minAction.net
minAction.net: A Search for Vertically Organizing Principles
The manuscript proposes a paradigm shift in physiology: move from studying causality within specific scales (e.g., molecular, cellular) to finding vertically organizing principles that are invariant across all scales.
Network-Weighted Action
This is the central candidate for such a principle. Inspired by the Principle of Least Action in physics, it suggests that biological systems at every level – from genes to organisms – evolve and operate to minimize a “network-weighted action.”
This “action” is a function that balances competing needs:
- Energy Expenditure: Minimizing metabolic and resource costs
- Information Processing: Maximizing the ability to sense, predict, and adapt
- Network Connectivity: Minimizing connection costs (e.g., wiring length) while maintaining robust information flow
The core idea is that principles governing optimal information flow and energy distribution through networks are the “scale-invariant laws” we are seeking.
This website is an interactive summary of the manuscript found at philsci-archive.pitt.edu/26949/. All ideas are interpretations of the source manuscript by Martin G. Frasch.