Life on the Edge-Chapter 2 (What is life?)

This is a summary of the second chapter of Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology.

This chapter grapples with the fundamental question of what constitutes life, contrasting living organisms with inanimate objects. It explores the historical scientific perspectives on life, starting with early philosophical concepts of a soul or vital force and moving through classical physics and chemistry. The text highlights the shift towards mechanistic explanations, discussing thermodynamics, molecular motion, and eventually quantum mechanics. It also touches on the discovery of genes and DNA, as well as the challenge of reconciling heredity with physical laws. The chapter presents the view of life as an "order from disorder" phenomenon and ultimately suggests that the key to understanding life lies in the realm of quantum mechanics and the subatomic world.