2nd CfA: Interstellar variations 4: “Traditional ‘biological’ energy is mixed up with chemical energy”. In-Person Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, Feb 9-11, 2023

[ISHPSS]

From: Johan Gamper <johan....@KARLPU.ORG>

A general definition of energy is that energy is tied to an object’s ability to do some work. So, biological energy would be the ability of a biological object to do some work. At closer inspection this can be further analyzed into two parts: the objects potential ability to do some work and the actual work being done by the object.

In physics we talk about an object’s potential energy and its kinetic energy. An object gains potential energy if it is positioned higher above the ground and it can use the energy to gain speed (kinetic energy). A steel ball that is moved in this way is intact and “has” and “loses” energy while remaining the same object. The opposite is true if we look at nuclear energy. When we extract nuclear energy the object losing energy does not remain the same. Obviously, therefore, there are two kinds of energy in regard to a system or an object. The one kind permits the object to gain and lose energy while being intact whereas the other kind of energy destroys the object carrying the energy if it is used.

Concerning biological objects this distinction is crucial but previously unnoticed in the literature. Traditional “biological“ energy is mixed up with chemical energy. What we look for is a concept of biological energy that permits the object to do some work while remaining intact. It should therefore correspond to the concepts of potential and kinetic energy in physics. Since there is no concept of biological energy as such in the literature the first step towards such a concept is a leap into the unknown. From an abstract perspective, however, we can construe all biological activities as efforts of biological organisms to recover from load upon them. From here the next step is easy. We let biological energy be defined as the biological object’s ability to recover from load upon it. (Revised excerpt from Gamper, 2021.)

Reference

Gamper, J (2021). Biological Energy and the Experiencing Subject. Axiomathes 31, 497–506. 

Conferences in the series: 

Interstellar Variations 1

Interstellar Variations 2

Interstellar Variations 3

Interstellar variations 4 is planned to be an In-Person conference in Stockholm, Sweden February 9-11, 2023. Abstracts should be sent to causal....@gmail.com with deadline September 5, 2022. Please prepare a max 1000 words abstract (PDF) based on the definition of biological energy in the paper Biological Energy and the Experiencing Subject. Information regarding acceptance should be expected before September 17. 

Fees

Early bird (registered payment before October 1): €245 (ex. VAT). 

Regular payment: €490 (ex. VAT). 

Undergraduates: no fee (limited spaces). 

Registration 

Opens September 18

Closes November 1

Register by e-mail to causal....@gmail.com. 

Payment 

Please state your status (regular/undergraduate) in your registration email and you will get an invoice in return. 

Venue

Leap AB, Kungsgatan 8, Stockholm, Sweden

Conference organizer

Subrosa KB

Postal address: Subrosa KB, Albatrossvägen 104, 13666, Vendelsö, Sweden

Visiting address: Kungsgatan 8, Stockholm, Sweden

Website: karlpu.org

Questions are welcome to johan....@karlpu.org.