How Quantum is Life?

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Abstract

When looking up at night and having difficulty sleeping, you ponder, “Life shouldn’t exist,” or “Why does anything exist?” But those thoughts, like with most biology, don’t last long, as classical thermodynamics tells us everything falls apart. Classical physics doesn’t have a response to this phenomenon, that is, life, especially when it grows and evolves beyond the expectations of decay. Quantum coherence is the ability of quantum systems, like particles, to maintain structure. Yet that structure collapses easily, being inherently delicate. It’s known that specific environments cause dephasing, such as hot or wet environments, which disrupt the functions of quantum coherence. Like how classical physics says entropy increases, as does disorder, over observed time. Yet life, biologically, has defied expectations by resisting decay

Essay

Introduction

 

Recent studies in quantum biology suggest new theories that life takes advantage of quantum mechanics for survival. From quantum coherence in photosynthesis that lasts thousands of times longer than theory predicts, to entangled electrons that help birds migrate. Nature appears to have mastered quantum effects that our best laboratories can’t maintain for microseconds. But the real mystery is that Quantum effects are supposed to be fragile. Usually, they collapse immediately in warm, wet, or noisy environments, like a living cell; however, quantum effects persist in biology in environments that should reject them instantly, kind of like bubbles of soap withstanding a hurricane and becoming stronger.

 

This essay proposes an answer that connects these questions through motion, quantum mechanics, and the nature of life itself. Life outruns traditional entropy through directional motion that compresses conditions faster than entropy can spread them. The evidence for quantum biology has been building for decades, but only recently has the scientific community begun to understand quantum biology. In 2007, a breakthrough came through regarding photosynthesis research. When photons hit a chlorophyll molecule (pigment found in plants crucial for photosynthesis), it causes electrons to travel to a reaction center (protein complex vital for converting light energy into chemical energy). This is called the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex, or FMO. In green sulfur bacteria that challenged the physics of biology, that energy wasn’t moving around randomly from molecule to molecule like a pinball machine, having the ball bounce around. Instead, under this observation, it was traveling as a quantum coherent structure that continued for hundreds of femtoseconds (decoherence in biological conditions), far longer than expected. The expected was about 1-10 femtoseconds, and what was observed was 600 times greater, about 600 to 700 femtoseconds.

 

Quantum structure allows energy to explore multiple pathways at once. In birds, quantum biology may enable an internal compass that evaluates possible routes before locking in the most efficient path. Classical models predict that photosynthesis should be far less effective than what we actually observe, with energy dispersing quickly into disorder. But quantum coherence explains the near-perfect efficiency we see in nature. When light hits cryptochrome molecules in bird retinas, it creates pairs of electrons with entangled spins. This is a direct influence from the Earth’s magnetic field, which influences the states of spins. It's like having a quantum compass built into your eyes. This process depends on maintaining quantum entanglement (two or more particles become linked together that share the same quantum state), in a warm, noisy biological environment for milliseconds, an eternity in quantum terms. Even smell might be quantum. The traditional models of olfaction can't explain why molecules with identical shapes smell different, or why different shapes sometimes smell similar. Some researchers now think smell might have less to do with shape and more with how molecules vibrate. Electrons might jump across receptors instead of locking into place because of those tiny vibrations. Under this hypothesis, the nose acts as a vibrational spectrometer, resolving quantum-level differences through motion rather than form.

 

This all goes back to the question of how quantum is life? How do these quantum effects allow biology to survive and resist entropy?

 

A Quantum Framework for Life

Where classical physics explains what happens, quantum physics might explain how life cheats time by compressing motion before entropy can catch up. Erwin Schrödinger suggested that beyond chemistry, life might be structured by something else. Motion might just be something else, not particularly chaotic or static motion, but coherent and directional motion. When cells move down to the quantum level, they move purposefully to fulfill an objective, resulting in a chain reaction that leads to the continuation of life. All the way down to the genetic/organic level. This can even be tied into entanglement for Quantum physics, as entanglement is the observation that two particles linked affect each other instantly. That is biology down to the cellular level, all the way up to your nerves firing and causing your arm to move. In short, life doesn’t contain Quantum effects; life depends on them. And this is represented in directional motion.

