"The law of progressive complexity"

healing the earth, the body, the mind and spirit --- a non-profit web site

Progressive Complexity

references

implications

The Law of Progressive Complexity

The law of Progressive Complexity arises simply, beautifully and elegantly, as it must, out of the law of Change & Stability, and hence, out of the nature of energy. Indeed, Change and Stability are indispensible pre-requisites for the existence of Progressive Complexity.

For a vivid model of exactly how this works, we now turn to the infinite complexity of the hauntingly beautiful images of the "Mandelbrot" set.

The infinitely intricate complexity of these hauntingly beautiful images is generated by a very simple iterative (repeating) algorithm which, in its simplest and most basic form, is written like this ( the "Mandelbrot algorithm"):

Z^2 + C = Z1

Here 'Z' stands for any complex number which is squared. 'C' also stands for any complex number which remains constant (hence 'C') throughout. These two factors are then added together, yielding the product Z1. Then, Z1 takes the place of Z, and the procedure is repeated. Written down it looks like this:

Z^2 + C = Z1
Z1^2 + C = Z2
Z2^2 + C = Z3
Z3^2 + C = Z4
Z4^2 + C = Z5
..... + .......

and so forth, and so forth, ad infinitum. In practice, the procedure is a bit more complex, but this is the basic principle. When the product of each iteration is plotted on an x-y co-ordinate grid on a computer, the infinite complexity of the haunting beauty of the Mandelbrot set emerges, point by point, on the computer screen.

The secret of the creation of Progressive Complexity is simplicity itself. 'Z' is a continuously changing factor, whereas the constant C is a stable factor. Together, and in this manner, the unified law of Change & Stability creates Progressive Complexity. It could not be any more simple and straightforward - nor any more elegant. Indeed, for progressive complexity to arise, it needs a stable base to build upon - and change is required for progressive complexity to arise. Here then, we now have the fundamental universal law of Progressive Complexity - as contained in the 1st law of thermodynamics, and intrinsic to the nature of energy. To illustrate:

Nature operates in exactly the same way. The Progressive Complexity of the elements is an additive 'iteration' of protons, nutrons and electrons. One proton and one electron make up hydrogen, the simplest and original element of the universe. Two protons (plus two neutrons) and two electrons (the changing factor) make up helium, a more complex element - while its components, nuclei and electrons remain the same (the stability factor). Three protons (plus 3 neutrons) and three electrons make up lithium, the next more complex element........and so forth, and so forth, to the 92-fold complexity of uranium. "The Periodic Table of the Elements" is a beautifully precise illustration of the laws of Change & Stability, and of Progressive Complexity.

Similarly, and in the domain of Life, all gestation and growth begins with a single fertile ovum, and its genes are the morphological, physiological and metabolic stability factor. The ovum divides itself into two, and now we have an embryo consisting of two cells. The doubling process is the change factor, and we now have an embryo of greater Complexity. The two cells then divide themselves again, resulting in a 4-celled embryo, and a higher level of Complexity. Meanwhile, their genetic component is an identical copy, or clone, of the initial ovum, a clear and indisputable stability factor. In this manner, the law of Change & Stability creates the Progressive Complexity of the growing embryo. It also gives us the dynamics of Growth (change) and of Maturity (stability).

The only difference between the (two-dimensional) Mandelbrot algorithm, and Nature's (three-dimensional) gestation and growth algorithm is that the former is exponential, and the latter is geometric. Since, as we have seen, the dynamics of Change & Stability are clearly and explicitly contained in the 1st law of thermodynamics, it is well worth noting here that we are still completely within the domain of the 1st law of thermodynamics.

We now have what may well be called "The Equation of All Creation" - the very law that has created the awesome, mind-boggling splendor of our universe itself, all it contains, including the sheer outrageous wonder of Life and consciousness. And as all universal laws, this law holds true from one end of the universe to the other.

What we see here on our Earth - birth, growth, maturity, reproduction, decline and death, re-birth and evolution - is repeated, all but infinitely, all over the universe, varying only in form, according to local conditions. 'Mind-boggling' does not even begin to describe it. This is an awesome universe!

