Quantum Biology May Answer Life’s Biggest Questions

Everyone’s been speaking of quantum computing, but what about quantum biology and the application of physics to biology? In fact, physicists have been actively looking for connections between the quantum world and biological processes since the publication of Erwin Schrodinger’s “What is Life?” in 1944.

Flash forward to today and a new book, “Life on the Edge: Coming of Age of Quantum Biology” by authors Johnjoe McFadden and Jim Al-Khalili, explores numerous questions about “quantum biology” such as “why do birds know where to go?”, “how does quantum tunneling affect biochemical reactions?” and “how does quantum mechanics make photosynthesis more efficient?.” Although answers by the authors are intended for the non-technical public, the book was chosen as one of the top physics books of 2015 by Physics World.

McFadden, a molecular biologist/geneticist, and Al-Khalili, a nuclear physicist, examine how quantum effects interact with and determine how biological systems are structured and behave. The authors were interviewed in a PhysicsWorld.com podcast in which they discuss the book in detail and promote quantum biology as an entirely new field of scientific research.

The following video is Jim Al-Khalili’s TED presentation “Quantum Life: How Physics Can Revolutionize Biology”:

David Russell Schilling

David enjoys writing about high technology and its potential to make life better for all who inhabit planet earth.