What is Life?

“How can the interplay of mind, matter, and the rules of the physical universe give rise to life as we know it?”

1. Atoms are tiny, but organisms need to be big.

The question of size reveals an interesting relationship between life and physics. Schrödinger asked why atoms, the building blocks of matter, are so tiny compared to the size of living organisms. This difference in scale ensures that organisms function properly by taking advantage of statistical laws while avoiding disruptions caused by individual atomic behavior.

Atoms behave erratically when examined individually. They vibrate, shift energy, and do not follow any recognizable physical laws on their own. But when grouped in large numbers, their collective behaviors conform to statistical laws, creating order out of chaos. This principle ensures stability, allowing living systems to operate, grow, and interact with their environment.

If organisms were the same scale as atoms, random atomic activities would disrupt their stability. Life relies on being composed of vast numbers of atoms that collectively create consistent patterns. At this higher scale, living systems avoid the chaotic influences of individual atomic reactions, enabling them to function smoothly and predictably.

Examples

• Tiny atoms vibrating individually without order but forming stable molecules in large quantities.
• Oxygen gas aligning with a magnetic field not atom by atom, but through collective behavior.
• A suspended body influenced by weak electric forces exemplifies how disordered tiny components settle into predictable patterns on a larger scale.

2. Genes are the blueprint and architect of life.

Small groups of atoms within chromosomes direct life’s development and function. Schrödinger described genes as both blueprints and builders. They hold instructions for how an organism will grow and interact with its environment from a single fertilized egg to a full-grown being.

Even though these small groups of atoms are too tiny to follow statistical laws, they store remarkably precise instructions. Genes encode every trait and behavior an organism might have. When cells divide, the chromosomes within their nuclei carry “pattern scripts” that dictate everything from eye color to developmental timing.

Genes don’t just passively transmit information; they actively steer the process of development. Their atomic structures not only explain what life might become but also actively guide it to become that form, akin to a self-building machine.

Examples

• Fertilized egg cells growing into distinct organisms like chickens or people depending on their coded genes.
• Chromosomes balancing both structural stability and functional roles during cell division.
• The discovery that genetic instructions are highly preserved across time and species.

3. Evolution progresses through big leaps, not small steps.

Darwin’s theory of small gradual changes was incomplete. Schrödinger highlighted the role of mutations—sudden, significant shifts in genetic material—as the driving force of evolution. He compared these sudden changes to quantum leaps in particle physics, where energy states transition abruptly between levels.

While early ideas of natural selection relied on cumulative changes, Schrödinger explained that these small variants aren’t inheritable. Instead, evolution occurs when significant mutations emerge, taking species into new forms entirely without intermediary stages. These shifts are rare but profound, leading to new species over millions of years.

Drawing a parallel to quantum theory, he proposed that the stability of hereditary molecules allows retention of genetic information over time. Mutations—like energy state changes—break this stability to create new life possibilities. This ensures that evolution aligns with the probabilistic nature of physics.

Examples

• Crop experiments showing no inheritance of small continuous variations in plant traits.
• The rise of new species due to abrupt genetic changes observed in nature.
• Molecular stability in genetic processes functioning like quantum systems.

4. Life escapes entropy by producing order from order.

Life defies the fate common to inanimate objects, which decay into disorder. Schrödinger stressed that living organisms maintain their order by feeding on negative entropy—sources of energy that sustain them. This dynamic ensures that life continues in a universe guided by decay and degradation.

Entropy, a measure of disorder in physics, pushes systems toward chaos. But living organisms counteract this by drawing energy from their environment. By transforming this energy into a continuation of their functions, they sustain their structures and vitality. Life, therefore, uniquely produces order from order rather than deriving it from randomness.

He described living systems as dynamic machines, comparable to timepieces powered by internal mechanisms rather than chaotic, external forces. This dynamic ordering allows organisms to operate efficiently, ensuring survival in contrast to lifeless matter's inevitable decay.

Examples

• A plant utilizing sunlight to sustain life and resist entropy through photosynthesis.
• Complex molecular processes in cells converting nutrients into organized structures.
• A comparison between thermostats stabilizing mechanical systems and genetic mechanisms stabilizing biological ones.

5. Genetic molecules are masterpieces of stability and precision.

The hereditary molecule Schrödinger theorized remains stable over ages while holding vast information. He likened this molecule to an “aperiodic crystal,” a complex structure that doesn’t lose form or function even over thousands of years. It encodes life's diversity within a highly organized matrix.

