More than 80 years ago, Erwin Schrödinger explored the nature of life in his landmark book What is Life?. Today, during the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, Philip Kurian, a theoretical physicist and founding director of the Quantum Biology Laboratory (QBL) at Howard University, has taken this inquiry further. His latest study, published in Science Advances, sets a drastically revised upper bound on the computational capacity of carbon-based life throughout Earth’s history.
By leveraging quantum mechanics, relativity, and the QBL’s discovery of cytoskeletal filaments exhibiting quantum optical features, Kurian suggests a link between Earth’s biological information processing and that of all matter in the observable universe.
Quantum Mechanics and Super radiance in Living Systems
Quantum effects are typically associated with small, isolated systems at extremely low temperatures, like those required for quantum computing. However, Kurian’s research challenges this notion. His team has discovered a quantum effect in biological protein polymers that survives under warm, chaotic conditions. This breakthrough could transform our understanding of quantum mechanics in living systems and even suggest new methods for combating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Kurian’s study is based on three core principles:
Standard quantum mechanics
The relativistic speed limit (speed of light)
A matter-dominated universe at critical mass-energy density
By applying these principles, he demonstrates how biological systems can harness quantum superradiance, a phenomenon where molecules work collectively to efficiently absorb and emit energy.
Quantum Information Processing at the Cellular Level
The key to this quantum efficiency lies in tryptophan, an amino acid present in proteins such as microtubules, amyloid fibrils, transmembrane receptors, and neurons. These tryptophan-rich structures allow living cells to process information billions of times faster than traditional biochemical signaling pathways.
Unlike standard biochemical signaling, which relies on ion movement and electrochemical spikes (millisecond-scale), quantum superradiance in cytoskeletal filaments operates on a picosecond scale—a millionth of a microsecond. This suggests that eukaryotic cells function as quantum fiber optic networks, accelerating biological computing capacity.
Aneural Life and Planetary Computing Capacity
Most discussions of biological computation focus on neural systems, but aneural organisms (bacteria, fungi, and plants) have been processing information for billions of years. Kurian’s study suggests that these lifeforms make up the vast majority of Earth’s computational capacity.
Intriguingly, similar quantum emitters have been detected in interstellar media and asteroids, hinting that quantum-assisted biological processing might play a role in the development of life beyond Earth. Dante Lauretta, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona, suggests that these findings could reshape how we evaluate the habitability of exoplanets.
Quantum Biology and the Future of Quantum Computing
Kurian’s work has also caught the attention of quantum computing researchers. If quantum effects can survive in the noisy, warm environment of living systems, this could inspire new approaches to making quantum computers more resilient.
The study highlights that biological systems are not just classical information processors but also quantum computational entities. This insight has profound implications, suggesting that life on Earth has been processing quantum information at an efficiency that surpasses even the most advanced artificial quantum computers.
Final Thoughts: The Future of Life and Computation
Kurian’s findings challenge conventional limits on biological computation and raise fundamental questions about the role of quantum mechanics in life’s evolution. In a world increasingly dominated by AI and quantum technology, this research underscores an essential truth:
Life itself is the most powerful computer ever created by nature.
Kurian puts it best:
“Though stringent physical limits apply to life’s ability to track, observe, and simulate the universe, we can still explore its brilliance. It’s awe-inspiring that we get to play such a role.”
