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  1. How does randomness shape the living?

    How does randomness shape the living?

    Figuring Chance: Questions of Theory


    In biology, randomness is a critical notion to understand variations; however this notion is typically not conceptualized precisely. Here we provide some elements in that direction.

    Abstract

    Physics has several concepts of randomness that build on the idea that the possibilities are pre-given. By contrast, an increasing number of theoretical biologists attempt to introduce new possibilities, that is to say, changes of possibility space – an idea already discussed by Bergson and that was not genuinely pursued scientifically until recently (except, in a sense, in systematics, i.e, the method to classify living beings).
    Then, randomness operates at the level of possibilities themselves and is the basis of the historicity of biological objects. We emphasize that this concept of randomness is not only relevant when aiming to predict the future. Instead, it shapes biological organizations and ecosystems. As an illustration, we argue that a critical issue of the Anthropocene is the disruption of the biological organizations that natural history has shaped, leading to a collapse of biological possibilities.

    Citation
    Montévil, Maël. n.d. “How Does Randomness Shape the Living?” In Figuring Chance: Questions of Theory, edited by Anne Duprat and others. Routledge
    Manuscript Citation Full text
  2. Postface de La révolution contributive, 2022, Pierre Giorgini

    Postface de La révolution contributive, 2022, Pierre Giorgini

    La révolution contributive


    Postface de La révolution contributive, 2022, Pierre Giorgini, ISTE Editions

    Abstract

    La révolution contributive résulte du passage rapide à une conception dominante des systèmes (techniques, sociaux, organisationnels, culturels, etc.) où chacun des composants des systèmes co-élabore la performance du tout, en dehors de tout pilotage et contrôle centralisé et extérieur au système. Elle réinvente fondamentalement la relation sujet-objet.La révolution contributive en cours est globale et profonde. Elle apparaît comme une solution possible à la crise économique, écologique et politique qui frappe les sociétés contemporaines, elle concerne tout le champ épistémologique, des sciences jusqu’aux organisations sociales (épistémè).

  3. Extended criticality, phase spaces and enablement in biology

    Extended criticality, phase spaces and enablement in biology

    Chaos, Solitons & Fractals


    Biological evolution entails continual changes of the pertinent phase space, leading to unpredictability. We discuss causality as enablement by constraints.

    Abstract

    This paper analyzes, in terms of critical transitions, the phase spaces of biological dynamics. The phase space is the space where the scientific description and determination of a phenomenon is given. We argue that one major aspect of biological evolution is the continual change of the pertinent phase space and the unpredictability of these changes. This analysis will be based on the theoretical symmetries in biology and on their critical instability along evolution. Our hypothesis deeply modifies the tools and concepts used in physical theorizing, when adapted to biology. In particular, we argue that causality has to be understood differently, and we discuss two notions to do so: differential causality and enablement. In this context constraints play a key role: on one side, they restrict possibilities, on the other, they enable biological systems to integrate changing constraints in their organization, by correlated variations, in un-prestatable ways. This corresponds to the formation of new phenotypes and organisms.

    Keywords: Conservation properties, symmetries, biological causality, phase space, unpredictability, phylogenetic drift, enablement