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Displaying entries 16 through 30 of 65 found.

Ecosmos: A Revolutionary Fertile, Habitable, Solar-Bioplanet, Incubator Lifescape

Saarloos, Win van, et al. Soft Matter: Concepts, Phenomena, and Applications. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2024. Wim van Saarloos is professor emeritus of theoretical physics at the Lorentz Institute at Leiden University, Vincenzo Vitelli is professor of physics at the University of Chicago and Zorana Zeravcic is professor of physics in the Gulliver Laboratory at ESPCI Paris. In regard they contribute the first book treatment of this animate subject, hardly a decade old. A chapter on Active Matter is included along Non-Equilibrium Pattern Formation, Elasticity, Designing Matter and so on. Altogether one more perspective upon a natural dynamic liveliness due to common codings gains a broad and deep expression.

Soft matter science is an interdisciplinary field at the interface of physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, and materials science. It encompasses colloids, polymers, and liquid crystals as well as rapidly emerging topics such as metamaterials, memory formation and learning in matter, bioactive systems, and artificial life.. The presentation integrates statistical mechanics, dynamical systems, and hydrodynamic approaches with conservation laws and broken symmetries as guiding principles along with computational and machine learning advances.

Ambjørn, Jan and Y. Watabiki.. Is the present acceleration of the Universe caused by merging with other universes? Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. 12/11, December, 2023. In these years, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen and Tokyo Institute of Technology (search JA) theorists are able to extend their mathematical conjectures to the farthest reaches of spacetime so to quantify, explain and wonder about these farthest multiversal realms.

"The main finding of our work is that the accelerated expansion of our universe, caused by the mysterious dark energy, might have a simple intuitive explanation, the merging with so-called baby universes, and that a model for this might fit the data better than the standard cosmological model," Jan Ambjørn, told LiveScience. The researchers' calculations showed that merging with other universes should increase the volume of our universe, which could b horizon.e perceived by our instruments as an expansion of the universe. (JA to LiveScience)

Munson, Anthony, et al. Complexity-constrained quantum thermodynamics. arXiv: 2403.04828. We cite this March entry by University of Maryland, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Freie Universität Berlin, and Harvard University physicists including Nicole Yunger Halpern as an example of current syntheses of these various computational aspects into a whole theoretic integrity.

Quantum complexity measures the difficulty of realizing a quantum process, such as preparing a state or implementing a unitary. We present an approach to quantifying the thermodynamic resources required to implement a process if the process's complexity is restricted. We focus on the prototypical task of information erasure, or Landauer erasure, wherein an n-qubit memory is reset to the all-zero state. We show that the minimum thermodynamic work required to reset an arbitrary state, via a complexity-constrained process, is quantified by the state's complexity entropy. Overall, our framework extends the resource-theoretic approach to thermodynamics to integrate a notion of time, as quantified by complexity. (Brief excerpt)

Sendker, Franziska, et al.. Emergence of fractal geometries in the evolution of a metabolic enzyme. Nature. April 10, 2024. MPI Terrestrial Microbiology researchers report finding what is considered to be the first actual notice of such self-similar topologies in organismic biological phenomena. The work became science news because it attests to much how nature’s infinite strata does manifest itself everywhere.

Fractals are patterns that are self-similar across multiple length-scales. Macroscopic fractals are common in nature; however, so far, molecular assembly into fractals is restricted to synthetic systems. Here we report the discovery of a natural protein, citrate synthase, which self-assembles into Sierpiński triangles. We use ancestral sequence reconstruction to retrace how the citrate synthase fractal evolved from non-fractal precursors. Our findings expand the space of protein complexes and show that intricate assemblies can evolve in a single substitution.

Gartner, Florian and Erwin Frey. Design principles for fast and efficient self-assembly processes. arXiv:2403.00213. Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-University physicists provide a latest theoretical explanations which substantiate nature’s characteristic tendency to actively organize itself into emergent, self-similar vitalities wherever it can. See also The role of mobility in epidemics near criticality by Beatrice Nettuno et al. at arXiv:2402.06505 from this group. And into springtime 2024, we begin to wonder if a sufficient confluence is being reached by our learned pediasphere about an actual discovery of a familial genesis and a worthy Earth.

Self-assembly is a fundamental concept in biology, and also nanotechnology. While significant recent progress has been made, less is known about kinetic constraints of dynamical properties like time efficiency. Here we investigate how the temporal straits of reversible self-assembly depend on the morphology of the systems. We find that the constituent shapes critically determines the formation time and how it scales with the size of the target structure. Using this method, we achieve an effective theory of the self-assembly kinetics, which we show exhibits an inherent scale invariance. We show how these insights on the kinetics of self-assembly processes can be used to design artificial self-assembly processes. (Excerpt)

Heylighen, Francis, et al. Chemical Organization Theory as a General Modeling Framework for Self-Sustaining Systems.. Systems. 12/4, 2024. FH and Shima Beigi, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Tomas Veloz, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana, Santiago, Chile post a latest edition (search FH) of this ongoing thought process this collaborative group. In regard, its accomplishment provides support for an autocatalytic cosmopoiesis which originates life and long after engenders our personal retrospect.

