Whenever I contemplate the concept of self-assembly, as sparked by Erwin Schrödinger's book What is Life?, I find myself drawing parallels between the phenomenon of self-assembly and the functions of the human body, particularly in the self-assembly of its cells. The human body is composed of a vast number of cells, each with its own dynamics and function, yet collectively, they exhibit behaviour distinct from their individual components. This resembles a thermodynamic system, wherein cells can be compared to atoms in a gas, densely packed and characterized by a macrostate of (P, V, T) = (1 atm, V, 37°C).
Beyond pressure and temperature, other physical properties, such as the pH of human blood, also have precise values. At a specific pH, blood cells do not aggregate but interact electrostatically. As previously noted, the human body can be viewed as a self-assembled collection of diverse cell types. In principle, this perspective should allow us to quantify key physical variables like entropy, heat, and free energy. By calculating the entropy and free energy associated with these cells, we could potentially quantitatively study living systems.
If we could fully comprehend how these living systems function, we might unlock answers to many profound questions about life itself.
Picture from Okinawa island in Japan I want to share my perspective on research, particularly in basic science. I’ve noticed that many renowned scientists, especially physicists, often choose research problems that fascinate and excite them. Interestingly, many of these scientists also have a deep interest in the humanities and arts. They dedicate their resources and efforts to these pursuits, ultimately publishing their findings. Along the way, they develop quantitative and analytical tools or physics-based models to better understand the problems they are investigating. For example, I recently attended a talk by a well-known physicist from the UK who was studying literature from the medieval era. I approached the talk with curiosity but found my interest waning as it progressed, likely due to my limited understanding of literature. However, what really lingered with me was the question: Is this an important problem to study? Should leaders in the fiel...
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