Figures & data
Figure 1. Two major approaches used in trials to uncover the very nature of ‘Life’. (A) Koshland Jr. tried to list the major features of living matter in the form of a temple. Citation6 In this classical approach reproduction features as the major outcome of the interactions among all 7 pillars. According to Koshland Jr. himself, ‘Life’ cannot be defined this way. Modified after Koshland Jr. Citation6 (B) A digital-era approach for visualizing the essence of ‘Life’ (as an activity). Here the temple has only 4 ‘pillars’.Citation5 They are all subject to change and therefore possible sources of variability. Their interactions enable communication/problem-solving activity. The ‘Life as a temple’ idea was borrowed from Koshland Jr.Citation6
Figure 2. (A) Schematic representation of the architecture of a simple communication system. The sender releases a coded message that next is transported through a communication channel (e.g., air, blood, axon etc.) to a competent receiver, meaning that the receptor must have appropriate receptors to catch the message as well sufficient stockpiled energy. If message and receptor match, a signaling cascade is induced involving decoding, amplifying, mobilizing part of the stockpiled energy, and doing some sort of ‘work’ sooner or later. In case of feedback, the receiver becomes a sender. (B) In case of feedback, communication is a unidirectional spiral-like (helical) process. Bifurcation point: more than one solution for a given problem becomes possible.Citation5
