I argue for a non-reductive integration between physical and biological approaches based on the notion of information as interpretation. Thus I outline a scheme based on Peirce’ semiosis in which the relation between environmental physical perturbations and responses (internal and external) are mediated by the “system of interpretation” that detects and interpret them as informative signals, so giving rise to structural internal accommodations and to actions that are implemented on the external environment. Therefore I argue that “systems of interpretation” can be equated to Zurek´s information gathering and using systems (IGUS) and complex adaptive systems (CAS). In order to apply these model to the problem of adaptive evolution, I examine Zurek´s theory known as “quantum Darwinism”, according to which the environment eliminates the immense majority of the super-positions of quantum systems leaving only the “preferred states”, among which are chosen those that are in fact can be realized in the classical world. To end up I justify that semiosis permits to apply quantum Darwinism to the evolution of CAS, and I argue that the debate between (Neo)-Lamarckian and Neo-Darwinian schools must be reassessed in terms more in accord with quantum physics. Finally semiosis (that is information understood as interpretation) would justify the deep analogy between quantum physical and biological models of adaptive evolution.
I argue for a non-reductive integration between physical and biological approaches based on the notion of information as interpretation. Thus I outline a scheme based on Peirce’ semiosis in which the relation between environmental physical perturbations and responses (internal and external) are mediated by the “system of interpretation” that detects and interpret them as informative signals, so giving rise to structural internal accommodations and to actions that are implemented on the external environment. Therefore I argue that “systems of interpretation” can be equated to Zurek´s information gathering and using systems (IGUS) and complex adaptive systems (CAS). In order to apply these model to the problem of adaptive evolution, I examine Zurek´s theory known as “quantum Darwinism”, according to which the environment eliminates the immense majority of the super-positions of quantum systems leaving only the “preferred states”, among which are chosen those that are in fact can be realized in the classical world. To end up I justify that semiosis permits to apply quantum Darwinism to the evolution of CAS, and I argue that the debate between (Neo)-Lamarckian and Neo-Darwinian schools must be reassessed in terms more in accord with quantum physics. Finally semiosis (that is information understood as interpretation) would justify the deep analogy between quantum physical and biological models of adaptive evolution.
Zurek’s “quantum Darwinism” and its translation into the evolution of adaptive systems In this work I justify a scheme that favors a non-reductive integration between physical and biological approaches based on the notion of information as interpretation. I start with a discussion on the cross fertilization and feedbacks between physics and biology for it helps to explain Maxwells demon metaphor as a forerunner of a notion of information applicable to the problem of biological adaptation that is best conceived today as information gathering and using systems (IGUS) in the sense of Zurek. It is shown how IGUS by means of measurements generate informative correlations between micro-states (genotype) and macro-states (phenotype), and between macro-states (phenotype) and environment. I further examine Zureks decoherence theory dubbed “quantum Darwinism” according to which the environment eliminates most of the superpositions of quantum systems leaving only a set of preferred states, among which are chosen those that are in fact realized in the classical world. In this view IGUS are equated to non-conscious agents of quantum measurement, a posture that modifies Copenhagen interpretation without falling into the difficulties of the “many worlds” interpretation. I, thus, propose that in order to tackle the problem of biological adaptation, it would be important to understand information as IGUS’ interpretative activity thought as physical and/or biological systems that actualize an organizing potential in accordance to an “internal model” of systems environment interactions, so that they interpret physical perturbations as informative signals that orient structural adjustments to be adopted and the actions that are projected to the external milieu. To end up I show how this model may serve to account for the origin of adaptive mutations in bacteria and to formally describe developing epigenetic systems. In this way the classical debate between Lamarckian and Darwinian schools must be reframed and perhaps superseded as the new scheme of interpretation is validated with more experimental evidence. To conclude I argue that semiosis is the clue to justify the deep analogy that allows to establishing bidirectional bridges between physical and biological models of adaptive evolution. key words. Quantum Darwinism, Neo-Lamarckism, natural selection, information, IGUS, adaptation, coherence, superposition, entanglement, sign, observer, measurement, ci Copenhagen interpretation, many worlds interpretation, epigenetics.
