This paper examines the role of triadic relations, in which sign action consists, as occurring in physical nature prior to and independently of biological life. Peirce’s idea of “being in future” as sufficient for the notion of Interpretant opens the way to semiotic understanding of the universe’s physical evolution: when an Interpretant, as a physical situation, results indirectly from a direct dyadic interaction that changes the relation of the universe in the direction of being closer to being able to sustain (...) life, that new situation must be regarded as a Thirdness in comparison with the presupposed Secondness. (shrink)