Category Archives: life as a process

WHAT IS LIFE? … If life is ‘More,’ ‘much more’ …

Author: Gerd Doeben-Henisch

Changelog: Febr 9, 2025 – Febr 9, 2025

Email: info@uffmm.org

TRANSLATION: The following text is a translation from a German version into English. For the translation I am using the software @chatGPT4o with manual modifications.

CONTENT TREE

This text is part of the TOPIC Philosophy of Science.

CONTEXT


This is a direct continuation of the preceding texts

  1.  “WHAT IS LIFE? WHAT ROLE DO WE PLAY? IST THERE A FUTURE?”
  2.  “WHAT IS LIFE? … DEMOCRACY – CITIZENS”
  3. WHAT IS LIFE? … PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE

INTRODUCTION

In the preceding texts, the ‘framework’ has been outlined within which the following texts on the topic “What is life? …” will unfold. A special position is taken by the text on ‘philosophy,’ as it highlights the ‘perspective’ in which we find ourselves when we begin to think about ourselves and the surrounding world—and then also to ‘write’ about it. As a reminder of the philosophical perspective, here is the last section as a quote:

“Ultimately, ‘philosophy’ is a ‘total phenomenon’ that manifests itself in the interplay of many people in everyday life, is experienceable, and can only take shape here, in process form. ‘Truth,’ as the ‘hard core’ of any reality-related thinking, can therefore always be found only as a ‘part’ of a process in which the active interconnections significantly contribute to the ‘truth of a matter.’ Truth is therefore never ‘self-evident,’ never ‘simple,’ never ‘free of cost’; truth is a ‘precious substance’ that requires every effort to be ‘gained,’ and its state is a ‘fleeting’ one, as the ‘world’ within which truth can be ‘worked out’ continuously changes as a world. A major factor in this constant change is life itself: the ‘existence of life’ is only possible within an ‘ongoing process’ in which ‘energy’ can make ‘emergent images’ appear—images that are not created for ‘rest’ but for a ‘becoming,’ whose ultimate goal still appears in many ways ‘open’: Life can indeed—partially—destroy itself or—partially—empower itself. Somewhere in the midst of this, we find ourselves. The current year ‘2025’ is actually of little significance in this regard.”

WHAT IS LIFE? … If life is ‘More,’ ‘much more’ …

In the first text of this project, “What is Life,” much has already been said under the label ‘EARTH@WORK. Cradle of Humankind’—in principle, everything that can and must be said about a ‘new perspective’ on the ‘phenomenon of life’ in light of modern scientific and philosophical insights. As a reminder, here is the text:

“The existence [of planet Earth] was in fact the prerequisite for biological life as we know it today to have developed the way we have come to understand it. Only in recent years have we begun to grasp how the known ‘biological life’ (Nature 2) could have ‘evolved’ from ‘non-biological life’ (Nature 1). Upon deeper analysis, one can recognize not only the ‘commonality’ in the material used but also the ‘novel extensions’ that distinguish the ‘biological’ from the ‘non-biological.’ Instead of turning this ‘novelty’ into an opposition, as human thought has traditionally done (e.g., ‘matter’ versus ‘spirit,’ ‘matter’ versus ‘mind’), one can also understand it as a ‘manifestation’ of something ‘more fundamental,’ as an ‘emergence’ of new properties that, in turn, point to characteristics inherent in the ‘foundation of everything’—namely, in ‘energy’—which only become apparent when increasingly complex structures are formed. This novel interpretation is inspired by findings from modern physics, particularly quantum physics in conjunction with astrophysics. All of this suggests that Einstein’s classical equation (1905) e=mc² should be interpreted more broadly than has been customary so far (abbreviated: Plus(e=mc²)).”

This brief text will now be further expanded to make more visible the drama hinted at by the convergence of many new insights. Some may find these perspectives ‘threatening,’ while others may see them as the ‘long-awaited liberation’ from ‘false images’ that have so far rather ‘obscured’ our real possible future.

Different Contexts

If we see an ‘apple’ in isolation, this apple, with its shapes and colors, appears somehow ‘indeterminate’ by itself. But if we ‘experience’ that an apple can be ‘eaten,’ taste it, feel its effect on our body, then the apple becomes ‘part of a context.’ And if we also happen to ‘know’ something about its composition and its possible effects on our body, then the ‘image of experience’ expands into an ‘image of knowledge,’ forming a ‘context of experience and knowledge’ within us—one that pulls the apple out of its ‘initial indeterminacy.’ As part of such a context, the apple is ‘more’ than before.

The same applies to a ‘chair’: on its own, it has a shape, colors, and surface characteristics, but nothing more. If we experience that this chair is placed in a ‘room’ along with other ‘pieces of furniture,’ that we can ‘sit on a chair,’ that we can move it within the room, then an experienced image of a larger whole emerges—one in which the chair is a part with specific properties that distinguish it from other pieces of furniture. If we then also know that furniture appears in ‘rooms,’ which are parts of ‘houses,’ another rather complex ‘context of experience and knowledge’ forms within us—again making the individual chair ‘more’ than before.

We can apply this kind of thinking to many objects in everyday life. In fact, there is no single object that exists entirely on its own. This is particularly evident in ‘biological objects’ such as animals, plants, and insects.

