[ExI] ExI] intelligence, coherence, the frontal lobe, quantum evolution

[Keith Henson]

On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 8:53 PM,  Will Steinberg
<steinberg.will at gmail.com> wrote:

> Someone posted that a few weeks ago, quantum mechanics in photosynthesis.

That's not exactly true.  Plants use multiple quantum chemistry
because it takes more than one quantum of light to accomplish the
first step in reducing carbon dioxide.

Chemistry is understood today as quantum chemistry, particularly bonds
are represented as electron quantum states, 1s, 2p, etc.  But that's
marginal.  If you took chemistry recently you probably understand it
better than I do.

Being an old school electrical engineer, I took QM and the next
semester solid state physics.  If they assign you the non infinite
square well problem when you take QM, the key to solving it is the
Bessel equation.

As a general matter in discussions on the net (not just here) I
suggest not invoking QM arguments until you have had the course.
After taking the course, chances are you won't do that because QM is
hard to relate to common place events in the world except the trite
cases such as chemistry or device physics.

snip

I don't know how deep your knowledge of modern biology, particularly
evolution is.  Selfish Gene by Dawkins is basic to understanding
evolution, I presume you have read that.  What other parts of the
topic are you up on?

Keith Henson

PS.  You are *so* lucky to be 17.  If you study up on evolutionary
psychology it should keep from wasting huge chunks of your life trying
to figure out why people are the way they are.