 

Classical thermodynamics predicts energy dispersal and says all structures decay, period, point blank. But Quantum Physics and the observation of it suggest that life may collapse traditional entropy by outrunning it. On a total structure scale, humanity as life, evolved beyond a 20-year life span up to modern times, where human life resists decay up to 70 years on average in most western nations. Life on a human scale has been outrunning entropy and extracting more usable energy from available sources, a complete collapse of what classical thermodynamics suggests. At the current rate, life through humanity will continue to consume more and generate a higher output of directional motion to outrun it. Basic examples include using wood for energy, to now using radioactive rocks like uranium and thorium, through nuclear fission, where atoms are split to release a greater amount of energy. Humanity is harnessing science and knowledge to take advantage of energy by converting lower-grade energy to yield higher motion. This is directly because of directional coherent motion, which can be symbolized as directional motion (model systems where sustained motion holds together). This is because of quantum subatomic particles in our genetics, allowing us to evolve subtly over the centuries, and because our minds use education to resist decay in many forms. This condition may be considered as the collapse of entropy in the presence of sustained directional motion, or entropy collapses in motion. Unlike traditional models where entropies always rise, you can model where entropy collapses. When motion is coherent and directional, you can quantify it and see that disorder doesn’t grow when coherence is maintained, whether it’s over generations or years; if disorder were always true, you wouldn’t have a functioning society, becoming more functional over generations.

 

If disorder truly is the king of this universe, then human or even biological structures wouldn’t continue to persist under it, let alone evolve through the chaos of decay. It’s like a resistance to entropy where life is biologically replicating and each iteration of life is getting stronger, sharper, and more resilient than the last. Sure, the universe only has a finite amount of energy, but not everything becomes disordered over time, especially when you consider life structures that are coherent and moving. Under the Flynn effect (referring to the observed phenomenon of rising IQ test scores across generations), IQ scores rise 3 points per decade. It is generally associated with modern technology, longer schooling, and open access to once-closed doors, like higher education. Still, it shows that the longer life persists, the stronger it grows from past experiences. Under classical physics, as we move forward, we should be heading towards less coherence and structure, but life continues to persist. It’s being observed that people are now even being born without wisdom teeth and smaller jaw lines, a documented recognized aspect of human evolution, possibly due to dietary changes. It’s essentially as if directional motion resists the wall of entropy, allowing life to evolve on a quantum level to continue through. If motion coherence is key, we should observe enhanced structural persistence in biological systems with high directional flow, even in high-entropy environments.

 

In Quantum physics, we see these in many examples. Coherence might be what gives life the edge it needs to survive, possibly not an abstract theory, but a working condition we can observe. Using neurons (Cells that transmit signals), for example, they don’t fire off randomly, into disorder; they are structural and purposeful in what they do, allowing life to move with directional motion. Essentially, like order to chaos that happens to billions and billions of cells. Same thing with energy transfer, in classical systems you’d expect internal energy from life to be disorder, not directional, and not being used with full intent and structure that avoids thermal randomness. It’s like the system life knows where to send energy and harnesses it before disorder takes hold. Some systems choose the best path out of random ones. Perhaps this is what life is: a coherent structure all the way down to the quantum level that resists disorder and lasts long enough to build structure from each generation in a universe that mostly tears things apart.

 

Can We Measure Quantum Life?

How do we measure quantum in real life or biology? It must be more than just a theory that appears; it must be something that can be mapped and observed. Perhaps there are testable conditions where breakdowns can be measured. If coherence is helping life to stay sustained, then breaking coherence should do the opposite. Coherence, meaning particles working in sync across time and space, lets life hold together longer than expected. Let's use life as the primary target of the measurement. Birds are again a great example due to their unique structure, which allows them to interact with quantum entanglement using their eyes, helping them sense magnetic fields. So the test should scramble that, introduce various factors like noise, maybe some form of electromagnetic interference, and see what happens to their navigation system. If that prevents birds from correctly navigating, then the observation is quantified. Using (FMO), for photosynthesis, which is proficient in utilizing and moving energy, is considered too fast or too clean. So, to mess with it, you apply timing interruptions in a lab, and shorten the window for coherence, you can observe if a breakdown occurs and whether it starts acting like more classical systems for energy transfer. There is your test.

 

Reverse the test and apply it to everything. Maybe all structures and coherence have some budget on the quantum level, like a limit to see if there are thresholds to measure. Observe if there is more chaos or noise, and whether the structure fails. If that is the case, entropy wins. But if these coherences stay under thresholds, and directional motion continues, you can evolve. Perhaps this is what we’re all seeing. It’s not that birds or other organic life forms are quantum computers; they're acting out motion that is observable, directional, and purposeful, and if you can mess with their coherence, then that is data to be collected. Others have tried similar experiments, such as Thorsten Ritz, who messed with the magnetic field of birds, and it was observed that birds lost their bearings. It’s more than biology; its coherence falling apart.

