Download or read book Evolution from a Thermodynamic Perspective written by Carl F Jordan and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-11-26 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Survival of the fittest” is a tautology, because those that are “fit” are the ones that survive, but to survive, a species must be “fit”. Modern evolutionary theory avoids the problem by defining fitness as reproductive success, but the complexity of life that we see today could not have evolved based on selection that favors only reproductive ability. There is nothing inherent in reproductive success alone that could result in higher forms of life. Evolution from a Thermodynamic Perspective presents a non-circular definition of fitness and a thermodynamic definition of evolution. Fitness means maximization of power output, necessary to survive in a competitive world. Evolution is the “storage of entropy”. “Entropy storage” means that solar energy, instead of dissipating as heat in the Earth, is stored in the structure of living organisms and ecosystems. Part one explains this in terms comprehensible to a scientific audience beyond biophysicists and ecosystem modelers. Part two applies thermodynamic theory in non-esoteric language to sustainability of agriculture, and to conservation of endangered species. While natural systems are stabilized by feedback, agricultural systems remain in a mode of perpetual growth, pressured by balance of trade and by a swelling population. The constraints imposed by thermodynamic laws are being increasingly felt as economic expansion destabilizes resource systems on which expansion depends.
Download or read book Evolution Thermodynamics and Information written by Jeffrey S. Wicken and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1987 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This groundbreaking work approaches evolution as an expression of physical laws and thermodynamic theory. It explores the relationship between the molecular processes of evolution and the physical laws that govern biological organization, seeking to explain how the ability to change developed in the earliest organisms and how it is perpetuated today. Dr. Wicken explains how genetic information is organized, how it evolves, and how the chemical and physical properties of the genetic molecules control the type and extent of change possible. With broad implications for scientific methodology, the work outlines a research program that fuses thermodynamic and Darwinian concepts, and integrates literature on the origin of life with evolutionary theory within the context of developmental biology and ecology. Biologists, geneticists, chemists, physicists, and philosophers of science interested in evolution will find this book to be stimulating reading.
Download or read book Evolution As Entropy written by Daniel R. Brooks and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1988-10-15 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second edition in just two years offers a considerably revised second chapter, in which information behavior replaces analogies to purely physical systems, as well as practical applications of the authors' theory. Attention is also given to a hierarchical theory of ecosystem behavior, taking note of constraints on local ecosystem members resul.
Download or read book Thermodynamic Theory of the Evolution of Living Beings written by Georgiĭ Pavlovich Gladyshev and published by Nova Science Publishers. This book was released on 1997 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is devoted to the physical theory of the biological evolution. The theory is based on macrothermodynamics, i.e., the hierarchic thermodynamics of complex systems. The results of the studies presented in the book allow one to state that the peculiarities of the evolution of living beings as well as the peculiarities of the chemical evolution, can be explained without the concepts of the dynamical self-organisation and the dissipative structures. According to the second law, the tendency of the evolution of biological systems on chemical and supramolecular levels can be determined by studying the effect of thermodynamical self-organisation (self-assembly). The criterion for estimating the evolutionary development of supramolecular structures of biosystems (biotissues) is given by the variation of the specific Gibbs function of their formation. During the processes of ontogenesis, philogenisis, and biological evolution in general, the specific supramolecular component of the Gibbs function of a biosystem, that is quasi-closed thermodynamically and kinetically, tends to a relative minimum. The value of this minimum is a characteric of the given biosystem surrounded by the environment. The non-stationary theoretical model presented in the monograph explains the reasons causing the variations in the chemical composition and structure of living beings in the course of ontogenesis, philogenesis, and the evolution in general. It also allows to find out the rules determining the variations in the composition and structure of a biosystem during its adaptation to the external conditions.
Download or read book Information Entropy and Progress written by Robert U. Ayres and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1997-05-08 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Market: Those in economics, especially thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, cybernetics, information theory, resource use, and evolutionary economic behavior. This book presents an innovative and challenging look at evolution on several scales, from the earth and its geology and chemistry to living organisms to social and economic systems. Applying the principles of thermodynamics and the concepts of information gathering and self- organization, the author characterizes the direction of evolution in each case as an accumulation of "distinguishability" information--a type of universal knowledge.
