Alternative theories of quantum evolution
<noinclude>
</noinclude>:For the theory more commonly associated with this name see: Quantum evolution.
Quantum evolution is the hypothesis that quantum effects can bias the process of mutation towards adaptive genetic variation. The first publication on this subject, which appeared in a peer review journal, is by Vasily Ogryzko. In 1999, biologist Johnjoe McFadden and the physicist Jim Al-Khalili published an unrelated model of adaptive selection for lactose metabolism in non-metabolizing E. coli. in which they proposed a mechanism based on enhanced decoherence of quantum states that interact strongly with the environment. McFadden published his book Quantum Evolution in 2000. (but see also McFadden and Al-Khalili's rebuttal, and Donald's response ), and coherence times on the order of 10 seconds seems to be a much more realistic outcome. This latter time would be far too short by many orders of magnitude for the protein formation required for a superposition of quantum states to affect mutations.
</noinclude>:For the theory more commonly associated with this name see: Quantum evolution.
Quantum evolution is the hypothesis that quantum effects can bias the process of mutation towards adaptive genetic variation. The first publication on this subject, which appeared in a peer review journal, is by Vasily Ogryzko. In 1999, biologist Johnjoe McFadden and the physicist Jim Al-Khalili published an unrelated model of adaptive selection for lactose metabolism in non-metabolizing E. coli. in which they proposed a mechanism based on enhanced decoherence of quantum states that interact strongly with the environment. McFadden published his book Quantum Evolution in 2000. (but see also McFadden and Al-Khalili's rebuttal, and Donald's response ), and coherence times on the order of 10 seconds seems to be a much more realistic outcome. This latter time would be far too short by many orders of magnitude for the protein formation required for a superposition of quantum states to affect mutations.
Comments