Fig. 1. Idealized empirical curves of energy flow rates for dissipative structures (abiotic, ecological, and biological). The ordinate lists different variables that would be expected to behave as per the curves. Specific or intrinsic dynamics refer to rates per unit mass. The abscissa shows canonical stages of development as used in infodynamics. Lotka-Odum maximization refers to the maximum power principle, which governs gross energy throughputs. This contributes the flow component to Ulanowicz's ascendency, which is an overall measure of development. The Prigogine minimum refers to the interpretation that Prigogine's minimum entropy production principle governs specific flows in the senescent stage.