The capabilities of chaos and complexity

Abstract

To what degree could chaos and complexity have organized a Peptide or RNA World of crude yet necessarily integrated protometabolism? How far could such protolife evolve in the absence of a heritable linear digital symbol system that could mutate, instruct, regulate, optimize and maintain metabolic homeostasis? To address these questions, chaos, complexity, self-ordered states, and organization must all be carefully defined and distinguished. In addition their cause-and-effect relationships and mechanisms of action must be delineated. Are there any formal (non physical, abstract, conceptual, algorithmic) components to chaos, complexity, self-ordering and organization, or are they entirely physicodynamic (physical, mass/energy interaction alone)? Chaos and complexity can produce some fascinating self-ordered phenomena. But can spontaneous chaos and complexity steer events and processes toward pragmatic benefit, select function over non function, optimize algorithms, integrate circuits, produce computational halting, organize processes into formal systems, control and regulate existing systems toward greater efficiency? The question is pursued of whether there might be some yet-to-be discovered new law of biology that will elucidate the derivation of prescriptive information and control. "System" will be rigorously defined. Can a low-informational rapid succession of Prigogine's dissipative structures self-order into bona fide organization?

Keywords: Biocybernetics; Biosemiotics; Complex adaptive systems (CAS); Complexity theory; Emergence; Non linear dynamics; Self-organization; Symbolic dynamics analysis; Systems theory.

Figure 1.

An antithetical relationship exists between linear sequence order and complexity. Randomness affords the greatest measure of complexity. The more ordered and patterned a sequence, the less uncertain are its components, and the less complex the sequence. Neither order nor complexity generates formal meaning or utility, both of which lie in a completely different dimension from order/complexity measures.

Figure 2.

a) The degree of three-dimensional computational complexity within a pile of pick-up sticks is staggering. But what exactly does this enormous degree of complexity DO? What sophisticated formal function does this pile of objects generate? Mere combinatorial complexity must never be confused with formal utility. b) A row of dip switch settings depicts a different category of complexity—algorithmic, cybernetic programming complexity. Choice contingency is incorporated into purposeful configurable switch-settings that collectively prescribe formal function.

Figure 3.

A section of Alosa pseudoharengus (a fish) mitochondrion DNA. This reference sequence continues on all the way up to 16,621 “letters.” Each nucleotide is a physical symbol vehicle in a material symbol system. The specific selection of symbols and their syntax (particular sequencing) prescribes needed three-dimensional molecular structures and metabolic cooperative function prior to natural selection’s participation. (Source: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?refseq+NC_009576).

Figure 4.

a) A binary configurable switch. Though physical, the switch-setting is nonetheless physicodynamically inert (“dynamically decoupled or incoherent” [196, 197]). No physical force field determines the direction this knob is pushed. The vector of knob push is determined by formal choice contingency alone, not by chance or necessity, and not by order or complexity. b) An integrated circuit board arises only out of unified, coherent, purposefully cooperative, truly organized logic-gate switch-settings. The number of permutations of voluntary (choice-contingent; configurable) switch-setting combinations quickly becomes staggering. Often only one configuration achieves a certain functional computational halting.