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Results in Physics

What is life? The observer prescriptive

Yehuda Gavriel Roth

Published Apr 24, 2023• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In his famous book, “What is life?”, Erwin Schrödinger defines biological processes as processes that decrease entropy. As accurate as this description is, entropy reduction is not unique to animate processes; therefore, this definition does not clearly distinguish between animate and inanimate processes. Relying on previous works, which showed that in quantum-like processes the collapse resulting from measurements defines the concept of an observer’s personal interpretation, we present life as a comprehensive quantum-like measurement process that interprets reality. Furthermore, we show that this process decreases entropy, in agreement with Schrödinger’s definition.

DOI
10.1016/j.rinp.2023.106449

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In his famous book, “What is life?”, Erwin Schrödinger defines biological processes as processes that decrease entropy. As accurate as this description is, entropy reduction is not unique to animate processes; therefore, this definition does not clearly distinguish between animate and inanimate processes. Relying on previous works, which showed that in quantum-like processes the collapse resulting from measurements defines the concept of an observer’s personal interpretation, we present life as a comprehensive quantum-like measurement process that interprets reality. Furthermore, we show that this process decreases entropy, in agreement with Schrödinger’s definition.
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Abstract Recently the quantum formalism and methodology started to be applied to modeling of information processing in biosystems, mainly to the process of decision making and psychological behavior (but some applications to microbiology and genetics are considered as well). Since a living system is fundamentally open (an isolated biosystem is dead), the theory of open quantum systems is the most powerful tool for life-modeling. In this paper, we turn to the famous Schrödinger book “What is life?” and reformulate his speculations in terms of this theory. Schrödinger pointed toorder preservation as one of the main distinguishing features of biosystems. Entropy is the basic quantitative measure of order. In physical systems, entropy has the tendency to increase (Second Law of Thermodynamics for isolated classical systems and dissipation in open classical and quantum systems). Schrödinger emphasized the ability of biosystems to beat this tendency. We demonstrate that systems processing information in the quantum-like way can preservethe order-structure expressed by the quantum (von Neumann or linear) entropy. We emphasize the role of the special class of quantum dynamics and initial states generating the camel-like graphs for entropy-evolution in the process of interaction with a new environment ℰ: 1) entropy (disorder) increasing in the process of adaptation to the specific features of ℰ; 2) entropy decreasing (order increasing) resulting from adaptation; 3) the restoration of order or even its increase for limiting steady state. In the latter case the steady state entropy can be even lower than the entropy of the initial state.
It was shown that, while interpreting life as a physical phenomenon, fundamental physics allows for the following alternatives: relativity of animate and inanimate upon canonical transformations; the impossibility of the change from animate to inanimate state of isolated systems; the abandonment of attempts to reduce biology to the physics of isolated systems. The possibility of reducing biology to phenomenological physics was considered. A number of equations for the general phenomenological dynamics of density matrix was proposed.
Consider the following: A scientist studying atoms, is a group of atoms studying themselves. A strange way of looking at reality. To understand, we have to travel through the world of the infinitesimal, governed by rules and laws, different from the ones we know from our classical world. We have to enter the world of information. Max Born created the measurement problem with his statistical interpretation of the quantum mechanical wave-function: the strange connection between the collapse of a quantum mechanical wavefunction and measurement, observation, interaction with the environment, with projection into a single concrete reality in a classical world. Where a measurement or observation creates the relevant past history, John Wheeler’s eye. The universe urges for an increase in entropy and information processing. This increase makes the universe a bustling place where life such as ours can arise. The biochemistry of all life we know, has an essential basic property as the sole islands in the known universe succeeding in keeping its own entropy low: life is capable of violating the second law of thermodynamics. Life manages to prevent equally distribution of matter and energy in which case all biochemical processes stop and life ends. Growing old and dying, for every solely living thing on Earth, means being not able anymore to keep its entropy low, leading to a malfunction in the biochemical machinery, failing fundamental processes, wear and ultimately death. Keeping its entropy low, is a basic property of life. Entropy describes a system on a microscopic level and is closely related to information, the Shannon entropy, combined to as Infotropy. They are 2 parts of the same coin, closely connected with the statistics governing the rules of the universe. An average human body contains about 7 octillion (a 7 with 27 zeros) atoms and they all ‘know’ exactly what to do and how to interact. Hidden webs of information guide the atoms and molecules in their biochemical reactions, while obeying the strange laws of quantum physics: every chemical and biochemical reaction depends on the interplay of electrons. This all is guided by communication between and information streams and exchange in the subsystems of the cellular machinery. The universe produced brains, so why can’t the universe itself be a giant super brain. All we call real is made up out of things which cannot be considered as real. Our senses are biochemical measuring instruments in our interaction with the environment. They don’t serve to reveal us reality but to help us to survive. Their information is interpreted in the brain as a ‘reality vital to life.’ The brain holds a mask in front of reality behind which the real world, the world of information and quanta lies concealed. The qubits, the quantum information that makes up the universe, do not signify anything concrete, but are transformed by biochemical projection and neural interpretation into apparent reality, as electrical circuits and software do in creating a 3D virtual reality. The deepest layer of reality consists out of information. Information is the building block of the universe, although a qubit is not a physical object but contains information about the physical object. Information is real and has to obey physical laws. Consciousness, emerging from the exchange of information via chemical and electrical signals, allowing life to have a notion or awareness of its environment, is the appearance of a world trough biochemical information projection and neural interpretation. The brain, the most complex piece of matter in the known universe, creates reality. Which brings us to the question: How can we possibly know what there is out there, if we ourselves, are locked up in complete darkness in a small box. Graphical Abstract: Saldesign.
E. Schroedinger - a bibliographical sketch. Part 1 Physics in the philosophical system of Erwin Schroedinger: Erwin Schroedinger and the philosophy of the physicists holistic aspects of the Schrodinger equation Schroedinger's cat and the interpretation of quantum mechanics the Schroedinger function of macroscopic systems. Part 2 Life sciences and the theories of self in Erwin Schroedinger's philosophical system: Schroedinger's negentropy concept and biology determination and self-organization - Erwin Schroedinger's views on chance Schroedinger, the self and the genes Erwin Schroedinger and his contribution to a new understanding of living systems. Part 3 Erwin Schroedinger's world view and his philosophical system: on the scientific and humanistic thinking of Erwin Schroedinger during his last years Erwin Schroedinger as historian - notes towards an interpretation Erwin Schroedinger's position in the Einstein-Bohr debate the notion of consciousness in Schroedinger's philosophy of nature remembering Schroedinger the study of nature and the emergence of world view - philosophical reflections on E. Schreodinger's approach.