Nature's Fractal Pathway

From: Subject: Nature's Fractal Pathway Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:43:15 +0200 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://people.cornell.edu/pages/jag8/information.html X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3198 Nature's Fractal Pathway

Nature's Fractal Pathway

(Patterns in Nature)

(4 Conservation = Laws Code=20 in Triplets)
(revised Oct., 2007)=20

J. A. Gowan
http://www.p= eople.cornell.edu/pages/jag8/index.html

Table of Contents:=20

A= bstract
Introduction
The=20 Microphysical Realm
= Level=20 1: Elementary Particles
Le= vel 2 :=20 Atoms, Elements; Nuclear Fusion
Leve= l 3:=20 Organic Polymers, Crystals
L= evel 4:=20 Chemical Systems, RNA
The Biophysical Realm
Level = 5: The=20 Cell; DNA=20

The=20 Cell

L= evel 6:=20 Organisms
Le= vel 7:=20 Species
Level= 8:=20 Gaia=20

The=20 Biological Role of Humanity

The Astrophysical = Realm
Leve= l 9:=20 Stars
Lev= el 10:=20 Galaxy
L= evel=20 11: Universe
Level=20 12: Multiverse
The Metaphysical Realm
T= he=20 Metaphysical Realm - Overview
= The=20 Metaphysical Realm - Intuitive
T= he=20 Metaphysical Realm - Rational
Conclusion
References
Link= s=20

(I recommend the reader consult the "preface" or = "guide" to this=20 paper, which may be found at "About the = Papers: An=20 Introduction" (section III)).

Abstract
(See: The Fractal = Organization=20 of Nature (Table))=20

A General Systems model of the Universe is presented, based = on a=20 fractal paradigm. A 4x3 "metric" or fractal algorithm is proposed as = the=20 organizing principle of the Microphysical, Biophysical, Astrophysical, = and=20 Metaphysical realms. The algorithm is expressed through the conservation = laws and=20 forces of physics, symmetry-breaking and the = creation of=20 matter during the "Big Bang", the dimensions of spacetime, the = quantum=20 rules of atomic order, the families of elementary particles, the = structure of=20 baryons, alpha particles, carbon atoms, carbon's molecular and crystal = bonds,=20 DNA, the genetic code, the nucleosynthetic pathway of stars, = gravitation, etc.=20 The human mind has discovered this order both intuitively and = rationally,=20 where it finds expression in the 4x3 (and 4x4) patterns of = mythological,=20 occult, religious, philosophical, and scientific "world systems" and=20 cosmologies.
A general model of the human "metaphysical = realm", and a model of the unified field theory are presented as = examples=20 of how the fractal algorithm may be used in system modeling. In its = most=20 general form, the 4-part algorithm consists of an input of energy, = followed by=20 two complementary conservation modes, concluding with a restorative = force=20 which either returns the system to its actual original state, or = elevates it=20 to a "harmonic complexion" or resonant analog of the original state.=20

Introduction

The concept of = hierarchical order=20 is fundamental to General Systems theory (Bertalanffy, 1968). The = exposition of=20 fractal geometry (Mandelbrot 1983) raised a new paradigm of natural = order which=20 offered a theoretical and mathematical basis for systems generally and = their=20 hierarchical characteristics specifically: it is the fractal nature of = the=20 Universe we see in its hierarchical structure, systemic character, and = organic=20 connectivity. Self-similar replication and harmonic resonance are = natural=20 features of fractal structure and organization.

Physical evidence for the operation of a universal 4x3 fractal = algorithm=20 producing a resonant cosmic order is presented in table 1. = This is a=20 hierarchical arrangement which encompasses 4 realms: Microphysical, = Biophysical,=20 Astrophysical, and Metaphysical (human conceptual). The fractal = algorithm which=20 produces this hierarchy is a 4x3 complex drive created by free energy = (light) in=20 three conservation modes: Entropy (dimensionality, intrinsic motion, and = gravitation), Raw Energy (matter and momentum), and Symmetry (charge, = spin,=20 inertia and gravitation (again)). The emergent properties of this system = in=20 operation often require a 4x4 representation. (See: "The = Tetrahedron Model of=20 Light and Conservation Law".)

Each realm of the hierarchy is characterized by a dominating center = of mass,=20 energy, or information, the site of the 4x3 fractal algorithm or energy = pattern=20 which organizes the general structure of the realm. In the Microphysical = Realm=20 this center is the atomic nucleus; in the Biophysical Realm it is the = nucleus of=20 the cell; in the Astrophysical Realm it is the galactic nucleus; in the=20 Metaphysical Realm, it is the human brain, contemplating body/spirit = (intuitive=20 mode), or unified theories of matter/energy (rational mode). Individual = levels=20 within each realm have their own centers of structure, dynamics, and/or=20 information.

Such a universal pattern can have only the most general of = characteristics. I=20 have designated its horizontal 4-component in structural terms as: Unit, = Pair,=20 Group, Emergent new unit; the group category is the locus of the 4x3 = energy=20 pattern which produces the Emergent new unit. This new unit then becomes = the=20 basis of the next level in the hierarchy. George Land (1973) and August = Jaccaci=20 (1980) have characterized this structural series in dynamic terms as: = Accretive,=20 Replicative, Mutualistic (Land), or: Gather, Repeat, Share, Transform = (Jaccaci).=20 The vertical 3-component of the matrix (including its 4th emergent = level)=20 Jaccaci identifies as a simple repetition of the horizontal series. In = its most=20 complete form ("World Systems"), these parameters resolve to: 1) an = input of=20 free energy followed by symmetry-breaking, establishing a joint = dimensional=20 conservation domain (spacetime) for light and matter; 2, 3) two = complementary=20 conservation modes: 2) raw energy conservation including entropy (mass,=20 momentum, kinetic and potential energy, and low-energy gravitation); 3) = symmetry=20 conservation (charge, spin, inertia, intrinsic motion, and high-energy=20 gravitation); 4) restorative, transformative, or evolutionary forces = (the 4=20 forces of physics) which either return the system to its original state=20 immediately (as in matter-antimatter annihilations), or evolve a = resonant analog=20 of the original state (the various levels of the hierarchy - entropy, = symmetry,=20 and gravitationally driven "harmonic complexification").=20

Readers familiar with the theory of "Chaos" may recognize a familiar = pattern=20 in the model: beginning with a "linear" or simple input (cell 1), = passing to a=20 stage of bifurcation (cell 2), progressing to a stage of greater = complexity=20 including secondary bifurcations (cell 3), and finally a "chaotic" stage = (cell=20 4) which predictably settles in the "fractal basin" of a 4x3 (or 4x4) = "strange=20 attractor" (the precise physical nature of the attractor, however, is=20 unpredictable). Like a true fractal algorithm, the output of one level = becomes=20 the input of the next, the self-feeding iterations producing new = self-similar=20 expressions at ever-higher levels of information and system complexity. = The=20 model is scale-invariant, not only vertically with each row, but also = with=20 respect to the four major realms. (See: "Chaos: Making a New = Science" by=20 James Gleick, Viking Penguin Inc., 1987)

(See also: "The=20 Fractal Organization of Nature"; "The Information=20 Pathway"; "Teilhard de = Chardin:=20 Prophet of the Information Age").=20

The Microphysical Realm

(atomic matter and chemistry: 3 = particles=20 (protons, neutrons, electrons) x 4 quantum numbers (n,l,m,s)
(See: = "Table 1")=20

Level 1: Elementary Particles

(3 = energy=20 "families" each of 4 elementary particles)

The hierarchy begins with the production of elementary = particles in=20 the "Big Bang". While we know the products of the first step, we do = not=20 really know how to initiate it. What do we put in the first cell of the = matrix=20 as the primordial unit of organization from which all else evolves? We = can of=20 course simply put the Big Bang or First Cause in this first cell, claim = Divine=20 Intervention, confess our ignorance, and leave it at that. Personally, I = am not=20 fundamentally opposed to this solution; we will never know everything = and a=20 frank admission of this fact from the outset is intellectually healthy = and=20 honest. Nevertheless, in the light of present knowledge, it is possible = to fill=20 out the first horizontal row of the hierarchy in sensible, physical = terms=20 without presuming that the physical reality is the only reality, that we = have=20 done anything more than solve a mechanical puzzle, or that we know, or = can know,=20 anything at all about the fundamental origins of free energy (light) = itself.=20 (See: "The = Higgs Boson=20 and the Weak Force IVBs".)

With these apologies, in the first cell I place high-energy light - = free=20 electromagnetic radiation - the most symmetric and therefore the most = primitive=20 form of energy we know. In the second cell of row one, which is the = position of=20 the pairing function, I place space-time, the conservation domain of = light,=20 created by light's own intrinsic motion or entropy drive, gauged by = "velocity=20 c". Along with spacetime in the second cell are several other pairings:=20 matter-antimatter and the particle-wave duality of light. We can view = spacetime=20 as the symmetric product of light's wave form, and the matter-antimatter = field=20 as the symmetric product of light's particle form. So long as the=20 matter-antimatter field remains symmetric, it will appear as light only; = once=20 its symmetry is broken, however, it will manifest as particles. = Dualities are=20 fundamental throughout nature; other dualities exhibited by light = include its=20 oscillating electric vs magnetic energy fields, and the "frequency vs=20 wavelength" characterization of its physical structure.

