VIII. Earth Earns: An Open CoCreative Earthropocene to Astropocene PediaVerse

1. Mind Over Matter and Energy: Quantum, Atomic, Chemical, Astronomic Realms

Keinan, E. and I. Schechter, eds. Chemistry for the 21st Century. Weinheim, GDR: Wiley-VCH, 2001. A survey of the dawning ability to recreate material nature through computational studies and discrete atomic interactions. A typical article is “Quantum Alchemy.” In an introduction Jean Marie Lehn views this supramolecular phase as a “...general science of informed matter. The essence of chemistry is not only to discover but to invent, and above all, to create. The book of chemistry is not only to be read but to be written!”

Khajetoorians, Alexander, et al. Designer Quantum States of Matter Created Atom-by-Atom. arXiv:1904.11680. In an article to appear in Nature Reviews Physics, Radboud University, Delft University of Technology and Utrecht University scientists including Ingmar Swart review this future frontier as our globally collaborative human agency begins a second, intentional material creation. An Integrated Nanolab will then avail tunneling, spin lattices, topography, atomic resolution, quasiparticles, magnetism, spectroscopy qualities and much more.

With the advances in high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy as well as atomic-scale manipulation, it has become possible to create and characterize quantum states of matter bottom-up, atom-by-atom. We review recent advances in creating artificial electronic and spin lattices that lead to exotic quantum phases of matter from topological Dirac dispersion to complex magnetic order. We also project future perspectives in non-equilibrium dynamics, prototype technologies, engineered quantum phase transitions and topology, as well as the evolution of complexity from simplicity in this newly developing field. (Abstract)

Klishin, Andrei, et al. Statistical Physics of Design. New Journal of Physics. 20/103038, 2018. University of Michigan researchers including Greg van Anders post a novel entry which draws on basic nonequilibrium condensed matter principles with the aim to intentionally create novel, materials and structures. An update paper by this group is Robust Design in Systems Physics at arXiv:1805.02691 (second quote).

A key challenge in complex design problems that permeate science and engineering is the need to balance design objectives for specific design elements or subsystems with global system objectives. Here, using examples from arrangement problems, we show that the systems-level application of statistical physics principles, which we term "systems physics", provides a detailed characterization of subsystem design in terms of the concepts of stress and strain. Our approach generalizes straightforwardly to design problems in a wide range of other disciplines that require concrete understanding of how the pressure to meet overall design objectives drives the outcomes for component subsystems. (Abstract)

Ensuring robust outcomes and designs is a crucial challenge in the engineering of modern integrated systems that are comprised of many heterogeneous subsystems. Here, we show that the response of design elements to whole-system specification changes can be characterized, as materials are, using strong/weak and brittle/ductile dichotomies. We find these dichotomies emerge from a mesoscale treatment of early stage design problems that we cast in terms of stress--strain relationships. (1805.02691)

Koonin, Eugene and Michael Halperin. Sequence-Evolution-Function: Computational Approaches in Comparative Genomics. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic, 2003. A technical source. Chapter 8 is “Genomes and the Protein Universe.”

Kozinsky, Boris and David Singh. Thermoelectrics by Computational Design. Annual Review of Materials Research. 51/565, 2020. We cite this entry by Harvard University and University of Missouri engineers as an example of how Earthuman technical creativities are now passing to this collective stage, and how this new method could to initiate a novel, second phase of ecosmic energetic vitality. The field is also familiar to me as I was involved in its early 1960s phase by way of Seebeck and Peliter effects with lead telluride alloys.

The performance of thermoelectric materials is determined by their electrical and thermal transport properties that are very sensitive to small modifications of composition and microstructure. Discovery and design of next-generation materials are starting to be accelerated by computational guidance. We highlight the first successful examples of computation-driven discoveries of high-performance materials and discuss avenues for tightening the interaction between theoretical and experimental materials discovery and optimization.

Krylov, Anna, et al. Perspective Computational Chemistry Software and its Advancement as Illustrated through Three Grand Challenge Cases for Molecular Science. Journal of Chemical Physics. 149/18, 2018. 15 scientists from California, Iowa, Texas, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Germany post another example of how our human co-creation of novel materials is taking on an organic form by way of an informative program at work. I was variously engaged in this field since the 1960s, so can appreciate how revolutionary this added “genotype” dimension is, which we are just beginning to appreciate. See also ElemNet: Deep Learning the Chemistry of Materials from only Elemental Composition by Dipendra Jha, et al herein for a similar entry.

15 scientists from California, Iowa, Texas, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Germany post another example of how our human co-creation of novel materials is taking on an organic form by way of an informative program at work. I was variously engaged in this field since the 1960s, so can appreciate how revolutionary this added “genotype” dimension is, which we are just beginning to appreciate. See also ElemNet: Deep Learning the Chemistry of Materials from only Elemental Composition by Dipendra Jha, et al herein for a similar entry.

Kumar, Nitsch, et al. Topological Quantum Materials from the Viewpoint of Chemistry. Chemical Reviews. 121/5, 2021. We cite this paper in a special Quantum Materials issue by MPI Chemical Physics of Solids researchers as an example of 2021 frontiers as a phenomenal Earthuman sapience appears to learn all about and take over substantial creation going forward. A summary graphic includes quantum transport, thermoelectric, hydrodynamics, catalysis, photoelectrics, data storage and chiral crystals. See also Quantum Information and Algorithms for Correlated Quantum Matter by Kade Head-Marsden, et al in this issue. Yet in a July of record rains and floods, however can we peoples realize our true ecosmic cocreativity in time so as to unite and save this imperiled bioworld?

