Is the Complexity of Minerals and Life Governed by the Same Rules? Find Out What Researchers Discovered
Researchers have discovered evidence supporting the recently proposed “law of increasing functional information,” suggesting that minerals evolve in a manner similar to life.
Last year, scientists introduced this unifying law, which posits that complex systems, including stars, planets, and technology, evolve in ways akin to living organisms. Now, researchers have demonstrated this principle in the context of minerals. Published in the July volume of PNAS Nexus, the study serves as a proof of concept for this “missing law” that explains the increasing complexity observed in various systems over time.
The law of increasing functional information states that “the functional information of a system will increase if many different configurations of the system undergo selection for one or more functions.” If accurate, this implies that minerals and other complex systems should display greater complexity and functional information under selection pressures. In this study, the researchers measured mineral complexity over nine proposed stages of mineral evolution, estimating the fraction of chemical formulas observed in minerals from one stage to the next.
Over 4.6 billion years, from the earliest known minerals before Earth’s formation to the present, the number of mineral types increased from 27 to around 9,000. This increase occurred at each evolution stage, with the earliest minerals evolving into the diverse array seen today. “Each stage builds on what came before,” said study lead author Robert Hazen. “You have to get to one stage of mineral evolution before moving to the next.”
This mineral evolution is comparable to biological evolution, which began with simple single-celled organisms evolving into complex multicellular life forms. However, the study notes that mineral diversity is limited by finite chemical combinations, suggesting that Earth’s minerals are approaching this limit. This makes mineral evolution “bounded,” unlike the “unbounded” evolution of living organisms.
The researchers plan to further explore the law, seeking common themes across complex systems, potentially including language, music, and other human creations. “In our own lives, we experience this increase in functionality,” said co-author Michael Wong. “We’re trying to contextualize this scientifically.”
Wong compared this principle to the evolution of phones, which have transformed from simple communication devices to multifunctional smartphones. Hazen believes that developing this law could help address one of humanity’s profound questions: “Why is there something rather than nothing in the cosmos?” The researchers are driven by the belief that this process must be lawful.
Source: Is the Complexity of Minerals and Life Governed by the Same Rules? Find Out What Researchers Discovered
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