2014/01/01 by Eric J. Chaisson · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Computer Science · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Chaos, Complexity, and Education #Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution #Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life #astro-ph.CO #physics.pop-ph #q-bio.OT
paper · pdf · doi:10.1155/2014/384912
Review paper accepted for publication in The Scientific World Journal, v2014, 41 pages, article ID 384912; to be published in June 2014 at http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/384912
openalex publication_date 2014/01/01 · arxiv created 2014/06/10 · arxiv updated 2014/06/12 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Nature's many varied complex systems (including galaxies, stars, planets, life, and society) are islands of order within the increasingly disordered universe. All organized systems are subject to physical, biological or cultural evolution, which together comprise the grander interdisciplinary subject of cosmic evolution. This is global history greatly extended, big history with a scientific basis, and natural history broadly portrayed across 14 billion years of time. Such evolution writ large has significant potential to unify the natural sciences into a holistic understanding of who we are and whence we came. No new science (beyond frontier, non-equilibrium thermodynamics) is needed to describe cosmic evolution's major milestones at a deep and empirical level. Quantitative models and experimental tests imply that a remarkable simplicity underlies the emergence and growth of complexity for a wide spectrum of known and diverse systems. In particular, energy rate density is an objective metric suitable to gauge relative degrees of complexity along a hierarchy of widely assorted systems observed throughout the material universe.