______________________________________________________________________________ | File Name : COMPLEX.ASC | Online Date : 06/10/95 | | Contributed by : InterNet | Dir Category : ENERGY | | From : KeelyNet BBS | DataLine : (214) 324-3501 | | A FREE Alternative Sciences BBS sponsored by Vanguard Sciences | | KeelyNet * PO BOX 870716 * Mesquite, Texas * USA * 75187 | | Voice/FAX : (214) 324-8741 InterNet - keelynet@ix.netcom.com | | WWW Mirror - http://www.eskimo.com/~billb | |----------------------------------------------------------------------------| This file deals with the authors idea of the universe being composed or progressively complex systems. It directly corresponds with enfolded (nested) structures such as are developed in scalar fields and used practically in radionics. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 220 15009 <3pqtkr$kmd@stud.Direct.CA> article Path: ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!math. ohio-state.edu!scipio.cyberstore.ca!news.Direct.CA!usenet From: pweis@Direct.CA (Peter H. Weis) Newsgroups: alt.sci.physics.new-theories Subject: Progressive Complexity - The Equation of All Creation - emlplexy.2 [1/1] Date: 22 May 1995 20:53:47 GMT Organization: Internet Direct Inc. Lines: 670 Message-ID: <3pqtkr$kmd@stud.Direct.CA> NNTP-Posting-Host: dyn-158.direct.ca Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: Application/octet-stream X-Newsreader: WinVN 0.92.6+ Progressive Complexity - The Equation of All Creation by Peter H. Weis This brief and simple synopsis deals with the nature of our universe and its creative forces. In the course of this synopsis it becomes clear that our universe is CONSTRUCTIVELY DYNAMIC - as the planet under our feet and a single glance at the firmament shows - and hence, that our universe is governed by a vast plan and supreme purpose. Since the same forces that have created and govern the universe and Life alike have also created and govern the existence of our kind and selves, our existence is automatically endowed with an equally vast plan and supreme purpose. When we look at our universe, we see two basic aspects. On the one hand, we see chaos and decay, and on the other, we see vast and increasingly complex structure and order - an order so immaculate that it can be described in the pure logic of mathematics. That the nature and the workings of our universe can be revealed with the absolute logic of mathematics is the measure of its own immaculate logic and inviolable Order. For reasons which will forever baffle me, our scientists have focused exclusively upon the chaos and decay, and have dismissed the profound structure and immaculate order of our universe as totally meaningless and "astronomically unlikely accidents' in a fundamentally chaotic universe. Consequently, at least in their eyes, our existence is also just as accidental, and therefore, utterly meaningless and without any purpose whatsoever. Even today the professional stature and reputation of any scientist still rests upon this profoundly subjective and deliberate one-eyed view of our universe. As this synopsis shows, our scientists could not have been more wrong. Here, the Chaos and the Order of our universe are unified into the two complementary aspects of an indivisible unity to yield - akin to Male and Female - "The Equation of All Creation". The understanding of the creative forces of our universe by its offspring is part and parcel of the plan, evolution and supreme purpose of our universe - and therefore, the star-spun destiny of our kind. And while this understanding delivers immense cognitive along with real power into the hands of our kind and selves, its advent in our time also marks the coming of age of our kind and the evolutionary quantum leap from Homo sapiens, sapiens to Homo nobilis, stellaris (see "The Emergence of Homo Nobilis, Stellaris" by this author). However, this cognitive evolutionary quantum leap remains, as always, a matter of individual choice (see Darwin's recognition of Sexual Selection, a pure matter of individual choice, even at all instinctual levels). Fortunately, the creative forces of our universe are almost ridiculously easy to understand; the average 15 year-old is fully capable of understanding these fundamental universal forces, at least in principle. Lest this be construed as the worst kind of anthropocentric hubris by some, the evolution of the universe and of Life alike are driven by exactly the same fundamental universal forces, and therefore, the universe harbours billions of other races on millions of other planets in billions of other galaxies. And although they differ vastly in form and function according to local conditions, they all face the same star-spun destiny. Since the universe as it exists today evolved from the burst of pure energy of its big bang birth, EVERYTHING that exists MUST be inherent, if only ultimately, in the nature of energy. Consequently this synopsis begins with the nature of energy, to see what it may contain. And although an analysis of the nature of energy is not everyone's favourite thing, make an exception this time and you will be richly rewarded. You will be rewarded with a basic but