Unlike regular physical crystals that repeat simple patterns, aperiodic crystals pack immense complexity into their formations. Such molecules break classical physics’ predictions, retaining their order despite being as tiny as genes. Schrödinger’s proposal inspired subsequent discoveries in DNA, a perfect real-world example of his theoretical molecule.

These structures balance stability and adaptability. Though resistant to disorder, they mutate occasionally, fostering evolutionary leaps. Their dual nature—the capacity to remain unchanged and yet evolve—underpins both life’s continuity and its transformative diversity.

Examples

• DNA discovered later, matching shapes and roles Schrödinger envisioned.
• Molecular stability under harsh conditions observed in evolutionary research.
• Genomic studies revealing conserved orders across ancient lineages.

6. Consciousness only arises during active learning.

Schrödinger explored what makes consciousness unique. He proposed consciousness emerges when something requires active learning or adaptation. Reflexive, automatic processes in the brain stay unconscious, but hurdles or novel situations activate awareness.

For instance, routine tasks like walking to work don’t involve cognizance unless disrupted—say by roadblocks. Consciousness then steps in to find alternatives. Similarly, learning a new skill requires attention until the process becomes automatic and recedes into unconsciousness.

This learning principle connects consciousness to survival. By enabling adaptive and situational awareness, consciousness gives organisms a tool for reacting appropriately and improving behaviors, ensuring better responses to challenges.

Examples

• Walking to work unconsciously but navigating obstacles consciously when paths change.
• Animals learning to adapt their hunting strategies based on prey behavior.
• Children developing awareness as they continuously learn their environment.

7. Conscious human evolution depends on behavior.

While evolution seemed dependent on physical factors alone, Schrödinger argued that human behavior affects selection. Humans, with their ethics and intelligence, can actively shape their evolutionary path.

Behaviors supporting adaptations create feedback loops. For example, better flying birds building nests in treetops ensure only the most capable offspring thrive. Likewise, humans modify environments, consciously or unconsciously reinforcing advantageous traits.

Schrödinger urged society to regulate its progress actively. Ethical concerns, industrial revolutions, and technological advances present opportunities for evolved behaviors. By replacing repetitive tasks with machines, humanity can focus energies on creativity and progress.

Examples

• Birds reinforcing evolution by choosing environments that challenge future generations.
• Humans creating laws to preserve others’ lives even when evolution might dictate otherwise.
• Shifts toward automation promoting intelligence-based development.

8. Science and sensory perception are disconnected.

While science explains the world in terms of objective physical laws, it cannot account for perceptions like color or sound. Schrödinger drew attention to this disconnect, questioning how qualities such as “yellow” arise in the mind.

Science can describe yellow light’s wavelength, but that description doesn’t include the experience of seeing it. Experience resides exclusively in the observing brain. Thus, reality as perceived is fundamentally tied to consciousness.

This perceptual gap reveals a paradox: while science explains the world outside us, understanding the world inside us—our sensations of it—is less clear. This dilemma intertwines scientific inquiry with philosophical musings about consciousness.

Examples

• Physicists describing wavelengths without mentioning the human experience of colors.
• Neurological pathways activated during visual recognition lacking subjective explanations.
• Eastern philosophies merging the mind and world into interconnected wholes.

9. The world and mind are inseparable.

Schrödinger argued that the mind doesn’t exist apart from the world—it is the world, perceived from a unique perspective. Human consciousness gives meaning to reality, yet is made from the universe it observes.

This unity suggests that when individuals pass away, their consciousness merges back into the whole. Paradoxes about individual egos cease when consciousness is seen as a single, interconnected phenomenon revealing itself in facets.

Such philosophical stances resonate with Eastern thought, particularly ideas about universal connectedness. Schrödinger urged us to rethink death and individuality, viewing consciousness as eternal rather than limited.

Examples

• The interconnected teachings of Buddhist or Vedantic philosophies.
• Scientific observations about shared ecological and molecular heritage.
• Conscious realization of observing through one fragment of existence.

Takeaways

1. Reflect often on how your daily behaviors contribute to your personal growth and wider human evolution.
2. Engage with interdisciplinary ideas to spark creativity, blending scientific approaches with philosophical insights.
3. Recognize the interconnectedness of life, nature, and self, fostering compassion and curiosity about existence.