Abstract
In this paper I explore the possibility that quantum physics might play a fundamental role in living systems. The first part explains how thermodynamical insights may be used to derive a characterization of life as a physical phenomenon. In this case, quantum mechanics is used to describe the state of every atom on earth, providing an estimate of the entropy required for life to exist. In the second part, I argue that quantum mechanics, according to Per-Olov Löwdin, can lead to an explanation of DNA replication in terms of energy consumption. The third part describes two modern developments, photosynthesis and magneto-reception, both of which rely on quantum physics to explain their efficiency. The fourth part asks whether quantum computers can be used to simulate life in a way that goes beyond the classical approach. Finally, the fifth part suggests a new approach to physics in terms of possible and impossible processes that are based on observations of the natural world.
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- 1.
Though, of course, there are always grey areas. Man-made machines, like cars, also convert energy (fuel) into work, but they don’t really strive to do it independently of us. On the other hand, we ourselves are not independent of the external factors either, so the whole issue regarding how to define life is not that easy.
- 2.
Culture, industry and other human inventions can of course help us handle energy more efficiently.
- 3.
Note that the particular way in which the organisms on Earth extract energy puts more severe limitations on the sustainability of life. For instance, it’s only plants that utilize the Sun’s energy directly. Herbivores obtain it by eating plants and carnivores by eating herbivores (and plants). The more removed an organism is from direct sunlight utilization, the less efficient is its extraction. Isaac Asimov in “Life and Energy” has estimated that the Sun-Earth system can sustain at best 1.5 trillion humans (eating algae directly!). We are still far away from this, but the bound assumes that we have the relevant technology to do this too.
- 4.
It was already known that the explanation of chemical bonding itself lies in quantum physics. The tunneling is an additional feature.
- 5.
Quantum computation is a more powerful form of computation than the current one that fully relies on the laws of quantum physics, both in order to encode information as well as to process it. In the case of photosynthesis, the information that is conveyed is simply the energy of photons, and the vibrations are a form of quantum computation that transfers this information to the appropriate reaction centre where chemistry takes over to generate energy.
- 6.
Note to reader: no robins were injured or suffered any obvious side effects in the making of this experiment!
- 7.
More specifically, robins can keep electrons entangled up to 100 μs, while we humans can manage just about the same (at room temperature).
- 8.
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Vedral, V. (2017). Is Quantum Physics Relevant for Life?. In: Cooper, S., Soskova, M. (eds) The Incomputable. Theory and Applications of Computability. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43669-2_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43669-2_8
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