I will discuss the notion of information that can be inferred from Zurek's theory of quantum decoherence. I will show three distinctive traits in contrast with the standard Shannon information theory, i.e. (1) the information source as a potential inherent to quantum systems. (2) Instead of reception of information, an actualization prior denition of really attainable states by the environment. (3) Instead of information transmission channel, the role of theenvironment as a selector of preferred states (possible andhighly probable) to be actualized, and as a reservoir ofunaccesible information (possible but highly improbable).It is proposed a clarication of these ideas, aiming at their applications for the understanding of living systems as quantum-like. The survival of selected information will account for the coordination and propagation of epigenetic variants that are responsible for cell dierentiation in the context of cell and environment reciprocal functional and structural coupling. In this manner a parallel between Darwinian and (Neo)-Lamarckian algorithm is discussed.
∙ Quanta Magazine analyzes the principles of macroscopic world formation through quantum decoherence and quantum Darwinism. ∙ 'Einselection' fixes specific quantum states… similar to how life preserves information. ∙ Integrating quantum biology from physical and philosophical perspectives, redefining the fundamental principles of life's information processing. [Quantum Biology Society] An in-depth analysis has been proposed on how the bizarre phenomena of quantum mechanics transform into the solid macroscopic reality we observe, and what connection this process has with the evolution of life. Recently, the science media outlet Quanta Magazine reported through a contribution by renowned science writer Philip Ball that the theories of 'Quantum Darwinism' and 'Decoherence,' pioneered by physicist Wojciech Zurek, are the key to connecting biological systems with the macroscopic world. ■ The Reality of 'Survival of the Fittest' Created by 'Einselection' In the quantum realm, particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously (superposition), but in the macroscopic world we observe, they appear in only one definite state. According to Dr. Zurek's theory, this happens because quantum systems continuously interact with their surrounding environment, undergoing a process of 'decoherence' where information is dissipated. The core of this process is 'Einselection' (Environment-Induced Superselection). The environment does not accommodate all states; instead, it selects only the most stable and predictable states, known as 'pointer states,' and replicates them innumerably within the environment. Just as only the genetic information advantageous for survival is passed on and spreads in natural selection, the essence of 'Quantum Darwinism' is that quantum information also undergoes a 'survival of the fittest' process dictated by the environment. This ultimately forms an objective macroscopic reality that all of us can commonly perceive. ■ Life, a Product of Evolution that Anchors Quantum Information into Reality Philip Ball noted that these physical principles are strikingly similar to the way biological systems process information. He explains that the vital activities of living organisms—such as recognizing external stimuli, preserving genetic information, and controlling complex metabolic processes—are fundamentally the very processes of filtering meaningful information from quantum superpositions and anchoring them into the physical states of the real world. This report suggests that quantum biology is not merely a discipline that investigates microscopic reactions within cells. Rather, it is a grand unified theory explaining how life has utilized the universe's fundamental principles to process information and evolve. Built upon the theories of Dr. Zurek, a master of modern physics, this analysis presents a new philosophical and physical paradigm that views life as a cosmic entity where matter, information, and quantum mechanics are perfectly integrated.