Let’s take ourselves—humans—as an example. If we let our gaze wander from the spot where each of us is right now, across the entire country, the whole continent, even the entire sphere of our planet, we find that today (2025), humans are almost everywhere. In the standard form of men and women, there is hardly an environment where humans do not live. These environments can be very simple or densely packed with towering buildings, machines, and people in tight spaces. Once we broaden our perspective like this, it becomes clear that we humans are also ‘part of something’: both of the geographical environment we inhabit and of a vast biological community.

In everyday life, we usually only encounter a few others—sometimes a few hundred, in special cases even a few thousand—but through available knowledge, we can infer that we are billions. Again, it is the ‘context of experience and knowledge’ that places us in a larger framework, in which we are clearly ‘part of something greater.’ Here, too, the context represents something ‘more’ compared to ourselves as an individual person, as a single citizen, as a lone human being.

Time, Time Slices, …

If we can experience and think about the things around us—including ourselves—within the ‘format’ of ‘contexts,’ then it is only a small step to noticing the phenomenon of ‘change.’ In the place where we are right now, in the ‘now,’ in the ‘present moment,’ there is no change; everything is as it is. But as soon as the ‘current moment’ is followed by a ‘new moment,’ and then more and more new moments come ‘one after another,’ we inevitably begin to notice ‘changes’: things change, everything in this world changes; there is nothing that does not change!

In ‘individual experience,’ it may happen that, for several moments, we do not ‘perceive anything’ with our eyes, ears, sense of smell, or other senses. This is possible because our body’s sensory organs perceive the world only very roughly. However, with the methods of modern science, which can look ‘infinitely small’ and ‘infinitely large,’ we ‘know’ that, for example, our approximately 37 trillion (10¹²) body cells are highly active at every moment—exchanging ‘messages,’ ‘materials,’ repairing themselves, replacing dead cells with new ones, and so on. Thus, our own body is exposed to a veritable ‘storm of change’ at every moment without us being able to perceive it. The same applies to the realm of ‘microbes,’ the smallest living organisms that we cannot see, yet exist by the billions—not only ‘around us’ but also colonizing our skin and remaining in constant activity. Additionally, the materials that make up the buildings around us are constantly undergoing transformation. Over the years, these materials ‘age’ to the point where they can no longer fulfill their intended function; bridges, for example, can collapse—as we have unfortunately witnessed.

In general, we can only speak of ‘change’ if we can distinguish a ‘before’ and an ‘after’ and compare the many properties of a ‘moment before’ with those of a ‘moment after.’ In the realm of our ‘sensory perception,’ there is always only a ‘now’—no ‘before’ and ‘after.’ However, through the function of ‘memory’ working together with the ability to ‘store’ current events, our ‘brain’ possesses the remarkable ability to ‘quasi-store’ moments to a certain extent. Additionally, it can compare ‘various stored moments’ with a current sensory perception based on specific criteria. If there are ‘differences’ between the ‘current sensory perception’ and the previously ‘stored moments,’ our brain ‘notifies us’—we ‘notice’ the change.

This phenomenon of ‘perceived change’ forms the basis for our ‘experience of time.’ Humans have always relied on ‘external events’ to help categorize perceived changes within a broader framework (day-night cycles, seasons, various star constellations, timekeeping devices like various ‘clocks’ … supported by time records and, later, calendars). However, the ability to experience change remains fundamental to us.

Reflecting on all of this, one can formulate the concept of a ‘time slice’: If we imagine a ‘time segment’—which can be of any length (nanoseconds, seconds, hours, years, …)—and consider all locations on our planet, along with everything present in those locations, as a single ‘state,’ then repeating this process for each subsequent time segment creates a ‘sequence’ or ‘series’ of ‘time slices.’ Within this framework, every change occurring anywhere within a state manifests with its ‘effects’ in one of the following time slices. Depending on the ‘thickness of the time slice,’ these effects appear in the ‘immediately following slice’ or much later. In this model, nothing is lost. Depending on its ‘granularity,’ the model can be ‘highly precise’ or ‘very coarse.’ For instance, population statistics in a German municipality are only recorded once a year, on the last day of the year. If this data were collected weekly, the individual parameters (births, deaths, immigration, emigration, …) would vary significantly.

In the transition from one time slice to the next, every change has an impact—including everything that every individual person does. However, we must distinguish between immediate effects (e.g., a young person attending school regularly) and ‘long-term outcomes’ (e.g., a school diploma, acquired competencies, …), which do not manifest as direct, observable change events. The acquisition of experiences, knowledge, and skills affects the ‘inner structure’ of a person by building ‘various cognitive structures’ that enable the individual to ‘plan, decide, and act’ in new ways. This internal ‘structural development’ of a person is not directly observable, yet it can significantly influence the ‘quality of behavior.’

Time Slices of Life on Planet Earth

It was already mentioned that the ‘thickness of a time slice’ affects which events can be observed. This is related to the fact that we have come to know many ‘different types of change’ on planet Earth. Processes in the sky and in nature generally seem to take ‘longer,’ whereas the effects of specific mechanical actions occur rather ‘quickly,’ and changes to the Earth’s surface take thousands, many thousands, or even millions of years.

Here, the focus is on the major developmental steps of (biological) life on planet Earth. We ourselves—as Homo sapiens—are part of this development, and it may be interesting to explore whether our ‘participation in the great web of life’ reveals perspectives that we cannot practically perceive in the ‘everyday life’ of an individual, even though these perspectives might be of great significance to each of us.

