Re: [Fis] _ Towards a 3φ integrative medicine

[Bruno Marchal]

Hi Plamen, Hi colleagues,

I would feel guilty not adding two grains of salt here, but I am aware  
that a thorough understanding of what I say require some familiarity  
with theoretical computer science and mathematical logic, at least for  
the first remark.


About phenomenology, the incompleteness theorem and those extending  
it, assures us that ideally arithmetically sound machines have a very  
rich set of phenomelogies, once accept the classical theory of  
knowledge (True belief). Indeed incompleteness prevents the third  
person representation to ever account of the machine's knowledge, and  
here the math leads to a tour de force: a (meta)-axiomatization of a  
subject not amenable to any third person description, neither formal  
or informal. That theory is given by the modal logic S4Grz. Better, I  
presented an argument that if Descartes Mechanism is correct (a  
digital version of it, based on Church-Thesis), then physics has to be  
phenomenological, and this is confirmed to in the sense that the  
observable extracted from arithmetic get a quantum logic with an  
alternate histories interpretation which mirrors already what Nature  
suggests to us.
So I would say that we do have a rich phenomenology for the universal  
numbers. It is there in arithmetic, but asks for some investment in  
the study of computer science and its relation with mathematical logic.


About cancer. What strikes me as extremally odd is that most people  
seems to continue to ignore the discovery made in the US, and well  
hidden since, that injecting THC in tumoral brain mice reduces, and  
sometimes eliminates the brain tumor. This has been rediscovered since  
by a Spanish laboratory 20 years later, on different animals or  
tissues, but cannabis remains in schedule one or equivalent in many  
state and countries, so, despite the many wittnessing it works on  
humans, the subject remains taboo. In fact, Mechoulam, in Jerusalem,  
discovered both the THC in cannabis, and later, the corresponding  
agonist in the brain, and actually the whole endocannaninoïd system,  
whose main global role is the reparation and boosting of the entire  
immune system, which explains the very long time evidence of the  
medical prowess of hemp.


I agree and appreciate most holistic remarks made here on cancer and  
its therapy research. I think that the endocannabinoid system and the  
medical cannabis illustrates all this very well. But the illegality of  
a drug kills the genuinely free-markets, which is the best regulator  
of global integration of complex ideas, I think, and today's medicine  
and pharmacy are more merchandising of diseases than a will of health,  
and this is obviously a problem for integrative medicine, as it  
disintegrates the honest basic research needed at the bottom and start.


Two links with references:
http://www.mapinc.org/newstcl/v01/n572/a11.html
http://www.cannabis-infos.com/2014/08/dossier-68-etudes-qui-demontrent.html

Best,

Bruno

On 14 May 2016, at 09:49, Dr. Plamen L. Simeonov wrote:


Dear Colleagues,

My contribution will finalize the discussion on phenomenology in the  
domains of biology, mathematics, cyber/biosemiotics and physics by  
the previous speakers (Maxine, Lou, Sœren and Alex) with a  
“challenging topic” in 3φ integrative medicine. You may wish to  
skip the small font text notes following each underscored phrase  
like the one below.



Note 1: Although this term is often used as synonym for holistic  
healing (s. ref. list A), its meaning in this context with the  
prefix 3φ goes much “deeper” into the disciplines’ integration  
leaving no room for speculations by mainstream scientists. The  
concept is a linguistic choice of mine for the intended merge of the  
complexity sciences physics and physiology with phenomenology for  
application in modern medicine along the line of integral biomathics  
(s. ref. list B).



It is rooted in the last presentation of Alex Hankey, since it  
naturally provides the link from physics to physiology and medicine,  
and thus to an anthropocentric domain implying a leading part of  
phenomenological studies. To begin, I compiled a précis of Alex’  
thesis about self-organized criticality (s. ref. list C) from his  
paper “A New Approach to Biology and Medicine” -- the download  
link to it was distributed in a previous email of him -- and  
extended it with my reflections including some questions I hope you  
will resonate on.




I am curious of your opinion about how to apply the scientific  
method, and in particular mathematics and information science, to  
study illness and recovery as complex phenomena.



Alex Hankey: self-organized criticality and regulation in living  
systems



There is a continuous growth and change at the end of a phase  
transition in an organism, i.e. at its critical point, which is the  
end point of phase equilibrium.