comprehensive understanding of the universe, of the forces which have created and govern the universe, the Earth, Life and its evolution, the emergence of our kind, and thus, the existence of our selves. Indeed, you will understand the forces of All Creation. And although we are creatures of the Earth, you will also know that we are first and foremost the direct product and offspring of the creative forces of our universe itself, and that our existence is endowed with the same vast plan and supreme purpose that governs our universe. We begin with the nature of energy, as stated in the 1st law of thermodynamics. Everything that follows is as simple and as general as the first law - as it MUST be ("The almost frightening simplicity and wholeness of the relationships which nature suddenly opens up before us." Werner Heisenberg). The 1st law of thermodynamics describes the nature of energy as follows: Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; it can only be changed. The change of energy into matter, and vice versa, is one example. The change of heat into motion (steam engines and automobiles) is another. The change of gravitational energy into electromagnetic energy (hydro stations) is yet another. As the first law clearly states, and as proven by these and myriad other examples, CHANGE is inherent in the nature of energy. We now have the ultimate origin of all CHANGE. Since the 1st law also states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed - also known as the law of "the conservation of energy" - the STABILITY of energy in total and as such, is infinite. There is no way around this; the first law is absolute in this regard (also see the invariance of individual wavelengths, of quantization, the eternal motion of energy waves. Therefore then, and as the 1st law clearly states, STABILITY is inherent in the nature of energy. We have now come upon the ultimate origin of all STABILITY. Due to their common origin in the fundamental unity of energy, CHANGE & STABILITY are the polar complements - like positive and negative charge, or north and south polarity - of a fundamental unity. Consequently CHANGE & STABILITY are eternally and inextricably interlocked, co-exist simultaneously, are relative to each other, are superposed one upon an other, and are, except for quantum transitions, inversely proportional. Here we have obtained the unification of CHANGE and STABILITY - and thus, the fundamental Universal Dynamics of CHANGE & STABILITY. The unification and interlocked interaction of CHANGE and STABILITY yields this infinitely powerful little theorem: "Infinite CHANGE Within STABLE Parameters" We encounter essentially the same theorem in Chaos theory, which is most commonly expressed as (Davies, Penrose, many others) - "An Infinite Series of Points (CHANGE) Within a Finite (STABLE) Domain" And when re-worded as "Infinite Potential within Finite Parameters" this little theorem also contains the essence and the foundation of the concept of the wave function in quantum mechanics. With the unification of CHANGE & STABILITY, we have also obtained the unification of Chaos and Order - only the words differ - and solved the baffling paradox of the simultaneous co-existence of these antipolar phenomena. Nevertheless, we retain the terms CHANGE & STABILITY since they refer us back, explicitly and directly, to the first law of thermodynamics at every turn. (Apparently, we have also obtained the unification of Infinity and Finity as the polar complements of a fundamental unity - which boggles my mind no end). Snowflakes are perhaps the most familiar examples of Infinite CHANGE within STABLE Parameters. Each snowflake is individually unique, yet conforms invariably to the form common to all snowflakes. And while there is not one snowflake on the earth exactly like any other - nor in the entire universe - nor ever was and never will be, each snowflake is invariably true to the form common to all. The same holds true of stars, of galaxies, of planets, moons, trees, cats and dogs, every leaf on every tree, every blade of grass, and even individual bacteria behave, as Lewis Thomas observed, "as if they have names". The same holds true for our selves, of course. Each one of us is individually unique, yet we are all true to the typical human form common to all of us. Here then, we have the origin and dynamics of individuality, the infinity of CHANGE within STABLE parameters, the essence of a CHAOS that never repeats itself, and as such, the origin and fundamental driving force of the infinite diversity - within STABLE parameters - of all creation. The dynamics of CHANGE & STABILITY are quantum in nature and constitute a vast domain in their own right (and far too extensive to describe here), complete with its own rich and intricate formalism and structure, along with a wealth of profound and immensely powerful new insights. Among a myriad other insight, some of the major consequences inherent in CHANGE & STABILITY Dynamics are; the as yet missing half of the complete equation of quantum theory (a purely causative quantum theory similar to Bohm's theory); a quantum cosmos; a direct avenue to the unification of the four