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The Indeterminacy Bottleneck: Implications for Habitable Worlds
1Future Foundation Assoc., Karlslunde, Denmark. tellus@live.dk.
Acta Biotheoretica
|December 4, 2021
Summary
The transition from chemical to biological evolution is not automatic. An indeterminacy bottleneck determines if life spreads, meaning habitable worlds may not become inhabited.
Area of Science:
- Astrobiology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Planetary Science
Background:
- The assumption of a smooth transition from chemical to biological evolution is questioned.
- The link between chemical and biological evolution is not guaranteed, even on habitable worlds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore whether environments favorable for chemical evolution are also favorable for biological evolution.
- To investigate the conditions that determine the emergence and distribution of life.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of evolutionary processes.
- Examination of conditions for life's emergence and spread in solar system bodies.
Main Results:
- A critical 'indeterminacy bottleneck' exists at the single-cell stage where chemical and biological evolution meet.
- This bottleneck influences whether life becomes 'information explosive,' 'entropy implosive,' and 'habitat expansive.'
- A world's environment can favor biological evolution without favoring chemical evolution, or vice versa.
Conclusions:
- The link between chemical and biological evolution is not automatic and depends on specific environmental conditions.
- The indeterminacy bottleneck is a decisive factor in differentiating habitable from inhabited worlds.
- Even if life emerges, its distribution and continued existence are not guaranteed.
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