Spacetime is regulated by a combination of energy- and = symmetry-conserving=20 "inertial" forces, and is actually created by the entropy drive of free = energy,=20 manifesting as the intrinsic motion of light. Spacetime is the entropic=20 conservation domain of light, and it contains a "metric" or structural = order=20 which is the enforcer of spacetime's conservation role (the source of = "inertial"=20 forces). This metric determines or "gauges" the value of c, the velocity = of=20 light, and by this means fixes the measured and energetic equivalence = between=20 each of the four dimensions. (Without the metric, every photon could be = a "law=20 unto itself" with a unique velocity.) Hence light and spacetime = themselves, far=20 from being an amorphous waveform of energy, possess an internal = structural order=20 from the beginning, an order required by energy conservation. This order = has an=20 alternative form, well defined, regulated, and also symmetric, the=20 matter-antimatter particle pairs which populate the "virtual particle = sea" of=20 the "vacuum". These particle pairs occur in a relatively small number of = quantized forms belonging to the quark and lepton families. The virtual=20 particles (cell 3) become real when the weak force breaks the symmetry = of=20 matter-antimatter particle pairs during the initial moments of the "Big = Bang"=20 (cell 4).=20

The virtual particle "zoo" is here interpreted as the product of the=20 interaction of light's energy with its own structural spacetime metric. = Thus the=20 "particle metric" bears a structural imprint from the spacetime metric. = In the=20 "standard model" of particle physics, the "Higgs boson" or "Higgs field" = is the=20 presumed source of elementary particle mass. In the (similar) view = presented=20 here, the spacetime metric determines the possible forms that particles = may=20 take, while the Higgs boson determines the energy level (environment) in = which=20 particle creation and/or transformation may occur. (See: "The Higgs Boson = and the=20 Weak Force IVBs".)=20

In the the third cell of row 1, which is the "group" cell of = interaction=20 (Jaccaci's "sharing of differences", Land's "mutualistic" cell) we can = place for=20 simplicity of representation a virtual matter-antimatter "leptoquark" = pair,=20 which stands for the interaction between the mass-bearing quark field of = the=20 strong force color charge, and the charge-bearing leptonic field of the = weak=20 force identity charge. In this third cell we usually find an expression = of=20 Nature's 4x3 fractal algorithm; in this first row we find three families = of four=20 particles (six leptons and six quarks), which decay (in cell 4) to their = ground=20 states as proton, electron, and electron neutrino (a leptoquark = antineutrino is=20 presumably also produced to balance the proton's "baryon number = charge").=20

In cell four, interactions among and between the quarks and leptons = are=20 mediated by the weak force "Intermediate Vector Bosons" (IVBs), the W+, = W-, and=20 Z, while leptoquark decay is mediated by a similar (but hypothetical) = much=20 heavier "X" boson (see "The = Particle=20 Table"). The final product of the asymmetric leptoquark decay is a = particle=20 of matter, the humble baryon, proton, or nucleus of the hydrogen atom. = This=20 baryon, the foundation stone of the material Universe, is also a 4x3 = expression=20 of the universal fractal algorithm: 3 quarks bearing 4 charges (relevant = to the=20 microphysical realm) - electric, color, flavor, spin. The first = horizontal row=20 of the hierarchy essentially recapitulates the reaction equation for the = formation of matter in the "Big Bang".

In the first line we have produced from the order and energy inherent = in=20 spacetime and light, the order and energy of the particulate realm, = passing from=20 an initial symmetric state, which contained only potential information = and=20 metric structure, to a final asymmetric state which realizes that = information=20 and expresses that structure in manifest, particulate, conserved, and = ordered=20 form: the baryons and their alternative charge carriers, the leptons. = While we=20 do not understand the details of this process, what we do understand is = that the=20 energy, order, and information content of light and spacetime has been=20 transformed, extracted, or projected from a symmetric potential to an = asymmetric=20 reality. The mass, order, and information content of particles does not = come=20 from nowhere; it comes from the metric of spacetime and the energy of = light.=20 (Note: leptoquarks and the X boson (and/or the "Higgs") remain beyond = the energy=20 range of our most powerful accelerators, and so are all still = hypothetical. I=20 include them because they (or their analogs) should exist if we are to = make=20 sense of the other confirmed elements of the theory).=20

The baryon, whose ground state is the proton, is the essential = material=20 product of the Big Bang. Baryons are composed of three quarks, the mass = carriers=20 of matter. The existence of matter depends upon the existence and = stability of=20 the baryon. The baryon, with its 3 quarks, 4 charges, and 8 interacting = gluons=20 (each composed of a color-anticolor charge), exchanging color charges = between=20 quarks at the speed of light, is a particle of incredible internal = complexity.=20 Within its invariant, beating heart of "colored light" lies the mystery = of=20 manifestation, and upon its stability rests every higher structure of = the=20 manifest Universe.=20

Matter is thought to be produced by the asymmetric weak force decay = of=20 electrically neutral leptoquark-antileptoquark pairs, a decay possibly = mediated=20 by the (hypothetical) "X" IVB. Electrically charged = particle-antiparticle pairs=20 cannot decay asymmetrically - they can only annihilate each other. = Because=20 matter can only be produced from the asymmetric decay of an electrically = neutral=20 particle, leptoquarks and baryons must be composite particles whose = internal=20 components can sum to electric neutrality (like a neutron). This is the=20 fundamental reason for the existence of the sub-elementary quarks and = their=20 fractional electric charges. (See: "The Origin of = Matter and=20 Information".)

By a similar logic, matter could also not exist without the essential = service=20 provided to baryons by the leptonic field of alternative charge carriers = -=20 massive leptons to carry electric charges (the electron and its kin), = massless=20 (or nearly massless) neutrinos to carry identity charges (the electron = neutrino=20 and its kin, including the leptoquark neutrino) (mesons also function as = alternative charge carriers of quark flavor and color, facilitating = baryon=20 transformations). (See: "The 'W' IVB = and the=20 Weak Force Mechanism".) Without the leptonic field of alternative = charge=20 carriers, the quark field would remain trapped as symmetric, mutually=20 annihilating, particle-antiparticle pairs. This is why matter consists = of two=20 fields, the sub-elementary mass-carrying quarks, or composite hadrons, = and the=20 alternative charge-carrying elementary particles, or leptons (see: "The Weak = Force:=20 Identity or Number Charge"). The (hypothetical) leptoquark, which is = essentially an elementary lepton fractured internally into three parts, = is the=20 ancestor of both hadrons and leptons, which is why these two fields = interact so=20 seamlessly. Finally, there remains an asymmetry of unknown origin in the = interaction of the weak force IVBs with matter vs antimatter, such that, = for=20 example, neutral antileptoquarks decay at a slightly faster rate than = neutral=20 leptoquarks, producing the residue of matter which composes our material = Universe (a tiny asymmetry of (approximately) one part per billion).

(See: "The Higgs=20 Cascade and the Weak Force IVBs", an expansion of row 1 into a 4x4 = General=20 Systems model of the "Big Bang".) (See also: "The Origin of = Matter and=20 Information".)=20

Level Two: Atoms, Elements; Nuclear=20 Fission/Fusion

(the alpha particle: 4 nucleons each of 3 quarks) =

The Atomic Nucleus and its Electron Shell=20

The baryon (proton) is the principle product of the "Big Bang" and = the first=20 rung of the structural hierarchy ladder. It is the fundamental unit of = step two=20 and is the foundation stone upon which is built the entire realm of = matter.=20 Baryons are the class of particles which contain 3 quarks, of which the = proton=20 and neutron are common examples. The baryon is an absolute marvel of=20 construction, consisting of three quarks bearing color charges which are = exchanged via an internal field of 8 gluons. Gluons carry = color-anticolor=20 charges (in any combination), are massless, and move at velocity C. = Gluons have=20 been compared to "sticky light". The "round-robin" exchange of color = charges=20 between quarks constitutes the strong force, which keeps quarks = permanently=20 confined in baryons and whose conserved presence also prevents "proton = decay",=20 the complete disintegration of a baryon via a leptonic (weak force) = decay,=20 possibly mediated by the "X" IVB.=20

Quarks occur in six species, or "flavors", of which the u (up) and d = (down)=20 quarks are the ground or lowest energy states. The quark composition of = the=20 positively charged proton is (uud)+, that of the electrically neutral = neutron=20 (udd). These are the familiar "nucleons". Exotic baryons containing = heavier=20 flavors are known as "hyperons". (See: "The Particle = Table".) Quark flavors can transform one into another if there is = sufficient=20 energy, and if a leptonic (and/or meson) alternative charge carrier can = be=20 produced by the "W" IVB of the weak force. Baryons carry a lot of = information=20 with their three quarks, two flavors, various spin orientations, = multiple color=20 and electric charges, and their internal gluon field. This is a highly=20 energetic, highly organized, permanently bound, extremely stable, mass = unit of=20 high internal information content - and it will interact with others of = its own=20 kind to produce extremely complex compound nuclei (in Nature, up to 238 = nucleons=20 in the uranium atom). This is indeed a very promising foundation = particle upon=20 which to build the information pathway.=20

In the second cell of row 2, for the pairing function of the baryon = we have=20 the up, down (u, d) quark pair, and all the gluon pairs; meson pairs = belong at=20 this level as well. (Gluons are composed of color-anticolor charges, and = carry=20 color charges between quarks. Mesons are composed of quark-antiquark = pairs, and=20 (among other services) carry flavor and color charges between quarks, = especially=20 in the weak force transformations of baryons). At the level of the = compound=20 nucleus we have the proton-neutron pair; at the level of the whole atom, = we have=20 the electron-proton charge pair. Within the electron shell, we have the=20 north-south magnetic pairings of the electrons in their shared orbits = (spin=20 up/down). The particle level is particularly rich in pairings; we could = name=20 more. Perhaps the most important of these many pairings is that between = the=20 leptons (alternative charge carriers) and hadrons (mass carriers), = illustrated=20 here by the electron and proton.

In the proton-electron pair, or hydrogen atom, the negative electron = balances=20 the positive electrical charge of the proton. The electron of row 2 is=20 performing the same electrical function for the proton as the = antiparticle of=20 row one performed for matter, but of course the electron is not the = antiparticle=20 of the proton. This difference emphasizes the essential asymmetry of = matter and=20 the role of leptons as alternative charge carriers for the baryons - = alternative=20 in that they are not antiparticles but nevertheless carry (some of) the = charges=20 of antiparticles. The function of alternative charge carriers (which = include=20 mesons and the nearly massless neutrinos as well as the massive leptons) = is=20 crucial in that they allow the possibility of charge balancing and = conservation=20 without the annihilation reactions of antiparticles. Without the = leptonic=20 alternative charge carriers, the quark mass field could never break the = symmetry=20 of matter-antimatter leptoquark pairs; without the meson field, baryons, = once=20 formed, could not be transformed. (See: "The Origin of = Matter and=20 Information"); (See: "The 'W' IVB = and the=20 Weak Force Mechanism".)

In the third cell of row 2 (the "group" function) we have the helium = nucleus,=20 the product of the nuclear fusion of 2 protons and 2 neutrons. This is = the=20 second element of the periodic table, which because of its extreme = stability=20 becomes the preferred building block, or "brick", of the nucleosynthetic = pathway=20 in stars. This pathway, with the aid of supernova explosions, builds the = remainder of the elements of the periodic table. Because the alpha = particle=20 "brick" is the energetically favored building block of nucleosynthesis, = elements=20 with even atomic numbers (numbers of protons) are typically more = abundant than=20 elements with odd atomic numbers.=20

Carbon is the second major product of the nucleosynthetic pathway = after=20 helium. Both helium and carbon are perfect nuclear resonances of the 4x3 = fractal=20 pattern. Helium is composed of 4 nucleons each of 3 quarks; carbon is = composed=20 of 3 alpha particles (helium nuclei), each of 4 nucleons. The carbon = nucleus is=20 therefore a triple 4x3 resonance (the baron itself is the first = resonance),=20 unique among the atoms of the periodic table. The electron shell of = carbon=20 contains yet another 4x3 resonance, with four valence electrons in its = third=20 shell, the only atom with both a nuclear and an electron shell 4x3 = resonance. We=20 will discuss the remarkable 4x3 carbon resonances further in the next = two=20 levels.