forces; a vast new dimension to E=mc(2); the profoundly important function of black holes; as well as the foundation for what may well be called "The Equation Of All Creation". The complementary bi-polar nature of CHANGE & STABILITY Dynamics also strongly suggest similar higher level polarities among time, space, energy and matter. Since these dynamics will occupy us until the end of time, and except for the simple basics far exceed my capacity, we shall not go further into the intricacies of CHANGE & STABILITY Dynamics here, other than to state: The universal Dynamics of CHANGE & STABILITY generate and govern all physical, chemical, biological, instinctual, social, psychological, economic, technological, political and cognitive systems. In regard to cognitive systems: our cognitive consciousness is generated and governed by whether a neuron - or a complex of neurons - fires (CHANGE) or not (STABILITY). Likewise, our cumulative body of learned knowledge is generated and governed by new knowledge (CHANGE) and long established knowledge (STABILITY). The extremes of these bi-polar generating and governing forces are most familiar to us as heresy and dogma. Similarly, the ability to learn is generated and governed by cognitive CHANGE, whereas memory is generated and governed by cognitive STABILITY. Incidentally, the 0 and 1 foundation of our computer language is also generated by the CHANGE & STABILITY dynamics of whether a transistor - or array of transistors - fires or not. The interaction of the bi-polar dynamics of CHANGE & STABILITY generates Progressive Complexity. Matter, for instance, is a far more complex thing than the ultimate simplicity of pure energy (is there an even simpler ur-energy, or proto-energy, than the bi-polar energy we know? The Dynamics of Progressive Complexity appear to imply this). The transformation of energy into matter constitutes a cardinal and canonical quantum leap of Progressive Complexity. Similarly, the serial fusion of elementary hydrogen into progressively more complex elements in stars is another clear instance of the Universal Dynamics of Progressive Complexity at work. Indeed, and in this light, every star in the universe is a blazing factory of Progressive Complexities (our own sun is fusing simple hydrogen into more complex helium right now - the source of our 'sunshine' - which in turn drives the Progressive Complexity of the evolution of Life on the Earth). The creation of the far higher complexity of matter from the ultimate simplicity of energy shortly after the big bang birth of our universe not only provided the physical foundation of our universe, but constitutes indisputable proof that Progressive Complexity is inherent in the nature of energy. Consequently, Progressive Complexity is fundamental to the nature and structure of our universe. The full implication are myriad, immensely powerful, and stunning. One of the most far-reaching implications is that, rather than 'chaotic', our universe is constructively dynamic and embodies a plan and a purpose. Growth, for instance - from the seminal simplicity of a single fertile ovum to the immense complexity of a fully developed organism - is indisputably a constructively dynamic process which is accompanied, at every stage, by a geometric increase in Progressive Complexity. Similarly, the 'growth' of a proto-star from the elementary simplicity of a hydrogen cloud to the far higher complexity of a new-born star, complete with its retinue of planets and moons (we consider planet formation universal rather than a unique local accident), is also and clearly a constructively dynamic process accompanied by a commensurate increase in Progressive Complexity. Moreover, every increase in Complexity is accompanied by an obligatory and commensurate increase in Order. The creation and maintenance of the staggering physiological, metabolic, neural and cognitive Complexity of a fully developed human being, for instance, demands a degree of Order which can only be described as awesome. Growth, hitherto purely an empirical phenomenon, here becomes, as we shall see, the direct product of - as generated and governed by - the fundamental dynamics of Progressive Complexity of our universe. The growth of a chicken from an egg, or the growth of a tree from a seed, is often considered to be a teleological process - a process which embodies a plan and a purpose. Since nothing in this universe exists without cause, we consider the existence of these teleological processes to be the direct expression of the fundamental Constructively Dynamic forces, and therefore, teleological nature, of our universe. The evolution and existence of our kind and selves in such a universe - and as the direct product of its fundamental dynamics of Progressive Complexity - also endows our existence with a supreme plan and purpose and, therefore, with profound meaning. The full implications - regarding the true nature of our universe, as well as of our selves - are indeed stunning. Lest this be construed as another example of extreme anthropocentricity by some, the universal nature of these dynamics makes the existence of our kind far from unique in this universe. The