Re: Is all self-organisation evolutionary?

Don Mikulecky (mikuleck@HSC.VCU.EDU)
Thu, 11 Mar 1999 08:00:50 -0500


Don Mikulecky replies:
To me "self-organizing" is a buzz-word. There is no real definition. So
many systems are self organizing, since all isolated systems go to some
form of equilibrium. Still other systems can be maintained in stationary
states away from equilibrium indefinitely with an energy/matter flow
through. Others become periodic or chaotic. Are these not
self-organized? I teach that oil and water mixtures are "self-organizing"
since they separate spontaneously. Then the phospholipid bilayer membrane
is a self organizing structure that play as large a role in evolution as
anything we can think of.
Respectfully,
Don Mikulecky

Bruce Edmonds wrote:

> I am pondering (I don't have a final answer).
>
> Can *all* self-organisational processes be seen in evolutionary terms?
>
> i.e. does every self-organisaitonal process involve:
> a) some unit that is, fairly reliably persistent or duplicated
> b) some process that produces variations on these units
> c) some process of selection acting on these units
>
> Take an example: Kauffman's binary networks. Although it appears to be
> a non-evolutionary process and it is certainly qualitatively different
> to the biological evolutionary process, it can be seen as an
> evolutionary process thus:
> a) the unit is the self-exciting loop in the network
> b) the variation is introduced by loops triggering other loops
> c) the selection is those (collections of) loops that cohere in
> the sense that they reliably cause their own excitation
>
> Am I merely streaching the term "evolutionary" to much?
>
> Can anyone supply a clear counter example?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Regards.
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> Bruce Edmonds,
> Centre for Policy Modelling,
> Manchester Metropolitan University, Aytoun Bldg.,
> Aytoun St., Manchester, M1 3GH. UK.
> Tel: +44 161 247 6479 Fax: +44 161 247 6802
> http://bruce.edmonds.name