Download or read book Thermodynamic Dissipation Theory of the Origin and Evolution of Life written by Karo Michaelian and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-12-29 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did life on Earth arise? This question has captured the imagination of curious minds ever since the dawn of humanity. Countless myths have been told, but a plausible scientific explanation has resisted 160 years of vigorous research since Darwin. Now, for the first time in this book, physicist Karo Michaelian reviews a bold new theory founded on non-equilibrium thermodynamic principles. As with all irreversible processes, life could only arise, proliferate, and evolve by dissipating an external generalized chemical potential. Michaelian identifies this external potential as the ultraviolet (UV-C) photon potential arriving at Earth's surface during the Archean and the fundamental molecules of life as "self-organized" microscopic dissipative structures, i.e. pigments in the UV-C. The theory is drawing a lot of attention because of its ability to explain many of the salient characteristics of the fundamental molecules of life and because it provides a reason for the evolution of a complex biosphere. Large amounts of empirical data from epochs all the way back to the beginning of life and from some of Michaelian's own experiments all support the new theory. The implications are serious for many contemporary paradigms concerning life and evolution. Even the cherished Darwinian paradigm, with its implicit metaphysical "will to survive," selection only at the level of the organism, and the inescapable tautology in "survival of the survivors" (irrespective of Popper's recanting) must be reformulated on thermodynamic principles, and the way to accomplish this is presented in the book. Michaelian concludes that life similar, and not so similar, to our own should exist everywhere in the Universe wherever there exists the organic elements, UV-C light, and a dissipative solvent medium. In fact, he suggests that we have already discovered extraterrestrial life on other planets of our own solar system, and even within the galactic interstellar clouds of gas and dust, but have yet to recognize it as such under the old paradigms. A program for best searching for this extraterrestrial life at the different stages of its dissipation development is detailed within the book. Karo Michaelian has Ph.D. in physics from the University of Alberta, Canada and has worked at various research institutes throughout the world in topics ranging from nuclear physics and nanoparticles to complex systems and non-equilibrium thermodynamics. His book makes fascinating reading in understandable language for the serious amateur but also contains much detail, including mathematical derivation of thermodynamic principles, for the professional who wants an in-depth understanding. The book contains 422 pages with 140 images and diagrams and 414 references. A detailed historical sketch of origin and evolution of life research is presented and critically analyzed, including; Ideas from Antiquity, Darwinian Theory, the Miller Experiments, the RNA World, Panspermia, and Gaia Theory. The thermodynamic foundations of the new theory are developed in the first 6 chapters and the corroborating evidence presented in the next 12. Another 2 chapters discuss contemporary paradigms in need of reform, and the last discusses dissipative life in other parts of the Universe. Mathematical demonstrations are left to boxes that can be skipped without much loss of continuity of argument. Analogies help to make the theory understandable to those who may not have formal training in mathematics or who lack an understanding of non-equilibrium thermodynamics.
Download or read book Entropy Information and Evolution written by Bruce H. Weber and published by MIT Press (MA). This book was released on 1987-12-01 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most exciting and controversial areas of scientific research in recent years has been the application of the principles of nonequilibrium thermodynamics to the problems of the physical evolution of the universe, the origins of life, the structure and succession of ecological systems, and biological evolution.
Download or read book Information Theory And Evolution Third Edition written by John Scales Avery and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2021-11-24 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This highly interdisciplinary book discusses the phenomenon of life, including its origin and evolution, against the background of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and information theory. Among the central themes is the seeming contradiction between the second law of thermodynamics and the high degree of order and complexity produced by living systems. As the author shows, this paradox has its resolution in the information content of the Gibbs free energy that enters the biosphere from outside sources. Another focus of the book is the role of information in human cultural evolution, which is also discussed with the origin of human linguistic abilities. One of the final chapters addresses the merging of information technology and biotechnology into a new discipline — bioinformation technology.This third edition has been updated to reflect the latest scientific and technological advances. Professor Avery makes use of the perspectives of famous scholars such as Professor Noam Chomsky and Nobel Laureates John O'Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edward Moser to cast light on the evolution of human languages. The mechanism of cell differentiation, and the rapid acceleration of information technology in the 21st century are also discussed.With various research disciplines becoming increasingly interrelated today, Information Theory and Evolution provides nuance to the conversation between bioinformatics, information technology, and pertinent social-political issues. This book is a welcome voice in working on the future challenges that humanity will face as a result of scientific and technological progress.
