Evolutionary Information Dynamics

Evolutionary Information Dynamics

Second Spheres (for all)

An important type of two-person relationship, that of Strangers, reveals additional evidence of, and insight into, the law of Information Dynamics: Information must increase in quantity, concentration, complexity, and distribution. When Information is exchanged by Strangers, each is imparted with the information of the other in significant quantity, their knowledge and rules are challenged or changed and so become more complex, and each person’s knowledge will subsequently ripple through the other’s two-person and larger Spheres of Information in expanding distribution like waves in the ocean of people. The information they exchanged was done so in the context of Intentions, some aligned, some in conflict, and also in the context of Noise, some due to conflict and some due to errors in each person’s understanding of the other’s messages and Intentions, demonstrating the theory of Information Flows. We discovered the rational basis for even Strangers to love each other, creating much hope that studies and applications of Information Dynamics may help us increase cooperation, collaboration and love in all of our relationships. If we can be Open, Honest, Respectful, and Generous even with Strangers, then perhaps we can do so within our selves and in more important relationships, those which persist from day to day and shape our lives, those whom with we demonstrate Commitment.

The other types of two-person relationships are parent-child, twin siblings, siblings and other family, friends, acquaintances and colleagues, and lovers. Exploring these is of course more complex than the Strangers sphere. The degrees to which people are Open, Honest, Respectful, and Generous often vary according to these types, and of course the levels and duration of Commitment are very different. All of these variations create a unique cooperation-conflict equilibrium, which is another way to express the balance in an Information Flow of Intention, Transmission Speed, and Noise.

In two-person relationships, the cooperation-conflict equilibrium is dramatically affected by the larger Spheres of Information in which these people are involved. Therefore, before we dive into the dynamics of the other types of two-person relationships which are so important to us, its best to expand the discussion into the larger Spheres, involving more people, so that we can more fully explore how the context of these larger Spheres affects our long-term relationships.

However, before we step into this discussion of larger Spheres, we should discuss an important biological mechanism by which the Intentions of individuals, as well as commonly held Intentions in larger Spheres, create changes towards the direction of realizing Intentions, and create more complex information flows and flow media. These changes are not just the results of agreements, decisions and acts, but even more importantly in the short and long runs of time, evolutionary changes in our societies and our very biological make-up. To understand our relationships, its important to understand how one’s intentions and relationships affect not only the course of one’s life and society, but also one’s cells, overall state of health, and the biology of one’s reproductive offspring.

Evolutionary Information Dynamics (semi-technical)

Each individual of a species represents biological information (quantity, complexity, concentration, and distribution). Within their species, each life expands information by quantity increases via reproduction; complexity and concentration increases via construction, adaptations, and cellular/DNA changes; and distribution increases via information exchange, reproduction, and mobility. Beyond their species, each life expands information by behaviors (symbiotic, predation, predator-evasion, and destructive), and by construction or habitat-creation within their biosphere.

Evolution is in fact one way to describe the increasing, expansive, and dissociative nature of information dynamics, and current evolutionary theory mathematics resides within the broader domain of Information Dynamics. The new definition of evolution, a process in Information Dynamics, more truthfully describes evolution as increasing and expanding information not just after the brink of biological life, but before as well. Biological evolutionary theory is thus enveloped by the law of Information Dynamics. Information Dynamics provides a simple foundation to understand evolutionary theory developed to this day, and to develop new interpretations and direct new scientific discoveries. It fits in Information Dynamics that biological information will be increasingly complex and concentrated in individual life forms at an increasing rate, will increase with the quantity of the species population, and will be increasingly distributed by the spatial expansion of population distribution.

The expansion of the human population has had a notorious environmental impact on our planet’s overall and local biospheres, creating conflict and destroying valuable lives which are valuable instances of information: many thousands species have severely reduced populations, face extinction, or have already become extinct. However, the expansion of information in quantity, complexity, concentration, and distribution by humans, including that which is represented by the information existing in the cells/DNA and nervous system tissue of humans, is a defacto proof of the law of information dynamics. Each human individual is an astounding concentration of information as well as an engine of information expansion, we now number over 6 billion, and we are expected to reach at least 10 billion.

Humans share their DNA evolutionary history with all other placental mammals, which have a common ancestor who lived as recently as 75 million years ago. It is relatively commonly known that humans share 99% of their DNA with our closest evolutionary brethren, the chimpanzee. It is known that pig organs can be good candidates for transplant into humans, because of the common DNA heritage. It is well-known that medicines and other products are routinely tested in “animal models”: dogs, apes, monkeys, cats, and mice, because these animals “model” likely outcomes in humans due to common DNA heritage. What is less well-known is how much we have in common genetically with these animals. In 2002, the British scientific journal Nature reported that mice and humans have 99% of the same genes. Differences in the sequence of the four letters in each gene account for the differences in biology, however, 85% of the approximate 30,000 genes are exact letter-by-letter matches.

