The Missing Law: Evolution of Functional Information

Bob Hazen believes there's a missing law of nature - the "Law of increasing functional information" - governing the rise of order and complexity in the Universe.

### Bob Hazen on the 'Law of Increasing Functional Information'
* 🔄  Hazen believes there might be a '**missing law**' of nature, a second arrow of time related to an **increase in order, pattern, and information**.
* 🌌  This new law, termed the 'Law of Increasing Functional Information,' is based on the concept of evolution, which Hazen sees as "**selection for function**" that applies to all systems, not just life.
* 💡  According to Hazen, the key to understanding this law lies in '**functional information**,' which represents the **tiny fraction of possible configurations** that are **functional or stable**.
* 🧠  Evolution leads to an increase in **functional information** as systems become more **ordered and complex**.
* 🔧  Hazen uses the example of a coffee cup to illustrate the **contextual nature of functional information** and how systems are selected for **specific functions**.
* 🌌  The implications of the '**Law of Increasing Functional Information**' are profound, suggesting that there is a **purpose or direction in the Universe**, contrary to the traditional view of a **single arrow of time**.
* 🔮  Hazen acknowledges that this new perspective could be wrong but finds it "**very interesting**" even if it is incorrect, and believes it is "**profoundly important**" if it is right.

I have to make a confession here. I have to be honest. We could be wrong. We could be spectacularly wrong. But it's also possible that science is missing a profound truth about the cosmos. We have these 10 or so laws of nature, only one of which currently has an arrow of time. That's the second law of thermodynamics, the increase in entropy - it's disorder; it's decay. We all grow old. We all die. But the second law doesn't explain why things evolve; why life emerges from non-life. You look around, and you see flowers bloom and trees blossom and birds sing. It seems like all of those things are counter to the idea of disorder. In fact, it's a kind of ordering of nature. So let me tell you what we think: We think there's a missing law, a second arrow of time that describes this increase in order, and we think has to do with an increase in information.

So there's two possibilities. We could just be wrong. We could be terribly
wrong, dramatically wrong. But I think, if we're wrong, we're wrong in a very interesting way. And I think, if we're right,
it's profoundly important. I'm Bob Hazen. I'm a Staff Scientist at the
Earth and Planets Laboratory of Carnegie Science in Washington, D.C. I do mineralogy, astrobiology. I love science. We think that, for some reason, there's been missing a
second arrow of time. And that arrow has to do with
an increase of information, an increase in order, an
increase of patterning that goes side by side with the
arrow of increasing disorder and increasing chaos, entropy. The core of everything
we've been thinking about, in terms of the missing law, is evolution. When I say the word evolution, you immediately think of Darwin, but this idea of selection goes much, much beyond Darwin and life.

It applies to the evolution of atoms. It applies to the evolution of minerals. It applies to the evolution of planets and atmospheres and oceans. Evolution, which we see as being an increase in diversity, of patterning, in complexity of systems through time. And so the question is, Well, what is evolution? Evolution is simply selection for function. And this applies to every kind of system. Now, in life, you select for organisms that can survive long enough that they can reproduce and have offspring that will pass on their characteristics. That's what Darwin said, and that's one very important example of selection for function. But, in the mineral world, you select for organizations, of assemblies, of structures of atoms that persist, that can last billions of years even in new environments. They don't break down. They don't dissolve. They don't weather away. It's very analogous to biological evolution, but it's different in detail.

We think there's a missing law. It's a law of evolution. And if there is a law, it has to be quantitative. It has to have a metric. You have to be able to measure something. And what we've zeroed in on is a fascinating concept about information, but not just information in general, something called 'functional information.' Let me see if I can explain this to you 'cause it took me a while to figure it out myself. Imagine a system, an evolving system that has the potential to form vast numbers of different configurations. Let's say they're atoms to make minerals, and you have dozens of different mineral-forming elements, and they can arrange themselves in all different ways. And 99.99999999 - I can keep going - percent of those configurations won't work. They will fall apart. They'll never form. A tiny, tiny fraction makes a stable mineral, and you end up with a few stable minerals.

and lots of rejects. Now, all you need to do is
think about that fraction. If it's one in a hundred
trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion
possibilities that's stable, then you can represent that
fraction as information. And because it's such
a tiny, tiny fraction, you need a lot of bits of
information to do that - that's functional information. Evolution is simply an increase
in functional information because, as you select for
better and better outcomes, you select for minerals that
are more and more stable. You select for living
things that can swim. They can fly. They can see. You need more information, and each step of the evolutionary ladder leads you to increasing
functional information. So, our law, our missing
law, the second arrow of time is called the 'Law of increasing
functional information.' And that's the parallel arrow of time that we think is out there
that we want to understand.

The idea of increasing functional information has a really profound implication. Think about the functional information of a coffee cup; you might be holding one right now. You have a bunch of atoms, and those atoms could be in trillions of trillions of trillions of different configurations, but only a tiny fraction of those configurations will hold a cup of coffee. Now, think about a coffee cup as a paperweight. I know you've used a coffee cup as a paperweight. We all have, and it's pretty good at that, but you can make a better paperweight. And a coffee cup makes a terrible screwdriver. So think about this: We're saying that the coffee cup has value as a coffee cup. It has some value as a paperweight, but it has no value as a screwdriver - that's contextual. So this is why the second arrow of time is difficult for science because it's saying there's something in the natural world

that is not absolute. It's contextual. It depends
on what your purpose is. It depends on what your function is. If it's true, what we're saying is there's something in the Universe
that is increasing order, it's increasing complexity, and it isn't doing this in a random way. It's selecting for function. And if it is, if you're
selecting for function, it means that there almost seems to be, can I use the word purpose? Do minerals have a purpose? Do atmospheres have a purpose? Does life have a purpose? To me, there's something real there, and the old way of thinking
of a single arrow of time no longer rings true to me.

This law of nature has been hidden from science – until now | Robert Hazen

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There is a proposal for a potential missing law of nature related to the increase in order and information, alongside the second law of thermodynamics.

This new idea aims to explain the emergence of life and the increase in order in nature, potentially expanding our understanding of the cosmos.

The concept is closely linked to the core of evolution, going beyond the traditional understanding associated with Darwin and life.

The Law of Evolution and Functional Information

Evolution is the increase in diversity and complexity of systems through time, driven by selection for function.

This concept applies to atoms, minerals, and even the formation of planets and atmospheres.

The idea of "functional information" is key, as it explains how evolving systems with the potential for numerous configurations ultimately result in a few stable outcomes.

The Role of Functional Information in Evolution

Evolution is driven by the increase in functional information, leading to more stable and diverse living organisms.

The concept of functional information has profound implications, highlighting the contextual value of objects based on their functionality.

The "Law of increasing functional information" is a crucial yet challenging aspect of the second arrow of time in science.

The Increasing Order and Complexity in the Universe

The concept of increasing order and complexity in the Universe is not absolute, but rather contextual and dependent on purpose and function.

This non-random increase in order suggests a selection for function, implying a sense of purpose in the evolution of the Universe, challenging the traditional view of a single arrow of time.