US$53,000 essay competition asks: "How Quantum is Life?"

(Press-News.org) In 1944, Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger published his book What Is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell, an early landmark in an ongoing—if sometimes controversial—conversation between quantum mechanics, the weird theory that governs the microrealm, and biology. Schrödinger is one of the founding figures of quantum mechanics, having postulated his now-famed quantum equation, a century ago, in 1925. In honor of the discovery of quantum mechanics, this year has been proclaimed the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology by the United Nations General Assembly, led by UNESCO. To celebrate, the Foundational Questions Institute, FQxI, in partnership with the Paradox Science Institute, has launched a US$53,000 essay competition to expand on Schrödinger’s fascination with the connections between quantum theory and biological processes. The competition, which opens for submissions on 23rd June, 2025, asks participants to ponder the question: how quantum is life?

“Since we are celebrating 2025 as the International Year of the Quantum, it is very timely to be exploring one of the most profound questions in science, namely whether life evolved the ability to make use of the counterintuitive properties of the microscopic world,” says Jim Al-Khalili, a quantum physicist at the University of Surrey, UK, and a member of FQxI’s scientific advisory council. 

“It is very timely to be exploring one of the most profound questions in science, namely whether life evolved the ability to make use of the counterintuitive properties of the microscopic world,” says Jim Al-Khalili.

Quantum physics undeniably underpins the structure and stability of atoms and molecules, including the macromolecules fundamental to biology. However, the question persists, does quantum physics extend its role beyond this realm to imbue characteristic features observed in living matter? If nature exploits the strange features of the quantum world to ramp up efficiency in photosynthesis, for instance, physicists and engineers could potentially use this as inspiration, when building new devices. “Can we learn from biology in order to develop exciting new technologies such as quantum computers and quantum communication?” Al-Khalili asks.

Anonymized Entries

The essay competition is open to both professional scientists and non-scientists. As with FQxI’s last essay competition, entrants will remain anonymous throughout the judging process, with entrants’ identities revealed only after the winners have been chosen, to ensure a level playing field. FQxI has run 12 previous highly-successful competitions, since its inception in 2006. “FQxI is an expert in exploring foundational questions, and the essay series has proven to be an important component of its program,” says Jan Walleczek, a quantum biophysicist and the Paradox Science Institute's scientific director.

“FQxI is an expert in exploring foundational questions, and the essay series has proven to be an important component of its program,” says Jan Walleczek.

The competition also marks a new partnership between FQxI, a philanthropically-funded science funding agency, based in Decatur, Georgia, and the Paradox Science Institute, a private operating foundation headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The Paradox Science Institute aims to explore the foundations of the nature of reality by co-creating advanced methodologies in frontier research, in coordination with like-minded institutions. “FQxI is excited to partner with the Paradox Science Institute because both institutions thrive on foundational questions that challenge conventional thinking,” says FQxI member Catalina Curceanu, an experimental nuclear and quantum physicist at the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), in Frascati, Italy. 

“The generous support of the Paradox Science Institute to fund this competition is perfectly suited to the aims of FQxI in exploring such a foundational topic that could shed light on the nature of reality,” adds Al-Khalili. “While the field may still be regarded as controversial, it is far too important to be ignored.”

Speculative Field

Although quantum biology is still a speculative field, there are plenty of angles for entrants to approach the subject. “On the experimental side, the main challenge is how we test for delicate quantum effects in the noisy, complex environment of a living cell,” says Al-Khalili. “On the theoretical side, how is it that such effects are able to persist for long enough in biological systems?”

“Could quantum phenomena, such as coherence, tunneling, or entanglement be at work in living systems? Do quantum effects impact neural processes or brain function? How might quantum phenomena relate to consciousness?” Catalina Curceanu says.

Entrants will have the opportunity to explore some of the most provocative questions at the intersection of quantum physics and biology. “Could quantum phenomena, such as coherence, tunneling, or entanglement be at work in living systems? Do quantum effects impact neural processes or brain function? How might quantum phenomena relate to consciousness?” Curceanu says. “Participants may also propose groundbreaking models of quantum thermodynamics in cells, or devise new ways to define and measure complexity and entropy in biological matter.”

Foundations of Life

“Quantum Biology is a nascent field of study that may open pathways to understanding the foundations of life,” says Walleczek. “We aim to facilitate an open dialogue across different fields of knowledge and communities to accelerate progress in this promising transdisciplinary field.”

“We are delighted to be working with the Paradox Science Institute—a great supporter of research in quantum biology—to fire up exploration of these fascinating open questions," adds cosmologist David Sloan, FQxI’s Chief Scientific Officer. 

The competition opens for submissions on 23rd June, 2025 and the deadline for entries is 29th September, 2025. All entries that meet the eligibility criteria will be posted to FQxI’s site and can be read and voted for by the public. The first prize is US$10,000, and the winning entries will be chosen by a panel of expert judges and announced in December, 2025. 

“This competition invites bold, cross-disciplinary ideas that push the boundaries of how we understand life at its most fundamental level,” says Curceanu. “This collaboration provides a fertile ground for visionary ideas at the frontier between quantum physics and biology—inviting creative minds to reimagine life itself through the lens of quantum science.”

FQxI’s 2025 essay competition guidelines are available here: https://qspace.fqxi.org/competitions/introduction 

ABOUT FQxI

The Foundational Questions Institute, FQxI, catalyzes, supports, and disseminates research on questions at the foundations of science, particularly new frontiers in physics and innovative ideas integral to a deep understanding of reality but unlikely to be supported by conventional funding sources. Visit FQxI.org for more information.

ABOUT THE PARADOX SCIENCE INSTITUTE

The Paradox Science Institute is a private operating foundation that has been formed to foster frontier science as a way to explore fundamental interconnectedness in Nature and help to enlighten pathways for humanity. Visit https://paradoxscience.org/ for more information.

END