Other animals exchange and expand information (communicate), and so the modes or mechanisms with which our common forebears communicated have residual DNA components in our DNA. It is unknown what these components are of course. A significant question in Information Dynamics is which modes are active, which could theoretically become active if the proper stimuli were present, and which are permanently de-activated due to the loss of specialized sensory organ tissue during the evolutionary process. With respect to the active modes, it is also unknown which modes provide information actively compiled and processed within the network of nervous system tissue, and which modes are mostly unattended: overwhelmed by noise or more information-rich or consciously useful modes.

Evolution: Not just Random (for all)

Why is this important to the understanding of how Information Dynamics is demonstrated by our relationships, and informs us of how to improve these relationships? Because evolutionary theory helps us better understand our current communication modes, but has yet to account for a most important factor, Intention. The current theory of evolution lacks an important component: the effects of individuals’ efforts and those of larger spheres: their Intentions to improve their lives and those of each sphere in which they participate. Most evolutionary biologists believe that random mutation and non-random selection sufficiently accounts for the subsequent survival, death, or reproductive results of changed individuals. Many people oppose the theory of evolution because their Intuition, supported by belief systems, tells them this is an insufficient explanation to account for the advanced state of humans. When we examine evolutionary biology closer, we can see there is reason to think, there is in fact more going on here. However, we need not make a leap of faith and jump to metaphysical conclusions offered by belief systems to support peoples’ Intuition. Time and time again, metaphysical beliefs have been replaced by scientific theories which mathematically explain the physical world in new ways, ways which inevitably lead to technologies that have improved our lives.

Intention shapes Evolution (semi-technical)

An intention communicated is a powerful physical phenomena, by any measure. Especially interesting is how intention has shaped evolution. We are all conscious of how our own intentions shape our lives. We are not conscious, however, of how these intentions shape our DNA. We can look to other species that have converted intention into mutation and selection for natural recombinant genetic changes in a particular change direction or vector that benefits the individuals and their community. A mutation is when the genetic code changes relatively significantly from parent to child (cells or organisms): whole new features are formed and expressed physically, sometimes new species are formed that are unable to reproduce with their predecessor species. A natural recombinant change is when minor, gradual changes occur due to cross-breeding within a large quantity, large distribution, diverse community that may have members in many biospheres, each subject to local mutations. Various local mutations or selections are expanded in distribution via recombinant changes within the larger community, with reproduction capabilities intact throughout the community, creating a slow pace of change within a species.

A leader in evolutionary theory, Ernst Mayr, recently passed away. One of his most important contributions was his observation about the rate of evolutionary change in communities. His most well-known achievement was finding that species change rates varied according to specific conditions of the local biosphere. The more isolated the community, the more rapid the change rate into divergent subspecies and new species. It was this condition on Galapagos Island that made evolution apparent to Darwin.

If species changes are the result of intention as well as random reproduction DNA recombination, then it fits that an isolated community would have the fastest change rates. Intention communicated within the community for a given desirable feature or capability, which is not currently genetically available, is more likely to occur rapidly when the community is isolated and is thus more coherent about the desire for a particular feature or capability. This is because the community is relatively small an coherent about the need or Intention for change. This coherent desire, mutual Intentions, lead to changes in existing individuals over a more rapid time, and also affect preferences in reproductive pairings, leading to genetic changes in the direction of the Intention vector. A broader community that is stretched across multiple biospheres would have broader and less-uniform stimuli for change, and thus less focus on a particular change mode that is desirable to the members of the concentrated and isolated community.

A practical application of this theory is well-known in environmental engineering; specifically, the engineering of bacterial populations to adapt to using a target toxin, a particular pollutant in a biosphere, as food for conversion to a non-toxic chemical form. The idea is to clean up a toxin that is contaminating the environment by “teaching” a bacterial population to consume it as food, and leave harmless substances behind. It is now a common practice to harvest bacteria from the site of the pollution, take them back to the lab, and in an isolated environment, culture or adapt them to eat the toxin. They are starved of their normal diet, and the presence of the toxin is an enormous stimulus for mutation, selection, and survival for this isolated and coherent community.

Once a significant population of the toxin-eaters has been developed (this usually takes only 6-8 weeks), then the bacteria can been grown into a large population (another 4 weeks) and transported in tanker trucks. They are re-introduced to the original site via surface-spraying or well-injection, whereupon the contamination is devoured in a very short time. This is an elegant solution from a biological standpoint, because once the contamination has been consumed, the specialized bacteria die and the original local population is largely unaffected, leaving the original environment fairly intact and benign to unexpected consequences. It is noteworthy that polluted sites do not clean themselves up quickly on their own, but will eventually do so. The original population does not create the adaptation to consume the toxin rapidly, because the intention or need is lacking – they have a much reduced need to consume the toxin because of the abundance of normal food. However, they will eventually create this adaptation and consume the toxin, only over a much longer period of time.

