Is biology too complex to ever understand? - Bert Hubert's writings
a day ago
- Biology historically lacked mathematical rigor, relying on observation and often incorrect classifications.
- Mendel's pea experiments introduced quantitative laws, attracting physicists to biology.
- Physics achieved unification through simple formulas and particles, inspiring 'physics envy' in biology.
- Initial molecular biology successes (DNA, codons, insulin production) mirrored physics' reductionism.
- Despite progress, most biological systems (e.g., lac operon, diabetes, Alzheimer's) remain poorly understood due to immense complexity.
- Biology produces over 100 articles per hour, exceeding human capacity for synthesis.
- Alternative approaches include focusing on 'enough' understanding for practical cures (e.g., hepatitis C) and prioritizing machine-readable databases over traditional papers.
- Fundamental research on universal aspects of life (e.g., idealized DNA) may yield deeper unified principles.