And as we now have seen, the universal law of ProgCom arises, simply, beautifully and elegantly, out of the nature of energy - as described by the 1st law of TD. The 1st law is, indeed, and contrary to the conventional scientific wisdom, the richest, most fecund, and most powerful law of the universe - as it must be.

These are the major consequences and laws as they arise out of the nature of energy, and out of the 1st law of TD. But there is far more, albeit of a somewhat technical, but very important nature. It is the basic unification of several well established laws of physics. Like the scattered pieces of a puzzle, the law of ProgCom 'rounds up' several fundamental laws of physics and assembles them into a whole and seamless picture.

As readily apparent in the above diagram of the dynamics of ProgCom, the law of Progressive Complexity contains and independently recovers the 2nd and 3rd laws of thermodynamics from the 1st law. And it not only recovers the traditional 2nd law of TD - as the 'negative' dynamics of ProgCom - but it also yield the new, complete and bi-polar 2nd law of thermodynamics.

The law of ProgCom also contain and yields the unification of the laws of anentropy (prog. com.) and entropy (decay) into the universal bi-polar law of Anentropy & Entropy. And again, we turn to the yin-yang symbol for a concise illustration:

energy
anentropy entropy

Altogether, and what we have found here then is a Basic Unified Theory - or a BUT - in keeping with GUT (Grand Unified Theory), and TOE (Theory Of Everything).

These laws and dynamics generate and govern all physical, chemical, biological, ecological, social, psychological, technological, economic, political and cognitive systems. It is the realization, extension and validation of Ludwig von Bertalanffy's intuitive conviction, and conceptual foundation of his "General Systems Theory" that, "All physical, chemical, biological, social and psychological systems operate in accord with the same fundamental principles."

These fundamental universal laws contain the generating and driving forces of the self-organisation and evolution of the universe; the emergence and evolution of life; of birth, growth, maturity, reproduction, decline, death, decay and re-birth - be this of stars, galaxies, planets, biospheres, plants or people - and ultimately, of the universe itself.

Since the evolution of the universe and of Life is a single, indivisible process and seamless continuum, we now also have the foundation and framework for a profoundly new, universal and energy-based theory of the evolution of Life. The implications are profound and vast:

The universe teems with life of every imaginable and unimaginable form. What we see here on the Earth is typical for the universe (vis. the emergent concept of "The Ordinary Universe").
The universal law of Progcom makes ours a teleological, and hence, purposeful universe.
The universe exists for the sole and express purpose of evolving life and consciousness.
This is, as many of our foremost scholars (Einstein, Davies, Hoyle, Dyson, many others) have long come to understand, a 'designed' universe, and there exists a 'Designer' of this universe after all.

In his book "The Cosmic Blueprint", Paul Davies, theoretical physicist and Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Adelaide, comes to this conclusion: "The impression of design is overwhelming." James Jean, another well known physicist is even more explicit: "God is a pure mathematician!" That the nature and the workings of our universe can be revealed with the absolute logic of mathematics is the measure of its own immaculate logic and inviolable order.

Reaction to this theory by scientists has ranged from great enthusiasm, fascination, to matter-of-fact acceptance. The only criticism ever made was that it is too simple, and too general. This though, puzzles me no end since, right from the start, this theory is far more complex and far more specific than the 1st law of thermodynamics - which is revered in all of science for its simplicity, generality, elegance and sheer explanatory power. Go figure.

Finally, the 'test by fire' of the validity of any theory is its power of prediction. The predictive power of the theory has proven to be awesome. In 1985, and when none of these things were remotely apparent, or even thinkable, I had correctly predicted the rapidly increasingly violent climatic extremes we are experiencing now; the rapid advent of more and more new and mysterious diseases (9 in 12 years); the progressive deterioration of our collective health; the collapse of Communism and of the USSR (only I did not know it would come so fast) - all based purely on this theory. These are complex subjects, and are detailed, in their context, elsewhere in these and other pages. Any theory which can correctly predict so many advents in so many diverse fields is a power-house of predictive power.

energy anentropy entropy

energy
anentropy entropy