Erwin Schrödinger and the origins of molecular biology.

ERWIN Schrödinger (1887–1961) was a distinnetics. There are, however, profound differences beguished physicist who won the Nobel prize in 1933 tween Avery and Schrödinger. Avery conducted biofor his pioneering work on wave mechanics. Yet, to chemical experiments, showing that DNA is the genetic biologists his name is permanently connected with a material. Schrödinger was a theoretical physicist who little book, entitled What Is Life?, that was greatly influhappened to write an influential book on biology. ential in inspiring a number of pioneers of molecular Early life and education: Erwin Schrödinger was born biology (Schrodinger 1944). Among those who acon August 12, 1887 in Vienna. His close relationship knowledged their debt to Schrödinger’s book are M. with his father, Rudolf, played a most important role in Delbruck, G. Stent, J. D. Watson, F. Crick, M. F. Wilkins, his childhood and teenage years. Rudolf was in the and S. Benzer. Baldwin (1994) discussed the deep imoilcloth business, but his major hobby was botany, espepact of Schrödinger’s book on young Watson (also see cially plant breeding and evolution. There were freWatson 1968). quent scientific discussions between father and son. One On the other hand, a few eminent scientists, such book of great interest was Darwin’s The Origin of Species, as Linus Pauling and Max Perutz, were critical of the which remained Schrödinger’s favorite book all of his contribution of What Is Life? Pauling (1987) wrote, life. His mother, who came from England, and her sister “When I first read this book, over 40 years ago, I was taught him the English language at an early age. This disappointed. It was, and still is, my opinion that Schrödmay have influenced his decision in later years to go to inger made no contribution to our understanding of Oxford and Dublin. It was while in Dublin that Schrödlife.” Perutz (1987) wrote, “Sadly, however, a close inger wrote What Is Life?, which profoundly influenced study of his book and of the related literature has shown so many biologists. As the only child of a well-to-do me that what was true in his book was not original, and family, Schrödinger received the best education availmost of what was original was known not to be true even able. His scholastic performance at the Wiener Akadewhen the book was written . . . the apparent contradicmisches Gymnasium and the University of Vienna was tions between life and the statistical laws of physics can above average in all subjects, but he showed a special be resolved by invoking a science largely ignored by aptitude for mathematics. His mathematics professors, Schrödinger. That science is chemistry.” Wirtinger and Kohn, the experimental physicist Franz Schrödinger was the subject of an earlier Perspectives Exner, and especially the theoretical physicist Fritz (Crow 1992). In addition to noting the remarkable Hasenohrl all deeply influenced young Schrödinger’s span of Schrödinger’s intellect, it discussed Schrödinintellectual development. Hasenohrl, who succeeded ger’s solution to a tricky genetic problem posed by HalLudwig Boltzmann, had such an impact that Schröddane (1945a), with reference to the breeding of horninger regarded him as having had as great an influence less cattle. on his intellect as his own father. Throughout his life, There is general agreement among most biologists Schrödinger maintained an intense interest in the intertoday that Schrödinger, like O. T. Avery, belonged to relationship between physics and philosophy. While that small circle of scientists whose primary research Schrödinger was serving in the First World War in Italy, was not in genetics, but who nevertheless had a decided he learned of the theory of relativity that was being impact in initiating the development of molecular gedeveloped by Einstein. The post-war years brought hard times for the Schrödinger family. However, a subsequent offer of an assistant professorship at Jena (under Max Wien) in 1920 and his marriage to Annemarie Address for correspondence: Foundation for Genetic Research, P.O. Box 27701-0, Houston, TX 77227. E-mail: [email protected] Bertel turned life around for Erwin Schrödinger,