Emergence

Biophysics is a branch of science that attempts to marry the ordered calculating systematics of Physics with the messy organic nature of Biology. Many major concepts that hold sway in Physics are seen and measured in living systems. These relationships have been explored and surprising relationships emerge.

One major concept explored by Biophysics is **emergence.** Emergence is the idea that complex behaviors and properties can emerge when enough simple pieces interact. Properties like intelligence and life can be explained as an emergent property of living systems.

Intelligence is an excellent example of this. By itself, a single neuron is not very intelligent. However, if you collect enough of them together and let them interact then intelligence emerges. Physicists look at this and ask the question, "At what point are the neurons 'intelligent'?" Is there a way to quantify this process to make testable predictions? Can this be mathematically modeled?



Ants are an excellent example of this. Individual ants are not capable of complex behaviors however, as a colony, they are capable of highly complex behaviors like farming, making slaves, and advanced warcraft tactics.

Physicists have developed this helpful flowchart to help explain the process of emergence.



Basically this diagram shows how complex behavior arises from an organized matrix of simple agents. What drives this process is **feedback**. Positive feedback increases adaptive behavior and negative feedback decreases adaptive behavior. One of the major properties of life is **homeostasis.** Homeostasis, which is living things finding a balance with their environment, is driven by feedback mechanisms.