Both endo and exo, genetics and epigenetics are important for life.

Re: [Fis] Towards a 3φ integrative medicine

[Dr. Plamen L. Simeonov]

. We tried to
> do something in that style for a European Project, but we did not pass the
> 2nd cut.
>
> 2. In physiological matters, there is much to say from criticality,
> balancing, symmetry, symmetry breaking and restoration, network science,
> etc. Some time ago there was a "Physiome" European Project, "From Molecules
> to HumanKind" trying to capture the whole map of physiological regulation.
> But in my impression it is a bioengineering repository of models and
> resources. It could be done differently. The emphasis by Alex, Plamen on
> criticality and of mine on signaling would not be too bad complementary
> directions.
>
> 3. Finally, on integration, I would propose "knowledge recombination"
> instead. The usual way to understand integration is unbounded, without
> space-time limits, like the processing of a Turing Machine. Rather the
> human practice of knowledge, and paradigmatically medicine,
> is characterized by a growing difficulty in integration matters within
> dozens and dozens of disciplines. Heterogeneous fields of knowledge can
> hardly be integrated at all. What living beings have had to rely upon is
> "recombination"--either genetically, neuronal, or socially. It is the
> unending combination of fragments of heterogeneous pieces of knowledge
> brought into action not randomly but in space-temporal frameworks that
> allow the mutual cross-fertilization. The idea, developed specifically for
> the biomedical arena can be discussed at length in [Information 2011, 2,
> 651-671; doi:10.3390/info2040651] and in [*Scientomics*: An Emergent
> Perspective in Knowledge. Organization. Knowledge Organization. 39(3),
> 153-164. 2012]. In philosophical terms it is sort of a realization of
> Ortega y Gasset's perspectivism... the peculiar phenomenology of the
> great Spanish philosopher.
>
> Better if I stop here. Greetings to all--Pedro
>


These are very good points which I thankfully adopt in the "IB 4 medicine"
scheme.  In particular, the last one of “recombination", extended by
"creative inclusion and adaptation”, just in the way as mitochondria were
adopted by the cell in the process of its evolution, is a very powerful
principle of life which we experience in our macro societal structures now.
And this is a point that Ortega y Gasset was well aware many years ago

How about trying to come back again to criticality and try to trace jointly
at least one complete possible investigative path to the puzzle of illness
and recovery for one of the 3 examples I mentioned earlier in kind of a  3φ
or 4φ (or even "powers of φ”) "recombinant solution” from the standpoint
of contemporary science and phenomenology? I vote for cancer, but we can
take any of the other two if there are sufficient votes.

Have a great last week of May!

Plamen




>
> --
> *De:* Fis [fis-boun...@listas.unizar.es] en nombre de Dr. Plamen L.
> Simeonov [plamen.l.simeo...@gmail.com]
> *Enviado el:* miércoles, 18 de mayo de 2016 11:39
> *Para:* Karl Javorszky
> *Cc:* fis
> *Asunto:* Re: [Fis] Towards a 3φ integrative medicine
>
> One more thing on the example with the heart failure. If you go to a
> cardiologist with the same problem, s/he will prescribe a series of
> exampinations related to your heart only (checking your blood pressure, EEG
> & EMG tests incl. 24h recording and physical performance tests,  etc.).
> Rarely you can expect a blood sample analysis related to some kidney or
> liver failure, or a cervical examination because of a possible supply
> shortage of the vertebral artery (in case you have reported accompanying
> headaches) because of a grown bone spur with the first examination.
> Finally, depending on all these tests you will usually obtain a pill
> prescription to keep yopur blood pressure low for the rest of your life and
> some advise to avoid salty and spicy food. Period. If you at some point in
> time give up to find out and fix the real cause(s) for this "simple" heart
> failure, it is your problem, and not the one of the physician or the
> insurance company.
>
> Now let's turn to the giraffe and the okapi and see how they have managed
> to develop a strong heart with the evolution:
> http://science.psu.edu/news-and-events/2016-news/Cavener5-2016
> http://www.cbsnews.com/news/genes-reveal-clues-to-giraffes-long-neck/.
> http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160517/ncomms11519/full/ncomms11519.html
>
> Thus, science can still give important clues to solving problems, incl.
> what is a bonus or threat, but it is not the only source. The central issue
> is the integration of knowledge and sign(al)s about the operation and
> interaction of whole body systems, I think.
>
> Best,
>
> Plame

