What Is Life?

What Hacker News says

1. LichtsoOct 2025
   Not yet, I agree, but who is to say they couldn't?

   Limiting life to cell based biology is a somewhat lousy definition by the only example we know. I prefer the generalized definition in "What is Life?" by Erwin Schrödinger which currently draws the same line (at cellular biology) but could accommodate other forms of life too.

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2. jekudeOct 2023
   The Road to Wigan Pier - Orwell

   Antifragile - Taleb

   What is Life? - Schrodinger

   Structure and Interpretations of Computer Programs - Abelson

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3. WildgooseFeb 2019
   I was blown away by Erwin Schrödinger's "What is Life?".

   Just using pure reason and inference he not only made accurate predictions about DNA he also inspired a whole generation of physicists to switch to molecular biology and discover the fundamental building blocks of Life.

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4. aq3cnOct 2016
   The sources I mentioned are the place where people get published. So first strategy is go to skip media and reach out for original sources. I know reading a paper can be a nightmare, so you can read a featured review articles in those journal. For example these articles.

   https://physics.aps.org/synopsis-for/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117...

   https://physics.aps.org/articles/v9/111

   If you have hard time picking up which one to read, then you can use number of citations as a measure to decide what deserve your attention. If you stick to your own area of expertise, then you if it is correct or not. You can check educational background and previous work to decide the validity of their present work.

   Research done in physics are not personal opinions. Mathematics speaks for itself. So I don't think that you will ever encounter media bias if you stick to reputed people from reputed journal.

   As per finding book recommendations, you can refer back to your current or favorite textbooks to find what those author ask you to read further. You can watch public lectures of your favorite physicist or visit their website to find out their recommendations. Feynman Lectures is the most popular book among new comers of physics students. So I am assuming you know about it. He has given several book recommendation in between the book.

   http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu

   Another approach for validity of article it to refer to comment section and evaluate how heated or constructive is the debate following the article. Look for previous article by same author to see if he just expresses controversial to have more clicks.

   For long time, I have been following this list for book recommendation. Inside these books have recommendation for my next book. http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Administrivia/booklist...

   Since you ask for my personal opinion, so I would recommend reading this book. And you know what it is freely hosted on MIT website. It is What is life by Erwin Schrödinger.

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Is_Life%3F

   http://web.mit.edu/philosophy/religionandscience/mindandmatt...

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5. smaccounApr 2015
   Beyond the technology that often emerges from scientific endeavors, science alone is a beautiful discipline that engages man in the world from the "objective" perspective. However science has, and always will, sit under the umbrella of philosophy. Science stops at a basic set of assumptions which - although valuable in a limited sense - must keep the curious mind wanting more. More importantly though, science often leaves out those questions that are most important to us - those questions that concern the relation of mySELF, that most mysterious thing, with the rest of the world. Perhaps the best person to elucidate this fact is Erwin Schrodinger, who's books My View of the World, Nature and the Greeks, and What is Life are absolute must reads:

   "I am very astonished that the scientific picture of the real world around me is deficient. It gives a lot of factual information, puts all our experience in a magnificently consistent order, but it is ghastly silent about all and sundry that is really near to our heart, that really matters to us. It cannot tell us a word about red and blue, bitter and sweet, physical pain and physical delight; it knows nothing of beautiful and ugly, good or bad, God and eternity. Science sometimes pretends to answer questions in these domains, but the answers are very often so silly that we are not inclined to take them seriously."

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6. __MatrixMan__Apr 2025
   I have lost the book, but I think I read this in "What is Life? And Other Scientific Essays" by Erwin Schrödinger. If I recall, it was one of the "Other Scientific Essays."
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