This paper summarizes and reviews the Chemical Organization Theory (COT), a formalism for complex, self-organizing systems across multiple disciplines. Its elements are resources and reactions whose networks arrange themselves into invariant subnetworks. Altogether they provide a simple model of a natural autopoiesis which persistently recreates and recycles its own components. Application domains of COT include the origin of life, systems biology, cognition, ecosystems, Gaia versions, sustainability, consciousness, and social systems. (Excerpt)

Wang, Jai, et al. Interstellar formation of glyceric acid, the simplest sugar.. Science Advances. March 24, 2024. University of Hawaii and University of Mississippi (Ryan Fortenberry) cite their sweet detection of this organic mainstay compound. As the quotes imply, once again nature’s astrochemistry seems to possess an innate spontaneity to form just what life needs for the long cellular ovogenesis to our late retrospect description.

Glyceric acid [HOCH2CH(OH)COOH] is a key molecule in biochemical metabolic processes such as glycolysis. Although linked to the origins of life and identified in carbonaceous meteorites, the mechanisms of its formation have remained elusive. Here, we report the first abiotic synthesis of racemic glyceric acid via the radical-radical reaction of the hydroxycarbonyl radical with 1,2-dihydroxyethyl radical in low-temperature carbon dioxide and ethylene glycol ices. This work reveals the key pathways for glyceric acid synthesis through nonequilibrium reactions from profuse precursor molecules, advancing our fundamental knowledge of the formation of key biorelevant organics—sugar acids—in deep space. (Abstract)

Here, we demonstrate the very first abiotic synthesis of 1 in low-temperature (5 K) carbon dioxide and ethylene glycol (HOCH2CH2OH, 16) ice mixtures. This was accomplished via the barrierless radical- radical eaction of the hydroxycarbonyl (HOĊO, 11) with the 1,2-dihydroxyethyl (HOĊHCH2OH, 17) radicals (Figs. 1 and 2). These model ices were exposed to energetic electrons mimicking secondary electrons generated in the track of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) pene-trating ices in cold molecular clouds aged a few million years. (1)

Ziurys, Lucy. Prebiotic Astrochemistry from Astronomical Observations and Laboratory Spectroscopy. Annual Review of Physical Chemistry. Volume 75, 2024. As the quote notes, a senior University of Arizona bioastronomer contends that the profuse ISM population of appropriate biomolecule precursors found so far must have made a vital contribution to the origin and occurrence of nascent Earth life and evolution. See also RNA-catalyzed evolution of catalytic RNA by Nikolaos Papastavrou, et al in PNAS (121/11, 2024) and Complex organic molecules uncover deeply embedded precursors of hot cores by Laure Bouscasse, et al at arXiv:2403.05237 for more evidence of a natural life-bearing spontaneity. Altogether these findings suggest that our worldwise scientific quest may have at last reached an actual realization of a phenomenal ecosmic fertility which proceeds with its own procreative development.

The discovery of more than 200 gas-phase chemical compounds in interstellar space has led to the speculation that this nonterrestrial synthesis may play a role in the origin of life. Interstellar chemistry produces a wide range of organic molecules in dense clouds such as NH2COCH3, CH3OCH3, CH3COOCH3, and CH2(OH)CHO. Elusive phosphorus has now been found in molecular milieu and the sites of star formation. The presence of fertile interstellar starting material, as well as the link to planetary bodies such as meteorites and comets, suggests that astrochemical processes set a prebiotic foundation. (Abstract)

Coelho, Liqia, et al. Purple is the new green: biopigments and spectra of Earth-like purple worlds.. arXiv:2404.10105. Cornell University and University of Minnesota astroscientists including Lisa Kaltenegger (See also her new book Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos) expand and extol the frontiers of exoplanet searches as they go forward with new telescopes and instruments. They scope and inspire a grand quest for other neighbors, which requires a widest allowance for what forms and features may be possible.

With more than 5500 detected exoplanets, the search for life is entering a new era. Using life on Earth as our guide, we look beyond green landscapes to expand our ability to detect signs of surface life on other worlds. While oxygenic photosynthesis gives rise to green landscapes, bacteriochlorophyll-based anoxygenic phototrophs can also color their habitats. Here, we characterize the reflectance spectra of purple sulfur and purple non-sulfur bacteria from a variety of anoxic and oxic environments. Our biological pigment data base for purple bacteria and the high-resolution spectra of Earth-like planets, including ocean worlds, snowball planets, and frozen worlds are available online, providing a tool for modellers and observers to train retrieval algorithms, optimize search strategies, and inform models.

