Does a universal law of evolution apply to both biotic and abiotic systems? Natural laws of motion, gravity, electromagnetism, and energy codify behaviors of varied natural systems at familiar scales of space and time. We suggest an additional law is required to characterize our complex, evolving universe. Natural law discoveries rely on the conceptual equivalence of characteristics shared by seemingly diverse natural phenomena—i.e., falling apples and orbiting moons or hot objects and compressed springs. Evolving systems as diverse as stars, minerals, and life are conceptually equivalent in 3 ways:
1) they form from components that can adopt vast numbers of different configurations;
2) natural processes generate numerous configurations;
3) configurations are preferentially selected based on function.
Accordingly, we propose a law of increasing functional information: A system will evolve if many different configurations undergo selection for one or more functions. Many other research groups have also addressed lawful behaviors of evolving systems, with contributions spanning more than half a century. Therefore, the three objectives of this proposal are:
1) Hold an international conference with 100 experts, including advocates of many complementary and/or competing ideas related to laws of evolution. The workshop will seek commonalities among different ideas, forge new collaborations, and identify needs and opportunities going forward.
2) Help to build a highly interactive and collaborative international community of scholars interested in exploring these ideas by organizing a series of small focused follow-up workshops with topics defined by WISE participants.
3) Explore implications and predictions of our proposed law of increasing functional information. Our ideas need rigorous testing and evaluation; we want to be our own most rigorous skeptics.
Ultimately, by exploring lawful behaviors of evolving systems, we will address questions of purpose in the cosmos.