Protons and neutrons can join together in high-energy fusion = reactions in the=20 center of stars, initiating the nucleosynthetic pathway, building the = compound=20 nuclei of the heavy elements. As each proton is added to the nucleus, a=20 compensatory electron is added to the electron shell, balancing the = overall=20 electric charge of the atom. The heavy, high-energy, stable and = "conservative"=20 nucleus holds the atom together, preserving its identity and integrity, = while=20 the light, low energy, changeable and "social" electron shell permits = temporary=20 interactions with other atoms. It is this special combination of nuclear = stability with chemical flexibility that gives our macroscopic world = both=20 diversity and activity, while maintaining a certain degree of solidity = and=20 reliability.

The electron shell provides a low energy pathway for atoms to = interact;=20 nuclear interactions are at least a million times more energetic than = those of=20 the electron shell, with a correspondingly high energy barrier which = must be=20 overcome to initiate them (hence fusion occurs naturally only in the = "Big Bang",=20 supernovas, and the interiors of stars). Reducing the energy barrier to=20 interaction is crucial to higher levels of information building.=20

The 92 naturally occurring elements of the periodic table are the = product of=20 row 2. Of these, at least 25 are known to be required for biological = life forms,=20 and doubtless every one finds a use somewhere in Nature - including = providing a=20 suitable environment for life.=20

Level three - Molecules, Chemistry, Organic = Polymers,=20 Crystals

(the carbon atom: 4 bonding sites in the 3rd electron = shell)

Step three is the realm of chemistry, inorganic and organic; the = formation of=20 compounds, crystals, and polymers; and every type of interaction between = the=20 electron shells of atoms.

The electron shell develops as a series of concentric orbits of = complex=20 geometry, and it is typically only the outer orbits which can interact = with=20 those of another atom. These interactions can take place only if there = are=20 vacant positions in the fixed geometric patterns of the outer orbitals = which can=20 be filled by sharing electrons with another atom which also has vacant=20 positions. This type of bonding is called "covalent", in reference to = the shared=20 orbital relationship, and provides a strong and stable bond, which is = featured=20 in the second cell of row 3. Other pairings at this level include the = common=20 atomic pairs, such as H2, O2, and N2, and the dipolar electric/magnetic=20 character of chemical bonds generally.

We place the carbon atom in the third cell of row 3. Amazingly, in = addition=20 to carbon's triple nuclear 4x3 resonance pattern, it also contains a 4x3 = resonance in its electron shell, having 4 bonding sites in the third = shell (1S2,=20 2S2, 2P2). Carbon is the only atom in the periodic table with both a = nuclear and=20 electron shell 4x3 resonance. Carbon's molecular tetrahedral bonding = structure=20 creates yet another 4x3 resonance - a tetrahedron being composed of 4 = triangles.=20 Hence carbon contains five full 4x3 resonances, three in its nucleus, = one in its=20 electron shell, and one in its molecular bonding pattern (for example, = diamond),=20 a most remarkable and unique atom, with a most remarkable and unique = potential.

In the fourth cell of row 3 we have crystals, and especially the = organic=20 polymers of carbon. It is of course the ability of the carbon atom, with = its=20 four bonding sites, to bond with itself in tetrahedra, chains, branching = chains,=20 rings, spirals, and many other forms of great length, molecular weight, = and=20 apparently infinite variety in their combinations, permutations, = reflections,=20 polymers, and isomers, that sets the stage for the information explosion = of=20 organic or carbon chemistry, the molecular basis of the complex = information=20 systems of life. For example, the nuclear fusion of hydrogen with carbon = can=20 produce only the element nitrogen with an isotope or two; the chemical=20 combinations between the electron shells of hydrogen and carbon, = however,=20 produces the immense class of the hydrocarbons, with billions of = chemically=20 distinct isomers. This is an especially striking example of how by = lowering the=20 energy level and barrier for interaction, the possibilities for = information=20 building are enormously magnified.=20

Level four - Cyclic, functional Chemical Systems; = RNA-DNA

(RNA-DNA: 4 nucleotides x 3 functional groups)

In row 4 we enter the complex realm of functional, cyclic chemical = systems,=20 prebiotic chemistry, including the replicating molecule of RNA. Organic=20 chemistry is characterized by covalent bonding ("hard bonds") between = carbon=20 atoms which build strong, stable chains or skeletal structures; these = chains=20 provide anchor points for functional chemical groups which interact with = each=20 other through weaker, ("soft") bonds. "Soft" bonds are more in the = nature of=20 attractive and repulsive electrical interactions between molecules = rather than=20 orbital bonds. "Soft" bonds include hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, bonding = due to=20 Van der Waals forces, and hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions. The = geometry,=20 shape, size, symmetry, and configuration of molecules is crucially = important to=20 their organic/biological properties, and these weak bonding forces are=20 critically important to this level of information building. Again, = reducing the=20 energetic threshold of interaction is very important to the diversity of = possible interactions, and hence also to building the information = content of=20 systems such interactions may produce. These "soft" and flexible = molecular=20 bonds, crucial to the complex forms of organic and biochemistry, we = place in=20 cell 2. Here too we place the base pairings of the 4 nucleotides of RNA = (AU, CG)=20 (adenine, uracil, cytosine, guanine).

Replication is the translation of the ability of carbon atoms to bond = with=20 their own kind (including the general phenomenon of crystal formation = and=20 growth), into the ability of carbon based macromolecules to bond with = plus=20 replicate their own kind. What produces crystal growth on one level = produces=20 replication on the next. It is a stage transition to a higher level of = both=20 organization and information, and the direct projection of nuclear, = electron=20 shell, and crystal bonding patterns into the realm of macro-molecular=20 interaction. The pathway is directly through the 4x3 structure of = carbon, which=20 as we have seen, contains a 4x3 resonance in its nucleus, electron = shell, and=20 molecular bonding pattern. The covalent bonding of carbon with itself = into=20 stable branching chains and cyclic structures provides attachment points = for=20 functional groups involving other elements. These in turn can form = "soft"=20 hydrogen bonds with each other, producing macro-molecular chains of = cyclic or=20 periodic character, leading directly to the 4x3 resonant structure of = RNA. Water=20 itself, the "universal solvent", also produces a tetrahedral molecular = bond; the=20 combination of water and organic chemistry is literally pregnant with = the=20 potential for the 4x3 replicating molecular structures which will = eventually=20 lead to competitive, "self-interested" living forms.=20

In RNA, we again find a structural expression of the 4x3 fractal = "metric".=20 RNA consists of 4 nucleotides (adenine, guanine, uracil, cytosine) each = composed=20 of 3 functional groups - a nitrogenous base, a sugar, and a phosphate = group (in=20 DNA uracil is replaced by thymine). It is this 4x3 structure of RNA = which is the=20 centerpiece of row 4, cell 3.

Row four is the chemical threshold of life. Here we find carbon = interacting=20 with a variety of other elements to form the complex molecules which are = capable=20 of playing a role in future living systems. What is special about these=20 molecules is that they do not simply link up with each other in inert=20 crystalline combinations, they actually perform work of some sort, such = as the=20 capture and processing of energy, replication, the formation of = defensive=20 perimeters, etc. Why this sort of chemical activity should arise at all = is a=20 mystery: there is perhaps some advantage to be gained, on a level of = molecular=20 competition, by systems which can process daytime energy but also = survive=20 through the night. This survival function might include replication as a = sort of=20 energy-plus-memory storage.=20

The origin of life is perhaps more comprehensible if we consider 1) = the=20 incredible variety of organic molecules and their possible combinations, = permutations, and interactions; 2) the incredible numbers of these = molecules in=20 the primitive oceans of the Earth; 3) the immense length of time = available for=20 the exploration of possibilities; 4) the steady energy cycles of day and = night,=20 the mixing action of wind, waves, and tides, the alternation of wet and = dry=20 conditions, the rhythmic cycles of Sun and Moon stirring the reaction = vessel of=20 Earth's oceans - under these circumstances the very improbable becomes = the very=20 likely. It is as if one person could buy all the tickets to the lottery. = We=20 envision the solar diurnal energy cycle as a kind of "CPR" or = "artificial=20 respiration", relentlessly applied to the apparently dead Earth by the = Sun until=20 the spark of life is kindled.=20

However, there is more order in this system than random chance. This = is not=20 analogous to the situation of millions of monkeys typing on typewriters = until,=20 just by blind luck, one of them produces a Shakespearian sonnet. The key = ingredient of life is the replication of molecular systems. Without the = ability=20 to replicate, any advance in the information content of a system is = lost, as no=20 matter how sophisticated it may be, it will eventually be degraded and a = new=20 beginning will have to be made. With replication, however, information = can be=20 stored, retrieved, and through the evolutionary process, advanced. We = really do=20 not have to concern ourselves with anything other than the evolution of = a=20 replicating molecule which can also conserve information, since once = this is=20 achieved, this molecule will compete with its own copies for resources, = and=20 natural selection and evolution (even at the molecular level) will = generate all=20 the rest of the necessary complexity. Because the 4x3 structure of = carbon (and=20 water) is projected into the 4x3 structure of RNA, the generation of = this=20 replicating molecule is not a matter of pure chance, and therefore = neither is=20 the generation of life. The intersection of the 4x3 universal fractal = algorithm=20 with a replicating molecular structure (RNA - DNA) means that life is = common in=20 the Universe - a definite (and perhaps calculable) probability of = organic=20 chemistry. This is why life arose on Earth relatively quickly. (See: "Newton and = Darwin: the=20 Origin and Abundance of Life in the Cosmos".)

RNA links and catalyzes chemical systems which acquire, store, and = degrade=20 energy, systems which may well have evolved in response to the diurnal = energy=20 cycle. The emergent property of "metabolic" RNA is replication. The = evolution of=20 a replicative system from a metabolic mechanism for energy and enzyme = transfer=20 is helpful in terms of understanding the thermodynamic origin of, or = reason for,=20 reproduction: replication is the accidental byproduct of a 4x3 molecular = structure originally involved in energy capture, or a related = "metabolic" role,=20 a chemical cycle driven, primed, or "pumped" by abiotic energy sources = such as=20 the Sun, Moon, and Earth's rotation.