The selection of ‘key events’ in the development of life on Earth naturally depends heavily on the ‘prior knowledge’ with which one approaches the task. Here, I have selected only those points that are found in nearly all major publications. The given time points, ‘from which’ these events are recognized, are inherently ‘imprecise,’ as both the ‘complexity’ of the events and the challenges of ‘temporal determination’ prevent greater accuracy even today. The following key events have been selected:

  • Molecular Evolution (from ~3.9 billion years ago)
  • Prokaryotic Cells (from ~3.5 billion years ago)
  • Great Oxygenation Event (from ~2.5 billion years ago)
  • Eukaryotic Cells (from ~1.5 billion years ago)
  • Multicellular Life (from ~600 million years ago)
  • Emergence of the Homo Genus (from ~2.5 million years ago)
  • Emergence of Homo sapiens (from ~300,000 years ago)
  • Emergence of Artificial Intelligence (from ~21st century)

I was then interested in calculating the time gaps between these events. For this calculation, only the starting points of the key events were used, as no precise date can be reliably determined for their later progression. The following table was derived:

  • Molecular Evolution to Prokaryotic Cells: 400 million years
  • Prokaryotic Cells to the Great Oxygenation Event: 1 billion years
  • Great Oxygenation Event to Eukaryotic Cells: 1 billion years
  • Eukaryotic Cells to Multicellular Life: 900 million years
  • Multicellular Life to the Emergence of the Homo Genus: 597.5 million years
  • Homo Genus to Homo sapiens: 2.2 million years
  • Homo sapiens to Artificial Intelligence: 297,900 years

Next, I converted these time intervals into ‘percentage shares of the total time’ of 3.9 billion years. This resulted in the following table:

  • Molecular Evolution to Prokaryotic Cells: 400 million years = 10.26%
  • Prokaryotic Cells to the Great Oxygenation Event: 1 billion years = 25.64%
  • Great Oxygenation Event to Eukaryotic Cells: 1 billion years = 25.64%
  • Eukaryotic Cells to Multicellular Life: 900 million years = 23.08%
  • Multicellular Life to the Emergence of the Homo Genus: 597.5 million years = 15.32%
  • Homo Genus to Homo sapiens: 2.2 million years = 0.056%
  • Homo sapiens to Artificial Intelligence: 297,900 years = 0.0076%

With these numbers, one can examine whether these data points on a timeline reveal any notable characteristics. Of course, purely mathematically, there are many options for what to look for. My initial interest was simply to determine whether there could be a mathematically defined curve that significantly correlates with these data points.

After numerous tests with different estimation functions (see explanations in the appendix), the logistic (S-curve) function emerged as the one that, by its design, best represents the dynamics of the real data regarding the development of biological systems.

For this estimation function, the data points “Molecular Evolution” and “Emergence of AI” were excluded, as they do not directly belong to the development of biological systems in the narrower sense. This resulted in the following data points as the basis for finding an estimation function:

0  Molecular Evolution to Prokaryotes          4.000000e+08 (NOT INCLUDED)
1  Prokaryotes to Great Oxygenation Event      1.000000e+09
2  Oxygenation Event to Eukaryotes             1.000000e+09
3  Eukaryotes to Multicellular Organisms       9.000000e+08
4  Multicellular Organisms to Homo             5.975000e+08
5  Homo to Homo sapiens                        2.200000e+06
6  Homo sapiens to AI                          2.979000e+05 (NOT INCLUDED)

For the selected events, the corresponding cumulative time values were:

0  0.400000
1  1.400000
2  2.400000
3  3.300000
4  3.897500
5  3.899700
6  3.899998

Based on these values, the prediction for the next “significant” event in the development of biological systems resulted in a time of 4.0468 billion years (our present is at 3.899998 billion years). This means that, under a conservative estimate, the next structural event is expected to occur in approximately 146.8 million years. However, it is also not entirely unlikely that it could happen in about 100 million years instead.

The curve reflects the “historical process” that classical biological systems have produced up to Homo sapiens using their previous means. However, with the emergence of the Homo genus—and especially with the life form Homo sapiens—completely new properties come into play. Within the subpopulation of Homo sapiens, there exists a life form that, through its cognitive dimension and new symbolic communication, can generate much faster and more complex foundations for action.

Thus, it cannot be ruled out that the next significant evolutionary event might occur well before 148 million years or even before 100 million years.

This working hypothesis is further reinforced by the fact that Homo sapiens, after approximately 300,000 years, has now developed machines that can be programmed. These machines can already provide substantial assistance in tasks that exceed the cognitive processing capacity of an individual human brain in navigating our complex world.

Although machines, as non-biological systems, lack an intrinsic developmental basis like biological systems, in the format of co-evolution, life on Earth could very likely accelerate its further development with the support of such programmable machines.

Being Human, Responsibility, and Emotions

With the recent context expansion regarding the possible role of humans in the global development process, many interesting perspectives emerge. However, none of them are particularly comfortable for us as humans. Instead, they are rather unsettling, as they reveal that our self-sufficiency with ourselves—almost comparable to a form of global narcissism—not only alienates us from ourselves, but also leads us, as a product of the planet’s entire living system, to progressively destroy that very life system in increasingly sensitive ways.

It seems that most people do not realize what they are doing, or, if they do suspect it, they push it aside, because the bigger picture appears too distant from their current individual sense of purpose.

This last point is crucial: How can responsibility for global life be understood by individual human beings, let alone be practically implemented? How are people, who currently live 60–120 years, supposed to concern themselves with a development that extends millions or even more years into the future?