existence of similarly highly evolved races numbering in the billions, is a given. After all, universal dynamics apply throughout the universe. Still, and although these billions of highly sentient races differ vastly in form, function and appearance in accord with local conditions, we will share the nature of our consciousness with all of them. One of the first implications of a progressively more complex universe is that its fundamental dynamics of Progressive Complexity also contain what may well be called "The Equation of All Creation". For a vivid illustration of how the Dynamics of CHANGE & STABILITY generate Progressive Complexity, we now turn to the enchanting beauty and infinite COMPLEXITY of the images of the Mandelbrot set. Like our universe, there is only one Mandelbrot set, but it is infinite. (Since this format does not support graphics, and if not familiar with 'Fractals' or the Mandelbrot set, please refer to the many publications, such as "Chaos" by James Glick, which feature the 'fractal' images of the Mandelbrot set, most of which are strongly reminiscent of many complex living organisms). The intricate and infinite Complexity of the Mandelbrot set is the product of a very simple algorithm which, in its most basic form, is written like this: Z(2) + C = Z1 (Z squared, plus C equals Z one). Here, Z stands for any complex number which is squared, and C stands for any complex number which remains constant throughout and is added to the product of Z squared. The result of this simple calculation is termed Z one. In the next round, Z one is substituted for Z, is then squared as before, the constant C is added again, to yield the product Z two. Written down, the iterative procedure looks like this: Z (2) + C = Z1 Z1 (2) + C = Z2 Z2 (2) + C = Z3 Z3 (2) + C = Z4 Z4 (2) + C = Z5 Since this format does not support sub and superscript this sublimely simple iteration goes like this in words: Z squared plus C equals Z one Z one squared plus C equals Z two Z two squared plus C equals Z three Z three squared plus C equals Z four Z four squared plus C equals Z five and so forth and so forth, ad inifinitum. When the result of each iteration - Z one; Z two; Z three - and so forth, and so forth - is plotted as a point on a co-ordinate grid, the infinite complexity and enchanting beauty of the Mandelbrot set's images emerges, point by point, on the grid, or as commonly done today, on the computer screen. The preceding image was made in this manner (although the actual Mandelbrot algorithm is a bit more complex than this, its basic form is exactly as stated here). The key to the origin and dynamics of PROGRESSIVE COMPLEXITY is very simple. As is clearly apparent in this simple algorithmic iteration, Z is a continuously CHANGING factor, whereas the factor C remains constant, and hence STABLE, throughout. In this manner the dynamics of CHANGE & STABILITY generate and govern PROGRESSIVE COMPLEXITY. The gestation and growth of biological organisms - from the seminal simplicity of a single fertile cell to the immense Complexity of a fully developed adult - is the most intimately familiar example of the creation of Progressive Complexity by the dynamics of CHANGE & STABILITY. Each stage in the gestation of an organism - one cell divides into two; two into four; four divide into eight; eight make 16; 16 make 32; 32 make 64; and so forth; and so forth - marks an instance of CHANGE, as well as a geometric increase in Complexity. The element of STABILITY in the growth process arises out of the fact that each daughter cell is a perfect copy and identical 'clone' of its maternal cell. At least initially, each daughter cell is an invariant, or a STABLE copy of its maternal cell. At the level of biological gestation and Growth, we are dealing with an immensely higher level of Progressive Complexity than the CHANGE of energy into the higher Complexity of elementary particles, or than the progressive fusion of hydrogen into the Progressive Complexity of the elements in stars. And while the PROGRESSIVE COMPLEXITY of the evolution of Life has introduced profound genetically driven CHANGE into the gestation and Growth of immensely Complex organisms, the DNA of each cell - no matter whether any cell develops into skin, eye, brain, blood or one of a myriad other cells - remains identical to the maternal DNA of the original fertile ovum, and thus, embodies the genetic and morphological STABILITY of the organism. Basic cell structure, mitochondria (with their own genetic and morphological STABILITY factors), Golgi aparati, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticula, lysosomes, nucleoli, centrioles, microtubules etc., down to the various chemical, molecular and atomic STABILITIES, are other examples of the manifold and intricate web of biological STABILITY factors. Also see the 4 billion year-long morphological STABILITY of bacteria - despite the massive CHANGES to an aerobic atmosphere and the intervention of dozens of ice ages. The universal Dynamics of Progressive Complexity from energy to our kind and selves are best illustrated by this simple diagram: Homo sapiens Humankind Homo afarensis Primates Animals Protozoa