Information and evolution

Abstract

If one defines physics as one of several natural sciences, then this chapter does not belong to the reconstruction of physics. Information is a reflexive concept, pertaining to all sciences; evolution is a basic phenomenon of organic life, thus conceptually appears to belong to biology. Our book, however, builds up theoretical physics as the core theory of all natural sciences, at about the same level of generality as the concept of information. De facto we use this concept in the reconstruction of statistical thermodynamics as well as quantum theory. In any case, examination of the meaning of the concept of information belongs to the interpretation of the physics thus reconstructed. Furthermore, our reconstruction claims to justify physics also as the fundamental theory for biology. Therefore the relationship of information and evolution offer one of the most important tests of the feasibility of this claim.