Natural selection: a phase transition? Original Research Article

Information has two aspects: a quantity to be called ‘extent’ and a quality which may be termed ‘content’ since it deals with meaning. The latter originates via selective self-organization, which can be described also in quantitative physical terms. A prerequisite is the reproducibility of the informational substrate forming the basis of selection. This paper focuses on selection being the analogue of a physical phase transition. In the criteria for phase transitions are formulated. introduces the concept of information space and describes information as selected points or regions in this space. In selection is analyzed in terms of the criteria for phase transitions, and in the concept is confronted with experimental data. The conclusion is reached that information content is generated via selection, which can be described as a phase transition in information space.