--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This irrelevance of molecular…" description: "\"“This irrelevance of molecular arrangements for macroscopic results has given rise to the tendency to confine physics and chemistry to the study of hom..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/walter-m-elsasser-184423_biology_this-irrelevance-of-molecular-arrangemen_1997173.jpg" --- # This irrelevance of molecular arrangements for macroscopic… ![“This irrelevance of molecular arrangements for macroscopic results has given rise to the tendency to confine physics and chemistry to the study of homogeneous systems as well as homogeneous classes. In statistical mechanics a great deal of labor is in fact spent on showing that homogeneous systems…” quote by Walter M. Elsasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/walter-m-elsasser-184423_biology_this-irrelevance-of-molecular-arrangemen_1997173.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/walter-m-elsasser-184423_biology_this-irrelevance-of-molecular-arrangemen_1997173.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/walter-m-elsasser-184423_biology_this-irrelevance-of-molecular-arrangemen_1997173.jpg) > ““This irrelevance of molecular arrangements for macroscopic results has given rise to the tendency to confine physics and chemistry to the study of homogeneous systems as well as homogeneous classes. In statistical mechanics a great deal of labor is in fact spent on showing that homogeneous systems and homogeneous classes are closely related and to a considerable extent interchangeable concepts of theoretical analysis ( Gibbs theory). Naturally, this is not an accident. The methods of physics and chemistry are ideally suited for dealing with homogeneous classes with their interchangeable components. But experience shows that the objects of biology are radically inhomogeneous both as systems (structurally) and as classes (generically). Therefore, the method of biology and, consequently, its results will differ widely from the method and results of physical science.”” Walter M. Elsasser ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Biology differs from physical sciences because living systems are inherently inhomogeneous, requiring distinct methods and concepts. **In simple terms:** Biology needs its own methods due to inhomogeneity. Key Takeaway Adopt approaches suited to biological complexity. Themes biology theory methodology inhomogeneity interdisciplinary Mood analytical critical Type biology:1 chemistry:0 gibbs:0 irrelevance:0 josiah-gibbs:0 josiah-willard-gibbs:0 labor:0 physical science:0 physics:0 science:0 theory:0 willard-gibbs:0 statistical mechanics:0 gibbs theory:0 homogeneous systems:0 inhomogeneous systems:0 homogeneous classes:0 When to use this quote - research design - modeling biological systems - educational curricula - policy on science funding - interdisciplinary collaboration Key Concepts statistical mechanics homogeneous systems inhomogeneous systems theoretical analysis Gibbs theory Questions to Reflect On - How can we integrate physical rigor with biological complexity? - What are the limits of homogeneous models in biology? A Different Perspective Physical methods may oversimplify biological nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Chemistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chemistry/) [Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gibbs/) [Irrelevance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrelevance/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Physical science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physical-science/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [“ Qu'une goutee de vin tombe dans un verre d'eau; quelle que soit la loi du movement interne du liquide, nous verrons bientôt se…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/qu-une-goutee-de-vin-tombe-dans-un-verre-d-eau-quelle-que-soit-la-loi/) [Henri Poincaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“...only one man lived who could understand Gibbs 's papers. That was Maxwell , and now he is dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-rukeyser/only-one-man-lived-who-could-understand-gibbs-s-papers-that-was/) [Muriel Rukeyser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-rukeyser/) > [“In the last generation, this country produced one of the most eminent men of science in the whole world. His name was quite unknown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-jay-nock/in-the-last-generation-this-country-produced-one-of-the-most-eminent/) [Albert Jay Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-jay-nock/) > [“ Willard Gibbs is the type of the imagination at work in the world. His story is that of an opening up which has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-rukeyser/willard-gibbs-is-the-type-of-the-imagination-at-work-in-the-world-his/) [Muriel Rukeyser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-rukeyser/) > [“Unassuming in manner, genial and kindly in his intercourse with his fellow-men, never showing impatience or irritation, devoid of personal ambition of the baser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-andrews-bumstead/unassuming-in-manner-genial-and-kindly-in-his-intercourse-with-his/) Henry Andrews Bumstead ## More Biology quotes > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [“Genetics is a science full of gods, Mr. Sanchez.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-luiselli/genetics-is-a-science-full-of-gods-mr-sanchez/) [Valeria Luiselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-luiselli/) > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/) [Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/) > [Evolution happens in jumps, very rapidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/evolution-happens-in-jumps-very-rapidly/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [“Toshiaki learned that all living organisms were governed by their DNA. He was impressed by perfection of this system.Why did existence have the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideaki-sena/toshiaki-learned-that-all-living-organisms-were-governed-by-their-dna/) Hideaki Sena > [I'm all about evolution. I'm the first person to judge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/i-m-all-about-evolution-i-m-the-first-person-to-judge-myself/) [The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Biochemists and biologists who adhere blindly to the Darwinism theory search for results that will be in agreement with their theories and consequently orient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/biochemists-and-biologists-who-adhere-blindly-to-the-darwinism-theory/) [Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/) > [“A note of caution: epigenetics is also on the verge of transforming into a dangerous idea. Epigenetic modifications of genes can potentially superpose historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-note-of-caution-epigenetics-is-also-on-the-verge-of-transforming/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/) [Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/) > [We are coming to a place where the road ends. From here on out, we will be making the road as we walk it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-atlee/we-are-coming-to-a-place-where-the-road-ends-from-here-on-out-we-will/) Tom Atlee > [I've always been interested in medicine and was pleased when my brother became a doctor. But after thinking seriously about that field, I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-medicine-and-was-pleased-when-my/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [Evolution... is the most powerful and the most comprehensive idea that has ever arisen on Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/evolution-is-the-most-powerful-and-the-most-comprehensive-idea-that/) [Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/) > [History employs evolution to structure biological events in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/history-employs-evolution-to-structure-biological-events-in-time/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) [Browse all 3,034 Biology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This irrelevance of molecular arrangements for macroscopic results has given rise to the tendency to confine physics and chemistry to the study of homogeneous systems as well as homogeneous classes. In statistical mechanics a great deal of labor is in fact spent on showing that homogeneous systems and homogeneous classes are closely related and to a considerable extent interchangeable concepts of theoretical analysis ( Gibbs theory). Naturally, this is not an accident. The methods of physics and chemistry are ideally suited for dealing with homogeneous classes with their interchangeable components. But experience shows that the objects of biology are radically inhomogeneous both as systems (structurally) and as classes (generically). Therefore, the method of biology and, consequently, its results will differ widely from the method and results of physical science.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Walter M. Elsasser" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-elsasser/this-irrelevance-of-molecular-arrangements-for-macroscopic-results/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Biology" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-elsasser/this-irrelevance-of-molecular-arrangements-for-macroscopic-results/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/walter-m-elsasser-184423_biology_this-irrelevance-of-molecular-arrangemen_1997173.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/walter-m-elsasser-184423_biology_this-irrelevance-of-molecular-arrangemen_1997173.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/walter-m-elsasser-184423_biology_this-irrelevance-of-molecular-arrangemen_1997173.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This irrelevance of molecular arrangements for macroscopic results has given rise to the tendency to confine…” — Walter M. Elsasser", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Walter M. Elsasser", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-elsasser/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“This irrelevance of molecular arrangements for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-elsasser/this-irrelevance-of-molecular-arrangements-for-macroscopic-results/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-elsasser/this-irrelevance-of-molecular-arrangements-for-macroscopic-results/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```