It is in row four that the "Chaos" model becomes especially = compelling. The=20 4x3 form of RNA acts as a "strange attractor" or as a "fractal basin" = for life,=20 not just because it is a resonant 4x3 form, but because it is a resonant = form=20 capable of taking the next crucial step toward life - replication. Once=20 molecular replication is achieved, the game is over, the lottery is won, = the=20 goal is reached. A new "biological" dynamic takes over, featuring = competition=20 for limited resources and natural selection, and all the rest is = evolutionary=20 history. We place in cell 4 these cyclic, metabolic, replicating, = prebiotic=20 chemical systems; they will merge their separate abilities to become the = coordinated elements of complex life forms in level five.=20

See also: "A Simpler Origin for Life" by Robert Shapiro. = Scientific=20 American, June, 2007, pages 46-53 (and on www.sciam.com).=20

The Biophysical Realm

Level 5: the Cell;=20 DNA-RNA
(4 nucleotides code in triplets)=20

THE INFORMATION CONTENT OF DNA

When we contemplate the molecular beginnings of life, we are = initially at a=20 loss to understand the motivation behind its chemical origins - what = abiotic=20 force could possibly drive a mixture of chemicals toward the organized,=20 discreet, self-maintaining, self-reproducing, and self-interested (in = the sense=20 of survival) systems we call living entities? That DNA is a 4x3 fractal = resonant=20 system, evolved from a molecule (RNA) originally involved in an energy = cycling=20 system, which had the accidental, coincident, or emergent property of=20 self-replication, answers many of these questions; the rest are answered = by=20 evolution driven through natural selection in the frenzied competition = for=20 limited resources of a replicating population of (almost but not quite)=20 identical molecular species.

In ourselves, we recognize the life force as our desire to eat, = driven by=20 hunger; our desire to reproduce, driven by sexual desire; our desire to = survive,=20 driven by self-interest, fear, and pain; our desire for knowledge, = driven by our=20 need for food, mates, and survival, as well as an inherent and adaptive=20 curiosity. At our highly evolved level of organization, we have no = trouble=20 identifying a number of forces which drive us individually and as a = species to=20 participate in the life process. It seems to me that these basic, = instinctual,=20 and physiological drives are nothing more than stage transformations of = the same=20 forces that drive the chemical system from its very beginning.

For example, DNA is at one and the same time a genetic information = system, a=20 metabolic (energy processing) machine, and a replicating molecule. When = DNA=20 replicates, it eats to do so - it must acquire from its environment the = "food",=20 or raw materials in the form of appropriate chemicals, to replicate its = strands.=20 But DNA's ability to bond to "appropriate chemicals" is also its = information and=20 perceptual system. In DNA these three processes are inseparable, all = belonging=20 to the same act and molecule. All three are driven by the forces of = electrical=20 attraction and repulsion between molecules, requiring also certain = bonding=20 strengths and geometric configurations. They simply scale up to our = level of=20 organization as the basic feelings, emotions, instincts, and drives = which cause=20 us to "want" to eat, reproduce, and perceive - since perception = (information=20 intake and processing) allows us to eat, survive, and reproduce more=20 successfully.=20

In humans, because of our higher level of organization, we have = specialized=20 organs which perform these functions separately - stomach, gonads, eyes, = brain -=20 so we think of them separately. But the bottom line is we must still eat = to=20 think or reproduce. So I think there is less of a mystery here, in terms = of the=20 motivational inputs to chemical systems, than we are apt to believe at = first. As=20 for the complexity involved, staggering as it is, it is simply the = product of=20 evolution over eons of time and oceans of molecules. Similarly, we used = to think=20 the eye was too complex for evolution to produce; we know better now - = even=20 jellyfish and clams have them.

Once the replicating structure of DNA is achieved, it will compete = with=20 itself for the chemical resources to continue to reproduce. Competition = within a=20 species, with one's own kind, is the most powerful evolutionary force, = and every=20 time DNA replicates it produces a competitor whose needs are identical = to its=20 own. We can hardly imagine the ferocity of competition that must have = taken=20 place in the early oceans of Earth once this molecule began to = replicate. The=20 subsequent evolution of this molecule is simply the history of the most=20 successful eater, reproducer, and retainer of this adaptive behavior and = information.

It is this competitive origin of the molecular system of life, = natural=20 selection operating within a domain of limited resources, that produces = the=20 anomalous "self interest" or "survival instinct" in even the most = primitive form=20 of life, and indeed, in the chemical systems which precede them.

I have no intention here of demoting the mystery or sanctity of life, = only of=20 understanding its mechanical elements. In my personal view, this mystery = is not=20 unique to our particular level of organization, but extends downward = into the=20 atoms of which we are composed, and upwards into the galaxies of which = we are a=20 part. Among many others, one of the enduring mysteries is the 4x3 = organizational=20 "metric" that propagates at every level from the Big Bang to the genome = of life=20 (see: "The = Fractal=20 Organization of Nature"). It is nevertheless true that there are = mysteries=20 associated with our own level of organization that are unique to the = human=20 experience. I will touch on these later.

THE CELL

As DNA is the molecular unit of replication, so the cell is the=20 organizational unit of life, the "quantum entity" of biological systems. = The=20 cell is essentially a fortress or shelter erected against an inclement = (and=20 competitive) environment in which DNA can safely and efficiently go = about its=20 business of eating, reproducing, and storing the information necessary = to do so.=20 Within the protective confines of the cell wall, DNA can "get serious" = about=20 organizing its activities. In the same sense that "a man's home is his = castle",=20 the cell is the castle of DNA and the life process.=20

A house is not so different from a cell in its functional purpose. If = our=20 home is a farm, the analogy is better; if the barn with our symbiont = livestock=20 is attached to the house, the analogy is better still. At our = organizational=20 level (species) we as individuals are the functional analog of DNA and = the=20 house-office-barn is the cell which shelters us from the environment, = but which=20 also allows us to interact with it efficiently in ways we need and = choose to.=20 The knowledge and expertise we bring to our office, job, or profession = is our=20 personal information content which allows us to eat, reproduce, and = survive.=20 Communication with, and information gathering from the environment is of = course=20 crucial. In the modern house, we will want a mail box, a telephone, = newspaper=20 delivery, radio, TV, computer connected to the web, etc. There will be = exits for=20 wastes (sewer, garbage, ventilation) and entrances for supplies (water,=20 electricity, antennas, gas, windows, doors, driveways), but even the = most=20 primitive shelter must have at minimum an entrance and exit. And like = the cell,=20 we are selective about who and what we let in and let out.

We do, of course, very much embody in our persons DNA going about its = business of eating and reproducing as our information content allows. So = it is=20 really no wonder that our houses have evolved toward the ideal of the = cell;=20 indeed, in the contrast between the self-sufficient structures of the = family=20 farm and the interior cubicles of the modern high-rise business office, = we see=20 just the difference between the DNA of a free living cell and the DNA of = a cell=20 which has lost its independence to the higher organizational level of a=20 corporate social organ of specialized function. It is partly from this = loss of=20 personal completeness and freedom that the angst of modern life arises. = It=20 reprises the difficulty of the evolutionary jump from single, free cells = to the=20 subjugation of individuality in the specialized functions of a higher = level of=20 organization, in our case the organism of society.

In cell 2 of row 5 we place the replication of the double-stranded = DNA=20 molecule; in cell 3 we place the cell nucleus and its genetic code. Here = the 4=20 nucleotides of DNA code in triplets to produce the amino acids of = proteins, the=20 final molecular expression of the 4x3 organizational fractal - the=20 simplest-sufficient or least-energy solution to the information code of = biology=20 and genetic heredity.

Here (cell 3) we should point out the role of symbionts in the = functioning of=20 the biological cell; this is an explicit expression of mutualism, = symbiosis, and=20 the "sharing of differences" which characterizes the third column. DNA = itself is=20 a collection of information and genes accumulated from many different = sources.=20 The role of symbionts in the formation and function of the cell - and in = nature=20 generally - has been pioneered and championed by Lynn Margulis and her=20 coworkers. (See: Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan, 1997. Microcosmos: 4 = Billion=20 Years of Microbial Evolution. University of California Press, = Berkeley.)

The biological cell is the first organizational level that we could = describe=20 as a complete "system", and the information content of this level is=20 organizational or system information, having mostly to do with the = orchestration=20 of a multitude of integrated functions which all serve a single = collective=20 purpose: the feeding, defense, and reproduction of the cell. Here a = variety of=20 molecular subsystems are subjugated to the central control of the cell, = in the=20 form of nuclear DNA, which controls cellular function by means of RNA=20 messengers, and whose genes turn on and off in response to chemical = feedback=20 (the so-called "epigenetic" system).

Yet, life is a cooperative venture, and within the cell there are at = least 2=20 known symbionts, the chloroplasts and mitochondria, and others are = suspected,=20 such as the motile cilia. Chloroplasts and mitochondria (which produce = and=20 process energy for the cell) both have their own DNA and reproduce = themselves=20 independently within the cell. These are cells which never agreed to = relinquish=20 their reproductive options to the larger organizational unit; but they, = too,=20 have made a separate peace and taken shelter within the larger group = membrane.=20 One advantage of this arrangement is that it relieves the central cell = nucleus=20 of the responsibility of reproducing these complex subsystems and = carrying the=20 information necessary to do so. They are in the role of "subcontractors" = within=20 the overall framework of the cell. It is clear that chloroplasts and=20 mitochondria were originally free living cells, but they have found it = more=20 convenient to pursue their specialties within the shelter of a broader=20 authority. Perhaps this allows them to sharpen their special skills, = having less=20 to worry about - much as the cook and mechanic on a ship can perform = their=20 duties better if they can leave the overall running of the ship to the = captain.=20 In turn, the cell and ship benefit from their enhanced, specialized = functions.

In short, the cell is a miniature organism or society, complete with = a=20 central nuclear authority and specialized subsystems (both molecular and = symbiotic) under its regulation. Could we doubt that such a system would = eventually take the next organizational step and scale up to = multicellular=20 organisms? Life at the level of the single cell (bacteria, algae) is by = far the=20 most abundant, diverse, and resilient form of life on Earth. If humans = ever=20 establish colonies on other planets, we will (at least) take the = bacteria with=20 us, as symbionts which are necessary to digest our food, and which = perform other=20 vital system functions of which we may not yet be fully cognizant.=20

Level 6 - Organisms

(organs)

Multicellular organisms are the next stage beyond cellular systems. = Here we=20 find whole cells, rather than symbionts and chemical systems, subjugated = to a=20 central authority. In animals this central authority is vested in = specialized=20 cells, tissues, and organs such as the brain and hormone producing = glands, which=20 communicate with the body through the vascular and nervous system, while = in=20 plants it seems to reside in hormones produced by the growing tips, = which=20 communicate with the rest of the plant through the sap. In either case, = we find=20 specialized functional cells, tissues and/or organs all synchronized and = orchestrated into a harmonious whole.

