Gaia needs a reboot and New Scientist is here to explain

You know, the eco-Earth religion. Why a reboot? A machine built from scavenged parts from Britain’s Royal Air Force started randomly but ended in equilibrium. Can it boost the Gaia cult?

Ashby believed this “ultrastability” to be a governing principle in nature, explaining, among other things, the adaptation of species to their niche – a process that appears purposeful, but actually arises from random processes. It may seem a stretch to describe the Homeostat’s change over time, from wild motion to stability, as “evolution”. After all, it lacks all the trappings we associate with Darwinian evolution – such as life and reproduction. Bob Holmes, “Gaia rebooted: New version of idea explains how Earth evolved for life” at New Scientist

A stretch? Yes, because it’s the “life” part that’s the trickiest. Most of the article is behind a paywall so you’ll have to bet blind on whether the Homeostat will be the Next Big Thing in Gaia or pay something to find out Bob Holmes’s view first. Here’s saying the idea is good for a month or so. Then onto another craze.

Some of us think that the real threat to Gaia is actually the invented god.

Keeping in mind Murphy’s Fundamental Law (Mother Nature is a bitch who doesn’t need to do what you want or need or expect), it makes much more sense to just invent secular deities as needed, like sci-fi themes.

Follow UD News at Twitter!

See also: Tales of an invented god