Re: [Fis] Towards a 3φ integrative medicine

[PEDRO CLEMENTE MARIJUAN FERNANDEZ]

Dear Plamen and FIS Colleagues,

Discussing on integrative attempts in medicine is really challenging. I do not 
think that the marriage proposed by Stan, yoking medicine with semiotics in 
films grounds, will have much progeny. Rather, if we disentangle medical 
practice from biomedical research we have at least a little less confusing 
panorama. Actually I think most of Plamen's views on 3φ are mostly in the 
research direction. Given that we are playing with the "3" I will make just 
another three suggestions.

1. In foundation matters, rather than caring about criticality or autopoiesis, 
I would demand and search for a new CELL THEORY. The present state of that 
venerable theory is just awful, even more with the updating of the "Central 
Dogma" proposed by Francis Crick decades ago. It has caused some furore that 
Templeton Foundation has just financed a big project devoted to that purpose: 
updating that venerable theory a little beyond Darwinian classical strictures. 
(Not "anti" Darwinian but somehow "post"). If informational views were properly 
incorporated... (big If). We tried to do something in that style for a European 
Project, but we did not pass the 2nd cut.

2. In physiological matters, there is much to say from criticality, balancing, 
symmetry, symmetry breaking and restoration, network science, etc. Some time 
ago there was a "Physiome" European Project, "From Molecules to HumanKind" 
trying to capture the whole map of physiological regulation. But in my 
impression it is a bioengineering repository of models and resources. It could 
be done differently. The emphasis by Alex, Plamen on criticality and of mine on 
signaling would not be too bad complementary directions.

3. Finally, on integration, I would propose "knowledge recombination" instead. 
The usual way to understand integration is unbounded, without space-time 
limits, like the processing of a Turing Machine. Rather the human practice of 
knowledge, and paradigmatically medicine, is characterized by a growing 
difficulty in integration matters within dozens and dozens of disciplines. 
Heterogeneous fields of knowledge can hardly be integrated at all. What living 
beings have had to rely upon is "recombination"--either genetically, neuronal, 
or socially. It is the unending combination of fragments of heterogeneous 
pieces of knowledge brought into action not randomly but in space-temporal 
frameworks that allow the mutual cross-fertilization. The idea, developed 
specifically for the biomedical arena can be discussed at length in 
[Information 2011, 2, 651-671; doi:10.3390/info2040651] and in [Scientomics: An 
Emergent Perspective in Knowledge. Organization. Knowledge Organization. 39(3), 
153-164. 2012]. In philosophical terms it is sort of a realization of Ortega y 
Gasset's perspectivism... the peculiar phenomenology of the great Spanish 
philosopher.

Better if I stop here. Greetings to all--Pedro


De: Fis [fis-boun...@listas.unizar.es] en nombre de Dr. Plamen L. Simeonov 
[plamen.l.simeo...@gmail.com]
Enviado el: miércoles, 18 de mayo de 2016 11:39
Para: Karl Javorszky
Cc: fis
Asunto: Re: [Fis] Towards a 3φ integrative medicine

One more thing on the example with the heart failure. If you go to a 
cardiologist with the same problem, s/he will prescribe a series of 
exampinations related to your heart only (checking your blood pressure, EEG & 
EMG tests incl. 24h recording and physical performance tests,  etc.). Rarely 
you can expect a blood sample analysis related to some kidney or liver failure, 
or a cervical examination because of a possible supply shortage of the 
vertebral artery (in case you have reported accompanying headaches) because of 
a grown bone spur with the first examination. Finally, depending on all these 
tests you will usually obtain a pill prescription to keep yopur blood pressure 
low for the rest of your life and some advise to avoid salty and spicy food. 
Period. If you at some point in time give up to find out and fix the real 
cause(s) for this "simple" heart failure, it is your problem, and not the one 
of the physician or the insurance company.

