Quantum Biology - An Untapped Realm to Enhance Human Life

Ira Pastor ideaXme Longevity and Aging ambassador and founder of Bioquark interviews Johnjoe McFadden, Professor Molecular Genetics, University of Surrey. They explore the "spooky" world of quantum biology and its potential to improve life of Earth. Moreover, both discuss Professor McFadden's work in this untapped realm of science and the questions he seeks to answer.

The importance of quantum biology - a largely untapped realm of science

Question: "What is it about life that makes it so special? What is life and how do we understand it? Professor McFadden, University of Surrey.

Answer: "What's different about life, is that it has discovered ways of doing quantum stuff at room temperature, at the temperatures that living organisms live and that is what makes life different from inanimate stuff." Professor McFadden, University of Surrey.

Ira Pastor comments: So, over the last few shows as we’ve spent time journeying along the biologic-architecture of life. We’ve spent most of our time somewhere between the organism as a whole (it''s physiological networks and process), and the world of the cell (genes, proteins, gene regulatory networks). However, while each of us is made up of on average around 50 trillion cells, each one of those cells contains an estimated 100 trillion atoms and represents an atomic, sub-atomic domain of life that few of us in the “warm at wet” area of biology ever have a reason to delve into. So, here, we delve deep into the world of quantum biology and its potential.

Understanding quantum biology

Yet back in 1944, world famous physicist Erwin Schrödinger authored a book entitled “What Is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell” which was really the first foray into a new area of thinking that attempted to bridge the macro-world of biology with, not just the atomic world of physics, but also its sub-atomic world of quantum mechanics with all of its (as Einstein would refer to it) “spookiness"; this domain with its unique themes of: entanglement (measuring one particle of a group would instantaneously influence another, regardless of the distance separating them), wave-particle duality (how sub-atomic particles exist in endless fields of possibility until a collapse point), or “ghost like” behaviour of particle tunnelling, and many other truly brain rattling themes, things indeed do become spooky.

Quantum biology explored with Professor Johnjoe McFadden

So, today’s guest Professor Johnjoe McFadden is going to take us further along these themes. He'll talk of how they find themselves meeting up at this unified, “bleeding edge” discipline known as quantum biology, and why we should care about it.

The coming age of quantum biology

Professor McFadden is Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom. With a PhD in Biochemistry Professor McFadden spent many years doing in-depth research in the area of microbial genetics, including the study of the agents tuberculosis and meningitis. Moreover, he invented important diagnostic tests for such agents. He has published more than 100 scientific articles on a wide range of subjects including bacterial genetics, tuberculosis, idiopathic diseases, computer modelling of evolution and quantum biology.

Papers and books focusing on quantum biology

Furthermore, has been instrumental in creating new models of human consciousness such as The Conscious Electromagnetic Information Field or CEMI Theory. He has been involved in authoring numerous books, 2 of which are pertinent to today’s discussion: Quantum Evolution and Life on the Edge and The Coming Age of Quantum Biology. The topics for today's interview with Professor McFadden: .His background, including how he became interested in science, in particular biochemistry, and what led him into the bleeding edge field of quantum biology.

The why question of quantum biology

Professor McFadden discusses the merging of such disparate ideas and why this is such an important: convergent idea in 2019, highlighting all of the unknowns that we cannot explain in the field of biology with our best existing macro-level tools, but which quantum mechanics, quantum biology, could help us with. Whether we’re talking about the efficiency of photosynthesis (versus solar panels), the preciseness of magneto-navigation by birds, the insufficiency of “lock and key” models of human smell, olfaction, the speed of DNA repair, mutation or even explaining the neurobiology of consciousness.

Further, he talks of the transmission, receiver and gateway of these quantum information flows. . Where does the quantum domain interface with the grander macro world? . Future visions for translation as it may pertain to human health, disease, aging.

Moreover, we hear how Dr. McFadden’s about work within the context of the evolution of life and its connection to the quantum world. Not forgetting Professor McFadden's answer to the question we ask all ideaXme interviewees: Whom would you like to meet and what would you like to ask them? ideaXme is a podcast ambassador and mentor programme.

Credits: Ira Pastor interview text, audio and video. Ira Pastor, is ideaXme Longevity and Aging ambassador and founder of Bioquark.

ideaXme's mission is to Move the human story forward!™ ideaXme Ltd. We support creators, future creators and inform and entertain the curious amongst the general public.

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