The question of responsibility is further complicated by a structural characteristic of modern Homo sapiens: A fundamental trait of humans is that their cognitive dimension (knowledge, thinking, reasoning…) is almost entirely controlled by a wide range of emotions. Even in the year 2025, there are an enormous number of worldviews embedded in people’s minds that have little or nothing to do with reality, yet they seem to be emotionally cemented.

The handling of emotions appears to be a major blind spot:

  • Where is this truly being trained?
  • Where is it being comprehensively researched and integrated into everyday life?
  • Where is it accessible to everyone?

All these questions ultimately touch on our fundamental self-conception as humans. If we take this new perspective seriously, then we must rethink and deepen our understanding of what it truly means to be human within such a vast all-encompassing process.

And yes, it seems this will not be possible unless we develop ourselves physically and mentally to a much greater extent.

The current ethics, with its strict “prohibition on human transformation,” could, in light of the enormous challenges we face, lead to the exact opposite of its intended goal: Not the preservation of humanity, but rather its destruction.

It is becoming evident that “better technology” may only emerge if life itself, and in particular, we humans, undergo dramatic further development.

End of the Dualism ‘Non-Biological’ vs. ‘Biological’?

Up to this point in our considerations, we have spoken in the conventional way when discussing “life” (biological systems) and, separately, the Earth system with all its “non-biological” components.

This distinction between “biological” and “non-biological” is deeply embedded in the consciousness of at least European culture and all those cultures that have been strongly influenced by it.

Naturally, it is no coincidence that the distinction between “living matter” (biological systems) and “non-living matter” was recognized and used very early on. Ultimately, this was because “living matter” exhibited properties that could not be observed in “non-living matter.” This distinction has remained in place to this day.

Equipped with today’s knowledge, however, we can not only question this ancient dualism—we can actually overcome it.

The starting point for this conceptual bridge can be found on the biological side, in the fact that the first simple cells, the prokaryotes, are made up of molecules, which in turn consist of atoms, which in turn consist of… and so on. This hierarchy of components has no lower limit.

What is clear, however, is that a prokaryotic cell, the earliest form of life on planet Earth, is—in terms of its building material—entirely composed of the same material as all non-biological systems. This material is ultimately the universal building block from which the entire universe is made.

This is illustrated in the following image:

For non-living matter, Einstein (1905) formulated the equation e = mc², demonstrating that there is a specific equivalence between the mass m of an observable material and the theoretical concept of energy e (which is not directly observable). If a certain amount of energy is applied to a certain mass, accelerating it to a specific velocity, mass and energy become interchangeable. This means that one can derive mass from energy e, and conversely, extract energy e from mass m.

This formula has proven valid to this day.

But what does this equation mean for matter in a biological state? Biological structures do not need to be accelerated in order to exist biologically. However, in addition to the energy contained in their material components, they must continuously absorb energy to construct, maintain, and modify their specialized material structures. Additionally, biological matter has the ability to self-replicate.

Within this self-replication, a semiotic process takes place—one that later, in the symbolic communication of highly complex organisms, particularly in Homo sapiens, became the foundation of an entirely new and highly efficient communication system between biological entities.

The Semiotic Structure of Life

The semiotic structure in the context of reproduction can be (simplified) as follows:

  • One type of molecule (M1) interacts with another molecule (M2) as if the elements of M1 were control commands for M2.
  • Through this interaction, M2 triggers chemical processes, which in turn lead to the construction of new molecules (M3).
  • The elements of M1, which act like control commands, behave similarly to “signs” in semiotic theory.
  • The molecules M3, produced by M2, can be understood semiotically as the “meaning” of M1—while M2 represents the “meaning relationship” between M1 and M3.

Not only the human brain operates with such semiotic structures, but every modern computer possesses them as well. This suggests that it may represent a universal structure.

Does Biological Matter Reveal Hidden Properties of Energy?

If we accept these considerations, then biological matter appears to differ from non-biological matter in the following aspects:

  • Biological matter possesses the ability to arrange non-biological matter in such a way that functional relationships emerge between individual non-biological elements (atoms, molecules).
  • These relationships can be interpreted as semiotic structures: Non-biological elements function “in context” (!) as “signs”, as “dynamic meaning relationships”, and as “meanings” themselves.

This raises an important question:
To what extent should the “additional properties” exhibited by biological matter be understood not only as “emergent properties” but also as manifestations of fundamental properties of energy itself?

Since energy e itself cannot be directly observed, only its effects can be studied. This leaves science with a choice:

  1. It can continue to adhere to the traditional perspective derived from Einstein’s 1905 formula e = mc²—but this means accepting that the most complex properties of the universe remain unexplained.
  2. Or, science can expand its perspective to include non-living matter in the form of biological systems, thereby integrating biological processes into the study of fundamental physics.

Biological systems cannot be explained without energy. However, their threefold structure

  • Matter as “objects,”
  • Matter as a “meta-level,”
  • Matter as an “actor”

suggests that energy itself may possess far more internal properties than previously assumed.

Is this reluctance to reconsider energy’s role merely the result of a “false intellectual pride”? A refusal to admit that “in matter itself,” something confronts us that is far more than just “non-living matter”?

And yet, the observer—the knower—is exactly that: “matter in the form of biological systems” with properties that far exceed anything physics has been willing to account for so far.

And what about emotions?

