One of the main results of Auletta’s original research on the foundations and interpretation of quantum mechanics is the publication (together with Giorgio Parisi and Mauro Fortunato) of a handbook of Quantum Mechanics,[1] (Cambridge University Press, 2009). Auletta has stressed that there are three basic forms of dealing with information: processing, sharing, selecting.
This pathway of research eventually led him to consider quantum information as a fruitful approach for studying the way in which biological and cognitive systems deal with information at all scales. He has now published a book on Cognitive Biology,[2] (Oxford University Press, 2011), in which an attempt is made to show the consistence of such an approach with the recent impressive achievements in life sciences, within the perspective of a thorough reflection on the current paradigm dominating biological disciplines. In particular, Auletta is interested in the relevance of notions like information control, functional equivalence class, formal constraints and top-down causation as to the organisms’ capability of dealing with a challenging environment at the ontogenetic and epigenetic levels, eventually leading to the emergence of new biological functionalities at the phylogenetic level. Top-down causation mechanisms via information control may be considered as the way in which initial and random perturbations disturbing the homeostasis of an organism are subsequently framed in the organism’s network of formal constraints thus giving raise to a process of fine-tuning that ends up in an eventual stable form able to realize a new adaptive fit with certain environmental conditions and challenges. Such process of top-down fine-tuning bridging between randomicity and fitness may be at the basis of the emergence of new functionalities at the phylogenetic scale. Top-down causation via information control may also be enquired in developmental and epigenetic processes (as well as in regeneration processes) when the organism is forced to deal with unpredicted, uncontrollable and in principle noxious environmental stimuli. Finally, information control may be assumed to play a fundamental role also in the ontogenetic action of the organism on the environment (e.g. from chemotaxis up to niche construction as well as to planned actions). Accordingly, his efforts are aimed at both developing a theoretical framework and designing possible experiments and research projects based on the latter standpoints.
Recently, he has published a book on the mechanization of inferences, Mechanical Logic in Three-Dimensional Space, (Pan Stanford Pub., Singapore, 2013).[3] Here a reduction of logic to combinatorics is provided. In particular, a logical 3D space is built as a substrate of the logical algebra. Arithmetic operations on propositions allow a new logical calculus.
- (Ongoing) Experiment on Planarians Regeneration in Space (this project has been recently selected by the European Space Agency for its implementation on the International Space Station and sees the collaboration of Emili Salò's group at the Genetic Department of the University of Barcelona).
- (2007-2011) The Reality of Top-down Causation (funded by the CTNS of Berkeley and with the participation, among others, of George Ellis).
