Origin of Life: A Collection of Effectors with a Persistence Orientation
I refer to the mechanism where elements influence each other as an Effect System.
An Effect System is a model to understand the interaction between elements. Therefore, it is used by modeling the target of analysis as an Effect System.
For example, the Moon and Earth form an Effect System as they mutually influence each other through gravitational pull. Friends also influence each other and thus constitute an Effect System. Of course, an Effect System can also include many elements, not just two. Arguably, the entire universe can be seen as a vast and complex Effect System where atoms influence each other.
I am conducting personal research on the origin of life from the perspective of systems engineering. Here, I would like to consider the phenomenon of life from the viewpoint of the Effect System.
Effectors
Within an Effect System, elements that maintain the property of giving and receiving the same influence are called effectors. If they can no longer maintain their influence, the effectors cease to exist.
For example, a light bulb is an effector that can illuminate its surroundings with light. The property remains even if its glass surface is scratched or slightly deformed. However, if the filament that emits light breaks, it can no longer illuminate, meaning it ceases to be an effector, even though materially almost the same substance remains.
Combination of Effectors
Within the scope where the laws of energy conservation and mass conservation apply, atoms can be considered as the basic units of effectors. Atoms are persistent effectors.
The combination of atoms forms molecules. Molecules are created by bonding and cease to exist by separating. Thus, if we consider a molecule as a single entity, it is a transient effector.
On the other hand, if the same type of molecules repeatedly form and disintegrate within a certain space, that space may contain these molecules persistently. In this case, these molecules can be considered as persistent effectors within that space.
Molecules of the same type exchange the same influence with their surroundings. Conversely, molecules exchanging the same influence are of the same type.
Furthermore, combinations of multiple molecules form complex chemical substances. These substances, when considered individually, are transient effectors. However, the same types of chemical substances can exist persistently in a space.
These combine to form a light bulb. As mentioned earlier, a light bulb eventually loses its effector properties but remains a persistent effector as long as it is produced in our social space.
This is not limited to artificial inanimate objects like light bulbs. Living organisms are also formed by the combination of chemical substances. Individual organisms are transient effectors, but as a whole, they continue to exist on Earth. Therefore, as long as not all species go extinct, living organisms can be considered persistent effectors.
Layer Structure and Supportive Network Structure of Effectors
As seen here, effectors form a layered structure, with more fundamental layers serving as the base for higher-level effectors. When higher-level effectors can persist longer, even higher layers of effectors are formed based on them.
Thus, effectors have a layered structure.
Besides the compositional layered structure, there is also a supportive relationship.
In the previous explanation, the light bulb was positioned in the layer formed by the combination of chemical substances. However, humans are necessary for the continuous production of light bulbs. In other words, humans, who are living organisms, support the production of light bulbs. This supportive relationship is different from the material layer structure.
The supportive relationship is not layered but forms a network structure, including loops. Humans are needed to produce light bulbs, but humans are also supported by light bulbs.
With this, the relationship between effectors and among them is organized. The question that arises is how persistent higher-level effectors are generated from the lower layers. This directly connects to the origin of life from the perspective of the Effect System.
Next, we will consider the conditions under which new persistent effectors are generated within the Effect System.
Outline of the Emergence of New Persistent Effectors
Let’s assume that within an Effect System, there are persistent effectors that influence each other, causing their position and state to change constantly. Within these changes, collections of effectors can sometimes emerge within the Effect System.
These collections of effectors may possess a property called persistence orientation, a term I have coined. Persistence orientation means the property of increasing the tendency to persist over time.
A collection of effectors is by nature transient. However, if they have the property of persistence orientation and the environmental conditions are right, they can eventually persist for a sufficiently long time. Such a collection of effectors can be considered as a single effector.
This is an overview of how new effectors are born in the higher layers.
Now, let’s delve deeper into the concepts of effector collections, the persistence of effector collections, and persistence orientation.
Effector Collections
An effector collection, as the name implies, is a gathering of multiple effectors, particularly those in a state of closely influencing each other. Being physically close is not a necessity for influencing each other.
Within the Effect System, where the position and state of effectors change over time, it’s possible for certain effectors to coincidentally come into a state of closely influencing each other. This requires the Effect System to have locality. In an Effect System that lacks locality and remains homogenous overall, effector collections do not appear.