Bi-morphic Plants Plants Algae Eukaryotes Single-celled Organisms Prokaryotes Proteins Chemical Compounds Water Uranium Elements Hydrogen Neutrons Atomic Particles Neutrinos Quarks Sub-atomic Particles Photons E N E R G Y STRATA of Progressive Complexity Although this is a very simple and familiar diagram (see a very similar diagram in the textbook "Biology", The Unity And Diversity Of Life; Third Edition, Starr & Staggart, Wadsworth Publishing Co. 1984, page6) it contains many profound insights. The first and most obvious is the fact that the structure and evolution of the universe and life alike is a pure matter of Progressive Complexity. And we now know how this works. Besides a radical and fundamental revision of our traditional perceptions regarding the nature of our universe, this insight demystifies the emergence of Life and makes is a pure matter of Progressive Complexity - as well a universal phenomenon. As Carl Sagan put it: "Life is as common in the universe as sand on a beach." Another insight is that the Progressive Complexity of the evolution of the universe and of Life is an unbroken continuum from energy to our kind and selves. To whit, our personal substance is composed of the elements of the universe, and we are animated - body and mind - by the energy of the universe. This insight has several powerful consequences. First and foremost, we are creatures of the universe - and far more so than we are creatures of the Earth. Since this insight will radically and fundamentally revise our perception of our selves from earthy creatures to bona fide cosmic beings, a little more detail is in order here. For most people the big bang birth of our universe is, if of any interest at all, an extremely remote and purely esoteric concept which has no bearing whatsoever on their reality. They could not be any more wrong. To whit; at the atomic level our personal substance is composed of protons, electrons and neutrinos (neutrons are also made up of protons and electrons, plus neutrinos). And protons and electrons condensed out of the pure energy of the big bang birth of our universe within split nano-seconds of the big bang. We are, in fact, the living, walking, talking, loving, laughing and crying embodiment of the big bang energy of our universe. There is no way around this; Moreover, the alpha, beta and delta waves of our brains are the driving force of every thought, word and deed as long as we live. And this, our life energy, is the direct product of the big bang birth of our universe. The other elements which make up our personal substance were created in stars - now long dead and gone - and also from the big bang hydrogen of the universe. We are indeed - first, foremost and fundamentally - cosmic beings. So is your wife, your husband, your children, your family, friends and neighbours, indeed the whole teeming shebang of our kind, including what you may perceive as your enemies. And lest we begin to jubilate overmuch over our new-found cosmic identity, the same holds true of cabbages, among all other things. However, there is an important difference; cabbages do not know anything about all this. The unbroken continuum from the primeval energy of our universe to our kind and selves yields another profound insight - an insight which contains the pivotal difference whether we destroy our planetary biosphere, or not. As any child who has ever played with blocks full well knows, if it removes one block from a tower of blocks, all the blocks above that block come tumbling down. Going back to our diagram of the Progressive Complexity from energy to our kind, and let's say it were possible to eliminate the section comprising Atomic Particles - all the other levels above Atomic Particles would disappear. This is simple, straightforward and inexorable logic. Well, as it turns out, we are doing exactly the same thing. We are eliminating the plant life of the continents at an alarming rate, and on all fronts. The inescapable consequence will be that our planetary biosphere will collapse, and will do so within our time. However, there is still an, albeit rapidly shrinking, window of opportunity while the dynamics now well underway can still be reversed. But we do not have much time left. For a more detailed description of the manifold factors involved see "A Vibrant Biosphere", also by this writer. Returning once more to our diagram of Progressive Complexity, we also find that there are major STRATA of COMPLEXITY within the hierarchy of Progressive Complexity from energy to our kind. These STRATA of COMPLEXITY arise directly from, and are closely akin to the STRATA of STABILITY inherent in the Dynamics of CHANGE & STABILITY which we have skipped in the context of this format. Significantly, and true to form, each STRATUM of PROGRESSIVE COMPLEXITY contains its own SUB-STRATA of PROGRESSIVE COMPLEXITY. For instance, the major STRATUM of the Elements encompasses the Progressive Complexity from hydrogen (the simplest element) to uranium (the most complex of the natural elements) - each with their own typical and intrinsic STRATUM of STABILITY. Indeed, "The Periodic Table of the Elements" is a beautifully formal and precisely