Consciousness: A Direct Link with Life's Origin?

Mitra, A. N.; Mitra-Delmotte, Gargi

doi:10.48550/arxiv.1102.3158

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 19 publications

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“…Since field-induced (dipolar) ordering offers an interaction mechanism that does not make use of any chemical or geometrical constraints of the particles, we speculate that this would enable the independently acting components to explore structural configurations at every scale. And, inspired by the observations of Russell et al (1989;1990), Sawlowicz (1993;, and Preisinger and Aslanian (2004), we have conjectured that moderate local magnetic fields could cause nested formations at the nano-scale as soft scaffolds for life's emergence (see Merali 2007;Mitra and Mitra-Delmotte 2011;Mitra-Delmotte and Mitra 2010a;2010b;2012). Further, in gradient-rich (redox, pH, temperature) environments, as in the mound, gradient-dissipating organic fractal structures (Seely and Macklem 2012)--assembling from building blocks at level-II--could have gradually replaced the functioning modules of the control-level-I inorganic networks.…”

Section: Extension Of Mound Scenariomentioning

confidence: 97%

Field-Control, Phase-Transitions, and Life’s Emergence

Mitra-Delmotte¹,

Mitra²

2012

Front. Physio.

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Instances of critical-like characteristics in living systems at each organizational level (bio-molecules to ecosystems) as well as the spontaneous emergence of computation (Langton), do suggest the relevance of self-organized criticality (SOC). But extrapolating complex bio-systems to life’s origins, brings up a paradox: how could simple organics – lacking the “soft-matter” response properties of today’s complex bio-molecules – have dissipated energy from primordial reactions (eventually reducing CO2) in a controlled manner for their “ordering”? Nevertheless, a causal link of life’s macroscopic irreversible dynamics to the microscopic reversible laws of statistical mechanics is indicated via the “functional-takeover” of a soft magnetic scaffold by organics (c.f. Cairns-Smith’s “crystal-scaffold”). A field-controlled structure offers a mechanism for boot-strapping – bottom-up assembly with top-down control: its super-paramagnetic colloidal components obey reversible dynamics, but its dissipation of magnetic (H)-field energy for aggregation breaks time-reversal symmetry. The responsive adjustments of the controlled (host) mineral system to environmental changes would bring about mutual coupling between random organic sets supported by it; here the generation of long-range correlations within organic (guest) networks could include SOC-like mechanisms. And, such cooperative adjustments enable the selection of the functional configuration by altering the inorganic dipolar network’s capacity to assist a spontaneous process. A non-equilibrium dynamics could now drive the kinetically oriented system (trimming the phase-space via sterically coupled organics) toward a series of phase-transitions with appropriate organic replacements “taking-over” its functions. Where available, experiments are cited in support of these speculations and for designing appropriate tests.

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