A Natural Phenomenon of Falling: The Evolution of Mutual Falling
When contemplating the origin of life, the assumption that living organisms are fundamentally different from non-living matter often leads to the impression that life arose against the natural order.
However, if we recognize the commonalities between living and non-living matter and view life as arising in accordance with the laws of nature, we can begin to unravel the mystery of life’s origins.
To explore this, I propose focusing on the concept of mutual falling.
Mutual falling refers to phenomena where multiple entities fall toward each other. Falling is a mundane phenomenon. Objects of similar mass should mutually fall toward each other.
In environments with persistent, patterned disturbances, mutual falling can manifest in various patterns. Among these, the patterns that achieve greater stability tend to persist. This reflects natural selection or the evolution of mutual falling.
Mutual falling is a natural phenomenon, and its evolution within patterned disturbances is also natural. Explaining the emergence of life from non-living matter through this perspective reinforces the idea that life arose in adherence to natural laws.
Falling Toward Each Other
Let us first clarify the concept of mutual falling.
An apple falls to the ground. Water flows from higher to lower elevations. The moon orbits Earth, and Earth orbits the sun. These are also forms of continuous falling.
All of these phenomena simply follow the laws of nature. Specifically, smaller objects fall toward larger ones due to gravity.
While “falling” typically refers to the action of gravity, it can be extended to include any force that causes objects to move toward positions of lower energy in their relationship. This expanded definition retains its relevance.
Consider molecules. Molecules form when atoms bond together. When separate atoms bond, they approach each other, reaching a stable relationship. This can be viewed as mutual falling between atoms. This phenomenon applies to any entities where forces are at play, not just atoms.
Networks of Mutual Falling
These concepts converge into the phenomenon of mutual falling. Objects that attract each other under gravity move to positions of minimized energy, which we can describe as falling. This is not a one-sided falling but a mutual relationship.
From a physical perspective, mutual falling refers to the state changes between entities that achieve energy stability. This adheres to natural laws.
Multiple entities can form a network of mutual falling. Objects in numerous mutual falling relationships achieve stable positions within this network.
Homeostasis, Metabolism, and Replication
Even when an external force temporarily disrupts the positions of objects in a mutual falling network, they return to their original positions over time. This indicates that the mutual falling network possesses a degree of homeostasis.
In addition, objects with numerous mutual falling relationships within the network may exchange positions with similar objects upon collision. Despite such exchanges, the overall mutual falling network remains intact. This demonstrates the network’s capacity for metabolism.
Moreover, perturbations within the network can propagate and influence the entire system. These perturbations can induce similar changes in surrounding areas, representing a form of low-fidelity replication.
These qualities of homeostasis, metabolism, and replication — often considered hallmarks of life — are inherent even in simple mutual falling networks.
Propagation of Patterns
Local arrangements or perturbations may form patterns that propagate, leading to the emergence of similar patterns throughout the mutual falling network. This represents higher-fidelity replication.
Such patterns not only spread but also resonate within the network. Resonating patterns can restore themselves over time, even after being partially disrupted by external forces, thus exhibiting homeostasis.
Furthermore, the propagation of patterns enables metabolism, as the addition or replacement of components still allows the patterns to persist.
The sustained resonance of patterns requires continuous energy input from external sources. Without such input, the configurations may collapse. Therefore, resonant patterns inherently metabolize energy. Conversely, sustained resonance confirms energy metabolism.
In this way, the propagating patterns within mutual falling networks exhibit the qualities of homeostasis, metabolism, and replication.
As these resonant patterns persist, new configurations and perturbations may arise and propagate, leading to the accumulation and increasing complexity of patterns over time.
Continuous External Forces
Normally, mutual falling networks settle into stable states without producing new patterns of configuration or perturbation.
However, when continuous external forces disrupt stability, opportunities arise for generating new patterns.
The diversity of external forces increases the likelihood of creating a variety of configurations and perturbations. As these accumulate and resonate within the network, the network itself becomes more complex and evolves.