Download or read book Evolutionary Essays written by Sven Erik Jørgensen and published by Elsevier Science Limited. This book was released on 2008 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evolution is nature's most fascinating process, the possibility given sufficient time to combine simple inorganic compounds to more and more complex biochemical compounds, which make up more and more complex organisms. It is therefore crucial in our effort to understand the evolution to see it from as many different angles as possible. This books draw an image of evolution from the thermodynamic viewpoint, which gives new and surprising insights into the processes and mechanisms that have driven evolution. This new thermodynamic interpretation has made it possible to quantify the various steps of evolution and to show that evolution has followed an exponential growth curve. *The first comprehensive thermodynamic interpretation and explanation of evolution *This thermodynamic interpretation makes it possible to quantify the various steps of evolution *This interpretation explains the wide spectrum of different mechanisms on which the evolution has been based
Download or read book Steps Towards an Evolutionary Physics written by Enzo Tiezzi and published by WIT Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book introduces the elements of a new evolutionary approach to physics. Based on intuition, this concept was originated by the late Chemistry Nobel Prize winner Ilya Prigogine.The text will appeal to both technical and graduate audiences as well as general readers. It deals with the following topics: Epistemological Basis of Evolutionary Thermodynamics; Far From Equilibrium - Thermodynamics and Irreversibility; The Concept of Negentropy (From Boltzman to Szent-György, Through Schrödinger's "What's Life"); Energy Versus Entropy; Is Entropy Always a Function State? The Arrow of Time and the Role of Events in an Evolutionary Physical-Chemistry; First and Second Principles of Thermodynamics Revisited; Introduction to Ecodynamics - Fundamental Principles; A Physics for Biosystems and Ecosystems - Cross-Fertilization Between Evolutionary Thermodynamics and Systems Ecology; The Supramolecular Structure of Water - A Magnetic Resonance Approach; Nuclear Spin Relaxation Times; Dissipative Structures in Nature - The Bat's Case (Biodiversity and Strange Attractors); Application of Ecodynamic Models to Sustainable Development; Biosphere Global Ecodynamic Models; and Dissipative Structures and Design.
Download or read book Into the Cool written by Eric D. Schneider and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2005-06 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors look to the laws of thermodynamics for answers to the questions of evolution, ecology, economics, and even life's origin.
Download or read book Evolution and the Origin of Life written by H. Charlton Bastian and published by . This book was released on 1874 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Entropy information and evolution new perspectives on physical and biological evolution written by Bruce H. Weber and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Thermodynamic Foundations of the Earth System written by Axel Kleidon and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-03-11 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thermodynamics sets fundamental laws for all physical processes and is central to driving and maintaining planetary dynamics. But how do Earth system processes perform work, where do they derive energy from, and what are the limits? This accessible book describes how the laws of thermodynamics apply to Earth system processes, from solar radiation to motion, geochemical cycling and biotic activity. It presents a novel view of the thermodynamic Earth system explaining how it functions and evolves, how different forms of disequilibrium are being maintained, and how evolutionary trends can be interpreted as thermodynamic trends. It also offers an original perspective on human activity, formulating this in terms of a thermodynamic, Earth system process. This book uses simple conceptual models and basic mathematical treatments to illustrate the application of thermodynamics to Earth system processes, making it ideal for researchers and graduate students across a range of Earth and environmental science disciplines.
Download or read book Multiscale Thermo Dynamics written by Michal Pavelka and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2018-08-06 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One common feature of new emerging technologies is the fusion of the very small (nano) scale and the large scale engineering. The classical environment provided by single scale theories, as for instance by the classical hydrodynamics, is not anymore satisfactory. The main challenge is to keep the important details while still be able to keep the overall picture and simplicity. It is the thermodynamics that addresses this challenge. Our main reason for writing this book is to explain such general viewpoint of thermodynamics and to illustrate it on a very wide range of examples. Contents Levels of description Hamiltonian mechanics Irreversible evolution Reversible and irreversible evolution Multicomponent systems Contact geometry Appendix: Mathematical aspects
Download or read book Thermodynamic Approaches in Engineering Systems written by Stanislaw Sieniutycz and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2016-05-20 with total page 738 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thermodynamic Approaches in Engineering Systems responds to the need for a synthesizing volume that throws light upon the extensive field of thermodynamics from a chemical engineering perspective that applies basic ideas and key results from the field to chemical engineering problems. This book outlines and interprets the most valuable achievements in applied non-equilibrium thermodynamics obtained within the recent fifty years. It synthesizes nontrivial achievements of thermodynamics in important branches of chemical and biochemical engineering. Readers will gain an update on what has been achieved, what new research problems could be stated, and what kind of further studies should be developed within specialized research. Presents clearly structured chapters beginning with an introduction, elaboration of the process, and results summarized in a conclusion Written by a first-class expert in the field of advanced methods in thermodynamics Provides a synthesis of recent thermodynamic developments in practical systems Presents very elaborate literature discussions from the past fifty years
Download or read book Levolution written by Michael Gunter and published by Archway Publishing. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Without Levolution, there would be no gravity, stars, or life; but up until now, the self-similar properties these energetic systems has been obscured. Michael Gunter, an ecologist, examines the Levolution process, which underlies a whole new paradigm that explains how the universe works and what it is doing. It is responsible for creating every type of naturally occurring system we know. In easy-to-understand language, Gunter explains how Levolution is based on simple properties of energy flowing in systems. Learning how it works will help you understand: the cosmological relevance of energy and its laws; the contents of the universe as twenty- three levels of increasing, entropically functional order imposed on a single batch of energy; that the universe appears to have a purpose. The end result is an entirely new perspective on what we call order and a new spin on what ancient and recent thinkers have said about the nature of the universe. The newly proposed Laws of Functional Order will equip you to understand the profound role of thermodynamic natural selection, universal evolution, and the cosmic order caused by Levolution.
