Field-Control, Phase-Transitions, and Life’s Emergence

Abstract

Instances of critical-like characteristics in living systems at each organizational level (bio-molecules to ecosystems) as well as the spontaneous emergence of computation (Langton), do suggest the relevance of self-organized criticality (SOC). But extrapolating complex bio-systems to life’s origins, brings up a paradox: how could simple organics – lacking the “soft-matter” response properties of today’s complex bio-molecules – have dissipated energy from primordial reactions (eventually reducing CO2) in a controlled manner for their “ordering”? Nevertheless, a causal link of life’s macroscopic irreversible dynamics to the microscopic reversible laws of statistical mechanics is indicated via the “functional-takeover” of a soft magnetic scaffold by organics (c.f. Cairns-Smith’s “crystal-scaffold”). A field-controlled structure offers a mechanism for boot-strapping – bottom-up assembly with top-down control: its super-paramagnetic colloidal components obey reversible dynamics, but its dissipation of magnetic (H)-field energy for aggregation breaks time-reversal symmetry. The responsive adjustments of the controlled (host) mineral system to environmental changes would bring about mutual coupling between random organic sets supported by it; here the generation of long-range correlations within organic (guest) networks could include SOC-like mechanisms. And, such cooperative adjustments enable the selection of the functional configuration by altering the inorganic dipolar network’s capacity to assist a spontaneous process. A non-equilibrium dynamics could now drive the kinetically oriented system (trimming the phase-space via sterically coupled organics) toward a series of phase-transitions with appropriate organic replacements “taking-over” its functions. Where available, experiments are cited in support of these speculations and for designing appropriate tests.

Transparent Colloids of Detonation Nanodiamond: Physical, Chemical and Biological Properties

“…This issue is also relevant to one of the most fundamental, as well as fascinating, scientific problems: the origin of life on Earth. The importance of water/solid surfaces was first considered by Bernal [ 106 ], and this idea later was developed by Szent-Györgyi [ 107 , 108 ] and others [ 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 ] who suggested that life could have started with confined water inducing order to prebiotic molecules on solid surfaces. Indeed, it was suggested recently that impact diamonds from meteorites [ 115 , 116 ], if they became exposed to water, could form the earliest organisms.…”