A general Law of Functionality (VanCampen's Law)

Synopsis of thesis in four projects by Arend van Campen

Based on the first of the four tasks of the School of Athens ‘Seek Knowledge of Causes’, ‘Divine Inspiration’, ‘Knowledge of Divine Things’, ‘To each what is due’.

The hypothesis 'what are the criteria for non-harmful functionality of man-made living systems’ was answered.

The thesis demonstrates how natural, like physical and biological living systems were formed, evolved and sustained themselves over the centuries. A bridge was built between these systems and social communication systems.

The physical foundations are:

- ^1st Law of Thermodynamics: universal energy cannot be created or destroyed

- ^2nd Law of Thermodynamics: entropy is always increasing. (Think of your workplace, it starts in a tidy form and during the day it gets messy (disorder=entropy). The information: ‘it's a mess’, takes energy to clean it up.

- ^2nd Law of Information Dynamics; mass-energy-information are equivalent.

The biological foundations

- Cellular life: cells communicate with their environment

- Symbiosis: coexistence of different species

- Cognition: processing information

- Autopoiesis: life is self-making. If you cut yourself, your body recovers autopoietically.

- DNA is the molecule in all biological living systems that stores instructions (information) for development and survival

- Epi genetics. Epi means above. Genes alone do not determine who we are. The environment (epi) plays an indispensable role for genetic expression.

These fundamentals necessarily also apply to social systems because they are tied to physics and biology. A social system is an intrinsic part of nature.

The key finding is that every living system depends on information feedback loops. This means they are information-sensitive, which means they cannot not communicate. Open communication with their environment is a prerequisite for ideal performance (re: survival and evolution). When a living system stops learning, it is dead.

Because the universe is binary, it can only deal in truths or realities. Life, all living systems, our planet runs on binary choices; 1/0, on/off, true/false and cannot run on half-truths. The universe, your body cannot lie, it is as it is.

A USB stick with a capacity of 16GB can hold 16GB. One byte is eight bits, so 12800000000 bits of information. Storing and deleting information dissipates or ‘wastes’ or consumes energy. Therefore, information is equivalent to information or information is equivalent to energy. Information, like energy, cannot be destroyed.

People lie because they think lying to enforce competitive advantage is condoned by nature. It isn't.

When people spread disinformation, they think real information can be destroyed. This is physically, biologically and socially impossible. A living system, like a computer programme, must run on true data input to produce true data output. The IF - THEN command also applies to social systems.

Humans try to escape the laws of reality through a crisis of perception. By introducing the concept of ‘Realimiteit’, meaning the limits of reality or the limits of functionality, this work hopes to raise interest and awareness.

Information is not just a message or an e-mail, but the physical, physical essence that forms and sustains all living systems. This is the most important message for everyone. Without optimal information, nothing works!

But when we tell someone, this is a fact, people do not believe it or even bother to listen, because they are trapped in a false perception of the natural world.

Perception depends on the person perceiving. (m) - mass/matter; people live in a house, a city or a country, anything ‘perceived as real.’ Anything that is matter and has mass (weight).

Therefore, two equations/algorithms were designed to measure, determine and predict the probability between 0 and 1 for function or malfunction.

An algorithm is a finite set of instructions to achieve a goal.

Probability Malfunction: (m-i)>r→∆S>0 (entropy disorder)

Probability Function: (m+i)≤ r→J >0 (negentropy disorder)

For the reader's convenience, here is a logical explanation of the algorithms:

(m) is the mass, matter that something consists of, a house, a factory, an organisation, industry or government.

The (i) is the information how to live within mass/matter (one cannot walk through a closed door, or if one is late, one misses his train, information when to eat, go to the toilet, etc.).

The (r) is everyday reality as experienced and accepted, the Realimiteit. These are the natural boundaries within which functionality is possible.

The symbol (∆S) means entropy, disorder, uncertainty

The symbol (J) means negentropy i.e., order

Probability between 0 & 1. >0 means more than 0.

Global social systems do not function well. The World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2024 confirms that. We can scientifically demonstrate that human-induced global risks are caused by a lack of or wrong information. With the algorithm, they can be mitigated and solved.

All it takes is to understand, accept and always use information as feedback as energy to do useful work. This is how nature works, your body, all flora and fauna, the entire universe and our planet.