Topology as a mathematical concept has become a transdisciplinary approach across matter physics, solid state chemistry, and materials science. This review presents the topological concepts from the viewpoint of a solid-state chemist, summarizes techniques for growing single crystals, and describes basic physical property measurement techniques to characterize topological materials beyond their structure and provide examples of such materials. Finally, a brief outlook on the impact of topology in other areas of chemistry is provided at the end of the article.

Kurizki, Gershon, et al. Quantum Technologies with Hybrid Systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112/3866, 2015. As the Abstract notes, a team of Israeli, French, Danish, Greek, and Austrian researchers seek to initiate a new phase of the human intentional continuance and future manifestation of a natural genesis universe. For another instance, see A Universal Quantum Information Processor by Xihua Yang, et al in Nature Scientific Reports (4/6629, 2014).

An extensively pursued current direction of research in physics aims at the development of practical technologies that exploit the effects of quantum mechanics. As part of this ongoing effort, devices for quantum information processing, secure communication, and high-precision sensing are being implemented with diverse systems, ranging from photons, atoms, and spins to mesoscopic superconducting and nanomechanical structures. Their physical properties make some of these systems better suited than others for specific tasks; thus, photons are well suited for transmitting quantum information, weakly interacting spins can serve as long-lived quantum memories, and superconducting elements can rapidly process information encoded in their quantum states. A central goal of the envisaged quantum technologies is to develop devices that can simultaneously perform several of these tasks, namely, reliably store, process, and transmit quantum information. Hybrid quantum systems composed of different physical components with complementary functionalities may provide precisely such multitasking capabilities. This article reviews some of the driving theoretical ideas and first experimental realizations of hybrid quantum systems and the opportunities and challenges they present and offers a glance at the near- and long-term perspectives of this fascinating and rapidly expanding field. (Abstract)

Kurzweil, Ray. The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. New York: Viking, 2005. The long awaited opus from the polymath inventor and computer wizard offers one man’s interpretation of life’s evolution about to be taken over from its human phase by a logarithmically accelerating technology. Kurzweil does perceive a six-stage cosmic evolution of physics and chemistry, biology, brains, technology, its merger with human intelligence and onto “the universe wakes up” as patterns of matter and energy become saturated with information. In this expanse, a knowing sentience emerges to collective self-cognizance, at which point it begins to “reverse engineer” and create anew the material nature, body, mind and society from which it arose. By this vista, life is seen to evolve toward greater complexity, elegance, knowledge, beauty, creativity, and “subtle attributes such as love.” Such a course then moves inexorably toward traditional conceptions of Divinity. At once a grand synthesis of emergent, progressive intellect, but heavy on robotics and artificial nanotechnologies and in need of a leavening empathy. Rather than machines rule, it is informed, humanist mind that takes over matter to intentionally begin a much better personal creation.

It was the fate of bacteria to evolve into a technology-creating species. And it’s our destiny now to evolve into the vast intelligence of the Singularity. (298) We can build and are already building “machines” that have powers far greater than the sum of their parts by combining the self-organizing design principles of the natural world with the accelerating powers of our human-initiated technology. It will be a formidable combination. (483)

Lanes, Olivia. Quantum Physics for K-12. Scientific American. September, 2023. We note this article by the PhD leader of the IBM Quantum Community (search name for much more info) as an instance of the mid 2020s pediakinder Earthwise cocreative mission. It is vital for students to learn about quantum informational computations going forward. From arcane, opaque origins a century ago, a revolutionary project across the atomic, cosmic and complex, intelligent living systems infinities may begin apace as our participatory destiny.

Langner, Alexander, et al. Ordering and Stabilization of Metal-Organic Coordinations Chains by Hierarchical Assembly. Angewandte Chemie. 47/8835, 2008. From the Max Planck Institute, an example of the discernment of a self-ordering materiality which embodies these universal features in every instance, along with our ability to carry their genesis forward. Three of the six authors have since moved on to the Universities of Hong Kong, Indiana, and Hyderabad.

Self-organization of organic molecules into supramolecular networks is an efficient strategy fro nanometer-scale patterning of surfaces. (8835)

Las Heras, Urtzi, et al. Genetic Algorithms for Digital Quantum Simulations. Physical Review Letters. 116/230504, 2016. University of the Basque Country researchers in coauthor Enrique Solano’s Quantum Technologies for Information Science QUTIS group (Google) join these phases and methods for improved programmic performance. We then note that genomic and “quantomic” realms, within the one, same, iterative natural genesis, appear to have such affinities. See also Artificial Life in Quantum Technologies in Nature Scientific Reports (Solano 6/20956, 2016).

We propose genetic algorithms, which are robust optimization techniques inspired by natural selection, to enhance the versatility of digital quantum simulations. In this sense, we show that genetic algorithms can be employed to increase the fidelity and optimize the resource requirements of digital quantum simulation protocols while adapting naturally to the experimental constraints. Furthermore, this method allows us to reduce not only digital errors but also experimental errors in quantum gates. Indeed, by adding ancillary qubits, we design a modular gate made out of imperfect gates, whose fidelity is larger than the fidelity of any of the constituent gates. (PRL Abstract)

We develop a quantum information protocol that models the biological behaviours of individuals living in a natural selection scenario. The artificially engineered evolution of the quantum living units shows the fundamental features of life in a common environment, such as self-replication, mutation, interaction of individuals, and death. We propose how to mimic these bio-inspired features in a quantum-mechanical formalism, which allows for an experimental implementation achievable with current quantum platforms. This study paves the way for the realization of artificial life and embodied evolution with quantum technologies. (NSR Abstract)

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