Thus, continuous external forces provide both the impetus for evolution and the energy required for the metabolism of resonant patterns.
Mutual Falling Networks Conducive to Evolution
Mutual falling networks are not limited to closely connected objects. Even distant objects can engage in mutual falling if their influence is transmitted over time and stabilizes their energy states. Stable pathways for transmitting these influences suffice.
As a result, even expansive spaces connected by stable routes can form large mutual falling networks.
The greater the number and variety of objects, the higher the likelihood of forming robust and stable networks. Moreover, the diversity of external forces and the variety of clusters or pathways within the network increase the potential for generating new patterns.
Chains of mutually falling objects are particularly advantageous for diversifying object types. Repeated patterns of connection allow these chains to grow indefinitely, broadening the diversity of materials.
Advantages of Earth’s Environment
These conditions align well with Earth’s environment.
First, Earth’s chemical conditions are favorable for the formation of organic compounds, such as nucleic acids, amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates, which can form polymers. Polymers correspond to the chain-like substances discussed earlier.
Earth forms a global-scale mutual falling network through the circulation of water and atmosphere, in addition to its oceans. All chemical substances within this network are components of the mutual falling network.
Not only does Earth’s water and atmosphere connect the entire planet, but numerous lakes and ponds also serve as localized chemical clusters, interconnected by stable rivers. These correspond to the clusters and pathways mentioned earlier.
Additionally, cycles such as day and night, seasonal changes, water circulation within clusters, and global water and atmospheric circulation generate various patterns of continuous external forces. These forces are crucial for the evolution of the mutual falling network.
Thus, Earth provides an environment that realizes a vast mutual falling network composed of chemical substances, fostering its evolution.
Chemical Ecosystems and Living Organisms
The mutual falling network of chemical substances possesses the characteristics of homeostasis, metabolism, replication, and evolution. However, it is more appropriately viewed as an ecosystem rather than as living organisms. Earth can be thought of as forming a chemical ecosystem.
Through the evolution of this chemical ecosystem based on the principles of the mutual falling network, the first single-celled organisms eventually emerged within it. This could be considered the origin of life.
These single-celled organisms likely proliferated within the chemical ecosystem. This process mirrors the propagation of patterns and perturbations described earlier. Over time, a biological ecosystem developed atop this chemical ecosystem.
In Conclusion
Focusing on mutual falling as a natural phenomenon allows us to understand the commonalities between non-living and living matter. From this perspective, the emergence of life from non-living matter is not a conceptual leap but rather the result of energy naturally moving toward lower, more stable states in an environment that facilitates increasing complexity.
The concept of mutual falling is compelling because it allows complex systems to be analyzed reductively rather than holistically.
Traditional reductionism attempts to understand complex systems by dividing them into entities, such as matter or particles. In contrast, mutual falling decomposes the system into relationships between entities. This key difference enables both detailed analysis through reduction and a comprehensive understanding of the system as a mutual falling network.
This challenges the common holistic notion that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” If parts are understood merely as entities, this notion holds. However, when relationships are included as parts, the whole becomes equal to the sum of its parts. The “something unique” attributed to the whole is simply the omission of relationships as part of the analysis.
This is further clarified when comparing the number of entities to the number of relationships. For three entities, there are three relationships; for four entities, six relationships; for five entities, ten relationships. The number of relationships increases exponentially with the number of entities. Therefore, neglecting relationships in analyzing a system with many entities is equivalent to analyzing almost nothing about the whole.
Another fascinating aspect of mutual falling is its conceptual link to scientific breakthroughs such as Copernicus’s heliocentrism, Newton’s law of universal gravitation, Einstein’s theory of relativity, and Darwin’s theory of evolution.
The shift in perspective that simplifies understanding, the application of universal physical laws to all objects, the focus on relationships rather than elements, and the principles of adaptation and natural selection are all encapsulated within the concept of mutual falling.