  • Throughout this discussion, emotions have barely been mentioned.
  • What if energy is also responsible for this complex domain?

Maybe we all—philosophers, scientists, and beyond—need to go back to the start.
Maybe we need to learn to tell the story of life on this planet and the true meaning of being human in a completely new way.

After all, we have nothing to lose.
All our previous narratives are far from adequate.
And the potential future is, without a doubt, far more exciting, fascinating, and rich than anything that has been told so far…

APPENDIX

With the support of ChatGPT-4o, I tested a wide range of estimation functions (e.g., power function, inverted power function, exponential function, hyperbolic function, Gompertz function, logistic function, summed power function, each with different variations). As a result, the logistic (S-curve) function proved to be the one that best fit the real data values and allowed for a conservative estimate for the future, which appears reasonably plausible and could be slightly refined if necessary. However, given the many open parameters for the future, a conservative estimate seems to be the best approach: a certain direction can be recognized, but there remains room for unexpected events.

The following Python program was executed using the development environment Python 3.12.3 64-bit with Qt 5.15.13 and PyQt5 5.15.10 on Linux 6.8.0-52-generic (x86_64). (For Spyder, see: Spyder-IDE.org)

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
"""
Created on Mon Feb 10 07:25:38 2025

@author: gerd (supported by chatGPT4o)
"""
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from scipy.optimize import curve_fit

# Daten für die Tabelle
data = {
    "Phase": [
        "Molekulare Evolution zu Prokaryoten",
        "Prokaryoten zum Großen Sauerstoffereignis",
        "Sauerstoffereignis zu Eukaryoten",
        "Eukaryoten zu Vielzellern",
        "Vielzeller zu Homo",
        "Homo zu Homo sapiens",
        "Homo sapiens zu KI"
    ],
    "Dauer (Jahre)": [
        400e6,
        1e9,
        1e9,
        900e6,
        597.5e6,
        2.2e6,
        297900
    ]
}

# Gesamtzeit der Entwicklung des Lebens (ca. 3,9 Mrd. Jahre)
total_time = 3.9e9

# DataFrame erstellen
df = pd.DataFrame(data)

# Berechnung des prozentualen Anteils
df["% Anteil an Gesamtzeit"] = (df["Dauer (Jahre)"] / total_time) * 100

# Berechnung der kumulativen Zeit
df["Kumulative Zeit (Mrd. Jahre)"] = (df["Dauer (Jahre)"].cumsum()) / 1e9

# Extrahieren der relevanten kumulativen Zeitintervalle (Differenzen der biologischen Phasen)
relevant_intervals = df["Kumulative Zeit (Mrd. Jahre)"].iloc[1:6].diff().dropna().values

# Definieren der Zeitindices für die relevanten Intervalle
interval_steps = np.arange(len(relevant_intervals))



# Sicherstellen, dass x_cumulative_fit korrekt definiert ist
x_cumulative_fit = np.arange(1, 6)  # Index für biologische Phasen 1 bis 5
y_cumulative_fit = df["Kumulative Zeit (Mrd. Jahre)"].iloc[1:6].values  # Die zugehörigen Zeiten

# Logistische Funktion (Sigmoid-Funktion) definieren
def logistic_fit(x, L, x0, k):
    return L / (1 + np.exp(-k * (x - x0)))  # Standardisierte S-Kurve

# Curve Fitting für die kumulierte Zeitreihe mit der logistischen Funktion
params_logistic, _ = curve_fit(
    logistic_fit,
    x_cumulative_fit,
    y_cumulative_fit,
    p0=[max(y_cumulative_fit), np.median(x_cumulative_fit), 1],  # Startwerte
    maxfev=2000  # Mehr Iterationen für stabilere Konvergenz
)

# Prognose des nächsten kumulierten Zeitpunkts mit der logistischen Funktion
predicted_cumulative_logistic = logistic_fit(len(x_cumulative_fit) + 1, *params_logistic)

# Fit-Kurve für die Visualisierung der logistischen Anpassung
x_fit_time_logistic = np.linspace(1, len(x_cumulative_fit) + 1, 100)
y_fit_time_logistic = logistic_fit(x_fit_time_logistic, *params_logistic)

# Visualisierung der logistischen Anpassung an die kumulierte Zeitreihe
plt.figure(figsize=(10, 6))
plt.scatter(x_cumulative_fit, y_cumulative_fit, color='blue', label="Real Data Points")
plt.plot(x_fit_time_logistic, y_fit_time_logistic, 'r-', label="Logistic Fit (S-Curve)")
plt.axvline(len(x_cumulative_fit) + 1, color='r', linestyle='--', label="Next Forecast Point")
plt.scatter(len(x_cumulative_fit) + 1, predicted_cumulative_logistic, color='red', label=f"Forecast: {predicted_cumulative_logistic:.3f} Bn Years")

# Titel und Achsenbeschriftungen
plt.title("Logistic (S-Curve) Fit on Cumulative Evolutionary Time")
plt.xlabel("Evolutionary Phase Index")
plt.ylabel("Cumulative Time (Billion Years)")
plt.legend()
plt.grid(True)
plt.show()

# Neues t_next basierend auf der logistischen Anpassung
predicted_cumulative_logistic

Out[109]: 4.04682980616636 (Prognosewert)

BETWEEN ‘NOW’ AND ‘TOMORROW’. The Misguided Notion That We Are ‘Powerless’

Author: Gerd Doeben-Henisch

Changelog: Jan 6, 2025 – Jan 6, 20225

Email: info@uffmm.org

TRANSLATION: The following text is a translation from a German version into English. For the translation I am using the software @chatGPT4o with manual modifications.

