St. Albert Hall B-37
St. John’s Chapter
Society of Physics Students
presents
Alive! Life as a State of Matter
Dr. Robert W. Finkel
Department of Physics
St. John's University
The coherence of organisms presents a fundamental problem in
life sciences. How does a living cell function as a whole while it
consists of astronomical numbers of many different types of
interacting molecules?
Among the attributes of every cell are elaborate systems of
information flow and nanometer-sized “motors” far beyond our
present abilities to reproduce in laboratories.
Statistical treatments of molecules as classical entities cannot
explain the specificity and speed of reactions that are common in
organisms. A theory of organization will be required to explain the
coherence of life in more than simple descriptive terms. Some
investigators suggest that quantum mechanics plays a nontrivial
role in biology to overcome the failures of classical models of
chemical coherence. We embrace this view and outline a theory that
addresses the fundamental question and reproduces results for two
experiments.
About the picture: A kinesin motor protein carries a
vesicle along a microtubule. The Schrödinger equation shown in the
picture governs how a quantum mechanical system
evolves.
Come join us! Food and drinks will be served.