English

Walking droplets, swimming microbes: on memory in physics and life

Populations and Evolution 2020-11-24 v1 Biological Physics Molecular Networks

Abstract

Whirling and swerving, a bacterium is swimming in a test tube, foraging for food. On the surface of a vibrating bath, a droplet starts walking. A certain similarity, but mostly dissimilarity, between the physical memory that emerges in Couder's droplet experiments and the biological memory of the bacterium is noted. It serves as a starting point for a short perspective and speculation on the multilevel, loopy memory of living matter.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2011.10953,
  title  = {Walking droplets, swimming microbes: on memory in physics and life},
  author = {Albert Libchaber and Tsvi Tlusty},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2011.10953},
  year   = {2020}
}