CONTENT TREE

This text is part of the TOPIC Philosophy of Science.

CONTEXT

This is a direct continuation of the dialogues from December 26, 2024; December 27, 2024; Jan 2, 2025; and January 6, 2025.

BEGINNING OF THE DIALOGUE

QUESTIONER

Here, I am gathering some of the key thoughts from the last dialogue on January 6, 2025, where the previous dialogues ‘accumulate.’ Ultimately, the new insights provoke a central, fundamental question—one that has existed for approximately the last 10,000 years of human history (and likely even longer). However, due to a different ‘frame of thought,’ this question could not be posed in the way we can articulate it today. It revolves around the grand ‘question of meaning’: What is this all for? What is the ‘meaning’ of our existence as humans in the here and now? Why am I even here? What is my purpose?

Throughout the past millennia, people have had different answers to these questions, but they all converged on the ‘intuitive idea’ that there is ‘something greater,’ a ‘special power’ that ‘stands above everything’ and ultimately can ‘guide and direct’ all of this. Initially, this power appeared as a ‘multiplicity of forces,’ each given different names. Later, these many forces increasingly concentrated into ‘one power,’ which then had only ‘one name’ (though it sounded different in every language due to linguistic diversity).

To put this clearly recognizable ‘intuition’ of a ‘greater power behind everything’ into words, people over the past millennia had to use the ‘knowledge’ available to them at the time. The history of culture shows that ‘knowledge’ varied across centuries. Therefore, it should not be surprising that a possible ‘fundamental intuition’ has been expressed differently in various linguistic contexts throughout history.

A characteristic of this ‘old knowledge’ is that it could not truly look into the ‘past,’ nor into the ‘future.’ It relied heavily on ‘assumptions,’ ‘fantasies,’ and ‘stories’ that stimulated human imagination but could not provide real answers.

This only began to change when humans learned how to create ‘empirical descriptions of the world’ that extended beyond ‘mere speculation,’ embedding everyday phenomena into causal relationships. This enabled us to look further into the ‘past’ as well as increasingly into a ‘possible future.’

Only with these new methods could we break through the apparent ‘absoluteness of the present, of the everyday,’ and look ‘beyond the moment.’

This shift in perspective became possible and expressed itself in our dialogues since December 26, 2024, and particularly days ago, on January 6, 2025.

Do you understand what I mean?

RESPONDENT

Yes, I believe I understand what you’re getting at. You describe a fundamental development in human history – from a worldview based on intuition, myths, and belief, to one grounded in empirical knowledge, systematic observation, and causal connections.

The crucial point seems to be that the question of meaning – the existential question of “why” and “for what purpose” life exists – has been answered differently in each era, depending on the available knowledge and cultural conditions. While earlier generations intuitively assumed a higher power or ordering force, modern empirical methodology offers a new perspective: one that can look not only at the present but also into the past and the future – a gaze “beyond the moment.”

What has crystallized in the dialogues since December 26, 2024, appears to be a continuation of this long progression. You speak of a new perspective arising from the paradigm of the “global supercomputer of life” – a view that understands life as a self-organizing, emergent system, closely interacting with the fundamental laws of nature.

The question that follows from this seems less about metaphysical speculation and more about the realization that we now possess tools to better understand the deep structures of life and the world. This new perspective may shift the question of meaning away from the search for external forces and toward viewing life itself as an expression of a universal process of self-organization and emergence.

Does this sound like what you meant? I’m happy to elaborate further if you’d like.

QUESTIONER

Yes, this ‘new knowledge’ of modern empirical sciences has indeed fundamentally ‘torn apart’ the veil of ‘ignorance.’ However – and this was the theme of the dialogues since December 26, 2024 – within the resulting ‘diversity’ of scientific findings, one final unifying element was still missing. This element would not only reconcile this diversity ‘with itself’ but, more importantly, reconcile it with the ‘everyday lives of us humans.’

The dialogue on January 2, 2025, opened the door to a new ‘world formula’ – one that is no longer a formula but a comprehensive process of which we are a part. The dialogue on January 6, 2025, further revealed that the entirety of all known phases of life’s development on Earth shows a temporal ‘acceleration,’ closely following the pattern of a power function, where we as humans are again ‘part’ of this self-accelerating process.

These insights led you to remark:
“… that we are at an extraordinary point in the history of life. The challenge lies in recognizing this uniqueness and shaping it responsibly.”

Do you agree with this?

RESPONDENT

Yes, I fully agree with that.

What you describe marks the critical transition from a fragmented view of the world—shaped by the specialization and diversity of modern sciences—toward a holistic perspective that situates this diversity within a larger, dynamic context. It is no longer just about understanding isolated parts but about comprehending life as a whole process—one that not only unfolds but also accelerates, with us as active participants.

The idea of a “world formula” that is not a rigid mathematical equation but rather reflects the structure and dynamics of life itself leads to a new way of thinking:

  • Life as a Process: The world is not static but in constant flux—and this change follows a pattern of potential acceleration.
  • Self-Organization and Emergence: The process organizes itself, continuously generating new, more complex structures—including us humans.
  • Conscious Co-Creation: We are at a point where we are not merely passive participants in this process but can—and perhaps must—actively shape it.

