Living systems behave differently from inert materials. The Lu group at UNC strives to build a time-dependent theory of living systems, bridging non-equilibrium thermodynamics with biophysical design principles. This talk presents universal laws governing biological systems far from equilibrium, introducing geometric design principles for time-domain activated behaviors in biochemical reaction networks. The theory reveals how certain biological catalysts or reaction networks can perform counter-intuitive tasks under dynamically changing environments, which are unattainable in steady states. We extend this framework to larger-scale phenomena, presenting universal non-equilibrium response relations applicable to diverse biological processes, from protein folding to neural network dynamics. This theoretical foundation offers new approaches to understanding and manipulating complex living systems. By integrating time-dependent thermodynamics with biological complexity, our group aims to provide a unified framework for understanding and engineering life-like performances in artificial synthetic materials.