 

Another approach is to use Wavefunction Collapse, when the quantum potential becomes an outcome. That directional motion for a species can explain the quantum effects of biology when energy exchange is involved in neuron firing, and sub-atomic particles at work that persist in structure, which is not simply an accident, but is designed and encoded into genetic rules for sub-atomic particles. That wavefunction collapse is based on the genetic design to survive and move forward; life doesn’t avoid collapse; it’s simply directing it. Wavefunctions were introduced in 1927 by Heisenberg and formalized by Neumann in 1932. Neumann mapped out how wave functions snap into place once you pick up the signal, and that is simply a snapshot of structure taking over randomness. Another way to look at it is when a bunch of maybes snaps into reality.

 

Testing for measurements in the modern age would not involve testing on birds, bacteria, or other animals. Instead, try testing synthetic life, or life that we make, using test tubes with grown proteins or chlorophyll-type structures (like the parts of plants that absorb sunlight and turn it into energy). You can apply typical quantum tests such as noise, magnetized fields, or even EM radiation. Log and map the reactions and see if these artificial manmade structures stay coherent. In the age of life and AGI, if synthetic structures can maintain coherence and use energy efficiently, then maybe coherence isn’t just applicable to nature; it might be programmable into anything that can withstand a stress test. Maybe coherence isn’t “alive” just because it’s tied to biological structures. Perhaps it’s alive because coherence moves with intent, no matter the origin. That directional motion, with or without meaning, might be the quantum amplifier that lets life hold together at all.

Maybe there’s even a breaking point to coherence, a kind of quantum snap line. Like a threshold for coherence, what some might call a coherence threshold (maximum amount of disturbance, using heat, noise, or EM, and charting that based on how long a system can endure it while maintaining coherence). This is when you test life in many forms to see if you apply heat, noise, or randomness, or whatever disrupts subatomic particles, to get a measurable result. If the test shows disruption or desynchronization, you can apply a value to see what holds together throughout space and observed time. This could be applied to life or synthetic biology. Instead of a typical quantum test, this is where you can map basic heat and decay, to see where life, whether biological or artificial, is holding on and where entropy takes over. This measurement could be used where evolution lives if it maintains the threshold long enough to continue motion forward.

If coherence can break, you can measure and quantify life. If that still holds together, maybe it’s already evolving.

 

How Quantum Is Evolution

How quantum is life is also how quantum is evolution. All the way down to our genetic strands of DNA. Quantum mechanics works on the very base levels of DNA, the strands of code that allow life to exist and be coherent. Particles like protons (positively charged particles) can tunnel across the hydrogen bonds between DNA base pairs, formally known as A–T (adenine and thymine), which are pairs in DNA strands. Tunneling is the act of moving through DNA without losing energy for the particle, which generally shouldn’t be possible, because DNA is not an imaginary object; it’s a real atomic strand of biological makeup that particles are still able to move through, such as tunneling. In quantum mechanics, particles don’t behave like solid objects; they behave like waves. When these particles shift or tunnel and show up on the opposite side of the DNA, this could cause an error, like shifting code in a software program. Just move a symbol from one end to another, and you’ve got an error code. But what’s interesting is that even if particles move and change on DNA strands, causing mutations, they don’t necessarily cause harm directly to life. This subtle shift could later define the mutations we see in evolution. Physicists have also come to similar conclusions. Jim Al-Khalili and Johnjoe McFadden suggest that enzymes may use quantum tunneling to help distinguish between base pairs in DNA, meaning quantum mechanics might not just be a side effect, but a built-in selection tool in genetic evolution.

 

Generally, quantum coherence doesn’t last long in warm or wet environments, yet DNA still folds and repairs itself to remain precise in its environment, even when affected by other particles. It’s almost like life has evolved to shield its mechanics from the decoherence of quantum mechanics. This could be directly caused by motion with or without meaning; every time life persists forward, DNA subtly changes and responds to quantum effects to strengthen its position biologically to maintain structure. Not every quantum shift bears something useful for DNA. When quantum shifts occur at the subatomic level, it doesn’t always result in perfect replication of genetic structure. Earlier it was said that protons can move between A-T and other bases for genetic strands by tunneling; however, if these are exposed to a tautomeric shift (a chemical reaction where molecules change due to intramolecular movement of a proton), it will cause an error in state when the proton snaps back into the original position. This change can affect genetic replication. And maybe this goes back to directional motion, that survival for life is simply having coherence last long enough to replicate forward.

 

Motion comes in many forms for Quantum Mechanics, like vibration, translation, and rotation. Quantum vibrations are a new research theory that molecular vibrations aren’t just random movement, but possibly a coherent structure for the states of molecules. The core concept behind this follows the genetic strands for the nitrogenous bases in DNA:

 

A – Adenine: The chemical structure that is used as the building block for DNA and RNA. Plays a direct role in energy transfers between cells. In quantum mechanics, adenine has many roles in the movement of subatomic particles; research suggests it facilitates the entanglement of quantum states. Acts like a conductor to allow movement. Visually, it has one ring that pairs with Thymine.

