Communication, Life, Mega-evolution

Decrypting Life's Nature

A. De Loof (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

346 Seiten

2002
Leuven University Press (Verlag)
978-90-5867-236-0 (ISBN)

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Is it possible to truly understand the very nature of 'life' and 'death' on the basis of contemporary biology? Nearly everyone will react spontaneously: "No way. 'Life' is far too complicated. It involves both a material and an immaterial dimension, and this combination exceeds the capacities of the human brain." Quite to the contrary," replies the author of this book, "these questions can indeed be answered, simply and logically, and without having to invoke any hypothetical principles". The key? First ask the right questions. Next, thoroughly imbue contemporary biology with the principles of communication, including both its 'hardware' and its 'software' aspects. Finally, arrange the numerous pieces of the Big Puzzle in such a way that a unifying yet simple principle emerges.One result of this approach is that the theory of evolution - the very heart of biology - in its present form could shed many of its remaining shortcomings if the principles of communication were better incorporated into it.In particular, such an integrative advance could render superfluous the Cartesian mind-body distinction and the dichotomy between cultural evolution and genetic evolution that grew out of it.
In De Loof's approach of biology there is ample room for feelings, emotions, decision making, problem solving, ethical principles, and last but not least, for optimism in life's basic drive.

The Hardware of living matter: disguised fossil stardust Hardware biodiversity after 3.7 billion years of micro-, macro-, and mega-evolution. Genes, proteins, and the (first) central dogma The nature and purpose of communication, the main activity of all biological systems. Software. Unconscious and conscious problem solving. Diversity in communicating compartments. Principles of meag-evolution. Revolutions Traditional attempts to define 'life'. Literature survey Alive, no longer alive. The deduction of a definition of 'death' as a key to that of 'life' Life defined in terms of communication and problem solving. L=Sum C Making choises and the resulting variability and freedom in communication and behavior. Life's basic motivation: "Solve problems to feel comfortable and contented!" No life without electricity. The principles of biological electricity as relevant to communication. The primordial gradient of the living state Viruses, prions, toolization, computers, man-made life No life without time. But time: what exactly is it? The Big Hello: the very moment that life began. From passive to active Universe. The gradient provoked - triple s principle Sex. How 'it' may have given birth to 'him' and 'her' Embryonic development. The acquisition of higher levels of compartmentalization and corresponding communication systems in the course of the lifetime Evolution. The 'hardware-software' or 'double continuum' theory Properties of 'life'. 'Integrative' versus' classical biology. Communico, ergo vivo The story of creation: a dynamic version References Index

Erscheint lt. Verlag	10.9.2002
Reihe/Serie	Varia Wetenschappen
Zusatzinfo	Not illustrated
Verlagsort	Leuven
Sprache	englisch
Gewicht	907 g
Themenwelt	Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Evolution
ISBN-10	90-5867-236-0 / 9058672360
ISBN-13	978-90-5867-236-0 / 9789058672360
Zustand	Neuware