Cellular Evolution (semi-technical)

Biological cells are born, live and die every day within an organism. Cells have a life-span of their own, relatively short, and their DNA may be changed by chemical and electromagnetic signals, changing the way they operate and function. Their reproduction will also express these changes, which are either useful or destructive to the organism or its offspring. Every day, every person has cancer: there are cancerous cells resulting from this process every day. Whether the immune system can identify and kill cancer cells is affected by the health of the local region, the overall state of health of the individual, and the strength and longevity of exposure to sources of disruptive changes, as well as the variety and quantity of these sources. We see the effects of cancer, but we don’t notice its opposite very well: the useful changes happening at the cellular level, as a result of both random, selected, and intended changes.

Part of the reason it is difficult to notice improvements, cumulative changes, is that our life cycle continuously changes our bodies rather rapidly: its difficult to notice improved biological characteristics that result from cellular evolution versus effects of growth, health and lifestyle issues, and aging. We grow up to maturity, and our bodies are constantly changing. We create intentions to be very active, or not, and our bodies change in shape and health accordingly. We have babies, endure injuries, change our diets and lifestyles, and our bodies change in shape and health accordingly. We develop allergies and diseases, and our bodies change in shape and health accordingly. We begin to grow old, and then as time goes by, older to the point of degenerated capabilities and capacities. How very difficult it is to notice beneficial cellular evolution within an individual?

When we mate and reproduce, there are so many variations possible in the DNA recombination process, its very difficult to see how certain individuals have developed new capabilities, although many parents will certainly relate to the ideas their children are smarter and more beautiful than they are! In fact, trends towards increased beauty and intelligence are probably the easiest changes to notice in human evolution over one’s life span. Even these changes are obscured and influenced by the increasing spread of diversity, it is hard to pin-point the source of positive improvements when the melting pot is in action. Which is why most scientists have little need for theories beyond quantitative random error in mutation and recombination to explain increasing capabilities and organizational behavior in species. However, random error should be a linear effect in the long run – information on the other hand is always increasing at a logarithmic rate: many separate empirical theories show that when information is the essence of the system, it will increase and expand at an accelerating rate.

How Intention factors in, will probably be very poorly understood for quite some time. However, the discussion above shows that hunger, survival, reproductive benefits, happiness, environmental comfort, and community cooperation are all strong motivational aspects in lives that can and do drive evolutionary results. Its clear this is happening on a cellular level within individuals, which may have here-to-fore unnoticed benefits to the individual, and not just in their offspring and future generations. Now then, we have the answer to old Chicken and Egg question, which came first? Obviously, they both did. The Chicken in terms of intentions, selection, and random mutations: these create cellular level changes that improve its life and influence the vector of change for selective reproduction. In other words, the Chicken not only is making efforts to improve its life in a particular direction, these intentions drive and influence her to align with compatible characteristics and Intentions of select Roosters. The reproductive result is the Egg, their offspring which represents yet another first, having new and enhanced capabilities aligned with these intentions, sometimes even being a new species.

Evolution shapes Intention (for all)

If we understand that our Intentions shape Evolution, we must equally understand this is an equilibrium, a balance, even though we see the overall direction or flow of the changes. As new capabilities are created, our intentions find new and more powerful ways to change. This affects the dynamics of our relationships on very real and day-to-day ways. Intentions create capabilities, which in turn create new Intentions. This dynamic plays an important role in understanding how we can achieve successful relationships and personal happiness: not only is information increasing, flooding us continuously, not only is knowledge expanding and ever more clearly in vectors of specialized knowledge which are less and less accessible to most people, not only are rule-sets being established and changed with evermore velocity, but also our very biological constitution is responding to our changing Intentions.

In balance with intentions for change are competing intentions, noise due to information flow errors, and active resistance and passive inertia against changes in existing knowledge-sets and rule-sets. The back-and-forth dynamic of this equilibrium affects both the result or outcome, as well as the rate of the change towards the result. This is the property of every kind of flow, not just information.

Again, as new capabilities are created, our intentions find new and more powerful ways to change. This state of constant change which is highly affected by our Intentions at any given moment presents a compelling argument for establishing a healthy First Sphere: Openness, Honesty, Respect, Generosity, and Commitment to truly love oneself, and to be moral in an absolute sense: merely and profoundly seek the truth, wherever it may be found in whichever domain of Information. This state of change, this equilibrium biased towards increasing information on all fronts, presents a compelling argument for having healthy relationships with others, and building agreements about the collective or community interest and action towards specific Intentions, specific changes. Its clear that evolutionary Information Dynamics is biased towards progress, biased for improved capabilities, and not just in random directions: we are continuously choosing our future, and our choices change our present state in the direction of our Intentions, even at the cellular level. After all, its Why We are Here.