Re: Open Letter to Book Talk
The growth of complexity in a closed system, such as we suspect the universe to be, does not contradict the laws of thermodynamics so long as increased complexity corresponds to increased entropy.
Of course it doesn't. Bloom
is the one asserting that the laws of thermodynamics are wrong.
Under some circumstances, organisms, replicators, move from less complex to more complex. They also move from more complex to less complex. This is not controversial. What Dr. Bloom is asserting, that "more complex" is a direction that life is moving toward
, is a different kettle of fish entirely. It is called teleology, and is considered a fallacy because there is no mechanism available for it to occur.
An example. Lets say we are observing an anthill. One of the facts we notice about the anthill is that it is getting higher. It has a direction: up. Now I may say (as I did in another post), that this particular direction is a result of the drunkard's walk; the Santa Fe institute may say that there is an up-building aspect of anthills, the laws of which we would very much like to learn. But no responsible biologist says, "well of course, the ants are "trying" to get higher up so they can look in your window".
How do ants know to look in a window? How does Life know it "wants" to be more complex? They don't. Bloom says they do. He is wrong.