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Organisms Are Self-Directed Far-From-Equilibrium Systems
- Organisms are intrinsically purposive: their operations aim at self-maintenance, unlike machines.
- Thermodynamics shows organisms are far-from-equilibrium systems that must keep acting to persist.
Scale Changes Which Physical Forces Matter
- Molecular-scale physics invalidates many macroscopic engineering intuitions like directed motion and rigid parts.
- Nicholson warns that scale-dependent forces (Brownian motion, medium viscosity) change how we should model cells.
Adopt Flow-Based Metaphors For Life
- Use processual metaphors (streams, vortices, flames) that reflect dissipative, flow-based physics of life.
- Shift metaphors to capture sustained far-from-equilibrium dynamics rather than static circuitry.