Life is herein defined as a negative entropic force responsible for information replication, molecular aggregation, and the phenomenon of EMERGENCE.  It is the force that evolved the replication of coded macromolecules.  A force that can be described using open system based equations of the second law of thermodynamics, density dependent versions of the Lotka-Voltera equations, and dissipation driven adaptive organization.

Life can be modeled with Bayesian inference to follow  four different potential paths.

  1. Life is common and usually evolves intelligence.

  2. Life is common but intelligence is rare

  3. Life is rare but typically evolves intelligence

  4. Life is rare and intelligence is rarer

Analysis of these four models favors the likelihood of  life elsewhere in the universe compared to its rarity at 9:1  and the likelihood of  intelligence over non-intelligent  life elsewhere  3:2.  These estimates are based on assuming the origin of life on earth occurred  300 million years after its formation 4.5 billion years ago.   If life originated pre-earth then the likelihood of life on other earth like planets is even higher.

Life  started with  the emergence of  ATOMS followed by simple molecules, complex macromolecules , molecular assemblies, ecosystems and then finally cells and viruses.  The pathway to the first cells differentiated  from viruses in that the molecular replication system in cells complexified  while viruses maintained or regressed a primitive potentially pathogenic biochemistry.  The interplay of viruses and cells  is responsible for the evolution of higher life forms.   I call this interplay process Infectious Speciation.

Life went through Major Transitions throughout the Big Timeline  that involved complexification of smaller molecules to larger and more complex molecules .

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