From quantum chemistry to quantum biology: a path toward consciousness
Abstract
This paper presents a historical overview of quantum physics methodology's development and application to various science fields beyond physics, especially biology and consciousness. Following a successful interpretation of several early 20th century experiments, quantum physics gradually provided a conceptual framework for molecular bonds via quantum chemistry. In recent years individual biological phenomena such as photosynthesis and bird navigation have been experimentally and theoretically analyzed using quantum methods, building conceptual foundations for quantum physics' entry into biology. Quantum concepts have also been recently employed to explain physiology's allometric scaling laws by introducing quantum metabolism theory. In the second part of this work, we discuss how quantum physics may also be pivotal to our understanding of consciousness, which has been touted by some researchers as the last frontier of modern science. Others believe that consciousness does not belong within the realm of science at all. Several hypotheses, especially the Orch OR theory, have been suggested over the past two decades to introduce a scientific basis to consciousness theory. We discuss the merits and potential extensions of these approaches.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Quantum dots: synthesis, bioapplications, and toxicity
- Preliminary Toxicity Analysis of 3DCRT versus IMRT on the High Dose Arm of the RTOG 0126 Prostate Cancer Trial
- Adaptive Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer: Initial Clinical Outcomes from a Prospective Trial
- A Guide to In Silico Drug Design
- Automated in Silico Design of Homogeneous Catalysts
- American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 263: Standardizing Nomenclatures in Radiation Oncology
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.