so they “die” and other survive.
9. Living
beings - All:
evolution initially targeted the efficiency of the processes for
transport of matter and use of energy within the "limited
structures" and across their outer boundaries. Eventually,
evolution focused on the efficiency of the processes that handle
sensor inputs, processing information and supporting communication
between "self-replicating structures" of the same kind.
10. Living
beings – humans: A
"self-replicating limited structure". Humans, to improve
its reproductive fitness, are specialising in intra-species
communication and scenario building. Both is supported by a massively
expanded capacity (the mind-brain-organ) for processing information.
The individual "self-replicating limited structure"
aggregate in groups with strong internal bonds to compete with other
groups for efficient processing of energy, matter and information.
11. Noosphere
- Society:
Many groups of “self-replicating
limited structures" interact to process information for the
purpose to improve the efficiency of the handling of matter and
energy in support of their "self-replication".
12. Noosphere
- Culture:
Designed external environment of the “self-replicating limited
structures” purposefully set up to handle matter and energy in
support of the “self-replication” of these structures.
13. On
the way: Much
has happened since stars lighted up fusing the matter that makes our
bodies. Much has happened before mind-culture systems, societies,
developed along the path of evolution. Now, the number of human
beings and their manner of reproduction are such that we squeeze the
biosphere of planet Earth. The combined strength of humans is
sufficient to shape the geosphere of planet Earth. Thus, we are
starting the Anthropocene. Unhappily currently humans behave like an
invasive species, showing little control of a sustainable resource
consumption.
[*] some references:
Baje
Todd J. and Jon M. Erlandson 2013, Looking
forward, looking backward: Humans, anthropogenic change, and the
Anthropocene, Anthropocene 4, pp.116-121.
Bonneuil
Christophe and Fressoz Jean-Baptiste 2013, L'événement
Anthropocène - La terre, l'histoire et nous,
Le Seuil p. 271.
Hazen
Robert M. 2012,
The Story of Earth, Viking
Pinguin, p. 306 .
Langmuir
Charles H. and Wally Broecker 2012,
How to build a habitable planet, Princeton
University Press, p. 718.
Landes
2003, The Unbound Prometheus – Technological
change and industrial development in Western Europe from 1750 to the
present (second edition), Cambridge
University Press, p. 576.
Lieberman
Matthew D. 2013, Social – Why our brains are
wired to connect, Oxford University Press, p.
374 .
Pagel
Mark 2012, Wired for Culture. Origins of the
Human Social Mind, W.W. Norton & Company
New York, p. 423.
Schwägerl
Christian 2014, The Anthropocene – The human
era and how it shapes our planet, Synergetic Press 2014,p. 235.
Wilson
Edward O. 2014, The
Meaning of Human Existence,
W.W. Norton & Company New York, p.207.