Quantum mechanics describes the smallest systems, whilst classical physics describes macroscopic scales. However, the quantum-to-classical transition is a major unsolved problem. In this thesis, we develop further understanding of the transition through the concept of objectivity. The objects we perceive in our everyday world are objective: they exist regardless of observation, and their properties are independent of observers. This is because information about everyday objects came be found, for example, in the surrounding photon environment. Quantum Darwinism is a conceptual and theoretical framework that describes the emergence of objectivity. The “Darwinistic” part refers to how certain types of information tends to spread at the expense of others. The thesis addresses the quantitative description of objectivity, the dynamics of emergent objectivity, and the analysis of non-objectivity in experimental and biology-inspired systems. Firstly, we propose two new mathematical frameworks to describe objectivity, Strong Quantum Darwinism and invariant spectrum broadcast structure. Then we unite them with the pre-existing frameworks, Zurek's Quantum Darwinism and spectrum broadcast structure, by identifying their deep connections and differences. These conditions highlight how Each framework considers varying amounts of objectivity in the system and environments and together, they create a hierarchy of objectivity. We then analyse objectivity in a scenario where system-environment interactions are strong and non-Markovian, highlighting some practical differences between the Quantum Darwinism frameworks. Next, we describe the quantum channels that create objective states, leading us to discuss the contribution of non-Markovianity to the emergence of objectivity. Then, we introduce a witnessing scheme that simplifies the detection of non-objectivity to promote further experimental testing of Quantum Darwinism with larger environments. Finally, we examine the contribution of quantum coherence and non-objectivity to the performance of a biological-inspired quantum magnetic sensor that operates close to the quantum-classical boundary. We find that the sensor operates in a non-objective regime, and that quantum coherence is necessary for the sensor's performance. The quantum-to-classical transition is a longstanding open question: these findings deepen our knowledge of how objectivity emerges, and contributes to and the types of interactions that keep systems quantum, which is relevant for understanding quantum biological systems and exploiting environment effects in novel quantum technologies. While the quantum-to-classical transition remains unsolved, Quantum Darwinism and its frameworks contribute to the understanding of emergent objectivity and have much potential to further explore aspects of the transition within the structure of quantum mechanics.
Quantum mechanics is one of the most successful theories, correctly predicting huge class of physical phenomena. Ironically, in spite of all its successes, there is a notorious problem: how does Nature create a ''bridge'' from fragile quanta to the robust, objective world of everyday experience? It is now commonly accepted that the most promising approach is the Decoherence Theory, based on the system-environment paradigm. To explain the observed redundancy and objectivity of information in the classical realm, Zurek proposed to divide the environment into independent fractions and argued that each of them carries a nearly complete classical information about the system. This Quantum Darwinism model has nevertheless some serious drawbacks: i) the entropic information redundancy is motivated by a priori purely classical reasoning; ii) there is no answer to the basic question: what physical process makes the transition from quantum description to classical objectivity possible? Here we prove that the necessary and sufficient condition for objective existence of a state is the spectrum broadcasting process, which, in particular, implies Quantum Darwinism. We first show it in general, using multiple environments paradigm, a suitable definition of objectivity, and Bohr's notion of non-disturbance, and then on the emblematic example for Decoherence Theory: a dielectric sphere illuminated by photons. We also apply Perron-Frobenius Theorem to show a faithful, ''decoherence-free'' form of broadcasting. We suggest that the spectrum broadcasting might be one of the foundational properties of Nature, which opens a ''window'' for life processes.
Este artículo ofrece un análisis crítico y sistemático de la propuesta de solución al problema de la medida desarrollada por Wojciech H. Zurek, centrada en el concepto de Darwinismo Cuántico y su extensión en la interpretación existencial. Partiendo de una revisión del marco conceptual clásico y cuántico de la medición, se examina cómo Zurek intenta reconciliar el formalismo unitario de la mecánica cuántica con la experiencia de observación de resultados definidos en sistemas macroscópicos. Se analiza el modelo de medición como interacción entre sistema y aparato, destacando el papel de la decoherencia y la redundancia informacional en la emergencia de la objetividad. El concepto de extanton (núcleo más halo informacional) se introduce como unidad funcional que modela la existencia objetiva en contextos cuánticos. El artículo evalúa la consistencia ontológica de esta propuesta y su relación con las interpretaciones de Bohr y Everett, así como su capacidad para proporcionar una descripción físicamente fundamentada del mundo clásico emergente. Finalmente, se discuten sus implicaciones filosóficas, y se pone en cuestión si este enfoque constituye una verdadera solución al problema de la medida o si permanece en un nivel operativo y fenomenológico.