What Is Life?

work by Schrödinger

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July 15, 2026

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Erwin Schrödinger's What Is Life? (1944) explores how quantum physics can explain the stability of genetic structures. While later developments in molecular biology have expanded upon his ideas, the book remains a valuable introduction to the subject.1

Schrödinger, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, is also known for his work on quantum mechanics, including the Schrödinger equation, which describes the wave properties of particles. His famous thought experiment, Schrödinger's cat, illustrates how quantum events can impact macroscopic objects.12

Life itself is characterized by responsiveness, growth, metabolism, energy transformation, and reproduction. While scientists can distinguish living from non-living matter, a single, all-encompassing definition of life remains elusive due to its dynamic and transformative nature.34

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Erwin Schrödinger
During this period he wrote What Is Life? (1944), an attempt to show how quantum physics can be used to explain the stability of genetic structure. Although much of what Schrödinger had to say in this book has been modified and amplified by later developments in molecular biology, his book…
Read More
During this period he wrote What Is Life? (1944), an attempt to show how quantum physics can be used to explain the stability of genetic structure. Although much of what Schrödinger had to say in this book has been modified and amplified by later developments in molecular biology, his book…
Read More