PMID: 16536153Mar 16, 2006Paper

The influence of Niels Bohr on Max Delbrück: revisiting the hopes inspired by "light and life"

Isis; an International Review Devoted to the History of Science and Its Cultural Influences
Daniel J McKaughan

Abstract

The impact of Niels Bohr's 1932 "Light and Life" lecture on Max Delbrück's lifelong search for a form of "complementarity" in biology is well documented and much discussed, but the precise nature of that influence remains subject to misunderstanding. The standard reading, which sees Delbrück's transition from physics into biology as inspired by the hope that investigation of biological phenomena might lead to a breakthrough discovery of new laws of physics, is colored much more by Erwin Schrödinger's What Is Life? (1944) than is often acknowledged. Bohr's view was that teleological and mechanistic descriptions are mutually exclusive yet jointly necessary for an exhaustive understanding of life. Although Delbrück's approach was empirical and less self-consciously philosophical, he shared Bohr's hope that scientific investigation would vindicate the view that at least some aspects of life are not reducible to physico-chemical terms.

Citations

Jul 1, 1985·Journal of the History of Biology·L E Kay
Mar 1, 2012·The Plant Cell·David W Ehrhardt, Wolf B Frommer
Jul 3, 2010·The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·Thomas E Wellems
Apr 17, 2010·EMBO Reports·Fulvio Mazzocchi
Feb 14, 2012·Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences·Phillip R Sloan
Nov 16, 2018·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Adriana MaraisRienk van Grondelle

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Andrew T Domondon
Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere : the Journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life
Addy Pross
Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Marcel Quarfood
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved