Neil
New
I first want to make clear that this thread is intended to explore ideas, and not well-formed ideas at that. It's more about asking questions. So please do not take it to be that the ideas are presented as actual explanations.
In the emerging field of quantum biology, we are starting to find surprising quantum effects in living organisms. This is surprising since living organisms were usually thought to be "too hot and wet" from the physicists perspective, which should result in decoherence and suppression of significant quantum effects.
Currently the most accepted quantum effect is that of photosynthesis, where quantum effects can explain the efficiency of the process. Essentially, part of the efficiency is that a "quantum walk" occurs, in which electrons take all possible paths (potentially) and end up using the most efficient one.
Another effect, which is more controversial since the evidence isn't as strong, is that perhaps quantum effects are important for the sense of smell, rather than just chemical receptors. The idea is that replacing a hydrogen with a "heavy hydrogen" molecule can alter the perception of smell, even though chemically they are identical. It is presumed that this would be a result of different quantum resonance that occurs, and sensors in the olfactory system can discriminate these states.
So I was wondering if there could be implications here for certain questions in evolution, such as the following:
1. How did life begin? Statistically, it seems highly unlikely that life could begin through the traditional chemical interactions alone. Perhaps quantum effects, in some way similar to the quantum walk, could have occurred that dramatically increased the likelihood (or efficiency) of the interactions that led to the beginning of life.
2. How can traditional random mutations lead to the evolution we apparently see? Traditional random mutations are rarely beneficial, but could some sort of quantum effect allow there to be some way for mutations to be organized or coordinated across the DNA molecule, allowing for multiple mutations, which when coordinated, allow for potentially beneficial changes? Or perhaps not just the DNA, but some sort of quantum effect involving the epigenome as well, allowing for coordination of mutations and expression in an efficient manner? Perhaps mutations are only expressed once they can be coordinated with the epigenome and actually express themselves as a potentially beneficial change?
3. Could behavior be passed on to offspring through some sort of storage of quantum information in the DNA and epigenome? I am thinking about how the sense of smell may be perceived through essentially quantum resonance, and thinking about the mice study where the fear of a smell was passed on to offspring. Could there be some sort of storage of information at the quantum level of the DNA and epigenome, allowing important behavior to be passed on?
Hopefully these questions can open up a dialog on this topic. I personally think that quantum biology is going to be quite fruitful.
In the emerging field of quantum biology, we are starting to find surprising quantum effects in living organisms. This is surprising since living organisms were usually thought to be "too hot and wet" from the physicists perspective, which should result in decoherence and suppression of significant quantum effects.
Currently the most accepted quantum effect is that of photosynthesis, where quantum effects can explain the efficiency of the process. Essentially, part of the efficiency is that a "quantum walk" occurs, in which electrons take all possible paths (potentially) and end up using the most efficient one.
Another effect, which is more controversial since the evidence isn't as strong, is that perhaps quantum effects are important for the sense of smell, rather than just chemical receptors. The idea is that replacing a hydrogen with a "heavy hydrogen" molecule can alter the perception of smell, even though chemically they are identical. It is presumed that this would be a result of different quantum resonance that occurs, and sensors in the olfactory system can discriminate these states.
So I was wondering if there could be implications here for certain questions in evolution, such as the following:
1. How did life begin? Statistically, it seems highly unlikely that life could begin through the traditional chemical interactions alone. Perhaps quantum effects, in some way similar to the quantum walk, could have occurred that dramatically increased the likelihood (or efficiency) of the interactions that led to the beginning of life.
2. How can traditional random mutations lead to the evolution we apparently see? Traditional random mutations are rarely beneficial, but could some sort of quantum effect allow there to be some way for mutations to be organized or coordinated across the DNA molecule, allowing for multiple mutations, which when coordinated, allow for potentially beneficial changes? Or perhaps not just the DNA, but some sort of quantum effect involving the epigenome as well, allowing for coordination of mutations and expression in an efficient manner? Perhaps mutations are only expressed once they can be coordinated with the epigenome and actually express themselves as a potentially beneficial change?
3. Could behavior be passed on to offspring through some sort of storage of quantum information in the DNA and epigenome? I am thinking about how the sense of smell may be perceived through essentially quantum resonance, and thinking about the mice study where the fear of a smell was passed on to offspring. Could there be some sort of storage of information at the quantum level of the DNA and epigenome, allowing important behavior to be passed on?
Hopefully these questions can open up a dialog on this topic. I personally think that quantum biology is going to be quite fruitful.