This is an effort to clarify what I have said in earlier posts. I
think it strengths the idea that we have a very substantial problem on
our hands.
[Terms not defined herein have the usual “Laws of Physics” definition]
1) Definition {1}: Energy (E) is the ability to subject a mass to a
force.
2) There are several types of energy currently known or proposed:
a) Mass itself via the conversion: [M <=> E/(c*c)]
b) Gravitational
c) Electromagnetic
d) Nuclear [Strong and Weak forces]
e) Dark Energy [proposed]
3) Definition {2}: Work (W) is the FLOW OF ENERGY amongst the various
types in (2) by means of a change in the spatial configuration,
dynamics and/or amount of mass in a physical system brought about by
an actual application of a force to a mass.
4) The exact original distribution of energy amongst the various types
can't be reestablished and the new configuration can't do as much work
as the prior configuration was capable of doing. [Less ability to
apply forces to masses] [See the Second Law of Thermodynamics]
5) Time is not a factor: Once a flow of energy is possible it will
take place immediately through an energy flow conduit.
6) If we look at the usual attempts to define "life", we find things
such as has a metabolism, grows larger [+ growth], procreates, etc.
These require a FLOW OF ENERGY (3) from an initial ability to do work
to a lower ability to do work (4) and through the life entity or its
associated instrumentality [Tools: such as a rock hammer, bow, car
engine or its piece of a vast food production and distribution system
etc.]. Think of the life entity as a pipe or "conduit" for this FLOW
OF ENERGY.]
7) Conclusion [1]: Therefore from (1) thru (6), wherever the
possibility of life exists [the proper ingredients are appropriately
present] life will appear as rapidly as possible. This is the
"origin" of life proposed herein.
8) All [more references needed] FLOWS OF ENERGY suffer from what are
known as "Energy Flow Hang-up Barriers" such as nuclear bonding
coefficient issues, spatial configuration, spin, other spatial statics
[location] and dynamics, ignition temperature requirements,
electromagnetic repulsion, etc. ["Energy Flow Hang-up Barriers" is
not my terminology - I think there was a twenty year or so old article
in Scientific American I am looking for and a quick Internet search
found a discussion of the repulsion hang-up in "Cosmology The Science
of the Universe" by Edward Robert Harrison. If energy flow hang-up
barriers did not exist then by (5) the universe would have become
incapable of supporting life very soon after it began. [Big Bang?]
9) Conclusion [2] Therefore "life" is just an energy flow conduit
necessarily drilling holes in energy flow hang-up barriers as per the
current ability of the particular life entity so as to enable even
more energy flow i.e. + growth, procreation, etc.
10) Definition {3} Operable work depletion: The depletion of the
ability to actually apply a force to a mass and as a result accomplish
the energy flow required by (3) with the consequences in (4) in a
region of the universe occupied by a particular biosphere. There may
be a great many biospheres in the universe.
11) Conclusion [3]: (9) and (10) combine into the "proposed Function
#1" [pF1] of life. ["Function" seems better than "Purpose".] In other
words life's function is to hasten the operable work depletion in its
region of the host universe.
12) Now add in evolution which is a random walk with a lower but no
upper bound, thus capable of producing ever more capable energy flow
hang-up busters.
-----
i) Consciousness: Define it for now as the detection by a life entity
of the current system energy configuration both internal and external
to the life entity sufficient to ensure its adherence to its
"Actual Function" [AF] in its universe. In our universe it appears
that even single cells may have antenna to facilitate this detection.
See "ScienceNews", 11/03/12, page 16. I have proposed that life's AF
in this universe is the one I derived above. I see no reason how the
life’s Origin that I propose and pF1 conflict with such antenna on
individual cells.
ii) Freewill: pF1 precludes it because life must always follow its
function, so too for any Actual Function [AF] that differs from pF1.
iii) Species survival: Life on this planet is in the midst of an
extinction event [not a new idea] that can't be stopped because pF1
would be the only priority for life. We may not be extinguished as a
species but we can't self exclude ourselves from the extinction
because of pF1. There have been a number of extinction events.
However, evolution has used some of these to produce new life entities
with greater energy hang-up barrier busting ability than the
extinguished ones - new life entities such as ourselves from the K-Pg
event.
iv) Current Economic Conditions: The news in this area has been
rather bad for some time. The most frequently offered solution has
been that national economies and thus the world economy must grow
larger - generally measured by the amount of real GDP*. In fact grow
real GDP exponentially with a doubling time of perhaps 1 to 2
decades. Since the planet has only a finite supply of energy - see
(2) for energy types - a new trick has to be learned. However, the
offered solution [essentially to increase energy flow in the economy]
is in compliance with pF1. Thus if pF1 is correct then no other
solution [new trick] can be offered because it would not be followed.
In this case weep for the children, we could be rapidly approaching a
very substantial economic size inflection point. I hope someone can
falsify pF1 and anything near it.
*I am not an economist but given the data I have seen, economic
activity size measures such as resource consumption, industrial
output, etc. [all energy flows] and real GDP historically follow
similar size trajectories. Thus I believe a sufficient link exists to
make real GDP a useable proxy for the size of energy flow in an
industrial society. A question is whether or not it is a suitable
proxy for perceived quality of life. Since perceived quality of life
by pF1 should go up with increased energy flow in the society - life
is following its function and enjoys doing so as it should - then real
GDP should be a suitable proxy for perceived quality of life. The fly
in the ointment - there seems to always be at least one - is by (3)
and (4) the monotonic reduction in the ability to do work in that
biosphere.
Hal
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