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In the vast tapestry of scientific understanding, certain
interdisciplinary gaps continue to challenge our conception of the Universe.
(CREDIT: Creative Commons) |
Some transdisciplinary gaps in the great tapestry of scientific knowing nevertheless cast doubt on our understanding of the universe. There is one such divide between the fields of evolution and physics.
Evolution and the formation of particular features and
cultural nuances have not yet been completely integrated into the
predictability of physical theory, despite one's expectation that the
complicated dance of biological life would do so.
All of that, though, could be about to alter.
Under the innovative direction of theoretical physicist Sara
Walker of Arizona State University and chemist Lee Cronin of the University of
Glasgow, an international group of specialists may have discovered a way to
cross this gap in science.
The novel idea they have presented is known as
"Assembly Theory." This hypothesis not only contains the key to
answering one of the most intriguing problems in space exploration: the search
for extraterrestrial life, but it also promises new insights into the basic
fabric of life.
In further detail, Walker says, "Assembly theory
provides a completely new lens for looking at physics, chemistry, and biology
as different perspectives of the same underlying reality." This is a
revolutionary approach.
This has enormous ramifications. "With this
theory," says Walker, "we can start to close the gap between
reductionist physics and Darwinian evolution – it's a major step towards a
fundamental theory unifying inert and living matter."
Seeing objects in their changing context is the fundamental
component of this integration. According to the proposal, an object's essence
is inextricably linked to time and encompasses more than just its present form.
This includes both its creation history and its dormant morphological
potential.
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This research builds on the team's previous work developing
Assembly Theory as an empirically validated approach to life detection. (CREDIT: Dr Anna Tanczos, Sci-Comm Studios) |
In order to unravel the intricacy innate in evolutionary routes, the group conducted extensive research and developed a'molecular complexity index'. This index identified the bare minimum steps required for molecule synthesis and assigned difficulty scores based on how many steps there were. Amazingly, only life and some industrial activities resulted in molecules requiring more than 15 construction steps.
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