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Topic 2 Chapter 5 postulates that the non-linear upward evolution of intelligence (consciousness) has a direct relationship and interdependency with the spatial expansion of the universe (p. 5.1). Eric Chaisson in his book “Cosmic Evolution” is quoted as saying “…it is the contrasting temporal behavior of various energy densities that has given rise to those environments needed for the emergence of galaxies, stars, planets, and life. Energy flow diagnostics are seen to be especially useful in tracking through time the rise of complexity among a variety of open systems, animate and inanimate. I furthermore maintain that a necessary, though perhaps not sufficient condition – a veritable prime mover – for the onset of such ordered structures is the expansion of the universe itself.” Chaisson goes on to say, “…the matter Era has become increasingly unequilibrated over the course of time; the expansion of the universe guarantees it. Such non-equilibrium states are suitable, indeed apparently necessary, for the emergence of structure, form, or organization – of order.1 Thus we reason that cosmic expansion itself is the prime mover for construction of hierarchy of complex entities throughout the universe.”2 “…information content was essentially zero in the early universe when matter and radiation were equilibrated; the entropy change then was also zero even as the universe continued to expand.”3 “The very expansion of the universe, then, provides the environmental conditions needed to drive order from chaos, the process of cosmic evolution itself generates information.”4 “Simply and solely stated, if complexity is the effect, then universal expansion is the cause.”5 I would maintain that the expansion was not so much the cause but was a necessary prerequisite. Chapter 4 of the Integrated Theory of Intelligence postulates that the non-linear evolution of intelligence toward increasingly complex states has a direct mathematical relationship to and interdependence with the entropic process of matter-energy (p. 4.1). Chaisson is quoted to say “That the complexity of ordered structures has generally risen over the course of time is well recognized, albeit difficult to measure; the intermediate, darker curve drawn below represents an innate feeling for steeply rising complexity in more recent times, although that rise might have been either more gradual (even linear) or more exponential (even hyperbolic) as also drawn in lighter grey.”
He also States, “…if entropy measures disorder or the lack of information about a system, the negentropy (negative entropy) must be a reasonable assessment of the order, or the presence of information.”6 “The emergence of order and the growth of complexity, everywhere and on all scales, do exact a toll – and that toll means a universe sinking further into an ever – disordered realm of true Chaos.”7 “Observations of evident and rising order at localized sites in the cosmos need not be seen as conflicting with the central tenets of modern thermodynamics which stipulates disorder to be universally increasing”8 “…it is the organized energy density that best characterizes the degree of order or complexity in any system, just as it was radiation energy density and matter energy density that were significant earlier in the universe.”9 “…a most useful quantity used to specify operationally the order and organization of any system is the free energy rate density, alternatively called the specific free energy rate, expressed in units of energy per time per mass…”10
The rise of free energy rate density ( “Free energy rate density remains a useful way to quantify growth of complexity, here during stellar evolution as elsewhere.12 “If we associate the loss of information with a decrease of order, or likewise an increase of disorder, and if we note the above equation...
for information resembles that for entropy, we can then relate a gain of information directly to negative entropy (Gaynes 1957).”13 “Localized, open systems can be sites of emergent order within a global (ie., universal) environment that is largely and increasingly disordered.”14 “…entropy increases of the larger surrounding environment can be mathematically shown to exceed the entropy decreases of the localized systems per se, guaranteeing good agreement with the second law of thermodynamics. We thus arrive at a clean, clear reconciliation of the theoretical destructiveness of thermodynamics with the observed constructiveness of cosmic evolution.”15 “Energy flowing through individual systems might seem like a trivial proposition for a pervasive organizing principle in Nature, given energy’s manifold roles within the often disparate disciplinary sciences. Yet that is the point: When the species of energy change are examined (and normalized) among all organized systems in an interdisciplinary fashion, this concept appears much more powerful and comprehensive, with energy itself acting as a driving-force dynamic throughout all of Nature writ large.”16 “More than any other single factor, energy flow is the principle means whereby all of Nature’s diverse systems naturally generate to complexity.17 The Integrated Theory of Intelligence agrees very closely in principle with what Eric Chaisson is postulating. The only minor point of possible departure would be that Integrated Theory of Intelligence would suggest that the exponential curve shown on the first graph is more representative of the evolution of simple to more complex forms. This does not represent any disagreement but simply chooses one of several choices suggested by Chaisson. Topic 2 Bibliography
Eric J. Chaisson holds research professorships in physics, astronomy and education at Tufts University. . |
m is “free energy rate density.
m ), has been rapid in the last few billion years. The solid line on the above graph approximates the upturn in negentropy or information content. It is energy flow that best characterizes order, form, and structure in the universe.11