The fourth phase of life

In the beginnings of life, as far as we know, there were complex proteins and other molecules. These molecules eventually joined to become cells. Single cells were the apex of life on earth for billions of years. It appears that some early life forms, before what we would call cells today, achieved cooperation for their mutual benefit. This cooperation became interdependence, then dependence, then inseparability in the form of cells. Other uses of the word cell mean inseparable group. Now the complex parts of a cell, the Organelles, cannot survive outside of the environment provided by the cell and the other organelles. But, even in the beginning, the clusters and groups of complex molecules, the predecessors to actual cells, must have had an advantage over those that did not group. This biology before cells is mostly reasonable guesswork.

Once the form of the cell was well established, the next major step is considered the joining of cells into groups. Single cells spent billions of years refining the relationships within their walls and competing with other cells. A lot can happen in a billion years, and I have to assume that a lot did happen. Those cells became more efficient as the structures within them grew more specialized. New means of harvesting energy were stumbled upon, and new sources of energy were found. But from our perspective, nothing much happened until the cells starting cooperating with each other. I would assume that this was, at least in part, because individual cells had become about as advanced as they could.

The process was repeated, from a few cells grouping together to more effectively gather food, to becoming dependent upon each other, to forming creatures composed of multiple cells that could no longer operate independently. Again billions of years passed and here we are, writing blogs and reading each others thoughts from around the globe. And humans are specializing to the point that most of us would die without the support of a group. We are just starting to repeat the pattern. A few other species on earth have cooperative specialization based on gender, but humans are unique in the diversity and extent of our specialization.

Are the cells within our bodies aware of us? Are they aware of being part of a whole that is greater than its parts? This may be a loaded question, as we do not credit cells with any awareness at all. But the point is, if we were the cells in a more complex life form, would we be aware of it? I do not think we would, at least not in any practical way. And just as we are not aware of individual cells in our body, would this more complex life form be aware of us? And is this more complex life form self aware in the same sense that we are? I think that is a few billion more years out.

I imagine that we are the beginning of the next real step in evolution. We are the end of the third phase and the beginning of the fourth. I would equate us, as societies, perhaps to a simple fungus. Our spaceships, when we build them, will be seed pods cast out upon the galactic winds.

Our vocabulary often draws comparisons between our bodies and our civilizations. Look at the roots of words like corporation, body, and capitol, head. Roads and blood vessels are both arteries, rogue cells and rogue groups are cancers. It is fairly obvious that we structure our societies, in a very loose way, in the same way our bodies are structured. Our bodies have the need to transfer information and materials throughout themselves, just our our societies do. Our bodies have a hierarchy of decision making, just as any cooperative group must have. It is more inevitable than intentional.

Those who cooperate have an advantage over those who do not. Cooperation allows for specialization, and specialization leeds to dependence. Specialization also improves the advantages of cooperation. It seems inevitable that cells would group together into more complex life forms, and they did. While I think the pattern will continue, through us, into a higher order of complexity, I do not think we will ever notice.

Another reason to equate us to mold is the relative lack of structure. We are grouped by political, corporate and geographical boundaries, all of which we arbitrarily cross. I imagine that the very first groups of cells often broke up and rejoined at random. It took millions of years before they would stay bound as a group from one generation to the next. We may not be the first to start down this path. Perhaps ants and bees are farther along than we are, although on a much smaller scale.

With the cells, it probably took a few million years to achieve new life forms, followed by a few billion years of refinement. I see us as at the cusp of those few million years. Even calling us mold is really giving us to much credit. We have only been trying this specialization thing seriously for a few thousand years. If a fourth phase life form came to earth now, they would not even notice us. Just as finding single celled life forms on another planet would not stop us from thinking of the planet as uninhabited.

Given the time scales and supporting facts here, this pretty much falls into the category of science fiction. This theme has been touched on in various science fiction works, but it seems that telepathy is always involved. I think that the key here is cooperation and specialization, and while telepathy might assist that it is not essential. Just as technology might assist or, as other stories have it, technology could fade out as irrelevant after enough time has passed. One can only hope. While I predict millions of years passing before the next phase is established, most tales give it just a few thousand years until one day there is some breakthrough. I think it will be billions of years before the breakthrough notices that it happened.

Which makes this about as relevant as the origins of the universe. It is wonderful to think about, and we hope to understand, but the practical benefits are few and far between. So while this is more of a prediction than a fiction, it fails to be scientific as it cannot be verified. Maybe someone will start a new religion around it.