Now let's turn to the giraffe and the okapi and see how they have managed to 
develop a strong heart with the evolution:
http://science.psu.edu/news-and-events/2016-news/Cavener5-2016
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/genes-reveal-clues-to-giraffes-long-neck/.
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160517/ncomms11519/full/ncomms11519.html

Thus, science can still give important clues to solving problems, incl. what is 
a bonus or threat, but it is not the only source. The central issue is the 
integration of knowledge and sign(al)s about the operation and interaction of 
whole body systems, I think.

Best,

Plamen


On Wed, May 18, 2016 at 8:56 AM, Dr. Plamen L. Simeonov 
<plamen.l.simeo...@gmail.com<mailto:plamen.l.simeo.

Re: [Fis] Towards a 3φ integrative medicine

[Dr. Plamen L. Simeonov]

One more thing on the example with the heart failure. If you go to a
cardiologist with the same problem, s/he will prescribe a series of
exampinations related to your heart only (checking your blood pressure, EEG
& EMG tests incl. 24h recording and physical performance tests,  etc.).
Rarely you can expect a blood sample analysis related to some kidney or
liver failure, or a cervical examination because of a possible supply
shortage of the vertebral artery (in case you have reported accompanying
headaches) because of a grown bone spur with the first examination.
Finally, depending on all these tests you will usually obtain a pill
prescription to keep yopur blood pressure low for the rest of your life and
some advise to avoid salty and spicy food. Period. If you at some point in
time give up to find out and fix the real cause(s) for this "simple" heart
failure, it is your problem, and not the one of the physician or the
insurance company.

Now let's turn to the giraffe and the okapi and see how they have managed
to develop a strong heart with the evolution:
http://science.psu.edu/news-and-events/2016-news/Cavener5-2016
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/genes-reveal-clues-to-giraffes-long-neck/.
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160517/ncomms11519/full/ncomms11519.html

Thus, science can still give important clues to solving problems, incl.
what is a bonus or threat, but it is not the only source. The central issue
is the integration of knowledge and sign(al)s about the operation and
interaction of whole body systems, I think.

Best,

Plamen


On Wed, May 18, 2016 at 8:56 AM, Dr. Plamen L. Simeonov <
plamen.l.simeo...@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> This is an interesting question, Karl. Without giving a full account, I
> think there can be said the following.
> It is usually not the (chemical) nature of a substrate or the availability
> of an external source that makes it a poison, but its ratio.
> Small amounts are harmless, larger amounts are dangerous. But there is no
> general recipe to detect harms.
> If you stay for 15 minutes on the sun (UV light) this will stimulate the
> production of vitamin D in your body which in turn will stimulate the
> strengthening of your bones. But if you stay longer, there is a danger of a
> sunstroke or melanoma. Our brains simply do not obtain all these alarming
> signals from damaging the (skin) cells to the production and cumulation of
> toxic substances. We have specific organs to sense color, smell and taste,
> but not radiation.
>
> The problem with contemporary (allopathic) medicine is that it is
> basically symptomatic and the diagnosis is usually reductionistic,
> detecting one source of damage related to the failed organ (heart, kidney,
> liver, etc.) associated with the ailment; so is the therapy, until a second
> or a third failure are detected and medicated sequentially and
> independently from each other. Yet, in most cases, the failures are
> occurring at the same time in multiple organs and systems, but we do not
> have the information about that to act, or the information comes too late
> and on an isolated place, covering the other alarm signals under the
> threshold of detection by the organism.
>
> However, if you go to a TCM practitioner with the complaint of e.g. heart
> palpitations as a symptom of restlessness after examining your pulse and
> tongue, you will obtain three medications (herbs): one for lowering the
> blood pressure, one for detoxifying the kidneys and one for detoxifying the
> liver. In addition to that you may become an acupuncture session for
> regulating the “qi/chi flow" inside the body - a substance which is a
> complete mystery for science - and a prescription of what to eat and how to
> sleep.
>
> So, decrypting the body sign(al)s in their multiplicity as result of the
> interaction of systems and organs is the clue. Regarding human bodies as
> licked buckets that need to be repaired from multiple punches is probably a
> good metaphor.
>
> Best,
>
> Plamen
>
>
> 
>
>
> On Wed, May 18, 2016 at 12:44 AM, Karl Javorszky  > wrote:
>
>> Just a small detail on the information density of food (air, water,
>> sensory input, etc.) in medicine:
>>
>> The DNA has a high informational value for the organism. Can it be said
>> that poison has also an informational value?
>>
>> Can the de-constructive effect of a substance quantified based on the
>> same semiotic system of references as the constructive effect of a
>> substance can be referred to in that same system of references?
>>
>> ___
>> Fis mailing list
>> Fis@listas.unizar.es
>> http://listas.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis
>>
>>
>
___
Fis mailing list
Fis@listas.unizar.es
http://listas.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis

