Abstract
The FQXI question is how does physics relate to direction, aims and intentions? It asks whether there a uniform theme to nature that suggests its goals? The arrow of entropy (information) is fundamental to these questions, especially in biological systems. The idea that nature originates as a series of separations is an old idea, for example, recall that Genesis contains the words “So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the ... as Genesis 1:7 ends with the phrase 'from the water above it [the expanse]'. Separation of some information from other information is a theme throughout nature. Separations determine the information level and its direction but important properties are maintained and are thought to be initial conditions.
Gene H Barbee