“The Elephant Lecture”

INBIOSA, Sterling29 Aug. 2011

Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis(the slides are accompanied by notes!!)

What is the problem? Existing attempts at integration seem not to

solve “hard” problems (INBIOSA)

Progress of science is blocked

Why is this a problem?

Can this challenge be met?

Is there an elephant in the room?

But where to search for an

“invisible”elephant?…

Use four straight lines

and connect all dots

without lifting the pen from the paper

Maybe the elephant hides outside our view?

fractals

hierarchy

genetics

quantum physics

modularity

chemistrymodelling

neural networks

genetic algorithms

AI

semiotics sociology

complexity

biophysics

autopoiesis

robotics life

evolution

What is the “right” angle to find the

elephant?

Biosphere

Ecosystem

Community

Organ systems

Population

Organisms

Organelles

Organs

Tissues

Molecules

Atoms

Cells

Fundamental particles

Miller: Living systems

An example of a conventional approach to system organization

How is this constructed?

Biosphere

Ecosystem

Community

Organ systems

Population

Organisms

Organelles

Organs

Tissues

Molecules

Atoms

Cells

Fundamental particles

What have we learned from our example?

Are we maybe “cheating” by fitting a straight line through more-dimensional data?

OrganellesPopulation

Biosphere

Ecosystem

Community

Molecules

Atoms

Cells (bacteria sl)

Fundamental particles

Endosymbionts

Multicellulars

Biosphere

Ecosystem

Community

Organ systems

Population

Organisms

Organelles

Organs

Tissues

Molecules

Atoms

Cells

Fundamental particles

Organs

Tissues

Organ systems

Organs

Organ systems

The operator hierarchy

Let’s consider the separate steps in detail:

Organelles

PopulationBiosphere

Ecosystem

Community

Organs

Tissues

Organ systems

OrgansOrgan systems

Molecules

Atoms

Cells (bacteria sl)

Fundamental particles

Endosymbionts

Multicellulars

HadronsINWARD: Internal differentiations

UPWARD: Operators

OUTWARD: Interaction systems

Miller: Living systems

can be improved

The operator hierarchy depends on ‘closure’:

cyclic process >

cyclic shape >

• distinguishes a particle from its environment (Heylighen)

Closure as the operator hierarchy uses it, is caused by:

a new cyclic shape and

a new cyclic process,

which together create the first-next level of selforganization

For example:

}

2. Interaction systems

1. Operators (first-next possible closure)

3. Internal differentiation

interfacehypercyclemulti-particleHMISCISAE

closure dimensions

clo

sure levels

particles

quark-gluon interaction

hadron

atom

cell

memon

atom nucleus

confinement

electron shell

euk. multicell. neuron cycle

sensors

cell membrane

autocatalysis

molecule

eukaryote cell

predictions

multicellular

The operator hierarchy

Mind that grey bars represent intermediate

system states required to create the operators

The operator hierarchyInteresting theory, but what is it good for?Examples of applications….

- Not relevant: Metabolism

- Not relevant: Reproduction

+ Hierarchical definition

Application 1: Life (not ‘living’!) = all operators from the level of the cell and up

- Not only relevant: First cell

+ Basic structures: operators

+ No circularity

multicellulars

Memons

unicellular endosymbionts

bacteria sl

Application 2: an additional levelin the ‘tree of life’

Application 3: The future of evolution

As soon as we provide these things, which we regard as

“machines”, with the appropriate neural structure,

they fit to the operator hierarchy and are life

Summary:

Life

Memon

Future

In other words…

Closure

Three dimensions for hierarchy

Operator hierarchy

An integration framework across disciplines

A tool for analysis

Thank you for your attentionGerard Jagers op Akkerhuis

gerard.jagers@wur.nl and www.hypercycle.nl

The operator hierarchyAn “invisible” elephant in the room