What is quantum biology?

FlaxMagpie

Quantum biology is often taken as an interdisciplinary field of research that applies models and concepts from quantum mechanics to explain biological phenomena. But there is a subtlety in this simple description: though necessary, it is not sufficient in itself. After introducing some characteristic examples of quantum biological phenomena, I show how extant accounts of quantum biology have not adequately characterized it, and also why this characterization is important. I propose my own account, arguing not only that it remedies the deficiencies of other proposals, but also that it helps explain some of the history of quantum biology as a field of research and suggests a descriptive and normative research program in the philosophy of interdisciplinary science. The key to these is the failure of a kind of explanatory screening-off between levels of reality.

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Zeug Gezeugt

FlaxMagpie Nice philosophical exposition moving from the Robin's magnetoreception to 'surprise' (and/or novelty?) as a form of positive bias defining the 'quantum biological' and its research scope. I haven't read much of the 'unity-of-science' literature, but is "explanatory screening-off" as a reductionist assumption perhaps a bit of a straw man wrt most science disciplines nowadays being at least somewhat 'cross-level' (if that makes sense?)

phujck

I really enjoyed this essay. It is by far and away the most rigorously supported and coherent position of any I've seen so far. A much needed antidote the feckless quantum woo most of these entries are drowning in.

FlaxMagpie

Zeug Gezeugt The thesis that levels of reality or description screen off explanations from one another is compatible with there being explanations at one level drawing from explanations at a lower level, or with scientists drawing from ideas at different levels. It only states that, for an explanation for a high level, once one has conditioned on all of the relevant facts at an intermediate level, further facts from a lower level do not improve the explanation.

RubyWarbler

A truly interesting essay, dear FlaxMagpie, both from the physics behind it and from an epistemological perspective. Congratulations, I'll give it a high score. If you're interested in mine, where the situation is analyzed from a different epistemological perspective, you can find it here:
https://qspace.fqxi.org/competitions/entry/2353

Good luck in the competition!