Essay Abstract

Understanding life from an information theoretic basis presents great challenges to the future of physics. Although it has been argued that biology cannot be reduced to physics, undertanding life and biological evolution is utlimately possible.

Author Bio

The authors is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Calgary. He has worked on problems in general relativity and is now developing a theory of biological growth using dynamical Riemannian geometry.

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David,

I like your essay and the possibility of understanding biology and life.

It strikes me that physics uses the building blocks of quantum mechanical particles to build ordinary stuff and living stuff. The living stuff all starts from DNA type molecules. The DNA molecule is peculiar in that it spans the quantum mechanical world and the classical world. Its bases are simple low mass molecules that behave quantum mechanically. However, the collection of thousands of bases enter the classical world.

I would be interested in any thoughts you have on this.

Thanks, Don L.

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I like and share the idea that our current physics knowledge a prelude on a long way toward the scientific understanding of life.

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David

A good essay, but perhaps too pessimistic about the scope of physics. Some of the limits of physics are self imposed. You emphasise Ackoff's process ending in Wisdom. Implicitly that process recognises the existence of "Minds" Currently, as i emphasise in my essay, physics is a product of minds, but being materialistic it has no room for minds.

Since the mid-90's, the philosophy of mind through the works of David Chalmers and others has been revived. What is required is a transition of such theory from contemplative philosophy to mathematical physics. That needs new mathematics.

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Hi David

According to my research evolution of life is a consistent part of cosmic dynamics. Quantum space plays an active role in evolution of life and human being.

I publish recently on that subject in vixra:

http://vixra.org/pdf/0910.0018v1.pdf

yours amrit

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I enjoyed reading your essay and I would like to direct your attention to my essay

contribution to the FXQi contest listed below. You will find that it has a connection

to your area of interest.

Your further comments would be appreciated.

Darryl Leiter Ph.D

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What Is Ultimately Possible in Physics Will Be Found Within An Observer-Participant Universe Where The Photon Carries The

Arrow of Time

by Darryl Jay Leiter, Ph.D

ABSTRACT

In confronting the challenge about what is ultimately possible in physics one must resolve three fundamental issues which occur at the interface between the microscopic and macroscopic levels of the universe: (1) the origin of the arrow of time in the universe; (2) the nature of macroscopic objective reality in the context quantum theory, and (3) an explanation for the emergence of macroscopic conscious minds in the universe. In response to this challenge we argue that the resolution of these three fundamental issues may be found within the paradigm of an observer-participant universe where the photon carries the arrow of time

attachments: 4_LeiterFQXi_ESSAY.pdf

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Mr. Hobill,

Thanks for a nice essay. Worthy of note along the lines of your message are ideas proposed by Lee Smolin in 'The Life of the Cosmos' postulating an extension of the principles of evolution to a cosmic level. Boundaries between biotics and physics are fraying, and probably for the better.

Cheers

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Dear Darryl Jay Leiter,

I took the chance reading your essay. Now I would like to ask you only one question: Why did you quote Zeh, D. Z. and "Direction In Time"? You did not mention 5th edition, and I only have the 4th edition 2001 at hands. I guess you meant Zeh, H. D. and "Direction of Time". Presumably it does not matter if Zeh changed his first names. However, "In" instead of "of" did change the point of view considerably.

Incidentally, I would like to mention that I am absolutely sure: Putative mirror symmetry of wave function in quantum mechanics, so called T-symmetry and PCT-symmetry can and must be attributed to improper interpretation of complex wave function. I just quoted Weyl's respectable doubt and Schulman's absurd suggestion, because common sense cannot evade the due while hurting conclusion. I am sorry.

Regards,

Eckard

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