# How do non-living things ‘evolve’? | Michael Wong | TEDxNewEngland Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSrf7ErdHWA Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/DSrf7ErdHWA Generated: 2026-02-08T20:33:01.682+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Non-living things, such as minerals, evolve through a process driven by selection for functional information, similar to biological evolution, where functional configurations that promote persistence or novelty are favored over those leading to decay or stasis, suggesting that complexity arises from these dual drivers of persistence and novelty across all systems in the universe. **Key Points:** - Minerals evolve through selection for functional information, similar to biological evolution, contrasting with the typical focus only on life's evolution. - The two drivers for this non-living evolution are persistence (static existence) and novelty (dynamic change). - The speaker, a planetary scientist and astrobiologist, organizes the universe's complexity—from galaxies to apple pies—around these two laws: the Second Law of Thermodynamics (entropy/decay) and a proposed 'Law of Increasing Functional Information' (novelty). - Static persistence favors simple entities that maintain their form (like crystals), while dynamic persistence favors novel configurations that achieve specific functions (like life). - The complexity of the biosphere (life) and the mineral kingdom both arise from these dual selective pressures over time. - The speaker suggests that the functional information of any system, biological or not, can be measured by its capacity to resist entropy and promote novelty. ![Screenshot at 00:33: The speaker illustrates the complexity of the universe using an image of an apple pie slice containing a galaxy, symbolizing that the ingredients and processes needed for its existence \(like the universe's existence\) are complex and require specific laws to govern their formation and persistence.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/DSrf7ErdHWA/00-00-33.jpg) **Context:** Michael Wong, a planetary scientist and astrobiologist, discusses his perspective on evolution extending beyond biology to encompass the entire universe, including inanimate matter. He uses the analogy of making an apple pie—which requires specific ingredients and processes to exist—to frame his argument that complexity, whether in life or minerals, is governed by underlying laws that balance the tendency toward disorder (entropy) with the drive toward functional novelty and persistence. ## Detailed Analysis Michael Wong argues that evolution and complexity are not exclusive to the biological realm but apply universally, driven by two primary laws: the Second Law of Thermodynamics (which dictates increasing entropy/decay) and a proposed 'Law of Increasing Functional Information' (which dictates novelty and function). He uses the analogy of making an apple pie—which requires specific ingredients and processes—to illustrate that complexity requires both persistence (like crystals) and novelty (like life). He notes that Darwin's theory of evolution, while successful, traditionally focuses only on life, ignoring the evolution observed in the mineral kingdom (e.g., diamonds formed under extreme pressure). Wong proposes that functional information—the information needed for a system to persist or achieve a function—is a universal metric. He cites two types of persistence: static (like crystals maintaining their form) and dynamic (like life adapting and creating novelty). The fundamental question for him is how the universe generates this complexity. He suggests that all evolving systems, including life, are built from many interacting components whose functional information increases over time, counteracting entropy. Therefore, understanding life's origins requires looking beyond biology to the mechanics of how simple components arrange themselves into complex, functional structures. ### Carl Sagan's Analogy - If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe - The universe is replete with novelty and richness, not just in life but in minerals, stars, and technology. ### The Second Law of Thermodynamics - This law describes the universe's tendency toward entropy and disorder, explaining why things fall apart (like Humpty Dumpty's fall). ### The Missing Law - The speaker proposes an additional law, an 'evolutionary' law that runs counter to entropy, describing how functional information increases over time, leading to complexity and novelty. ### Evolution Beyond Biology - Biological evolution (natural selection) is just one example of this broader law, which also applies to the mineral kingdom (e.g., diamond formation). ### Two Drivers of Persistence - Static persistence (like crystals remaining as they are) contrasts with dynamic persistence, which involves novelty and actively promotes function. ### Measuring Complexity - Functional information describes the complexity of a system, measured by its ability to achieve a specific function, which is far higher in life than in simple minerals. ![Screenshot at 00:03: The TEDxNewEngland title card displays the theme: "N = Bridging the gaps".](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/DSrf7ErdHWA/00-00-03.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:33: A visual metaphor shows a slice of apple pie with a galaxy swirling inside its filling, illustrating the complex ingredients/processes required for existence.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/DSrf7ErdHWA/00-00-33.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:46: The speaker gestures widely while standing on stage, with the backdrop showing a vibrant green, moss-like field under a blue sky, representing the biosphere.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/DSrf7ErdHWA/00-00-46.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:13: The screen displays a colorful nebula framed by swirling energy ribbons, illustrating the cosmic scale of complexity the speaker refers to.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/DSrf7ErdHWA/00-01-13.jpg) ![Screenshot at 02:47: The background shifts to an overhead view of art supplies—paints, brushes, and a palette—to represent human creativity and the complexity of culture.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/DSrf7ErdHWA/00-02-47.jpg)