Related papers: Can we make biochemistry an exact science?
We present a hydrodynamic theory describing pair diffusion in systems with periodic boundary conditions, thereby generalizing earlier work on self-diffusion [D\"unweg and Kremer, J. Chem. Phys. 1993, 99, 6983-6997; Yeh and Hummer, J. Phys.…
The classical mass action law in chemical kinetics is put into the context of multiscale thermodynamics.Despite the purely dissipative character of the classical mass action law, inertial effects also play a role in chemical kinetics.…
Electricity plays a special role in our lives and life. Equations of electron dynamics are nearly exact and apply from nuclear particles to stars. These Maxwell equations include a special term the displacement current (of vacuum).…
One of the main activities in science teaching, and in particular in Physics teaching, is not only the discussion of both modern problems and problems which solution is an urgent matter. It means that the picture of an active and alive…
We discuss the anthropic principle and its implications for our existence and the physical laws which govern the universe. Several amazing coincidences which provide conditions necessary for creation of life suggest that the "laws of…
There are many problems in biochemistry that are difficult to study experimentally. Simulation methods are appealing due to direct availability of atomic coordinates as a function of time. However, direct molecular simulations are…
In classical mechanics matter and fields are completely separated. Matter interacts with fields. For particle physicists this is not the case. Both matter and fields are represented by particles. Fundamental interactions are mediated by…
We investigate conservation laws in the quantum mechanics of closed systems. We review an argument showing that exact decoherence implies the exact conservation of quantities that commute with the Hamiltonian including the total energy and…
Conservation principles are essential to describe and quantify dynamical processes in all areas of physics. Classically, a conservation law holds because the description of reality can be considered independent of an observation…
The interaction between charged particles through quasi-static fields must occur instantaneously; otherwise a violation of the energy principle would occur. As a consequence, the instantaneous transmission of both energy and information…
The results of molecular dynamics simulations of the properties of water in an aqueous ionic solution close to an interface with a model metallic electrode are described. In the simulations the electrode behaves as an ideally polarizable…
This article frames the relation between biology and physics by characterizing the former as a subdiscipline rather than a special case of the latter. To do this, we posit biological physics as the science of living matter in contrast to…
On example of diffusion-limited reversible $A+A \rightleftharpoons B$ reactions we re-examine two fundamental concepts of classical chemical kinetics - the notion of "Chemical Equilibrium" and the "Law of Mass Action". We consider a general…
In 1864,Waage and Guldberg formulated the "law of mass action." Since that time, chemists, chemical engineers, physicists and mathematicians have amassed a great deal of knowledge on the topic. In our view, sufficient understanding has been…
Theoretical physics is the search for simple and universal mathematical descriptions of the natural world. In contrast, much of modern biology is an exploration of the complexity and diversity of life. For many, this contrast is prima facie…
Electrostatic forces play many important roles in molecular biology, but are hard to model due to the complicated interactions between biomolecules and the surrounding solvent, a fluid composed of water and dissolved ions. Continuum model…
The formation of dynamical patterns is one of the most striking features of nonequilibrium physical systems. Recent work has shown that such patterns arise generically from forces that violate Newton's third law, known as nonreciprocal…
Quantum mechanics has enjoyed a multitude of successes since its formulation in the early twentieth century. At the same time, it has generated puzzles that persist to this day. These puzzles have inspired a large literature in physics and…
Statistical mechanics has grown without bounds in space. Statistical mechanics of point particles in an unbounded perfect gas is commonly accepted as a foundation for understanding many systems, including liquids like the concentrated salt…
A long-standing debate in the literature about the kinetic form of the Bohm criterion is resolved for plasmas with single positive ion species when transport is dominated by charge exchange collisions. The solution of the Boltzmann equation…