quantified map of the Progressive Complexity of the elements, as well as of their various, typical and intrinsic STRATA of STABILITY. Similarly, the STRATUM of Plants encompasses the Progressive Complexity from the most primitive single cells (algae) to the most complex members of the Plant kingdom (sexually differentiated trees and shrubs, such as the Holly tree and Skimmia). So far then, we have uncovered an unbroken continuum and absolutely coherent formal structure - both internally (the dynamics) and externally (the Cosmos) - of the creative and governing forces of the Cosmos and of Life alike, as they arise out of the fundamental nature of energy and its intrinsic dynamics of CHANGE & STABILITY and PROGRESSIVE COMPLEXITY. We have also come to understand that the PROGRESSIVE COMPLEXITY of physical and biological Growth is a constructively dynamic process, and hence, that we are a product of, and owe our existence to a Constructively Dynamic universe. Due to the universal nature of these fundamental dynamics, we have also obtained the fundamental creative and governing forces of our biosphere. Given the understanding of these forces and dynamics, we are now able to address and rectify the rapid deterioration of our planetary biosphere effectively and in short order - we can now engage the immense power of these forces in our favour - if we can muster the collective will to do so. Within the context of these fundamental universal forces, it now turns out that our current and escalating health crisis, our poison-drenched and unsustainable agriculture, and the rapid deterioration of our planetary biosphere are all the direct result of our ignorance and REDUCTION of the Progressive Complexity of our existence, agriculture and biosphere. Given these fundamental creative forces of our universe, these crises can be easily and quickly corrected; see "A Stable and Vibrant Biosphere", also "An Abundant and Poison-free agriculture", and "Supreme Health", all by this author. Along the way, we have also obtained a completely new process for the evolution of Life; a universal process which generates and governs the evolution of the universe and Life alike and is articulated by the universal dynamics of CHANGE & STABILITY and PROGRESSIVE COMPLEXITY. Other than common descent - and this now includes the universal elements we are made of and the universal energy which animates us body and mind - nothing is left of Darwinian or Neo-Darwinian notions. (see "A Formal and Universal Process of Evolution", by this author). Since our universe is fundamentally bi-polar in nature (the ultimate origin of gender, by the way) the constructive dynamics of our universe are balanced, with exquisite precision, by the reductive dynamics of our universe - by the dynamics of Progressive Simplicity, or Decay, and death. In this context, the phenomenon of birth, and thus of Life, becomes the polar expression of the fundamental complementary polarities of our universe, and the reigning scientific dogma of entropy - the dissipation of energy - can now be understood as just one half of the whole equation of the creative dynamics of our universe. Indeed, Paul Davies recognised the obvious when he stated: "So there exists something like a law of increasing complexity." ("The Cosmic Blueprint", 1988, page 21). Indeed, Prigogine has mused that, "all that dissipated energy (the exclusive focus in current science) must be good for something." As indeed it is. One example, and close to home, is the immense amount of energy which is dissipated by our sun in the process of fusing the elementary simplicity of hydrogen into the higher Complexity of helium. We know this dissipated energy as sunshine, and while by far most of it is dissipated into space, the fraction which arrives here on the Earth is the generating and driving force of all Life on Earth, of our planetary biosphere, and of the PROGRESSIVE COMPLEXITY of the evolution of Life. Thus, our sun is the driving engine of a double-whammy creation of PROGRESSIVE COMPLEXITIES - the Progressive Complexity of the elements in the sun, and the Progressive Complexity of Life on the Earth. On an immensely larger scale, the dissipated energy and matter in galaxies is condensed into new stars and planets in an eternal cycle of dissipation and concentration; and on a higher order of magnitude, black holes complement these bi-polar creative dynamics of our universe by concentrating the matter and energy of galaxies - down to the last lonely photon - and then dissipating it again in highly concentrated and extremely potent form. The dynamics of black holes and their function - literally 'cosmic vacuum cleaners' and re- cyclers - arise out of the Dynamics of CHANGE & STABILITY which we have omitted here for brevity. In this light, the big bang birth of our universe may well be the product of "The Mother of all Black Holes", to use a paraphrase of a recently popular oxymoron. We have now come to the point of laying to rest the most serious challenge to all of the foregoing; the 2nd law of thermodynamics as it stands today. Although the 2nd law has been re-worded many times (entropy always increases is the favoured form