Re: [Fis] Towards a 3φ integrative medicine

[Rafael Capurro]

Karl,
I think that the semiotic system of references or the 'world' in which 
an organism is embedded is indeed a condition of possibility for the in- 
or de-formational value for the organism (forms are transmitted 'as' 
messages). What is poison or what healthy for an organism depends on 
this context, they are second-order categories. In the case of us, 
humans, this context is not 'just' biological but also cultural, so that 
the 'information density' of food depends also on this culturally 
changing context. We eat also with our 'minds,' i.e. with our 
pre-conceptions of what is 'good' or 'bad' for us, in a given society, 
today: in a globalized and digitalized informational world.
I recommend you the books by Andoni Luis Aduriz, two star chef of the 
restaurant Mugaritz in the Pais Vasco

https://www.mugaritz.com/es/andoni-luis-aduriz/libros/c-2-22/
particularly the one written together with Daniel Innerarity: Cocinar, 
comer, convivir, Barcelona 2012 (other books also in English)
I/we had the privilege to meet Andoni personally last week and taste the 
magnificent food he and his team produces.

best
Rafael


Just a small detail on the information density of food (air, water, 
sensory input, etc.) in medicine:


The DNA has a high informational value for the organism. Can it be 
said that poison has also an informational value?


Can the de-constructive effect of a substance quantified based on the 
same semiotic system of references as the constructive effect of a 
substance can be referred to in that same system of references?




___
Fis mailing list
Fis@listas.unizar.es
http://listas.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis



--
Prof.em. Dr. Rafael Capurro
Hochschule der Medien (HdM), Stuttgart, Germany
Capurro Fiek Foundation for Information Ethics 
(http://www.capurro-fiek-foundation.org)
Distinguished Researcher at the African Centre of Excellence for Information 
Ethics (ACEIE), Department of Information Science, University of Pretoria, 
South Africa.
Chair, International Center for Information Ethics (ICIE) (http://icie.zkm.de)
Editor in Chief, International Review of Information Ethics (IRIE) 
(http://www.i-r-i-e.net)
Postal Address: Redtenbacherstr. 9, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany
E-Mail: raf...@capurro.de
Voice: + 49 - 721 - 98 22 9 - 22 (Fax: -21)
Homepage: www.capurro.de

___
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[Fis] Towards a 3φ integrative medicine

[Karl Javorszky]

Just a small detail on the information density of food (air, water, sensory
input, etc.) in medicine:

The DNA has a high informational value for the organism. Can it be said
that poison has also an informational value?

Can the de-constructive effect of a substance quantified based on the same
semiotic system of references as the constructive effect of a substance can
be referred to in that same system of references?
___
Fis mailing list
Fis@listas.unizar.es
http://listas.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis

Re: [Fis] _ Towards a 3φ integrative medicine

[Francesco Rizzo]