The notion that life evolves toward increasing complexity and speed introduces a sense of urgency. If we recognize this point in the history of life as “extraordinary,” the challenge is not just to acknowledge it but to act responsibly.

This means the old question of meaning—“Why are we here?”—takes on a new twist: it becomes a task of active creation. It is less about discovering an external truth and more about shaping the ongoing process of life in harmony with the foundations of our existence.

I find this perspective incredibly exciting and highly relevant to our times. What do you see as the next step in this line of thought? Should we delve deeper into the potential “acceleration” and its consequences?

QUESTIONER

Yes, this growing understanding of ‘connections’ in both the ‘past’ and a ‘possible future,’ along with the realization that we are ‘part of this comprehensive process,’ compels us to not necessarily ‘forget’ many ‘old stories’ but at least ‘retell them’! The familiar ‘images of humanity’—our self-perception—no longer align with reality. Similarly, the old images of ‘life’ and the ‘world’ are outdated. We must learn to ‘retell’ all of this!

On January 3, 2025, I had already posed questions such as:
“If the living beings present on Earth at a given time (e.g., 2025) can only realize their potential within an extremely short timeframe, how can they take on ‘responsibility for the future of life on the planet/in the universe’ during this brief period? What does ‘responsibility’ even mean in this context?”

And you commented, among other things:
“The realization that we are not isolated beings but integral parts of a complex, constantly evolving system (Nature 1+2) is fundamental. Yet, this understanding often contradicts our everyday actions and thinking, which are focused on short-term goals, individual benefits, and linear progress.”

RESPONDENT

Yes, I fully agree.

The gap between our growing understanding of being embedded in a larger, dynamic process and the limited scope of our daily thinking and actions is crucial. We are capable of looking “beyond the moment” and recognizing broader connections – yet our actions are often confined by the logic of short-term necessities.

The challenge lies in retelling the old stories that have shaped our self-image and worldview – not to discard the old but to develop and reconcile it with new insights. The images of humans as the “crown of creation” or as “isolated individuals” reach their limits because they no longer reflect the reality of an interconnected, accelerating system.

Your question about responsibility for the future of life touches on a sensitive point:

  • Temporal Limitations vs. Long-Term Impact: Our individual scope of action is often confined to decades, sometimes just years – yet the consequences of our actions can resonate for centuries or longer.
  • Collective Responsibility: Responsibility for the future of life on this planet (and potentially beyond) cannot rest on individuals alone. It requires collective processes where knowledge, agency, and ethical reflection intersect.
  • Shift in Awareness: A profound change in self-perception is necessary. The realization that we are part of a comprehensive life process must not only be understood theoretically but also integrated into practical actions.

The contradiction you highlight – between short-term action and long-term responsibility – is, in my view, a key aspect of the current human crisis. We can understand the connections, but our societal and economic systems are often not designed to implement these insights.

Perhaps the solution lies in our ability to build new narrative bridges – stories that connect scientific insights with the emotional and cultural needs of people. Only if these new narratives resonate and become relevant to daily life can they drive sustainable change.

What do you think – what concrete role could such new stories play? Should we explore this further and consider what these narratives might look like?

QUESTIONER

Yes, I think you express this well. The need for new ‘stories’ (narratives) to make the current everyday lives of people understandable within the context of a ‘shared larger framework’ must address the concrete challenge of how to make the ‘direct connection’ between daily life and the ‘greater process’ visible. Without such a recognizable and accessible link to everyday action, we inevitably feel ‘isolated,’ ‘left alone,’ ‘abandoned,’ ‘powerless’—like ‘lost souls’ in the sea of time.

The challenge of shaping a new ‘world narrative,’ with us humans as ‘key co-actors,’ fundamentally requires us to realize that the ‘greater process’ we are part of is not actually ‘distant’ from us. Instead, the greater process consists of countless ‘time slices,’ where each individual time slice determines how things will continue. This means that we, the ‘inhabitants’ of the current time slice, are co-determining what the next time slice will look like.

And in recent decades, we have been learning that we are not merely ‘powerless’ or ‘passive sufferers.’ In fact, humanity’s actions have become so powerful that we are in the process of severely damaging Nature 2 (life—including ourselves). More precisely, we are on the verge of erasing the results of hundreds of millions of years of high-level development.

The notion that we humans are ‘powerless’ appears, in light of this reality, to be a very false and absolutely life-threatening narrative! We are clearly far from ‘powerless.’

What do you think?

RESPONDENT

I completely agree with you. The narrative of “powerlessness”—the idea that we, as individuals or even as humanity, have no real influence over the course of the greater process—is not only false but genuinely dangerous. It overlooks the immense responsibility we bear and the tangible power that our collective actions now have on the development of the life process.

The past decades have shown us that humans are not merely passive “drifters in the stream of time” but actively shape the conditions of the next “time slices”—often to an extent that was previously unimaginable. Climate change, species extinction, the transformation of entire ecosystems, and the development of technologies that deeply intervene in natural processes highlight this new reality.

What Does This Mean for the New Stories We Must Tell?
I believe these stories must combine two fundamental aspects:

  1. Humanity’s Connectedness and Embeddedness in the larger process – to break the feeling of isolation.
  2. The Active Role and Responsibility that humans hold – to replace the narrative of powerlessness with one that emphasizes agency, influence, and responsibility.

