Life as a Thermodynamic Regulator: Rewiring of Dissipation Channels and Phase Transitions in an Agent-Based Model

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Authors: Akihiko Itaya
Cited by: 0

Abstract

Life is traditionally understood as a dissipative structure that accelerates entropy production by converting free energy into heat. Here we present an agent-based model combining spatial energy diffusion with adaptive metabolic agents, and demonstrate that life can fundamentally alter not only the amount but also the pathways of energy dissipation. Our simulations show that biological agents suppress physical diffusive frictional heat ($heatDiff$) by up to 97\%, redirecting dissipation into controlled metabolic heat production ($heatAct$). By sweeping energy inflow rate and metabolic cost, we construct a phase diagram revealing a transition between a suppression phase, where life reduces total dissipation, and an acceleration phase, where dissipation exceeds that of the purely physical system. These results suggest that life should be interpreted not merely as a dissipative structure, but as a thermodynamic regulator that actively reorganizes dissipation channels to stabilize non-equilibrium environments.An interactive simulation is available at \url{https://my-life-sim.vercel.app/}

Fields of Study & Subjects

Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics Complex Systems and Dynamics Origins and Evolution of Life

Publication details

Journal / source
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Publication date
17 January 2026
Language
EN
Document type
Preprint