Complexity versus uncertainty: The question of staying alive

Some real objects show a very particular tendency: that of becoming independent with regard to the uncertainty of their surroundings. This is achieved by the exchange of three quantities: matter, energy and information. A conceptual framework, based on both Non-equilibrium Thermodynamic and the Mathematical Theory of Communication is proposed in order to review the concept of change in living individuals. Three main situations are discussed in this context: passive independence in connection with resistant living forms (such as seeds, spores, hibernation, ...), active independence in connection with the life span of a living individual (whether an ant or an ant farm), and the new independence in connection with the general debate of biological evolution.