Jan 21, 2024 11:27 PM
https://bigthink.com/13-8/biosphere-tech...formation/
KEY POINTS: Traditional views of life emphasize biological processes like reproduction and metabolism. However, you can also understand life by focusing on its capacity to deliberately use and transfer information, a process that distinguishes it from non-living systems. A recent paper estimated the total amount of information transferred per second by all life on Earth. To contextualize this estimate, astrophysicist Manasvi Lingam also conducted similar estimates for the total amount of information transferred per second by all technology on Earth. The estimates suggest life moves more information per second than technology — but that could change in the next century... (MORE - details)
KEY POINTS: Traditional views of life emphasize biological processes like reproduction and metabolism. However, you can also understand life by focusing on its capacity to deliberately use and transfer information, a process that distinguishes it from non-living systems. A recent paper estimated the total amount of information transferred per second by all life on Earth. To contextualize this estimate, astrophysicist Manasvi Lingam also conducted similar estimates for the total amount of information transferred per second by all technology on Earth. The estimates suggest life moves more information per second than technology — but that could change in the next century... (MORE - details)