 

T – Thymine: Pairs with adenine, which is essential for forming genetic codes that determine traits in biology for life. The primary structure of DNA is not found in RNA. Also affects entanglement in the quantum state, behaving like a conductor. Visually, it has one ring and pairs with Adenine.

 

G – Guanine: Found in DNA and RNA bases, guanine is an essential building block for nucleic acids. Guanine has two rings that are visually different from (A) and (T). Its biological properties are unique; you can find guanine in reflected layers in fish or reptiles’ skin. It acts similarly to (A) and (T) regarding quantum mechanics. There has been a lot of recent speculation and theories surrounding it, such as being a qubit (unit of information as an emerging theory), for biological computers.

 

C – Cytosine: Found in DNA and RNA bases, pairs with Guanine. Responsible for the proper replication of genetic codes. Visually, it is a single ring. Quantum mechanics looks at energy interactions within base molecules like Cytosine. There is also a hybrid method using both quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical methods that looks at the transition state surrounding molecules.

 

These genetic strands that make up our DNA can be influenced by movement. Vibration is one of those influences. Quantum vibrations are visual vibrations that have the particles stretch, bend, rock, or even wag. That motion is a quantifiable metric for understanding how movement in particles affects our genetic structure, which ultimately influences evolution. Maybe it’s directional motion in life that is a result of various influences and particle movements; it is what allows coherence to sustain long enough to replicate new, stronger genetic strands. Better known as evolution.

 

The Nature of Consciousness

Life is more than just the biological makeup of organisms and the quantum influence on the genetic strands of DNA. While those are the basis for the structure and coherence that result in functions of an organism, they don’t explain the nature of life or its consciousness. Life is more than just biology moving around; it’s a thinking platform that resides in biology, which allows it to interact with the universe around it. Primarily, human beings are a live case study in consciousness, being the most advanced form of it that manipulates its environment around it using advanced observations like physics and math.

 

Current quantum mechanics is a debated topic, constantly evolving into a new theory. Roger Penrose, a Nobel Prize winner, builds on current theory. He suggests that structures inside neurons, called microtubules, may play a role in proto-consciousness. Playing back into the hybrid method of using both particle and molecular mechanics found in Cytosine to describe how consciousness might form. Neurons are just molecular cells that transmit signals. Neurons use both electrical and chemical compounds to move information around. But again, the constant theme is movement, that structure which is coherent is because particles and molecules are moving around. That may be because consciousness is more than just chemicals and electric signals. Both are necessary products to store information and move it around. But to form consciousness requires more movement.

 

Directional coherent movement alone will not simply bear consciousness. It must be recursive, like looping (repeated iteration forming bonds with new iterations). As life opens its eyes and moves around for the first time, it’s absorbing a lot of data through what it sees, smells, and hears (sensory organs). On the quantum level, photons are what allow eyes to detect light and enable vision. Life must be compressing (taking data to flatten it for more coherent information), information through recursive feedback, that eventually builds memory chains through neurons and is stored throughout the brain. No single part of the brain facilitates all of memory, but the hippocampus, located in the medial temporal lobe, is crucial for forming long-term memory chains. Consciousness is not just one iteration of memory; it's the building of memory chains repeated over many years that form an identity and consciousness. That coherent structure, made from directional motion lasting over time, is what allows memory and identity to build. That’s the basis for consciousness. It’s about having neurons link information and storing it through the hippocampus, which can be called upon to reference new information that forms new memory chains.

 

Conclusion

Overall, how quantum is life? Since particles interact with genetic structures, photons play a primary role in tunneling and eyesight. Eyesight is a direct structure that allows coherence to build forward. By interacting with the world and building memory chains with it, that forms consciousness. Energy movement is not just entropy building; when energy is directional with movement that allows coherence to build forward each iteration, which provides structure to survive and grow stronger. That harnessing energy in many forms allows life to outrun traditional entropy models, due to motion collapsing entropy, and being directional. This could point to a new type of framework, where entropy collapses in motion, directional motion holds structure and coherence threshold defines the limits of quantum persistence in life. As humanity expands its knowledge, so will its lifespan grow, continuing to resist disorder each generation. That motion on a quantum level is quantifiable, whether it’s vibration, translation, or rotation. Quantum physics is a growing field where theory and research constantly evolve, and every novel input builds on the next theory to become reality. So, when you’re looking up at the sky asking, “Why does life exist?”, you at least know now that it exists as a quantifiable measurement due to motion being directional on a genetic and particle level. And every ten years, you can expect the Flynn effect to show up in the new generations as life gets a little bit smarter at each iteration.

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