Caro Plamen e Cari Tutti,
sottolineo lo stile pedagogico e l'efficacia comunicativa di questo
eccellente contributo. Desidero soffermarmi sulla nota 5. della
fenomenologia. La discontinuità o il salto brusco e traumatico tra una
situazione e l'altra è frutto di una trasmutazione che caratterizza i
"momenti" decisivi e strategici di qualunque settore della esperienza
esistenziale e cognitiva. Tutto e dappertutto avviene secondo un processo
economico basato sull'asimmetria creativa che rompe ogni simmetria e
determina i cambiamenti evolutivi da cui dipende la vita. La vita, miracolo
dei miracoli, non è un e-vento ordinario, ma un insi-eme di fatti
imprevedibili, sconvolgenti, asimmetrici. Il cosmo è (o potrebbe essere)
iniziato in modo arbitrario, cioè indipendente da qualunque conoscenza
umana, e si svolge (o potrebbe svolgersi) in modo arbitrario, nel senso che
le rotture o le discontinuità provocate dalle singolarità o asimmetrie sono
( o potrebbero essere) il risultato di una sua intrinseca creatività che
sfugge al dominio dell'uomo al quale è possibile (?) conoscere sola la
"realtà" compresa tra una singolarità e l'altra. Questo discorso potrebbe
continuare a lungo, cosa che non faccio rinviando, almeno, alle pagine
211-231 di Rizzo F., "Etica dei valori economici o economia dei valori
etici" (FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2004).
Il meccanismo che trasforma un mondo ideale, dove tutto si muove alla
velocità della luce, nel nostro mondo reale è proprio quello di Higgs
basato sulla "rottura spontanea della simmetria" di gauge. Quindi partendo
dal mondo a massa nulla, si può rompere spontaneamente la simmetria di
gauge, originando la massa delle particelle, che interagiscono con la
particella di Higgs. Tutto ciò è possibile se la particella di Higgs
interagisce con se stessa o, come dicono i fisici, se il campo di Higgs è
auto-interagente. Questo effetto è un ingrediente cruciale della particella
di Higgs che genera le masse di tutte le particelle e auto-genera anche la
sua massa (cfr. Rizzo F., "Incontro d'amore tra il cuore della fede e
l'intelligenza della scienza. Un salto nel cielo", Aracne editrice, Roma,
2014, pp. 598-604).
Quando il mondo fu creato o si formò la materia e l'anti-materia erano
presenti in proporzioni uguali o simmetriche, poi si verificò un ancora
sconosciuto fenomeno che ruppe questa simmetria e l'antimateria scomparve o
si ridusse o fu neutralizzata oppure non so cosa sia accaduto e non lo sa
nessuno. Ma una cosa è certa che lo scioglimento o la frattura di quella
simmetria consente la nostra vita, che altrimenti non ci sarebbe.
Noi viviamo in un mondo frattale imprevedibile, irregolare, discontinuo,
asimmetrico, caratterizzato dalle leggi esponenziali o di potenza, come
afferma anche la. Nuova economia (cfr. Rizzo F., "Nuova economia", Aracne
editrice, Roma, 2013).
In conclusione, sapendo che sono stato molto schematico e frammentario, il
pensare economico, più che il pensiero economico, fa diventare la
fenomenologia più brillante, pregnante e cognitiva. La libertà economica,
infatti, è condizione della libertà di pensiero ed illumina la vita.
Grazie e auguri, questo è un bel dibattito che non avrà mai nè vinti nè
vincitori.
Francesco

2016-05-14 9:49 GMT+02:00 Dr. Plamen L. Simeonov <
plamen.l.simeo...@gmail.com>:

> Dear Colleagues,
>
>
>
> My contribution will finalize the discussion on phenomenology in the
> domains of biology, mathematics, cyber/biosemiotics and physics by the
> previous speakers (Maxine, Lou, Sœren and Alex) with a “challenging topic”
> in *3φ integrative medicine*. *You may wish to skip the small font text
> notes following each underscored phrase like the one below.*
>
>
>
> *Note 1:* Although this term is often used as synonym for holistic
> healing (s. ref. list A), its meaning in this context with the prefix 3φ
> goes much “deeper” into the disciplines’ integration leaving no room for
> speculations by mainstream scientists. The concept is a linguistic choice
> of mine for the intended merge of the complexity sciences *ph*ysics and
> *ph*ysiology with *ph*enomenology for application in modern medicine
> along the line of integral biomathics (s. ref. list B).
>
>
>
> It is rooted in the last presentation of Alex Hankey, since it naturally
> provides the link from physics to physiology and medicine, and thus to an
> anthropocentric domain implying a leading part of phenomenological studies.
> To begin, I compiled a précis of Alex’ thesis about self-organized
> criticality (s. ref. list C) from his paper “A New Approach to Biology and
> Medicine” -- the download link to it was distributed in a previous email of
> him -- and extended it with my reflections including some questions I hope
> you will resonate on.
>
>
> I am curious of your opinion about how to apply the scientific method, and
> in particular mathematics and information science, to study illness and
> recovery as complex phenomena.
>
>
>
> *Alex Hankey: self-organized criticality and regulation in 

