ON THE LIMITS OF NATURAL CAUSES
Background
Since the beginning of recorded history, man has struggled with the question of our origins. Religion is an answer, but not to all. As science advanced, more and more of our universe could be explained by the laws of physics that were being discovered. Darwin’s On the Origin of Species posited an explanation how all life evolved from a common ancestor. This did not explain beginning life, but since then, theories have been put forward to provide possible chemical paths to fill this gap. The combination of these ideas is the doctrine of materialism: all that exists can be explained by matter, energy and physics. The last two decades have raised many issues that question the theories behind this point of view.
Steve Meyer, in his book Signature in the Cell showed how there is embedded information in the cell that is necessary for the existence of life and the odds of Natural Causes finding or creating this information are beyond the realm of probability.
The arguments presented by Meyer are valid and true. This paper posits a more fundamental argument shaped by a machine and process control engineering background. Upon discovery that there are molecular machines working in the cell, it was obvious to an engineer that life is not just about chemistry, it also involves intelligent processes1 enabled by machinery, which, other than life, is associated with engineering. This lead to the quest to determine the difference between engineered objects and things that result from natural causes. This quest revealed that the difference is embedded intelligence, which means that the intelligent design argument elevates from “where did the embedded information come from” to “where did the embedded (logical) intelligence come from.” And it adds to the static qualities necessary for life such as information, complexity and coherence to actionable hurdles such as building the cell, setting the initial conditions and starting and running the life process. The conclusions are summarized here:
Science, defined as physics (including chemistry) absent intelligence, provides an explanation for the natural world. Observations show that life and man-made machines also follow the laws of science. Natural causes are the result of work performed by free energy. Free energy, defined as energy available to do work in a system that is devoid of embedded intelligence, constrained by physics, cannot achieve all possibilities allowed by the laws of physics as presumed by materialists2.
Life and man-made machines can extend possibilities because they use embedded, constrained energy controlled by embedded intelligence. Embedded intelligence is only possible in matter/energy3 of specified configuration, functioning in an intelligent process.
Natural causes, that is, work resulting from free energy, always moves toward a singular state determined by and limited in outcomes by the initial conditions caused by previous naturally caused events and the laws of physics.4 Such events result in atoms, molecules, suns, solar systems with planets, black holes and galaxies, weather,5 erosion, and plate tectonics,6 but not machines.
Life and man-made machines can only exist because of intelligent processes running within them. Intelligent processes require logical functionality; the ability to make logical decisions plus means to do the specified work the logical decision commands. Logical functionality is beyond the ability of natural causes where the outcome is always a singular state independent of any logical requirement.7
There is nothing in science that restricts intelligent manipulation of matter/energy to enable intelligent (logical) functionality. Such manipulation embeds intelligence into such an entity, and intelligence is in the realm of philosophy, not science.
This illustrates the flow from one state to another by work resulting from natural causes compared to machines:
Natural Processes8 (Science) → Unguided Results limited by lack of logical functionality
Engineering (Science + Intelligence) → Process Control enabled by machines → specified results
The mantra that Intelligent Design (ID) should not be taught in public schools because it is not science9 is wrong because life itself is not pure science, it is science plus logic; it is matter/energy with embedded logical functionality that can create logically defined states. Intelligent Design, based on the arguments herein, addresses life in this manner.
This paper shows that logical constraints limit the outcomes of natural causes; that there is embedded intelligence in the cell and machines, and why logical functionality is required to achieve machine functionality. In addition, this paper explains why specifitviity of information or work has no meaning in the world of science yet can be implemented by science with embedded intelligence.
This paper provides the logical explanation for the necessity of Life being engineered. The only caveat is that the science we think we understand is correct and that science we do not understand such as dark matter and energy and entanglement, may eliminate the necessity for engineering.
This paper provides theorems that define the limitations of natural outcomes and logical explanations why engineered configurations of matter/energy can expand upon these capabilities. Clarity and coherence impose the need to precisely define some existing terminology and to create new terminology. Such terms have brief definitions embedded in the text and are expanded in footnotes.
This paper posits that the inability of natural causes to perform logical functionality is falsifiable where all other arguments regarding beginning life are not. In addition, a method of falsifying the possibility of a chemical path to beginning life is provided.
In addition, the realization that life and machines require embedded intelligence puts a spotlight on the ultimate chicken-egg question; what causes the other: intelligence or science (matter/energy/space/time)? If science is the cause, intelligence must be an artifact of science. If intelligence is the cause, then the anthropic principle is explained. This paper does not address this question further.
The term matter/energy is used herein when referring to life or running machines because they are processes that must continually expend energy to conduct the intelligent actions (embedded intelligence) required. This is analogous to the use of the term matter used in conjunction with the embedded information required for life and machines.
Next Section: The Limits of Natural Causes
© 2018 Mike Van Schoiack
- To minimize confusion, the term process will always include an adjective, normally intelligent or natural, even though the definition of process is “actions to achieve a goal” which implies intent, therefore excludes natural processes. However, this paper is devoted to describing the differences between the two in terms of cause (results from free energy vs. guided energy) and effect (limited outcomes vs. limited but expanded outcomes).
- Most materialists presumably do not realize the implicit assumption their doctrine depends upon there is a finite probability natural causes can create any possible configuration of matter/energy that does not violate the laws of physics.
- The term matter/energy is used herein when referring to life or running machines because they are processes that must continually expend energy to conduct the intelligent actions (embedded intelligence) required. This is analogous to the use of the term matter used in conjunction with the embedded information required for life and machines.
- This footnote is added to counter the potential argument that there are chaotic, high free energy conditions that might alter outcomes. The logical process functionality running in life and machines requires controlled, deterministic outcomes and therefore must rely on those environmental conditions where the applicable physics produces repeatable results. The molecules of life can only survive in a very narrow range of environmental conditions which excludes high energy chaotic conditions. Even with controlled conditions, life and most man created machines contain matter/energy held in off-equilibrium conditions and suffer from loss of specificity and functionality because of the second law. Life contains many mechanisms, such as detection and replacement of dysfunctional proteins and DNA error-checking and repair (see Raven, et al, Biology, Eighth Edition, Chapter 15) to survive. Engineers take equivalent measures in man-made machines.
- Weather perhaps is the result, at least in part, of machinery, as it does have feedback loops, partly a result of life. This possibility needs more study and thought.
- Perhaps life has some influence on things underground as abundant life has been found 2 miles deep as described here.
- Natural causes do create state changes that might mimic logical functionality, but there has been no intelligent intervention that has modified matter/energy into machines which have identifiable logical functionality with associated inputs, signaling and energy source, and means to control it.
- Processes and Causes can be used interchangeably in this connotation as the cause invokes an action, and the action will be a process.
- Author’s Definition: Science. the systematic knowledge of the natural physical world gained through observation and experimentation. [Note: this definition is intended to limit the definition to physics & chemistry and to exclude matter/energy with embedded intelligence.] Definitions from other sources can be seen here.