School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-0506, USA.
School for Complex Adaptive Systems, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-0506, USA.
J R Soc Interface. 2024 Nov;21(220):20240367. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2024.0367. Epub 2024 Nov 20.
Assembly theory (AT) aims to distinguish living from non-living systems by explaining and quantifying selection and evolution. The theory proposes that the degree of assembly depends on the number of complex objects, with complexity measured using a combination of the object's assembly index (AI) and its abundance. We previously provided experimental evidence supporting AT's predictive power, finding that abiotic systems do not randomly produce organic molecules with an AI greater than approximately 15 in detectable amounts. Hazen . (Hazen . 2024 , 20230632. (doi:10.1098/rsif.2023.0632)) proposed inorganic molecules that theoretically have AIs greater than 15, suggesting similar complexity to biological molecules. However, our AIs are experimentally measured for organic, covalently bonded molecules, whereas Hazen's are theoretical, derived from crystal structures of charged units that are not isolable in solution. This distinction underscores the challenge in experimentally validating theoretical AIs.
组装理论（AT）旨在通过解释和量化选择和进化来区分生命和非生命系统。该理论提出，组装的程度取决于复杂物体的数量，而复杂性则使用物体的组装指数（AI）与其丰度的组合来衡量。我们之前提供了支持 AT 预测能力的实验证据，发现非生物系统不会随机产生可检测数量的 AI 大于约 15 的有机分子。Hazen （Hazen. 2024 ，20230632. （doi:10.1098/rsif.2023.0632））提出了理论上 AI 大于 15 的无机分子，表明与生物分子具有相似的复杂性。然而，我们的 AI 是针对有机、共价键合分子进行实验测量的，而 Hazen 的 AI 是理论上的，源自带电荷单元的晶体结构，这些结构在溶液中不可分离。这种区别突出了实验验证理论 AI 的挑战。
