The Re-Definition of Non-Life, Life and Humans.
This essay examines the nature of Non-Life and Life and the way in which their re-definition in turn defines what humans are and the way humans sense, perceive and communicate their environment.
The Process of the Universe.
The Universe is a process of Nuclear and Electromagnetic Energy evolution into Chemistry.
A single Fundamental Field evolved into several Fields of Energy. Gravity, Strong Nuclear, Weak Nuclear and Electromagnetic. The Fields evolved into Bosons. Gravitons, Gluons, W+, W-, Z0, and Photons. The Fields evolved into Quarks. Leptons. The Quarks into Protons and Neutrons. The Electrons, Protons and Neutrons into atoms. The chemical elements formed. Nebulas formed. Stars formed. Galaxies formed. Super clusters formed. Dense chemical Non-Life and Life formed.
Having outlined the process of the Universe. The nature of Non-Life and Life can be stated.
Non-Life and Life both developed from the same origin and are the same process.
Non-Life and Life.
The definition of Non- Life is ‘any matter absent of life or not living’
Source: http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/nonlife
The definition of Life is ‘the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.’
Source: https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#safe=strict&q=life+def:+
The definition of Inorganic is ‘An inorganic compound is a compound that is not organic.’
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inorganic_compound
The definitions of organic are ‘an organic chemical compound.’ And ‘relating to or derived from living matter.’
Source: https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#safe=strict&q=def+organic
All of these definitions relate to a chemical nature for Non-Life and Life.
Non-Life and Life have been previously considered as separate.
They can therefore be shown to be both energy evolving to chemical in nature.
Having examined the nature of the process and the definitions the attributes of Non-Life and Life can be compared.
Body and Envelope.
Non-Life and Life have bodies, envelopes that distinguish them from the rest of the environment.
Metabolism
Non-Life and Life metabolize energy from the environment to allow themselves to be broken down into energy, then recombined into mass and then broken down into energy.
Inheritable information
The definition of information in physical systems
"that which can distinguish one thing from another".
‘The information embodied by a thing can be said to be the identity of the particular thing itself, that is, all of its properties, all that makes it distinct from other (real or potential) things. It is a complete description of the thing, but in a sense that is divorced from any particular language.’
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_information
All the universe is a process of energy converting to mass and then into energy.
All of the information contained in that process can never be lost.
There is nowhere for the information to go.
The information can only alter its state and or be recycled.
This is true therefore for both Non-Life and Life.
Non-Life and Life inherit information from each other and their environments.
Non-Life and Life have the same energy, subatomic particle, atomic, matter, chemistry information basis as the Universe around them that can be passed on to another generation.
Movement potential
Non-Life and Life are in constant sub-atomic movement and interaction with the environment.
Non-Equilibrium.
Non-Life and Life are not in constant sub-atomic equilibrium with the environment.
States
The three accepted states of matter are Solid, Liquid and Gas.
Non-Life and Life utilize all three states in their formation.
Humans are mostly composed of the chemical elements Hydrogen and Oxygen and so are Gases and Gas Life. They are composed of the compound of Hydrogen and Oxygen; Water; and so are Liquid and Liquid Life. They are Carbon based and so are Solid and Solid Life.
Non-Life and Life exist in all states.
Reproduction
All of the universe is a process of energy evolving into mass into energy.
All reproduction is carried out in this manner.
Non-Life and Life reproduce as energy evolving into mass into energy.
Having established that the separation of the terms Non-Life and Life is incorrect the way in which their re-definition in turn defines what humans are and the way humans sense, perceive and communicate their environment can be examined.
Aware, Conscious, Mind, Self.
Humans consider themselves to be Life that has Awareness, Consciousness, Mind, and a Self. These concepts are obtained from constant electromagnetic and chemical input from their environment as sensory information which is then concentrated in the human brain.
The human brain is composed of 77-78% Hydrogen and Oxygen, Water, inorganic salts, soluble organics, carbohydrates, proteins, Lipids, simple fats, chloresterol, Phosphatides and Cerebosides.
Source: Metabolites in Proton Spectroscopy of the Brain: Neurochemistry and Physiology Josef Pfeuffer Max-Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Department of Neurophysiology, Tübingen, Germany
Source: https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#safe=strict&q=Phosphatides
Source: https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#safe=strict&q=cerebrosides
The human brain can be considered an electrolyte. A solution with water and salts.
The human brain operates at a sub-atomic level. It takes in electromagnetic energy from its senses and converts it into electrochemical energy. The electrochemical energy is used in redox reactions; high energy electrons converted to low energy electrons. These redox reactions produce galvanic; current generating; reactions and electrolytic reactions; reactions requiring current. These pass through the neural network of the brain and so transfer constant environmental sensory input information in the form of levels of electrical energy.
The brain cannot ‘see’ the external Universe. It exists in a sealed dark room.
The universe outside the brain is therefore to the brain only electromagnetic in nature.
If the ‘matter’ universe is reduced to the electromagnetic then the world perceived and communicated by humans as physical objects ceases to exist.
Considering the Universe at the sub-atomic electron level the terms such as Awareness, Consciousness, Mind, Self can all be more clearly defined as levels of constant energy transfer.
If the energy transfer is interrupted awareness ceases.
If the Human sleeps, awareness reduces as the flow of sensory input decreases.
The Universe is nuclear, electromagnetic energy evolving to chemical in nature. The output from the Universe, the input into human beings and the human being is of the same nature.
Both Non-Life and Life can therefore be considered quantifiable flows of energy evolving into chemistry between their location and their environments.
Electromagnetic Maps of Reality.
Humans have established that they can map their environment by constantly sensing electromagnetic energy and converting it into constant overlapping, electrochemical, energy interference patterns.
Several components of this process have been identified in the human brain. They are termed Cognitive Maps, Place Cells, Head Direction Cells, Grid Cells and Boundary Cells.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_map
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_cell and associated refs.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_cell and associated refs.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_direction_cells
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grid_cell and associated refs.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_cell and associated refs.
Source: Hartley T, Lever C, Burgess N, O’Keefe J. 2014 Space in the brain: how the hippocampal formation supports spatial cognition. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 369: 20120510. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2012.0510
In the re-defined context of Non-Life and Life being of the same nature the sensing, perception and communication by humans can also be re-stated to be considered quantifiable flows of energy evolving into chemistry between their location and their environments.
Conclusions
For both Non-Life and Life it can be stated that.
Both developed from the same origin and process.
They have been previously considered as separate. They can be shown to be the same.
Both share the use of a body; an envelope; to distinguish their location from the rest of the environment.
Both metabolize energy from the environment to allow their location to be broken down into energy, then recombined into mass and then broken down into energy.
Both inherit the same energy, subatomic particle, atomic, matter, chemistry information basis as the Universe around them.
Both in constant sub-atomic movement and interaction with the environment.
Neither Non-Life or Life are in constant sub-atomic equilibrium with the environment.
Non-Life systems and Life systems both exist in all physical states.
Both inherit information from each other and their environments.
Both reproduce as energy evolving into mass into energy.
To identify the nature of human senses the definition can be extended.
Non-Life and Life, sensing, perception and communication should not be considered separate.
They are fundamentally only quantifiable flows of nuclear and electromagnetic energy evolution into chemistry between locations in an environment in space-time.
Ian K Whittaker
My websites:
https://sites.google.com/site/architecturearticles
Email: iankwhittaker@gmail.com
30/08/2016
14/10/2020
1381 words over 4 pages.