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On the Nature and Origin of Life

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Old and New Questions in Physics, Cosmology, Philosophy, and Theoretical Biology

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Abstract

Biology, hitherto, did not contribute considerably to the foundations of physics. On the other hand it expects its basic problems to be solved by physics.1 Biology, being essentially the study of life, ßιοσ, its main problem is: what is life? The question must have been asked innumerable times without finding a satisfactory answer. This is an unusual situation, experimental science being based on the experience that Nature answers intelligent questions intelligently. If she is silent, something may be wrong about the question. The question is wrong, because science rarely asks what things are, and is mostly contented with working on how they behave. Newton never asked what gravitation was.

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References and Notes

  1. A. Szent-Györgyi, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74, 2844–2847 (1977).

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  3. C. Neuberg, Biochem. Z. 49, 502–506 (1913).

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  4. P. R. C. Gascoyne and A. Szent-Györgyi, Biol. Bull 159, 474 (1980).

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  5. R. Pethig and A. Szent-Györgyi, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74, 226–228 (1977).

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  6. S. Bone and R. Pethig, Submolecular Biology and Cancer (Ciba Foundation Symposium 67, new series 1979), pp. 83–105.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Foundation for Cancer Research, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA

    Albert Szent-Györgyi

Authors
  1. Albert Szent-Györgyi
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA

    Alwyn van der Merwe

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© 1983 Plenum Press, New York

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Szent-Györgyi, A. (1983). On the Nature and Origin of Life. In: van der Merwe, A. (eds) Old and New Questions in Physics, Cosmology, Philosophy, and Theoretical Biology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8830-2_54

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8830-2_54

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-8832-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-8830-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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