There is, in fact, a solid scientific basis for Gaia as a self-organizing system--with a purpose. I recently published a peer-reviewed physics article laying out the physical foundation that underlies Gaia, and a seven-part Medium series summarizing it. See https://medium.com/science-and-philosophy/the-reality-of-time-and-change-reimagining-physics-part-1-1c39053b1bb7