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Physics of Life: Exploring Information as a Distinctive Feature of Living Systems

Stuart Bartlett1,2, Andrew W. Eckford3, Matthew Egbert4, Manasvi Lingam5,6,7,8, Artemy Kolchinsky9,10,*, Adam Frank11,†, and Gourab Ghoshal11,12,‡

  • *Contact author: artemyk@gmail.com
  • †Contact author: afrank@pas.rochester.edu
  • ‡Contact author: gghoshal@pas.rochester.edu
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PRX Life 3, 037003 – Published 3 September, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/rsx4-8x5f

Abstract

This paper explores the idea that information is an essential and distinctive feature of living systems. Unlike nonliving systems, living systems actively acquire, process, and use information about their environments to respond to changing conditions, sustain themselves, and achieve other intrinsic goals. We discuss relevant theoretical frameworks such as semantic information and fitness value of information. We also highlight the broader implications of our perspective for fields such as origin-of-life research and astrobiology. In particular, we touch on the transition to information-driven systems as a key step in abiogenesis, informational constraints as determinants of planetary habitability, and informational biosignatures for detecting life beyond Earth. We briefly discuss experimental platforms which offer opportunities to investigate these theoretical concepts in controlled environments. By integrating theoretical and experimental approaches, this perspective advances our understanding of life's informational dynamics and its universal principles across diverse scientific domains.

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PRX Life 3, 037003– Published 3 September, 2025
  • Received 15 January 2025
  • Accepted 11 August 2025
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