Considering the movement of atoms in physical space, each atom moves in different directions at different speeds. This can lead to a situation where some atoms accidentally become densely packed and strongly influence each other. Therefore, normal physical space, with its locality, meets the conditions for the emergence and disappearance of atom effector collections.
Persistence of Effector Collections
An effector collection influences its surroundings differently than individual effectors. This could be a simple sum of influences. Alternatively, some influences could cancel each other out, resulting in a unique quality of overall influence. Additionally, multiple influences occurring in stages over time can lead to a different quality of influence.
As long as the collection exchanges the same influence with its surroundings, it can be considered to persist. Conversely, if the influence it exchanges changes, the collection ceases to exist. This follows the same logic as the light bulb example.
The persistence of an effector collection is its ability to continue exchanging the same influence with its surroundings. For this, the types and amounts of effectors making up the collection, the state of each effector, and the structure between effectors must fall within a certain range. Also, environmental conditions must be maintained.
Example of Effector Collection Persistence
Let’s consider water as an example.
Water is a collection of water molecules, each formed by the combination of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Separate hydrogen and oxygen atoms cannot have the same influence as water molecules.
For water molecules to form and persist, two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom need to be close and bonded together.
This requires conditions for atoms to gather, such as a planet with gravity that attracts atoms. Also, conditions vastly different from Earth’s environment, like extreme temperatures or pressures, can prevent bonding. Thus, these environmental conditions are necessary.
Even with water molecules present, steam or ice cannot exchange the same influence as liquid water. Therefore, environmental conditions allowing water to remain liquid, like temperature and pressure, are necessary.
Thus, not only do the material effectors need to come together, but the environmental conditions also need to be right for the effector collection to have a specific influence. And maintaining these conditions is necessary for the persistence of the effector collection. However, as with the light bulb example, even if the environment is maintained, the effector collection can disappear.
Also, liquid water constantly undergoes partial evaporation into water vapor and vice versa. Thus, the components of the effector collection are replaced, but the overall properties are maintained. This is similar to how a light bulb, as an individual entity, may cease to exist, but continues to persist in society.
Persistence Orientation
When a collection of effectors tends to increase its persistence over time, we call this property persistence orientation.
As we’ve seen, there are two aspects to persistence. The first is the ability of the effector collection to maintain its constituent elements, state, and structure.
The second aspect is the continued existence of an effector collection with the same properties within a certain space. This can be considered persistent if it is replenished by new formations or incoming elements from outside the space, compensating for any losses or outflows.
An effector collection with persistence orientation has both these aspects, increasing its persistence over time. Of course, the right environmental conditions are necessary for this increase in persistence. If an effector collection possesses persistence orientation and meets the conditions for increasing persistence, it can become permanently persistent.
A permanently persistent effector collection can then be considered a new, higher-level effector based on the original effectors.
Conclusion
New effectors emerge within an Effect System when the following conditions are met:
1. There are persisting effectors within the Effect System.
2. Effectors are localized, and collections of effectors emerge.
3. Some collections of effectors possess persistence orientation.
4. Conditions are suitable for the full expression of persistence orientation.
When these conditions are met, new effectors emerge within the Effect System.
The addition of new effectors in the Effect System can lead to the emergence of unprecedented collections of effectors in the same or higher layers. Among these, collections of effectors that have persistence orientation and meet the necessary conditions can give rise to further new effectors.
This process, repeated over time, leads to the creation of a variety of permanent effectors in the Effect System, forming multiple layers and a complex network of supportive structures.
From the perspective of the Effect System, the phenomenon of the emergence of life from non-living matter can be viewed as a cumulative process where effectors are successively generated in a chain reaction.
The intriguing aspect of this analysis lies in the fact that it can encompass a wide range of phenomena under the concept of effector persistence. This includes the persistence of atoms and molecules, the persistence of states such as gases, liquids, and solids, the endurance of industrial products like light bulbs, and the survival of living organisms.
Furthermore, when collections of effectors with persistence orientation repeatedly emerge, complex phenomena like life appear, indicating that this is a key aspect of life. Therefore, from the perspective of the Effect System, the essence of life is its persistence orientation. Deepening our understanding of this persistence orientation can lead to further insights into the origin of life.
This perspective offers a unifying framework for understanding different forms of persistence, from simple physical entities to complex biological life. It suggests that the principle governing the emergence and sustainability of life is rooted in the inherent tendency of certain systems to maintain and enhance their state of existence over time. The Effect System model thus provides a novel way to conceptualize and explore the fundamental nature of life and its origins.
