Paul Davies

British physicist (1946-) · United Kingdom · On the map · Scientists

Paul Charles William Davies is an English physicist, writer and broadcaster, a professor in Arizona State University and director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. He is affiliated with the Institute for Quantum Studies in Chapman University in California.

Paul Davies is read about 108 times a day, in 30 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 11 November 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 113 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2019“The thing that separates life from non-life is information.”In their words7 September 20196th International FQXi Conference, "Mind Matters: Intelligence and Agency in the Physical World." A source.Read the whole statement

“We... need some new physics. ...The attempt to square the circle by starting out with known physics at the atomic level and somehow life emerging at some higher level... I...”In their words7 September 20196th International FQXi Conference, "Mind Matters: Intelligence and Agency in the Physical World." A source.Read the whole statement

“We lack any sort of device that can... detect life. We don't have a life meter. ...We don't have a general purpose life meter that can detect life as we don't know it.”In their words7 September 20196th International FQXi Conference, "Mind Matters: Intelligence and Agency in the Physical World." A source.Read the whole statement

“The fundamental problem about trying to define life... If you go to a physics department... you'll be given a definition in terms of matter... force... energy... entropy...”In their words7 September 20196th International FQXi Conference, "Mind Matters: Intelligence and Agency in the Physical World." A source.Read the whole statement

“[[Information theory|Information]] pervades biology. Your DNA is chock full of encrypted information, and the encryption is really important. But s don't act in isolation.”In their words7 September 20196th International FQXi Conference, "Mind Matters: Intelligence and Agency in the Physical World." A source.Read the whole statement

“Perhaps the most exquisite example of information in biology...”In their words7 September 20196th International FQXi Conference, "Mind Matters: Intelligence and Agency in the Physical World." A source.Read the whole statement

2011Klumpke-Roberts AwardAward2007Member of the Order of AustraliaAward2002Michael Faraday PrizeAward2001Kelvin PrizeAward1999Fellow of the Royal Society of LiteratureAward1995Templeton PrizeAward1946Born22 April 1946

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In their own words 4

Paul Davies

4 statements, newest first

Seventy-five years ago Erwin Schrödinger published... ... the key point... was whether life can be explained by physics.
7 September 2019 · 6th International FQXi Conference, "Mind Matters: Intelligence and Agency in the Physical World." A source., Own words
[[Max Delbrück|Max Delbrück]]... expressed it... (to encapsulate)... At the level of atoms it's just known physics, but at the level of the living cell it's some sort of magic.
7 September 2019 · Quote from Max Delbrück, "Life: The Magic Puzzle Box" (Dec. 1949) Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, Vol. 38., Own words
Biologists... define life in terms of its informational qualities... physicists tend to define life in terms of the physical qualities.
7 September 2019 · 6th International FQXi Conference, "Mind Matters: Intelligence and Agency in the Physical World." A source., Own words

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Awards

Klumpke-Roberts Award2011

Member of the Order of Australia2007

Michael Faraday Prize2002

Kelvin Prize2001

Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature1999

Templeton Prize1995

About this person

He previously held academic appointments in the University of Cambridge, University College London, King's College London, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, University of Adelaide and Macquarie University. His research interests are in the fields of cosmology, quantum field theory, and astrobiology.

Country

United Kingdom