today), its previous form and fundamental concept stated that any activity (work) in this universe is accompanied by the dissipation of some energy - hence, entropy always increases. This is true. My cup of tea does grow colder the longer it sits undrunk besides me, and just by living, never mind working, I dissipate a lot of energy into the environment. There is no way around this, the second law is absolute in this regard, and governs the universe as a whole. This means that, if only eventually, the universe must run down to a uniform tepid state where nothing can happen ever again, due to the lack of any energy differential. This is called the 'heat-death' of the universe. Essentially then, the marvellous and near-infinite Complexities of the universe - things like galaxies and our selves, among a small infinity of other intricate Complexities - are counter to the 2nd law and are, at best, temporary and 'astronomically unlikely accidents' in a chaotic universe. This is the reigning dogma of today's science. Since the 1st law has proven so infinitely fecund, we now return to the 1st law of thermodynamics to see what it may contain in this regard. As we have seen, it contains, and explicitly so, the complementary polarity of CHANGE & STABILITY. And encouraged to the point of certainty by a myriad other fundamental and well known complementary polarities of our universe, we now accept the concept of complementary polarity as a fundamental principle of our universe. With the universal principle of Complementary Polarity firmly in hand, we now approach the 2nd law to see what we may find. The second law states that, 'any work is accompanied by the dissipation of some energy'. Extending the principle of Complementarity Polarity to the 2nd law, the most obvious conclusion is that there should also be something which concentrates energy. And, indeed, there is. Gravity concentrates energy and matter into such things as stars, planets and black holes. There is also another force which concentrates energy and matter; opposite charge of the particles also concentrates energy and matter. And although some energy is dissipated in this process - as the emission of a photon when an electron is attracted to a closer orbital to the nucleus - the net effect is a spacial concentration of the combined energy and mass of the electron and proton. The same holds true within the domains of the weak and strong forces. It now turns out that the traditional 2nd law, while absolutely correct as far as it went, was just too short; to short by half, in fact. We can now attempt the first approximation of the complete, or new and improved, version of the 2nd law of thermodynamics. In the form of gravity, mass and opposite charge, energy seeks its highest available state and attracts and concentrates energy and matter. In all other forms, energy seeks its lowest available state and emits and dissipates energy and matter. The attractive and emissive forces inherent in the bi-polar nature of energy co-exist simultaneously, are relative to each other, are inversely proportional and are simultaneously superposed upon each other. And while this wording will undoubtedly be changed and refined several times over, the attractive and emissive forces inherent in the nature of energy are as indisputable as stars, planets, moons, galaxies, black holes, atomic and molecular structure, the earth under our feet and the fact that we do not float away gracefully into the universe at large. Stars in particular, are brilliantly beautiful examples of the attractive and emissive polar complements of energy at work. (The emissive and attractive forces of energy have been formalised by a 17th or 18th century mathematician, but my reference has disappeared). With this, we now obtain a universe which is eternally dynamic and capable of creating infinite cycles of Progressive Complexities, including Life and highly evolved cognitive consciousness, according to a supreme plan and purpose articulated by fundamental forces which operate with exquisite precision, selectivity and Order on all scales from the cosmic to the sub- nuclear. As the direct product of such a universe, our existence is endowed with an equally supreme plan and purpose. This brief synopsis is only a minuscule glimpse of the mind-boggling splendour of the nature of our universe, and the true and natural context of our existence as the direct offspring of the creative forces of such a universe. We close with this conceptual diagram of how everything that we are, do and know arises out of the complementary polarities of the creative forces of our universe - with the caution that the polarities shown here are inseparable, and far from the clear-cut separation as indicated here. ENERGY Change Stability Chaos Order Emissive Attractive Aggressive Receptive Innovation Memory Growth Maturity Juvenile Adult Male Female Insemination Reproduction Exclusive Inclusive Selfishness Altruism Individualism Sociality Right Wing Left Wing Capitalism Socialism Revolution Tradition Progressive Orthodox Heresy Dogma (Copyright) Peter H. Weis, Vancouver, May 1995 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------