July 2011
Self-Organization and life
Self-Organization in nature
Matter: A salt solution crystallizes in the same crystallization conditions to similar forms. The crystallization of salts in solution is reproducible. It follows predetermined rules. The matter is perceived as a plurality of dynamic systems, which tend to submit to rules (atom, molecule, crystallization).
Plants: The sunflower brings its fruit to maturity. During the day, it turns its flowers in the direction where the sun shines. This happens on all plants in a field in the same way. A plant may close its wound. This is done individually, after the plant suffered an injury. For the tree, it is essential that its water balance is not disturbed by an open wound in its bark. A damaged area heals.
Pets: There are processes such as respiration, digestion, growth, healing, the symbiosis between the hummingbirds and orchids, the organization necessary for survival and mating. Animals eat during illness medicinal plants selectively. Some birds produce and use tools. Some animals can adapt the patterns and color to the environment. What thereof happens consciously, unconsciously and what is organized directly in a body part?
In humans self-organization is evident: There are only few people who claim that for them the self-organization does not exist, that they have no will, they assume no liability and that they do no exercise influence over their own actions and activities. There are exercises that can bring unconscious processes to consciousness and then they can be influenced: the heart beat, the digestion, breathing and thought processes.
Is the self-organization unconscious and without freedom, subconscious, knowing or knowing and free? Is dead matter, really dead? It seems to us that in matter there is no freedom, because with its physical and chemical properties and its resulting behavior, we can make reliable calculations.
Life
We say. I'm alive. Because of my experiences with myself I know what the word "life" means. I do not know the inside of my neighbor. The neighbor looks like me, he acts and reacts almost like me. The conclusion is not difficult, he could be also, like me, a living being. We say a dog is alive, and also a tree. Our access to life, is not scientifically provable, but it is based on our own experience.
We define the characteristics that say that something is alive. But it is possible that our definitions of life is not applicable on an other planet where the environment is totally different. To define the extent of the area of life is difficult, can life include everything that exists? We can hardly say anything definite without falling into dogmatism. What would you say to: where self-organization is, there is life?
A mechanical doll or a computer that can organize, may, however, hardly be described as alive, while a structure of assembled parts of genes can be considered as living. Why?
The doll and computers are artificial creations. They are limited by their concept. However, the effect of a natural and dynamic self-organization , may possibly even occur in a structure assembled from parts of genes. The self-organization of the natural object may interact with the self-organization of the whole of nature.