Assembly Theory
Framework developed by Lee Cronin (Glasgow) and Sara Imari Walker (ASU) that uses molecular construction complexity — specifically the minimum number of recursive steps required to build a molecule — as an agnostic biosignature. The core claim is that above a threshold assembly index, molecules are unlikely to form abiotically and indicate selection / construction by an information-bearing process (life).
Vault appearances
- abscicon26 dedicated session “Assembly Theory Across Scales” (May 18, 2026):
- Estelle Janin: “Signs of exoplanet life in atmospheric complexity” — applies assembly theory to atmospheric retrieval.
- Siebert: molecular construction vs algorithmic complexity.
Assembly theory complements other false-positive-resistant approaches like statistical exoplanet-population diversity (Yoffe & Klenner, src-alien-biology-detection-method-2026-05) and the panspermia-statistical method (src-panspermia-agnostic-biosignature-2026-04).