"Brain reading": achievements, perspectives and ethical problems

The new trend in brain research designated as brain reading is considered. This research deals with decoding the informational content of the brain processing via its physiological parameters. Such studies are based on rather complicated methods of mathematical analysis. Single records rather than averaged data are used to reveal their content. Three main streams of studies are distinguished, i.e. the object classification, the emotion recognition and brainotyping. Particularly, the studies directed to recognizing the type of thinking via EEG spectra, carried out in the author's laboratory, are reviewed. The possible outcome of the brain reading technique is considered. Finally it is argued that in the future, the broad application of this technique needs to be controlled with some ethical rules.     

Three-dimensional representation of the many-body quantum state

Using the trajectory conception of state, we give a simple demonstration that the quantum state of a many-body system may be expressed as a set of states in three-dimensional space, each associated with a different particle. It follows that the many-body wavefunction may be derived from a set of waves in 3-space. Entanglement is represented in the trajectory picture by the mutual dependence of the 3-states on the trajectory labels.     

Geometry and physics of proteins

A conceptual framework for understanding the protein folding problem has remained elusive in spite of many significant advances. We show that geometrical constraints imposed by chain connectivity, compactness, and the avoidance of steric clashes can be encompassed in a natural way using a three-body potential and lead to a selection in structure space, independent of chemical details. Strikingly, secondary motifs such as hairpins, sheets, and helices, which are the building blocks of protein folds, emerge as the chosen structures for segments of the protein backbone based just on elementary geometrical considerations.     

Between history and physics

Biology has traditionally occupied a middle ground between the determinism of classical physics and the uncertainties of history. These issues are analyzed with respect to statistical laws which are applied to the prebiotic domain and strategy laws which characterize evolutionary biology. The differences in approach between biology and physics are discussed in detail. The origin of life is discussed in the context of physical chemical laws. A scenario for biogenesis is presented in terms of known molecular hardware. Evolutionary biology is then examined with respect to the kinds of laws that are possible in a domain where thermal fluctuations (mutations) have macroscopic effects. Game theory is employed to demonstrate the kinds of theory appropriate to this historical domain. The transition point between physics and history is the origin and development of the code. This is discussed and it is concluded that we are not yet able to assign the code to either the deterministic domain or to the arena of history.     

Biological scaling and physics

Kleiber’s law in biology states that the specific metabolic rate (metabolic rate per unit mass) scales as M^-1/2 in terms of the massM of the organism. A long-standing puzzle is the (-1/4) power in place of the usual expectation of (-1/3) based on the surface to volume ratio in three-dimensions. While recent papers by physicists have focused exclusively on geometry in attempting to explain the puzzle, we consider here a specific law of physics that governs fluid flow to show how the (-1/4) power arises under certain conditions. More generally, such a line of approach that identifies a specific physical law as involved and then examines the implications of a power law may illuminate better the role of physics in biology.     

Tumour physics

During the cell division dynamic processes take place, the origin of which are to find in the physical characteristics of cell components. The most important characteristics are the electrical charge and the energy of the moving base components in a viscous cytoplasm. The interactions between the components lead as well known, to the emergence of hydrogen bonds between two DNA strands. The computations show that the strength of these bindings depends on three factors: first it is dependent on the length of a monotonous sequence, second it is dependent on the viscosity of the cytoplasm, and third it is dependent on the replication speed. In the study in detail is stated, how it affects the effectiveness of the DNA repair mechanism, mutation susceptibility, and thus also affects the cancer susceptibility.     

The physics and neurobiology of magnetoreception

Diverse animals can detect magnetic fields but little is known about how they do so. Three main hypotheses of magnetic field perception have been proposed. Electrosensitive marine fish might detect the Earth's field through electromagnetic induction, but direct evidence that induction underlies magnetoreception in such fish has not been obtained. Studies in other animals have provided evidence that is consistent with two other mechanisms: biogenic magnetite and chemical reactions that are modulated by weak magnetic fields. Despite recent advances, however, magnetoreceptors have not been identified with certainty in any animal, and the mode of transduction for the magnetic sense remains unknown.     

The synthesis of physics and biology

The hypothesis of a qualitative new field permits the prediction of a new fundamental constant. With this constant a relation between c and h can be found. The new constant permits not only a system of physics but also a new transition from physics into biology.     

The physics of light and sunlight

The physical properties of light, both natural and artificial, play a significant role in its interaction with humans. Although there is a yet-to-be-explained duality between light as waves and light as photons, we do understand many of the characteristics of light that affect living things. Here I review the general history of light and its properties, especially those that affect human health.     

Analogies between physics and biology

Considerations about fundamental relations between physics and biology are continued. So the base of this new hypothesis is finished and can be discussed.     

Uncertainty in physiology and physics

It was hypothesized in an earlier work that sensory perception can occur only when the perceiving system is uncertain about the nature of the event being perceived. In the absence of any uncertainty, perception will not take place. The response of the sensory afferent neuron (impulse transmission rate) was calculated using Shannon's measure of uncertainty or entropy. It will now be shown that when the event being perceived is the position and momentum of a particle, Shannon's measure of uncertainty leads to the Heisenberg Uncertainty relationship.