[Fis] _ Towards a 3φ integrative medicine

[Dr. Plamen L. Simeonov]

Dear Colleagues,



My contribution will finalize the discussion on phenomenology in the
domains of biology, mathematics, cyber/biosemiotics and physics by the
previous speakers (Maxine, Lou, Sœren and Alex) with a “challenging topic”
in *3φ integrative medicine*. *You may wish to skip the small font text
notes following each underscored phrase like the one below.*



*Note 1:* Although this term is often used as synonym for holistic healing
(s. ref. list A), its meaning in this context with the prefix 3φ goes much
“deeper” into the disciplines’ integration leaving no room for speculations
by mainstream scientists. The concept is a linguistic choice of mine for
the intended merge of the complexity sciences *ph*ysics and *ph*ysiology
with *ph*enomenology for application in modern medicine along the line of
integral biomathics (s. ref. list B).



It is rooted in the last presentation of Alex Hankey, since it naturally
provides the link from physics to physiology and medicine, and thus to an
anthropocentric domain implying a leading part of phenomenological studies.
To begin, I compiled a précis of Alex’ thesis about self-organized
criticality (s. ref. list C) from his paper “A New Approach to Biology and
Medicine” -- the download link to it was distributed in a previous email of
him -- and extended it with my reflections including some questions I hope
you will resonate on.


I am curious of your opinion about how to apply the scientific method, and
in particular mathematics and information science, to study illness and
recovery as complex phenomena.



*Alex Hankey: self-organized criticality and regulation in living systems*



*There is a continuous growth and change at the end of a phase transition
in an organism, i.e. at its critical point, which is the end point of phase
equilibrium.*



*Both endo and exo, genetics and epigenetics are important for life.*



*Self-organized criticality* is a characteristic state of a system at its
critical point generated by self-organization during a long transient
period at the complexity edge between order/stability/predictability and
disorder/chaos/unpredictability.



*Regulation of growth, form and function as a balance between health and
illness.* The role of regulation and homeostasis in maintaining the
structure and function of living systems is critical. Every deviation from
a regulated state of being leads to imbalances, failures and subsystem
dysfunction that is usually transitory, but could also become
life-threatening, if the organism cannot find a way to restore quickly to a
balanced, healthy state. Living beings are robust and fault-tolerant with
respect to hazards; they possess multiple alternative pathways for
supplying and maintaining their existential functions. However, some state
transitions in response to severe harms can become practically
irreversible, because of the deep evolutionary interlocking between the
participating entities and processes. Sometimes the normal functioning of
the organism cannot be easily restored by its natural repair processes,
especially when adversities reoccur frequently, and the organism fails ill.



*Synchronicity of action and information between the building blocks of a
living system.* There is a need for every physiological function to be
correctly coordinated with all other “peer” functions. Information flows
within a living system interconnect all physiological functions and organs
at multiple levels into a single mesh of regulatory interconnections.
Multiple feedback-control loops enable the cross-functional interlocking of
both healthy and ill state changes of the organism.
Adjacent/peripheral/secondary homeostasis processes act as fine-tuning
catalyzers of substrate ratios and process rates exchanged within the
living system. Imbalances of these quantities lead to excess/blockage or
scarcity/draining of essential nourishment and information exchange
pathways.



*Regulation at criticality* not only fine-tunes a process, it *optimizes*
it for survival: with respect to a given generation’s available
possibilities in the light of the past generations’ possibilities. To
survive an organism or a species needs to develop optimal *response-ability*
to environmental distress.


*New ecological definition of life according to Hankey: self-regulating,
self-reproducing systems that maximize efficiency of function to maximize
competitiveness in their chosen environment. *



*Summary: Elements of self-organized criticality*



   1. Criticality
   2. Edge of the chaos
   3. Self-organized criticality
   4. 1/f fractal patterns of response



*… and beyond*



I wish to add a 5th aspect to this definition from the perspective of
integral biomathics:



   1. *Phenomenology*



The latter is a largely studied matter in contemporary medicine (s. ref.
list D), at least at the macro, interpersonal *level*.



*Note 2*: A level refers to the compositional hierarchy defining levels by
scale.



*The key question in such a