Fractal Series - Paper 3:Fractal Genesis — The Mineral Precursors to Biology

Title Fractal Series — Paper 3: Fractal Genesis — The Mineral Precursors to Biology Author Juan F. Culajay Type Preprint / Report Language English License Suggested: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Abstract (Description) The origin of life is conventionally framed as biology emerging from non-living chemistry through a series of improbable chemical accidents. This paper presents a thermodynamic alternative: life did not begin — it transitioned. Applying the E³ Framework (Energy × Environment → Entropy regulation), the analysis demonstrates that Hadean Earth (4.5–4.0 Ga) operated as planet-scale thermodynamic life on a mineral substrate before organic chemistry was possible. With geothermal gradients 4–6× modern values, approximately 2 billion km³ of crust maintained silicate minerals at transition temperature (Tm) continuously, satisfying all three criteria of thermodynamic life: dynamic high-entropy states, thermodynamic selection, and template-driven propagation. The geothermal gradient was the metabolism. The planet was the organism. Four thermodynamic stages driven by planetary cooling define the succession: Crystal (>300°C) → Crystal Metabolism (150–300°C) → Crystal-Organic (40–150°C) → Pure Organic/Proto-LUCA (