The Physics of Life: Exploring Information as a Distinctive Feature of Living Systems

TL;DR

This paper argues that information is a fundamental and distinctive feature of living systems, influencing their behavior, evolution, and detectability, with implications across biology, origins-of-life, and astrobiology.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of information as a core characteristic of life, integrating theoretical frameworks and experimental approaches to deepen understanding of life's informational dynamics.

Findings

Information is essential for living systems to adapt and sustain themselves.

Transition to information-driven systems is a key step in the origin of life.

Informational biosignatures can aid in detecting extraterrestrial life.

Abstract

This paper explores the idea that information is an essential and distinctive feature of living systems. Unlike non-living systems, living systems actively acquire, process, and use information about their environments to respond to changing conditions, sustain themselves, and achieve other intrinsic goals. We discuss relevant theoretical frameworks such as ``semantic information'' and ``fitness value of information''. We also highlight the broader implications of our perspective for fields such as origins-of-life research and astrobiology. In particular, we touch on the transition to information-driven systems as a key step in abiogenesis, informational constraints as determinants of planetary habitability, and informational biosignatures for detecting life beyond Earth. We briefly discuss experimental platforms which offer opportunities to investigate these theoretical concepts in controlled environments. By integrating theoretical and experimental approaches, this perspective advances our understanding of life's informational dynamics and its universal principles across diverse scientific domains.