Herbort, Oliver, et al. Habitability constraints by nutrient availability in atmospheres of rocky exoplanets. arXiv:2404.04029. University of Vienna, Austrian Academy of Sciences, and Marble Space Institute of Science, USA astroresearchers provide one more finely cast factor as just the right bioatomic mix in a watery solvent and moist air so as to engender relative organic combinations.

Life as we know it requires liquid water and nutrients, which are mainly based on the elements C, H, N, O, P, and S and trace metal micronutrients. In this paper we introduce a framework of nutrient availability levels based on the presence of water condensates and the chemical state of the CHNOPS elements.. The atmospheric model is a bottom-to-top equilibrium chemistry phase which includes the atmosphere-crust interaction and the element depletion due to the formation of clouds. While the reduced forms of CNS are present at the water cloud base for most atmospheric compositions, P and metals are lacking. (excerpt)

Ecosmomics: Independent, UniVersal, Complex Network Systems and a Genetic Code-Script Source

Jensen, Henrik. Complexity Science: The Study of Emergence. Cambridge. UK: Cambridge University Press, 2023.. Cambridge. UK: Cambridge University Press, 2023. The Imperial College London mathematician (search) writes a latest comprehensive textbook for this nascent 21st century study of our actual lively, anatomic, physiological, procreativity. Its contents course from first theoretic principles to statistical mechanics, networks, information, much more and onto critical transitions and tipping points.

Rosas, Fernando, et al.. Software in the natural world: A computational approach to emergence in complex multi-level systems. arXiv:2402.09090. University of Sussex, Imperial College London (Pedro Mediano), Graz University of Technology, Austria, McGill University (Anil Seth), University of Hertfordshire, and EPFL, Lausanne propose to cross-combine nonlinear complexity phenomena with mathematical program procedures as a beneficial way to achieve a complete, effective integration.

Understanding the functional architecture of complex systems is crucial to reveal their inner workings and enable prediction and control. Here we develop a computational approach to study emergent macroscopic processes by way of a mathematical formalism that can express self-contained informational, interventional properties. Our method forms a hierarchy of nested self-contained processes from the statistical physics and computational neuroscience literature wherein holistic processes are akin to software-like. Overall, this framework enables a deeper understanding of multi-level complex systems so they can be better simulated, predicted, and controlled. (Abstract edit)

Lalli, Margherita and Diego Gariaschelli. Geometry-free renormalization of directed networks: scale-invariance and reciprocity. arXiv:2403.00235. IMT School for Advanced Studies, Lucca, Italy physicists are able to demonstrate an effective integrity of this physical attribute with multiplex phenomena across diverse, practical instances. See also Renormalization of Complex Networks with Partition Functions by Jung, Sungwon, et al at arXiv:2403.07402

Recent research has tried to extend the concept of renormalization to more general networks with arbitrary topology. Here we show that the Scale-Invariant Model can be extended to directed networks without an embedding geometry or Laplacian structure. Moreover, it can account for the tendency of links to occur in mutual pairs more or less often than predicted by chance. By way of renormalization rules, we propose a multiscale international trade network with nontrivial reciprocity and an annealed model where positive reciprocity emerges spontaneously. (Excerpt)

Yang, Shuo, et al. DNA as a universal chemical substrate for computing and data storage.. Nature Reviews Chemistry.. 8/179, 2024. Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China and Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands including Stephen Mann describe an inherent facility of nature’s helical nucleotides to be capable of further informational abilities and services.

DNA computing and data storage use nucleotide molecules as a computing substrate or a storage medium. In this Review, we explore how DNA can be leveraged with a focus on neural networks and compartmentalized circuits. We discuss emerging approaches to the storage of data in DNA and associated topics such as the writing, reading, retrieval and post-synthesis editing of DNA-encoded data. Finally, we explore the use of DNA for near-memory computing for future information technology and health analysis applications. (Excerpt)

Wu, Ling-Na. et al.. Indication of critical scaling in time during the relaxation of an open quantum system.. . Nine physicists at University Kaiserslautern-Landau and Technische Universität Berlin achieve another mathematical quantification recognition of nature’s persistent tendency to seek and reside at an optimum middle balance. See also Macrostates vs. Microstates in the Classical Simulation of Critical Phenomena in Quench Dynamics of 1D Ising Models by Anupam Mitra, et al. at arXiv:2310.08567 for similar findings.

In open quantum systems, near phase transitions, universal power-law scaling, characterized by critical exponents, emerges. This behavior reflects the singular responses of physical phenomena to control parameters like temperature or external fields. Here we experimentally realize the spin of individual Cesium atoms coupled to a bath of ultracold Rubidium atoms. Our research unveils critical scaling also in time during the relaxation dynamics along with a critical point in the thermodynamic limit. (Excerpt)

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