It is a significant fact that it took nature much longer to evolve = organisms=20 from cells than it did to evolve living cells from chemicals. One = explanation=20 may be that evolution was working with a much smaller number of cells = than of=20 organic molecules. Another may be that it is very difficult to subjugate = free-living cells to the central authority of an organism, especially to = convince them to surrender their own reproduction to the specialized=20 reproductive cells of an organism. In other words, evolution had to work = against=20 the resistance of the personal reproductive agendas of the cells, = whereas in the=20 earlier instance, molecular systems were not advanced enough to have = "personal=20 agendas" of any sort; hence the greater difficulty in this second stage = of the=20 evolutionary climb toward complexity. To this day, mitochondria and = chloroplasts=20 have not relinquished their reproductive rights, and we still suffer = cancer.=20 Finally, the orchestration of trillions of cells into a synchronized = system of=20 integrated specialized functions which grow, differentiate, reproduce, = and pass=20 through the different stages of life harmoniously together is clearly a = task of=20 extraordinary complexity. The large organisms that have populated the = Earth for=20 the last 3/4 billion years, plants as well as animals, are all marvels = of=20 systems engineering, systems information, and systems coordination, = masterworks=20 of the evolutionary process.

In the second position of row 6 we place cell division, and in the = third,=20 their differentiated product, the specialized organ systems of the = multicellular=20 form. Of particular interest in this regard are the specialized organs = of=20 perception and their integration into a central processing center, the = brain.=20 The brain emerges as the central controlling authority, while perceptual = organs=20 function to gather information from the environment. Information can now = be=20 stored as memory, as well as molecular codes.

Perceptual information is of central importance to all levels of = life; in=20 higher organisms it can be stored in memory as "software", rather than = encoded=20 into the "hardware" of the genome. Memory perishes with the death of the = organism. Memory's utility is personal rather than general, and is a = means of=20 allowing an organism more flexibility in its behavior than is possible = from its=20 genome alone. Hence memory functions as a personal information set built = up from=20 the unique experience of the individual, which is in addition to its = genetic=20 information, the latter being approximately the same for all organism of = a given=20 type. Memory is therefore a highly flexible and individually adaptive=20 information set which adds greatly to the organism's chances of survival = in a=20 diverse and unpredictable environment. Memory itself (the capacity for = memory)=20 becomes translated into genetic hardware through its contribution to the = reproductive success of an organism. Individual memories can of course = be=20 transmitted to other organisms through the process of "learning", or by = other=20 cultural, social, or parental communication channels.=20

Level 7 - Species

(populations)

Species are defined by sexual reproduction and their closed genomes = or=20 exclusive gene pools. Cats and dogs cannot reproduce with each other, = their gene=20 pools are incompatible and exclude each other. The species level is our = own=20 level of organization. This is the level of individuals, male and = female,=20 typically associated with the higher plants and animals, and of = populations and=20 social organization. While each individual contains a huge library of = genetic=20 information stored in the DNA of every cell, we see the emergence at = this level=20 of a new type of information carried in abstract as well as social form. = Below=20 level 7, information is carried in molecular form, in genes and = hormones, in=20 memory, and as electrical signals in nerve tissue.=20

At the species level we find information emerging in abstract form as = signals, behavior, sounds, light, language - forms of information that = have=20 broken free of molecular carriers and are directed toward the = specialized=20 perceptual organs of sight and hearing. Smell, taste, and touch remain = as more=20 primitive (but nevertheless eminently useful) molecular and tactile = information=20 senses. While plants, lacking nervous systems, use only chemical = communication,=20 almost all animals, vertebrate and invertebrate, use some form of = abstract=20 communication. The songs of insects and the flashing lights of fireflies = are=20 familiar, and invertebrates also use behavioral signals. Among the = vertebrates,=20 frogs croak, birds sing, bats and dolphins use sonar, snakes use heat, = fish use=20 light and electrical signals, the list is endless. The great whales are = thought=20 to be able to communicate by sound over enormous distances in the = oceans.=20

Social organizations and communication allow personal memory to be = shared and=20 to persist from one generation to another. In humans, memory becomes = encoded in=20 writing and books stored in libraries, an information transformation = which=20 produces "social knowledge". In humans, the grammatical structure of = language=20 has raised the information content of speech to a new level of = precision,=20 abstraction, and beauty, and set in motion the explosion of human = information=20 systems which are the glory of our species, and which comprises a = completely=20 new, tangential evolutionary development within the information = ladder.

The development of human abstract information systems has created an=20 information explosion which is comparable only to that of organic = chemistry in=20 the microphysical realm and genetics in the biological realm. Again, = this=20 information proliferation is the result of a lower energy threshold for=20 interaction, abstract perceptual systems (sight, sound, language, = writing, math,=20 thought) vs molecular codes (genes). Will there be a another resonance = of this=20 information explosion in the astrophysical realm at a still lower energy = threshold (Super-cooled quantum computers? Psychic phenomena (ESP)? Deep = meditation? Communication with aliens?)

Most higher species are divided into male and female, an arrangement=20 necessary to maintain the diversity of their otherwise closed gene = pools. We=20 also find social behavior at this level, which presages the emergence of = a=20 higher organization level, the social organism, fully developed among = the=20 invertebrates (corals, termites, ants, bees) and (thankfully) developed = to a=20 considerably lesser degree of perfection in the political, religious, = economic,=20 and military organizations of humans. There is strength and safety in = numbers,=20 and efficiency and opportunity in specialization, provided all is well=20 organized.

In cell two of level 7 we place sexual reproduction, male and female, = and in=20 cell three social organization, in which a population of individuals (a = subset=20 of the whole species), is organized into groups with specialized = functions all=20 coordinated by a central authority. In humans, this authority is = formalized as=20 government, a mixture of empowered individuals and abstract = organizational=20 codes, system rules, or laws.

The purpose of social organization is to enhance individual survival = and=20 reproductive success through coordinated group action and the efficiency = of=20 functional specialization. Human society can advance rapidly through the = contributions of its most talented individuals because the society can = capture=20 their personal experience and insights in writing, and incorporate their = personal expertise into social memory, knowledge, and function. An = additional=20 benefit of social life is access to social products which no individual = could=20 produce alone. In humans this has come to include the technology and = cities of=20 the current era.=20

Level 8 - Gaia

(ecosystems)

The final biophysical level of information/organization is that of = the=20 ecosystem of the entire planet, approximately the holistic concept of = "Gaia"=20 advanced by J= . E.=20 Lovelock. At this organizational level, species are but the units in = a=20 broader classification of herbivores, predators, parasites, producers = (plants),=20 consumers (animals), scavengers and detritivores (agents of decay), etc. = Species=20 exist in aquatic and terrestrial habitats, distributed over the surface = of the=20 globe in response to climatic cycles, continental drift, and = evolutionary=20 pressures over geologic time (biogeography). The Gaian hypothesis is = simply that=20 life modifies the physical environment of Earth on a global scale in = ways that=20 are conducive to life's continuation - the Earth has been and continues = to be=20 "terraformed" by life to create a more suitable and stable habitat for = itself.=20

These effects are most notable in the chemical composition of the = atmosphere,=20 oceans, and soils of the planet, and the temperature, rainfall, and = perhaps even=20 the climatic cycles of the Earth. The fact that the chemical composition = of=20 Earth's atmosphere, its temperature, and even the chemistry and salinity = of the=20 oceans, has remained stable over geologic time is evidence of the = homeostatic,=20 self-serving activity of Gaia.

The grand symbiosis between plants and animals with respect to the=20 atmospheric gases oxygen, carbon dioxide, and the availability of = nitrogen are=20 part of this interplay between the physical and biotic environment, as = are=20 biogeochemical cycles involving the formation of petroleum, gas, and = coal=20 deposits, limestone and salt beds, etc. The positive feedback between = plants and=20 rainfall, the greenhouse effect on climate, etc., are other examples of = the=20 linkage between living systems and the abiotic environment. Genetic = diversity,=20 heritability, and the competition for limited resources continues to = generate=20 new species over evolutionary time which exploit the environment in new = and/or=20 more efficient ways, and each new species is itself a new resource for = some=20 other species. Natural checks and balances, such as predators, = parasites, and=20 disease organisms, competition, the harshness, limitations, diversity, = and=20 unpredictability of the environment, ensure that no one species = oversteps the=20 boundaries of a balanced system for long. Symbiotic relationships are = favored=20 over exploitive relationships in the long run. Thus the extinction of = the horse=20 by early hunters in North America may be contrasted with its = domestication in=20 Asia, to the great benefit in the latter continent of both species. = Similarly,=20 agriculture as a symbiotic relationship is greatly favored over hunting = and=20 gathering as a method of obtaining food.

The glacial cycles of the recent geologic history of Earth show that = extreme=20 climatic shifts can occur even within the context of a fully formed, = abundant,=20 and diverse biota, and yet the natural system contains some type of = internal=20 buffer or negative feedback that causes the glaciers to retreat more = rapidly=20 than they advanced. We would have to suspect that these cycles have both = a=20 biotic and an abiotic cause (such as the Milankovitch orbital cycles of = planet=20 Earth).=20

THE BIOLOGICAL ROLE OF HUMANITY - A = GAIAN=20 PERSPECTIVE
(Why are we here and what should we do?)

But for the peculiar appearance of man amongst the myriad species of = Gaian=20 life forms, this would be the end of our story - the planet Earth, = overflowing=20 with life but isolated in the vastness of space, a magnificent = experiment in the=20 building of information systems of incredible diversity and complexity, = all=20 doomed to die with the inevitable exhaustion of our Sun. But Gaia has = not gone=20 to all this trouble for nothing, for in Man she has planned her escape = from the=20 dying Sun, or catastrophic asteroid impact. Man the Space Traveler will = carry=20 Gaian life into the galaxy in every direction as far as he can reach, = spreading=20 like bacteria upon an agar plate until he encounters occupied ground and = the=20 counter-thrust of a similarly spreading alien life form.=20

Gaia is in her reproductive phase, and we are her seeds, pawns of her = reproductive purposes. She has created us as dispersal agents for = herself. The=20 vision of Noah's ark is a vision of the future, not the past. This = simple fact=20 explains all of human evolution, every capacity of Man, and all the = abundance of=20 resources which Gaia has stored over the eons for our use, so that we = may=20 accomplish her great reproductive goal. Like every other life form, Gaia = has her=20 season of flowering, reproduction, and dispersal to new territory. This = is the=20 special biological meaning of Man and the special significance of the = time in=20 which we live. The new millennium will be the age of space travel and = discovery,=20 just as the last has been the age of ocean travel and discovery upon the = Earth.

We think the space program is our program; it is not. Humanity and = the space=20 program have both been produced by Gaia.

We have already entered upon the threshold of step 9, the exploration = and=20 colonization of the Solar System. This will be the work of the next = century and=20 beyond. We cannot tell when the next stages will occur - they depend = upon too=20 many unknowns at our current stage of development. But we see where the=20 information pathway leads, and our art - in the form of science fiction = - is=20 already at the stage of galactic exploration and interaction with = aliens, who=20 are understandably busy doing just what we will be doing - grabbing as = much=20 suitable territory for their planet's life form as possible. We can only = hope=20 these future interactions will be symbiotic. Hence intelligent life is a = way for=20 planets to interact across the vastness of space, just as atomic nuclei = interact=20 at great relative distances through the electron shell, and cells = communicate=20 with each other through the vascular systems of organisms, which in turn = communicate through the signals and sounds of innumerable species.

