Top five science books of 2015

This book looks very interesting

Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology by Jim Al-Khalili and Johnjoe McFadden

I’m terribly excited by the new field of science known as quantum biology.

In an interview, McFadden defined it as: “the science which studies the involvement of non-trivial quantum phenomena, such as coherence, entanglement and tunnelling, in life.”

In Life on the Edge, scientists, Al-Khalili and McFadden use it as a way to examine the gap between the inanimate molecules that make up us and life itself. Each chapter is an examination of curious biology through the lens of quantum mechanics, such as magnetoreception, where animals such as birds use the Earth’s magnetic field to guide them; or how photosynthesis relies on subatomic particle existing in many places at the same time.

Quantum tunnelling, quantum superposition and quantum entanglement might seem out of place in biology, but the authors have squarely aimed this book at a popular audience and carefully guide the reader through these concepts and how they relate to macro scale behaviour.

Life on the Edge provides a fascinating insight into this nascent field of study that will allow us to see the biological world in a completely different way.

Do you think there’s any such thing. I’m not convinced.

It’s even difficult to get quantum chemistry to work with anything much bigger than a benzene ring. Classical effects tend to swamp out quantum effects to the point where the quantum effects can no longer be measured reliably.

mollwollfumble said:

Do you think there’s any such thing. I’m not convinced.

It’s even difficult to get quantum chemistry to work with anything much bigger than a benzene ring. Classical effects tend to swamp out quantum effects to the point where the quantum effects can no longer be measured reliably.

Do you think there’s any such thing.

I don’t know, I’ll read the book and have a think.

CrazyNeutrino said:

mollwollfumble said:

Do you think there’s any such thing. I’m not convinced.

It’s even difficult to get quantum chemistry to work with anything much bigger than a benzene ring. Classical effects tend to swamp out quantum effects to the point where the quantum effects can no longer be measured reliably.

Do you think there’s any such thing.

I don’t know, I’ll read the book and have a think.

from People May Sense Single Photons

Some physicists have suggested that such experiments could test whether a superposition of two states could survive in a person’s sensory system, and perhaps be perceived in the brain.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-may-sense-single-photons/

Is a superposition of two states getting close to quantum possibilities?

Wikipedia on Quantum biology

Quantum biology refers to applications of quantum mechanics and theoretical chemistry to biological objects and problems. Many biological processes involve the conversion of energy into forms that are usable for chemical transformations and are quantum mechanical in nature. Such processes involve chemical reactions, light absorption, formation of excited electronic states, transfer of excitation energy, and the transfer of electrons and protons (hydrogen ions) in chemical processes such as photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Quantum biology may use computations to model biological interactions in light of quantum mechanical effects.

google search on quantum biology = About 865,000 results

Dr Sam Beckett (B Phys) reckons it’s quite a leap to make this determination

Cymek said:

Dr Sam Beckett (B Phys) reckons it’s quite a leap to make this determination

zing

dv said:

Cymek said:

Dr Sam Beckett (B Phys) reckons it’s quite a leap to make this determination

zing

Cymek said:

Dr Sam Beckett (B Phys) reckons it’s quite a leap to make this determination

maybe Dr Sam Beckett should consider that quantum laws applied to non living things also apply to living things

unless there are separate laws?