Life on Earth

Abstract

Abstract This chapter discusses how old Earth is, how old life on Earth is, how life and the recording of information emerged, and how evolution of life can be viewed as increasingly efficient means of information processing. It is shown that the main objects of Darwinian selection, which is at the basis of all known biological evolution, are pieces of information. It discusses how life began with polymer molecules accumulating information and the transition from pre-life to the first system of evolving replicators. Further, it looks at how a living cell emerged, how a complex eukaryotic cell emerged, as well as multicellularity, sexual reproduction, and then the animal brain. It shows that evolution can be viewed as learning. The last part of the chapter briefly discusses how animals communicate information to each other.