Life as a Dynamic Fourth State of Matter
Addy Pross argues that life may be viewed as a fourth, dynamic state of matter—an open, energy-driven system with continual molecular turnover that self-organizes toward function. While solids, liquids, and gases follow kinetic theory and phase transitions, living systems exhibit directed self-assembly, replication, and energy dissipation that current physical theory cannot fully explain. Advances in non-equilibrium thermodynamics and chemical theory suggest reframing life as a dynamic state rather than a specific material, offering a path to unify physics and biology.