Gaia is the first level in the table of organization which is above = our own=20 level, and we now encounter forces and purposes which are greater than = our own,=20 which we may study and come to understand but never control, and to = which we are=20 in many ways subservient. It is obvious, for example, that at the = planetary=20 level we will never control the forces of the Solar System - the = evolution of=20 the Sun, or the orbits of the moon or other planets. What is perhaps not = so=20 obvious is that this same lack of control exists at the level of Gaia, = the=20 natural forces of the Earth herself. We will never control plate = tectonics,=20 volcanism, or earthquakes, nor, it is likely, the weather or the cycles = of=20 climate. It furthermore appears that we are not even in control of our = own=20 destiny, in the sense that we are but the agents of Gaia's reproductive = intent.=20 Hopefully, what is good for Gaia is also good for us (we must accept = this as a=20 basic truth, just as every cell in our body must accept the equivalent = premise),=20 but we are used to thinking of ourselves as the masters of the Earth, = not the=20 pawns of Her reproductive schemes.=20

It is certainly possible that Gaia will be significantly weakened by = her=20 reproductive effort; that humans will be forced off the planet to escape = their=20 own aggression, exploitation, pollution, and overpopulation. In this = case the=20 expulsion from the Garden of Eden, like the story of Noah's Ark, will = also come=20 to be seen as a vision of the future rather than the past.

In a purely biological sense, we have found the answer to the = great=20 question of existence - why are we here, who are we, and what should we = do? We=20 are the reproductive seeds of Gaia and we exist to colonize the galaxy = with her=20 life forms. From the perspective of Gaia, that is why humanity has been = brought=20 forth upon the Earth.=20

The Astrophysical Realm

(gravitation: 4 third-order equations)

Level 9: Stars
(Kepler's 3 laws)

The first cell of level 9 contains the mass particles and aggregates = that=20 will eventually condense to form the planets and stars of this first row = of the=20 Astrophysical Realm. These mass aggregates range from interstellar gas = and dust=20 particles to meteoroids, comets, asteroids, moons, planetismals, and = full size=20 planets up to and including "brown dwarfs" ("failed stars" of less than = 50 -100=20 Jupiter masses). This cell recapitulates and carries forward the = planetary size=20 range of Gaia in the last biophysical level (row 8). Hence in this first = cell we=20 can place all the particles of the primordial solar nebula, including = our own=20 planet Earth and similar bodies, provided only that they are not so = massive that=20 they become stars.

In cell 2 of level 9 the pairing function is evidenced by = gravitational=20 orbits, and the Earth-Moon and Earth-Sun pair are obvious examples. The=20 star-planet pairing is of special significance for the creation of life; = this=20 union seems to represent a type of astrophysical male-female bonded = pair, with=20 the planet in the female role. In cell three we place the family group = of=20 planets of our solar system (or any stellar system), with the 4x3 = algorithm=20 function represented by Kepler's 3 laws of planetary motion expressed in = 4=20 dimensional spacetime.=20

Another expression of the 4x3 or "social" dynamic in the 3rd cell is = the=20 gravitational interaction among the planetary members of the system as = they form=20 in the primordial solar nebula. These primitive interactions account for = many=20 features of the mature planetary system we see today - the various = orbital=20 positions and periods of the surviving planets, including their = eccentricities,=20 their daily rotation periods and axes of orbital inclination, even the=20 compositions of the planets and the continuing history of their = bombardment by=20 asteroids, meteorites, and comets. Our relatively huge moon is a major = part of=20 this story (in addition to causing the ocean tides, the Moon stabilizes = the=20 seasonal character of Earth's weather), and the role of the giant = planets is=20 extremely significant in the evolutionary history of Earth and all the = inner=20 planets, and is still being puzzled out. Much of Earth's water, for = example,=20 seems to have arrived via comets flung at us by Jupiter. Various = important=20 extinction events in Earth's biological history (including the = extinction of the=20 dinosaurs) have apparently been caused by the impact of large asteroids, = which=20 threaten us still.=20

In cell 4 we place our Sun, or stars generally, in which the obvious = emergent=20 property is the onset of nuclear fusion, the gravitational conversion of = bound=20 to free energy and the production of heat and light. The Sun actually = represents=20 the first stage of gravitational symmetry conservation - the conversion = of=20 asymmetric bound energy (mass) to symmetric free energy (light). The = Sun's=20 radiance is the evidence of a completed symmetry conservation circuit. = (See: "The Solar=20 Archetype".)

Level 10: Galaxy
(nucleosynthetic = pathway)

Stars are the units of the first cell of level 10; the pairing = function is=20 expressed commonly as binary stars. In our case the Sun - Jupiter pair = must=20 suffice as an example of a "failed" binary star. In the third cell of = level ten=20 I place the 4x3 nucleosynthetic pathway. This is a 4x3 process regulated = by the=20 alpha particle (helium nucleus) (4 nucleons each containing 3 quarks), = whose=20 extraordinary stability makes it the construction unit of choice, or = "brick" of=20 nuclear fusion. Helium and carbon are the first major resonances of the = 4x3=20 nucleosynthetic pathway; oxygen is the next alpha unit above carbon and = its=20 unusual abundance (and significance for life) represents the commonly = seen 4x4=20 expression of the fractal (4 alpha particles each of 4 nucleons). The = elemental=20 series continues upward in alpha particle units and should reach a third = major=20 resonance in chromium 48, four carbons each of three alpha particles. = This=20 combination is highly radioactive, however (due to overcrowding of the = protons),=20 and the resonance settles at iron 56 with the addition of another alpha = particle=20 plus four extra neutrons. Iron is the last element that yields energy in = fusion;=20 all heavier elements require energy inputs (as from supernova implosions = and=20 explosions). Thus as the 4x3 resonance fails, so too does the exothermic = yield=20 of excess nuclear binding energy.=20

As in the previous Solar System or stellar level, the third cell of = the=20 galactic level is rich with structural elements, in addition to the=20 nucleosynthetic pathway. At the galactic level, in a spiral galaxy such = as our=20 own Milky Way, we find an extensive disc composed of four arms = containing many=20 stellar "nurseries" or star-forming regions, a central bulge surrounded = by a=20 "halo" of globular star clusters, giant molecular clouds, nova and = supernova=20 remnants, a variety of stellar types, sizes, colors, and stages from = brown=20 dwarfs to red giants, collapsed stars including white dwarfs, neutron = stars, and=20 black holes, remnants of captured dwarf galaxies, and finally a = supermassive=20 black hole dominating the exact galactic center, much as the nucleus of = an atom=20 or a biological cell dominate their respective domains. Black holes = represent a=20 second step in the gravitational conversion of bound to free energy: not = only is=20 "proton decay" common in their interiors, but over time, the entire mass = of a=20 black hole is converted to light via Hawking's "quantum radiance".

In the final cell of level 10 we have the galaxy itself, a gigantic = composite=20 structure which can generate within itself all the 92 elements of the = periodic=20 table, the first structure of the hierarchy actually large and complex = enough to=20 produce its own life form from the raw material of the "Big Bang" - = hydrogen and=20 helium. While humans are children of the Earth-Sun "marriage", all in = turn are=20 children of the Milky Way galaxy, our true "island" home in the = spacetime ocean=20 of the Universe.=20

Level 11: Universe
(4 third-order = equations)

Galaxies are the units of level 11; the pairing function is typified = by the=20 Milky Way - Andromeda pair; such pairs are thought necessary to draw out = the=20 spiral arms in which new stars and their associated planetary systems = are=20 preferentially formed. In the third cell we find great clusters and = "walls" of=20 galaxies, surrounding immense "voids", the largest structural elements = of the=20 Universe, resembling a "foam" of soap bubbles on an astronomical scale = of=20 thousand of galaxies and hundreds of millions of light years. The = fractal=20 algorithm of this cell is simply the gravitational force itself, = characterized=20 by Einstein as 4 third-order equations - the changing rate of = gravitational=20 acceleration in x, y, z, t. Here too, we place the 4x3 form of the = Unified Field=20 Theory - the four forces of physics and three energy states - light, = matter,=20 charge. In the final cell of level 11 we place the Universe as we know = it, a=20 spacetime domain approximately 14 billion years old and also about 14 = billion=20 light years in its maximum spacetime dimension. (See: "A Spacetime = Map of the=20 Universe".)

As at the planetary level, there is also a "social" function served = by the=20 galaxy clusters, involving the gravitational interactions of the = galaxies upon=20 each other. Such perturbations, occurring over eons of time, stir the = great=20 molecular clouds of gas and dust, keeping the galaxies "young" and = active,=20 producing new stars and elemental products for potential new life forms.

The "Big Bang" itself is the mass center (in spacetime) of the = Universe,=20 producing the 4 dimensions and 3 particle classes (hadrons, leptons, = bosons),=20 and the 3 families of 4 elementary particles which initiates level 1.=20

The entire Universe is necessary for the creation of Earth life, for = only the=20 "Big Bang" can create the elementary particles from which atoms and = ultimately=20 life is composed, and its vast size is necessary to provide a time = dimension of=20 sufficient duration for life's evolution. In turn, galaxies provide the=20 necessary conditions for star formation and the production and = concentration of=20 heavy elements over several stellar generations.=20

The tendency of the chemical elements to produce complex information = systems=20 such as life can ultimately be referred to matter's search for = antimatter=20 through the electrical interactions of the chemical bond. This search = can also=20 be seen as the attempt of matter to recover its original condition of = universal=20 unity, connection, and symmetry, "as it was in the beginning", when all = energy=20 existed in the form of light in the first instant of the Big Bang.

