Are planets evolutionary lab experiments? (5)

I’m not fond of watching documentaries. Hence, I was somewhat reluctant to start watching Solar System, despite its very high IMDb rating of #8.9. I’m glad that I did. Professor Brian Cox (b.1968) is an excellent storyteller, including for a layman like me. One of his questions is still bugging me:

Why did planet Earth move from geological activity (eg, volcanoes) to biological activity ??

Episode 1 Volcano Worlds shows that even the furthest planets and moons in our Solar System (eg, Neptune and Io) still show geological activity, despite our assumptions that they were long “dead”. Gravitational forces (eg, orbits) define energy and matter of those moons and planets. A fascinating watch !

My question above (ie, Why from geological to biological activity) relates to the Goldilocks principle.

“In astronomy and astrobiology, the habitable zone (HZ), the circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ), the Goldilocks zone, is the range of orbits around a star within which a planetary surface can support liquid water given sufficient atmospheric pressure.”

Source: Habitable zone (Wiki)

Obviously, the Goldilocks zone is not an answer but an observation / fact – rather than any opinion.

In his 2024 TV series, Brian Cox does suggest that planet Earth might be an evolutionary lab experiment. I arrived at a similar thought in my 2019 blog: Are planets evolutionary lab experiments? Also see my other 2019 blogs with that title, being part 2, part 3, and part 4. Today is part 5.

In my – and perhaps Brian Cox – view, Evolution is not only a process but also a direction in time. Hence, Evolution includes the transfer from geological to biological activity. In other words, evolution is a destiny for all planets and moons. Some make it (Goldilocks principle), while others don’t.

In 2019, I made my diagram. A 2025 update (left) felt required.

It shows several of my topics:

1. the Arrow of Time,
2. the arrow of Evolution from Energy + Matter towards Consciousness,
3. the arrow of Life from simplicity to complexity,
4. the arrow of Consciousness:
   • Needs: all life,
   • Wants: some lifeforms,
   • Beliefs: only humans??

I think, feel and believe that complex consciousness (eg, Artificial Intelligence) might be the final step in Evolution.

On planet Earth, the end result might be my 2021 diagram:

Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (1975) by The Carpenters (1976)
band, lyrics, video, Wiki-band, Wiki-song

Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless in quotes or stated otherwise.