Guess I'd have to read more in depth about it, but I don't see how this is that much different from Stuart Kauffman, who already proposed a thermodynamic origin of life 20 odd years ago. Origins of Order is a great read for anyone interested in thermodynamics, origins of life, and/or complexity theory. Probably this physicist (Kauffman is a biologist) formalized it a lot more. Still, the article does a great disservice not mentioning where the idea came from.
That is an important book. (Not exactly easy reading, however :) Curious that Kauffman wasn't event mentioned. The Santa Fe institute also very much investigated this line of thought and still do to this day.
No, definitely not easy reading. For anyone who's interested in the topic, but from a less rigorous math and biology standpoint, there's always Investigations, the title of which, as I'm sure you know, is a nod to Wittgenstein. It's one of the best popular science books I've ever read (I would call it popular science, but still not a book you want to undertake if you haven't at least taken some college level biology, physics, etc.).
Didn't know it and actually would have missed the 'nod'. Thanks (Speaking of our dear friend, LW, have you read C Hewitt's screed against God(el))Really juicy stuff. @mk - you have a bug here - keeps mangling the link.
@b_b: google for "contra godel et al"