Level 12: Multiverse
(4 conservation = laws=20 connected in triplets)

The Universe itself is the unit in the first cell of level 12; in the = pairing=20 function of cell two we find the Universe - Antiuniverse pair which = nearly=20 annihilated each other during the "Big Bang"; the matter residue of this = colossal matter-antimatter explosion forms the material component of the = Universe we know today. In the third cell we find the "Multiverse", the = set of=20 all possible Universes, which may be infinite so far as we know. The 4x3 = "metric" of this cell is the metaphysical origin of all the others below = it, as=20 found in the 4x3 representations of the Deity in various world = religions,=20 mythologies, and systems of mystical, occult, and spiritual principles = and laws=20 - and in our metaphysical systems of scientific or natural laws, which = are all=20 constructions of the human mind. In this third cell also originates the = peculiar=20 characteristics specific to each Universe, the physical constants and = natural=20 laws, which may cause any self-conscious beings evolved in them to = wonder at the=20 precise suitability of their particular Universe. It is like marveling = at how=20 nicely your skin happens to fit your body. In the final cell of the = physical=20 hierarchy, we place First Cause, the ultimate representation of the = Deity and=20 Natural Law, and the ultimate source of the energy, particles, and order = of the=20 "Big Bang" and row 1. (See: "The Higgs Boson = and the=20 Weak Force IVBs".)=20

Although there is an inevitable circularity about such arguments, the = concept=20 of the Multiverse is a "logical" way we have of explaining the value of = the=20 physical constants in our Universe which make our life form possible. = Constants=20 (for example G and c, among many others) must be adjusted with exquisite = precision with respect to each other to produce a Universe in which our=20 particular life form can evolve. One explanation for this accommodation = is the=20 Multiverse theory in service of the so-called "Anthropic Principle": we = quite=20 naturally find ourselves living in that unique Universe, perhaps one of=20 infinitely many Universes, whose physical constants, just by chance = alone,=20 happen to favor the evolution of our particular life form.=20

Perhaps other life forms inhabit the other Universes - they, too, may = think=20 it strange how nicely the physical constants of their various Universes = just=20 happen to favor their various life forms - but how could it possibly be=20 otherwise in any evolved system? This view does not deny the = existence of=20 "First Cause", but suggests that any notion of a "Divine Being" may be = far=20 grander than we had traditionally imagined, or could possibly have = imagined.=20 (The Hindus have apparently come closest to this view.)

This scenario also suggests that while in one sense our experience of = life is=20 accidental (a chance event in a chance (but suitable) Universe), in = another=20 sense it is quite inevitable (because of the large (infinite?) number of = Universes, many suitable for life of some form), and that our own = Universe may=20 even be a cyclic phenomenon on a scale which is far beyond our poor = powers of=20 comprehension.=20

In brief, we need the Solar System to provide our Earth and Sun; we = need the=20 Galaxy to provide our heavy elements; we need the Universe to provide = sufficient=20 space and time; and we need the Multiverse to provide life-friendly = physical=20 constants and laws. See also: "The Fractal=20 Organization of Nature"; "The Human=20 Connection".=20

We cannot prove or disprove either the rational or the intuitive = version of=20 the ultimate origin of reality; it is really a question of personal = taste what=20 one chooses to believe, since both views finally reduce to faith, trust, = or=20 belief of one sort or another. What we really need to comprehend is that = we=20 are the Universe in its (locally) conscious, self-aware, and = creative form.=20 This is the universal significance of humanity, beyond the local = reproductive=20 schemes of Gaia. Life is what we choose to make it. Choose = wisely: choose=20 beauty, symmetry, harmony, symbiosis. (See: "Is There = Life After=20 Death?")=20

The Metaphysical Realm - Overview

The = Metaphysical=20 Realm is both the first and the last stage in the cycle of = manifestation, as it=20 provides the template, ideal form, or archetypical principle from which=20 manifestation springs, and toward which it evolves, during the = "redemption" or=20 return of matter to a state of perfect symmetry. (Light devolves to = matter,=20 which then evolves back to light.)

Concerning the Metaphysical Realm itself, we know little. As it is=20 dimensionless, the Metaphysical Realm may not have levels, but may = simply have=20 aspects or attributes instead; the trinities and quadruplicates of = various=20 religions and mythologies seem to represent intuitive perceptions of = these=20 aspects or characteristics of the Metaphysical Realm.

In the Christian religious tradition, we can identify the Father with = Conservation ("strong to save"); the Son with Symmetry (the broken = symmetry that=20 produced manifestation representing the birth of Spirit into the World); = the=20 Holy Ghost with Entropy, intrinsic motion, or Divine Will and = evolutionary=20 direction; and Mary (humanity) with Causality-Information, the Virgin=20 representing the symbolic or spiritual impregnation of humanity with the = Divine=20 Gnosis, spirit, or "Word" - humanity's innate awareness of a generalized = "spiritual" realm (our awareness of our connection to the Universe). = (See: "A Religious=20 Interpretation of the Energy Tetrahedron").=20

Rationally or "scientifically", the metaphysical realm appears as a = level of=20 principle or natural physical law and "given" physical constants which = seem to=20 precede and regulate the appearance of the manifest realm of light, = spacetime,=20 and the particles of matter. This is very much the Platonic view of the = realm of=20 "ideal form" so characteristic of geometry and mathematics, but also = sought by=20 the artist in the aesthetic principles of nature, music, architecture, = and=20 language, including the "just proportion" and the human form. The = principles of=20 symmetry conservation (Noether's Theorem) actually provide a robust = bridge=20 between art, religion, science, and ethics.

The = Tetrahedron=20 Model of Energy and Natural Law is a representation of the 4x3 = structure (4=20 triangles) of the metaphysical realm in the mode or aspect of physical = law,=20 comprising the generative principles of the manifest universe. Such a=20 representation has only become possible to the human mind in the last = century,=20 following upon the great revolution in physics wrought by the theories = of=20 General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics.

In terms of General Systems, the cosmic Tetrahedron in its "physics = mode" is=20 not a more "correct" interpretation of the metaphysical realm than any = of the=20 many intuitive representations offered by religion or mythology; it is = simply in=20 a different characterization, a quartet of physically relevant = principles, which=20 is useful in its own special way, just as the other models are useful in = ways=20 peculiar to themselves. All models of the metaphysical realm are = "wrong", in=20 that they must be incomplete, and therefore none can possibly be fully = adequate=20 to their task; nevertheless, granting their limitations, some are useful = for=20 specific purposes.

For a scholarly treatment of the spiritual, religious, psychedelic, = and=20 occult properties of the Metaphysical Realm, see the memorial website of Prof. J. C. = Gowan=20 (Sr.), and his books: "Trance, Art, Creativity", and "Operations of=20 Increasing Order."

The Metaphysical Realm - Intuitive

(4 Elements x 3 Qualities); (the Holy Trinity x the 4 Living = Creatures))=20

For the comparative purposes of a General Systems survey, we are most = interested in the intuitive models of the metaphysical realm that = exhibit a 4x3=20 "metric", a trinity or a four-part structure, as these are isomorphic = with our=20 physical, natural models. Two ancient, outstanding examples of these, = one=20 Eastern and one Western, are the I Ching and Astrology, which have been = used for=20 millennia as occult structural models of the Metaphysical Realm. Every = religion=20 and mythology attempts to model the metaphysical realm, and to make the = fractal=20 or resonant connection "as above, so below". Three- and/or four-part = structures=20 are common in intuitive metaphysical and cosmic models. Because this is = a=20 reversible equation ("as below, so above"), we can also hope to = understand the=20 hidden, invisible, and immaterial structure of the Metaphysical Realm = through=20 General Systems models of the physical world "here below" (as provided = by=20 science), and extend these to the etheric, nonmaterial, unmanifest, = ideal, and=20 "spiritual" planes "above".=20

The metaphysical realm (human thought) contains two modes, intuitive = and=20 rational. The mass center of the metaphysical realm is the human brain, = itself=20 divided into two halves, which are apparently related to the two modes = of=20 understanding and thought. Only rational and intuitive "World Systems" = are=20 considered here. The intuitive category includes religious, = mythological,=20 mystical, spiritual, and occult world views, organized conceptually = around the=20 general relationship between body and "spirit", or "manifestation" and = spiritual=20 or religious law; rational systems include philosophy and science, = organized=20 conceptually around the general relationship between matter (bound = energy) and=20 light (free energy), or the physical Universe and natural or scientific = law.

In its "General=20 Format", the metaphysical realm includes all the output of the human = mind,=20 rational and intuitive, religions and scientific, for all are the = products of=20 abstract thought. A symphony, automobile, religious tract, or scientific = text=20 are all examples of ideas made manifest, and in this sense they all = represent=20 conservation modes or conserved products of the metaphysical realm. (See = also=20 the "Traditional Supernatural" section of the "Fractal Table = No.=20 1".)

Inputs to the "General Format" model are presented in the first row, = the=20 physical and psychological attributes of the individual and species. = Outputs=20 (transformations) of the system are represented in the third (social) = and 4th=20 (physical) rows, the thrust of biological evolutionary process toward = higher=20 unity, awareness, control, and reflection - the evolutionary dynamic and = fractal=20 structure of the Universe becoming self-aware through humankind (Teilhard de = Chardin's=20 (1959) "Omega Point"). In the 4th row, the physical evolution of the = Cosmos,=20 driven by symmetry conservation, returns all systems to their original = form of=20 light. What remains, however, is the conservation domain of information = -=20 history (historic spacetime) - the temporal product and residue of the = Cosmos'=20 travail.

Remarkably, a 4x3 "metric" underlies not only the Western religious=20 traditions as found in the Bible, but also occult cosmologies, Western = and=20 Eastern. Among other examples, the metric is explicitly expressed in the = vision=20 of New Jerusalem, the celestial city of four walls each with 3 gates, = and the=20 vision of the four "Living Creatures" surrounding the throne of God, the = Trinity. The occult examples, independently derived, are both perfect = 4x3=20 systems, Astrology with 4 Elements and 3 Qualities, the I Ching with 4 = sets of=20 male and female "trigrams", exactly isomorphic with the 3 families of 4=20 elementary particles and their antiparticles.=20

The Western creation myth (Genesis), is also strikingly similar to = our=20 current rational model, the "Big Bang". In both, the Universe begins as = light,=20 enjoys a brief period of symmetry (the garden of Eden vs = particle-antiparticle=20 symmetry), experiences a disastrous "fall" into "sin" = ("symmetry-breaking" -=20 single particles in real time), resulting in expulsion from the garden. = Then=20 follows a long period of "redemption" toward the original condition of = "grace"=20 (the forces return the world of matter to light, creating life in the = process).=20 Evidently, the human mind has intuited the fractal structure of the = Cosmos (and=20 itself), thousands of years before science could produce the physical = evidence.=20 "Man created in the image and likeness of God", "as above, so below", = "man the=20 measure of the Cosmos", and similar statements are simply intuitive = affirmations=20 of Cosmic fractal and resonant structure.=20

In the "Multiverse" version of cosmic structure, even the = "scientific"=20 (astrophysical) hierarchy ends with a hypothetical or metaphysical = superstate.=20 In the "traditional supernatural" or Christian religious version = corresponding=20 to this 4-part hierarchy, we have: God the All-Creator (Multiverse), = Christ the=20 Son (our Universe), Archangel (Galaxy), Angel (Sun). Below this = celestial and=20 astrophysical hierarchy we find Gaia (Mother Earth - level 8) and = humanity=20 (species level 7) in the Biophysical Realm. (See also: "The Higgs Boson = and the=20 Weak Force IVBs" where this hierarchy is represented in five stages = because=20 Earth together with humanity are appended to the 4-part astrophysical = set as an=20 electromagnetic "ground state".)=20

The Metaphysical Realm - Rational

(4 = Conservation=20 Laws Connected in Triplets)