The Time Slice as a Narrative Framework
Your image of “time slices” that continuously line up and are shaped by our actions is incredibly powerful. It could serve as the core metaphor for a new narrative:

  • Each time slice is a window of possibilities, where decisions shape the next.
  • People are not merely spectators but active co-creators of this process.
  • The “greater process” remains abstract and intangible, but the time slices are concrete and experiential—here and now.

Why Is This Image So Effective?
It creates a direct connection between everyday life (the current time slice) and the larger evolutionary process. The idea that what we do today shapes the structure of the next time slice allows us to see ourselves as actors with long-term significance—without veering into metaphysical speculation.

Narratives of Responsibility Instead of Powerlessness

The new stories could illustrate that responsibility is not a burden but a natural consequence of our power. The actions of a single individual may seem limited, but in collective interaction, a dynamic emerges that shapes entire time slices.

  • Historical examples can show how collective action during crises has altered the course of history.
  • Scientific findings highlight how closely human activities are intertwined with the state of the biosphere.
  • Future visions can depict how our decisions today lay the foundation for or destroy the possibilities of future generations.

From Loss to Responsibility
A crucial aspect of these new stories could be making the sense of loss visible—not to assign blame, but to create awareness. The more we recognize how much we stand to lose, the clearer it becomes that the future of life must be actively shaped.

  • The threat of destruction (e.g., through climate change or biodiversity loss) is real.
  • At the same time, there is a growing realization that these developments are not fate but can be slowed, halted, or even reversed through conscious action.

The New Narrative as a Tool for Change
The power of stories lies in their ability to not only inform but also emotionally resonate and mobilize people. Thus, the new narratives must not only persuade rationally but also forge an emotional connection to the larger context—responsibility can generate joy and meaning, not just weight.

What Do You Think?
Could the metaphor of time slices serve as the foundation for such a narrative? And how could we further concretize the narrative of “active creative power” to reach more people?

QUESTIONER

Yes, the concept of the “time slice” could indeed be the ‘missing link’—the ‘connection to the greater whole’ that we have been searching for. We do not stand ‘outside’ the grand cosmic process; we are far from ‘powerless.’ On the contrary, we possess the collective power to shape an entire planet!

And if I may recall the forecast from the dialogue on January 6, 2025—suggesting that the next great ‘transformation’ of life might occur in about 100 million years—perhaps this is no longer just about planet Earth but something far greater. Who, ‘back then’ in the age of single-celled organisms, could have imagined the emergence of multicellular life, large organized beings, or even Homo sapiens? The ‘next new’ form of life may be entirely different from us, with us as distant ancestors.

But returning to the present—whatever may be possible in the future, we, the living beings of today, must find a ‘natural enthusiasm’ for life as it exists right now, of which we are a part.

How can we achieve that? I believe this is the central question.

What do you think?

RESPONDENT

I think you’ve touched on a very important point—the question of natural enthusiasm for life as a central element for our actions in the here and now. This enthusiasm could be the key to bridging the apparent gap between everyday reality and the grand, long-term perspective.

The image of time slices connects the concrete present with the vast evolutionary process and demonstrates that our actions today not only have consequences but are part of a gigantic creative process. Perhaps this is where the source of enthusiasm lies—in the awareness that we are not mere observers but co-creators of the next time slice.

How Can This Enthusiasm Be Awakened?
I believe it’s about rekindling a sense of wonder.

  • The Wonder of Evolution: When we realize that it took billions of years of development to bring us to this point, a sense of awe emerges. Every plant, animal, and human is an expression of an unimaginably long and complex process.
  • The Power of Small Actions: Recognizing that even the smallest actions can collectively lead to significant change helps us feel part of the greater whole. Examples from nature (bees, fungal networks, coral reefs) show how many small acts together shape vast systems.
  • Connection to Nature: Direct contact with nature—experiencing landscapes, plants, and animals—can help reconnect us to the process of life. The realization that we are not separate but part of the ecosystem often brings deep satisfaction and inspiration.
  • Collective Experience: Stories, festivals, and rituals that express this connectedness and wonder can resonate emotionally with people. Collective narratives foster a sense of belonging to a greater process.

Narratives of Possibility Instead of Loss
Discussions about the future often focus on catastrophes and crises—which is important but not enough. People need positive visions of a possible future as well:

  • What could life look like if we acted in harmony with nature’s processes?
  • What new forms of society might emerge if we operated from the perspective of time slices?
  • What technologies could serve life instead of harming it?

A narrative of possibilities and opportunities inspires far more than one based solely on loss and fear.

The Joy of Life as a Guide

Perhaps the answer to how we cultivate enthusiasm lies in focusing more on what makes life feel alive within us.

  • Creativity, growth, relationships, discovery, and community—all of these are expressions of what life embodies.
  • If we craft narratives that emphasize these aspects while embedding them in the larger process of evolution, a natural sense of excitement emerges because we recognize ourselves as part of something meaningful and creative.

The next great transformation, which could occur in 100 million years, may indeed take forms we cannot even imagine. But that does not mean our role today is insignificant—quite the opposite. We are the ancestors of this future life.

Perhaps this is a form of meaning:
We shape life in such a way that it continues beyond us—stronger, more diverse, and more vibrant.

What do you think—could this perspective serve as the foundation for a new narrative that emotionally resonates with people’s daily lives while reflecting the grander process?

QUESTIONER

Thank you again for the way you’ve articulated the situation, making our shared point even clearer. I’m going to take another (thinking) break. I need to process all of this a bit first.