SciPost Submission Page
Ambitions for theory in the physics of life
by William Bialek
Submission summary
| Authors (as registered SciPost users): | William Bialek |
| Submission information | |
|---|---|
| Preprint Link: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.15538v2 (pdf) |
| Date submitted: | 2024-04-11 16:12 |
| Submitted by: | Bialek, William |
| Submitted to: | SciPost Physics Lecture Notes |
| for consideration in Collection: |
| Ontological classification | |
|---|---|
| Academic field: | Physics |
| Specialties: |
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| Approach: | Theoretical |
Abstract
Theoretical physicists have been fascinated by the phenomena of life for more than a century. As we engage with more realistic descriptions of living systems, however, things get complicated. After reviewing different reactions to this complexity, I explore the optimization of information flow as a potentially general theoretical principle. The primary example is a genetic network guiding development of the fly embryo, but each idea also is illustrated by examples from neural systems. In each case, optimization makes detailed, largely parameter-free predictions that connect quantitatively with experiment
Current status:
Reports on this Submission
Strengths
These notes succeed in building a tool set and a base of intuition about
what optimization principles to look for in biology and where. They
lucidly guide the reader on how to apply such principles in practice;
tightly weaving together pedagogical problems and examples from
cutting-edge research. Entry points to a broad corpus of literature are
provided throughout.
Report
Acceptance criteria are met.
Recommendation
Publish (surpasses expectations and criteria for this Journal; among top 10%)