The Unified Field Theory is the rational equivalent of intuitive = "World=20 Systems". Here we find 4 conservation laws connected in triplets - as = diagrammed=20 in the "Tetrahedron=20 Model of Light and Conservation Law": the 1st law of thermodynamics = (energy=20 conservation); the 2nd law of thermodynamics (entropy); "Noether's = Theorem"=20 (symmetry conservation), and Causality ("Karma"). A representation of = the=20 Unified Field Theory in its full 4x4 format = (which=20 includes the restorative activity of the field vectors) is exhibited in = Table 1 and = briefly=20 explained below (see also: "Symmetry = Principles=20 of the Unified Field Theory".=20

Other than the economy and universality of its fractal format, the = feature of=20 particular interest in the rational = model is=20 its emphasis on the conservation of certain symmetries associated with = free=20 electromagnetic energy (light). Thus when light is converted to matter = in the=20 "Big Bang", its raw energy is conserved as mass, momentum, and other=20 time-dependent variables, whereas its various symmetries are conserved = as=20 time-independent charges. The charges of matter are the symmetry = debts of=20 light. Among light's broken but charge-conserved symmetries I = associate=20 electric charge with the jump from the symmetric 2-dimensional wave form = of=20 light to the time-asymmetric 4-dimensionality of matter. The = gravitational=20 charge is associated with the asymmetric, specific, 4-dimensional = "location" of=20 bound energy (Interval > 0), vs the symmetric, undefined, = 2-dimensional=20 "non-locality" of light (Interval =3D 0). The number or "identity" = charge of the=20 weak force is associated with the symmetric anonymity of photons vs the=20 specifiable identity of the leptonic elementary particles, including the = leptoquark (neutrinos are the explicit form of identity charge, which is = carried=20 implicitly by the massive leptons). Finally, the color charge of the = strong=20 force is an internal, quantum mechanical asymmetry of baryons associated = with=20 the partial (sub-elementary) charges of quarks, which must be confined = to whole=20 quantum units of charge (units of leptonic elementary charge) to satisfy = symmetry and charge conservation.=20

The conservation parameters of the dimensional domains of free and = bound=20 energy are characterized by entropy and symmetry "gauges" or "drives": = "velocity=20 c" is the entropy drive and symmetry gauge of the intrinsic motion of = light or=20 free energy, creating, expanding, and cooling space, while = simultaneously=20 suppressing the time dimension and maintaining metric symmetry. = "Velocity T" is=20 the entropy drive or gauge of bound energy's time dimension, creating,=20 expanding, and decaying history, the temporal analog of space. "Velocity = G"=20 (gravity) is the conversion gauge or force between these primary, = primordial, or=20 pure forms of spatial and temporal entropy, the intrinsic motions of = light and=20 time. (See: "Spatial=20 vs Temporal Entropy".)=20

Inertial forces protect the symmetry of the spacetime metric, charge=20 conservation protects the symmetry of the particle metric. Gravity = produces the=20 time dimension of matter via the annihilation of space, thus creating an = entropically equilibrated spacetime, the joint dimensional conservation = domain=20 of free and bound electromagnetic energy. The dimensions of spacetime = are=20 entropy domains; the charges of matter are the symmetry debts of = light=20 ("Noether's Theorem") (see: "A Description = of=20 Gravitation").

The theory has 4 physical forces to account for; these comprise the=20 horizontal axis (see=20 table). Vertically I identify 4 significant electromagnetic energy = states=20 and their associated conservation laws: 1) free energy (light):=20 "symmetry-breaking" and the conversion of light into matter during the = "Big=20 Bang"; 2) particles (causality and raw energy conservation); 3) charges=20 (symmetry conservation); 4) field vectors or force carriers (forces = which pay,=20 or demand payment of, conserved symmetry/entropy debts, reconverting = matter to=20 light, hence restoring symmetry).=20

Reading the matrix in the same order as an English paragraph: in the = first=20 row, free symmetric energy (light) is the initial input, creating two=20 superimposed conservation domains, one for its wave form (the = dimensional metric=20 of spacetime), and one for its material form (the quantized particle = spectrum of=20 matter, or the "particle metric"). The weak force produces an asymmetric = transformation (decay) of certain particle-antiparticle pairs, yielding = a single=20 particle (leptoquark) which breaks the symmetry of the initial free = energy state=20 - the first row thus reproduces the creation of matter in the "Big = Bang".=20

The second row represents conservation in the particle domain, in = terms of=20 raw energy, time, and causality. Here the energy of light is conserved = as the=20 mass and momentum of particles, space is gravitationally converted to = time,=20 sub-elementary quarks and gluons produce baryons and mesons; the weak = force is=20 represented by the elementary leptonic series, the electron and its = heavier kin,=20 the muon and tau. Raw energy debts must be paid immediately (as by = inertial=20 forces, mass, momentum, etc.).=20

In the third row the various charges of matter are represented as = conserved=20 symmetry debts of light. Unlike raw energy debts, symmetry debts can be = paid=20 over time (charge conservation); the time dimension and charge = conservation=20 imply and require each other. This is one of several ways that entropy = and=20 symmetry are connected. One charge is associated with each force and = each=20 charge/force represents a specific symmetry debt of light - see above. = The=20 forces also have a specific or implied relationship to basic entropy = drives,=20 both positive and negative. Gravitation is the "interest" on all these = symmetry=20 debts, supplying the energy to create bound energy's time and historical = dimension, "negative" spatial entropy-energy subtracted from the = "positive"=20 spatial entropy-energy of expanding and cooling spacetime via = gravitational=20 deceleration of the cosmic expansion.=20

In the final row, the field vectors of the four forces pay the=20 symmetry/entropy debts held by the conserved charges of row 3, returning = the=20 system to free energy and maximum entropy (light is the most entropic = and=20 symmetric energy form). The summary or general form is thus: light = creates=20 particles bearing charges producing forces which act to return the = material=20 system to its original symmetric state of light. This program is = executed=20 immediately in the annihilations of virtual particle-antiparticle pairs, = but=20 occurs much more slowly (but occurs nevertheless) in real time in the = absence of=20 antimatter. Entropy and symmetry conservation, in their primordial forms = as the=20 intrinsic dimensional motions of light ("velocity c"), time ("velocity = T"), and=20 gravity ("velocity G"), in the service of energy conservation and = causality, are=20 the ultimate motivating principles or driving forces of the Universe.

For a discussion of the role of Information in the return of the = material=20 system to its symmetric origins, see: "The Information=20 Pathway". For a more complete discussion of the gravitational = system, see:=20 "Gravity, = Entropy,=20 and Thermodynamics".=20

CONCLUSION

The material universe can be modeled as a nested hierarchy of = increasing=20 size, a treatment which is artificial in terms of its evolution in = either time=20 or complexity. Nevertheless, the hierarchy reveals a recurring 4x3 = structural=20 and dynamic pattern at every level, including the human conceptual, or=20 "metaphysical realm". This recurring pattern is the essential indicator = of a=20 universal General System, the algorithm of a cosmic fractal, apparently = latent=20 in free energy, expressing itself in terms of natural law, dimensions,=20 particles, charges, forces, and the elaborated and emergent products of = their=20 interaction.

The fractal hierarchy is evidently the least-energy pathway to = produce the=20 wholly connected physical structure of the Cosmos. The replication of=20 self-similar systems into a nested structural hierarchy has an = associated=20 advantage in the transmission and sharing of energy and information via = the=20 principle of harmonic resonance. We also note the convergence of this = model with=20 the self-feeding iterations, bifurcation patterns, and fractal "basins = of=20 attraction" of various "chaotic" models as discussed by James Gleick in = his book=20 "Chaos". Our 4x3 "fractal algorithm" would appear to be the analog of = some sort=20 of "strange attractor" in the jargon of "Chaos" theory. For more on the = 4x3=20 General System pattern, see: "Synopsis = of the=20 Principles of The Energy Tetrahedron".=20

References=20

[1] Ludwig Von Bertalanffy, "General System Theory", George = Braziller,=20 1968, 295p. + xxiv
[2] Teilhard de Chardin, "The Phenomenon of = Man",=20 Harper and Row, 1959, 318p.
[3] John Curtis Gowan, = "Trance,=20 Art, Creativity", Privately printed, 1975, 448p. + xxvi
[4] = August=20 T. Jaccaci, In: Patricia A. Galagan, "Growth: Mapping its Patterns and = Periods", Training and Development Journal, November 1989
[5] = George T.=20 Lock Land, "Grow or Die: The Unifying Principle of Transformation", = Random=20 House, 1973
[6] Benoit B. Mandelbrot, "The Fractal Geometry of = Nature",=20 W. H. Freeman Co, 1983, 468p.
Ervin Laszlo, "The Relevance of = General=20 Systems Theory", George Braziller Inc., 1972
J. D. Barrow and = F. J.=20 Tippler. "The Anthropic Cosmological Principle". Oxford University = Press=20 1986.
Armand Delsemme, "Our Cosmic Origins". Cambridge = University Press=20 1998.
Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan, 1997. "Microcosmos: 4 = Billion=20 Years of Microbial Evolution". University of California Press,=20 Berkeley
J. E. Lovelock, 1979. "Gaia: A new = look at=20 life on Earth". Oxford University Press.
James Gleick, = 1987,=20 "Chaos: Making a New Science". Viking Penguin Inc.

Links:=20

home=20 page
Return to = Part=20 1
Go to=20 Part 2
Go to Part = 3
Go to=20 Part 4
Go to Part = 5
Go to=20 Part 6 Summary: The Fractal Organization of Nature
Commentary = on the=20 Metaphysical Realm
The Fractal=20 Organization of the Universe - Table
The = Information Pathway=20 (text)
The = Information Ladder=20 (Table)
Chardin: = Prophet of=20 the Information Age
Section 3: = Introduction=20 to Fractals
Section 8: = Introduction=20 to General Systems
Section 6: = Introduction=20 to Information
Section 14:=20 Introduction to Causality
Symmetry= =20 Principles of the Unified Field Theory: Part 1
Symmetry= =20 Principles of the Unified Field Theory: Part 2
The = "Tetrahedron=20 Model" vs the "Standard Model" of Physics: A Comparison
A = Spacetime Map of=20 the Universe
Entropy, = Gravity, and=20 Thermodynamics
Identity = Charge and=20 the Weak Force
The Human=20 Connection
Is There = Life After=20 Death?
Newton, = Darwin, and=20 the Origin and Abundance of Life in the Universe
The = "Higgs" Boson=20 vs Weak Force IVBs (table plus text)
The = Higgs=20 Boson and the Evolutionary Eras of the Cosmos (table = only)
The = Tetrahedron=20 Model of Energy and Conservation Law (simple form)
The = Tetrahedron Model=20 of Energy and Conservation Law (complete form)
The "Life" = Tetrahedron
The Unified = Field=20 Theory in a 4x4 Matrix Form
The = Unified Field=20 Table: Short Form