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Assembly theory explains and quantifies selection and evolution

Abhishek Sharma, Dániel Czégel, Michael Lachmann

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Christopher P. Kempes, Sara I. Walker, Leroy Cronin

2023 · Nature

PhysicsBiology & medicine
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From the abstract

Abstract Scientists have grappled with reconciling biological evolution 1,2 with the immutable laws of the Universe defined by physics. These laws underpin life’s origin, evolution and the development of human culture and technology, yet they do not predict the emergence of these phenomena. Evolutionary theory explains why some things exist and others do not through the lens of selection. To comprehend how diverse, open-ended forms can emerge from physics without an inherent design blueprint, a new approach to understanding and quantifying selection is necessary 3–5 . We present assembly theory (AT) as a framework that does not alter the laws of physics, but redefines the concept of an ‘object’ on which these laws act. AT conceptualizes objects not as point particles, but as entities defined by their possible formation histories. This allows objects to show evidence of selection, within well-defined boundaries of individuals or selected units. We introduce a measure called assembly ( A ), capturing the degree of causation required to produce a given ensemble of objects. This approach enables us to incorporate novelty generation and selection into the physics of complex objects. It explains how these objects can be characterized through a forward dynamical process considering their assembly. By reimagining the concept of matter within assembly spaces, AT provides a powerful interface between physics and biology. It discloses a new aspect of physics emerging at the chemical scale, whereby history and causal contingency influence what exists.

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In the conversation

Original HN comments, with labels from simple text rules. A label describes the whole comment and may miss context or irony. Read the discussion to make up your own mind. About the labels

9 selected excerpts · 9 total mentions

oriel
Neutral mention · rule
http only site, also very editorial/opinion style writing. https://archive.ph/NtXft > [Assembly Theory] is a neat and simple model for the combinatorial generation of innovation in rule-based abstract "worlds" of recombining objects. It is a model of how evolution (or other higher-level processes) can lead to complexification. Assembly Theory description links: - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06600-9 (original paper) - https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03061-y ("very well written news & views article (with a terrible clickbaity title)")
Original comment Assembly Theory is Cool, but it doesn't quite do what its inventors say it does
adolph
Neutral mention · rule
The same came to my mind. I think there may be some elements of assembly which have to do with biological process that don’t apply to “accumulation of technological knowledge,” but I need to reread it. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06600-9 Here, we introduce AT, which addresses these challenges by describing how novelty generation and selection can operate in forward-evolving processes. The framework of AT allows us to predict features of new discoveries during selection, and to quantify how much selection was necessary to produce observed objects, without having to prespecify individuals or units of selection.
Original comment Humans began to rapidly accumulate technological knowledge 600k years ago

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