Theoretical origin of life; an article asks for information (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, July 18, 2015, 21:07 (3197 days ago) @ David Turell

This article specifically says the start of life requires information and knowledge. The source of that information is the question:-http://aeon.co/magazine/science/constructor-theory-solves-the-riddle-of-life/-"Constructor theory gives the ‘recipe' an exact characterisation in fundamental physics. It is digitally coded information that can act as a constructor and has resiliency - the capacity, once it is instantiated in physical systems, to remain so instantiated. In constructor theory, that is called knowledge - a term used here without the usual connotation that it is known by someone: it merely denotes this particular kind of information with causal power and resiliency. And an essential part of the explanation of all distinctive properties of living things (and of accurate constructors in general) is that they contain knowledge in that sense.-"Moreover, it is a fundamental idea of constructor theory that any transformation that is not forbidden by the laws of physics can be achieved given the requisite knowledge. There is no third possibility: either the laws of physics forbid it, or it is achievable. This accounts for another aspect of the evolutionary story. Ever better constructors can be produced, without limit, given the relevant knowledge, instantiated in digital recipes.-"Thus the constructor theory of life shows explicitly that natural selection does not need to assume the existence of any initial recipe, containing knowledge, to get started. It shows that, whatever recipes we might find in living things, they do not require ad?hoc, biocentric or mysterious laws of physics in order to come into existence from elementary initial components. They need only the laws of physics to permit the existence of digital information, plus sufficient time and energy, which are non-specific to life. This adds another deep reason why a unification in our understanding of the phenomena of life and physics is possible. Whatever the laws of physics do not forbid us, we can do. Whether or not we will, depends on how much knowledge we create. It is up to us."