In biological thermodynamics, Harold J. Morowitz (1927-) is an American biophysicist noted for a number of publications on the topic of the use and application of thermodynamics in the study of biology, with focus on the origin of life topic. Morowitz’ believes that life arose on earth by processes that may be understood by considering the laws of chemistry and physics as applied to complex adaptive systems. On the issue of thermodynamics and biology, he comments: [1]

“The use of thermodynamics in biology has a long history rich in confusion and rampant with attempts to use equilibrium constructs under nonequilibrium conditions.”

Morowitz’ first attempt at alleviating this confusion was the 1970 book Entropy for Biologists, originally seeded by a 1953 request by several distinguished kidney physiologists, at the National Heart Institute, that a course in thermodynamics be included in a new postgraduate training program, covering topics such as membrane physiology, cellular energetics, and macromolecular configuration, among others. [2]

Education
Morowitz completed his PhD in biophysics in 1951 from Yale University. He became an assistant professor of biophysics there in 1955 working there, soon thereafter becoming associate professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry. In 1988, he became a Robinson professor of biology and natural philosophy at George Mason University. [5]

McLean v. Arkansas

See main: Religious thermodynamics

In 1982, in the famous case of McLean vs. Arkansas Board of Education, on the debate of whether creation science should be taught in public schools, Morowitz was designated an expert in biophysics and biochemistry and was tasked with demonstrating that the origins of life did not violate the laws of thermodynamics. [3] The transcript, available online, is a fairly humorous read. He states, for instance, in reference to creation scientists, that “they play fairly fast and loose with the second law of thermodynamics.” [4]

Morowitz' 1992 book Entropy and the Magic Flute, showing various entropy formulations.

Entropy and the Magic Flute
Morowitz has a good sense of humor as is evidenced on the cover of his 1992 book Entropy and the Magic Flute, which shows a pied piper playing a magic flute to the tune of the entropy indicating the equivalence of the following formulas:

S = k ln W = dQ/T = - k Σfi ln fi

on the play of Boltzmann entropy (1900), Clausius entropy (1854), Gibbs entropy (1901), and black hole entropy (1972), respectively; all of which seemingly leading its followers (scientists) down a swirling black hole.

In chapter one, Morowitz recounts his late 1960s days of indexing, on 3 x 5 cards, his book on thermodynamics and biology, noting how the name “Boltzmann” began to pile up. Seeing this, he realized how he knew so little about such a scientist whose name figured so prominently in the science of thermodynamics. This led him on a pilgrimage, as many scientists have done, to the famous Boltzmann tombstone at the Vienna Central Cemetery, where inscribed in stone above the bust of Boltzmann is the formula S = k ln W. [8]

God and emergence
In his latest book, The Emergence of Everything (2002), written at the age of 75, Morowitz seems to have "found god" expounding on what seems to be a newfound religious view. In particular, negating his earlier 1982 separation of religion and science testimony, he now argues that one can know god through the study of emergence. Morowitz argues in favor of a theory of god, and of free will, volition, and consciousness, in an attempt at a sort of ill-fated, thermodynamics-based, poetic-type religious philosophy, with aims to reconcile the two (religion and science). [6]

Yet, then again, in what seems to be a second mental back-flip on his 2002 ideas, he co-authors the 2005 article "Intelligent Design Has no Place in the Science Curriculum", arguing that religion and science cannot go together. [7]

References
1. Morowitz, Harold J. (1993). Beginnings of Cellular Life: Metabolism Recapitulated Biogenesis (pgs. 1, 69). Yale University Press.
2. Morowitz, Harold J. (1970). Entropy for Biologists - an Introduction to Thermodynamics. New York: Academic Press.
3. (a) Banks, Rey C. (2006). “Mason Students Have Access to one of the World’s Foremost Researchers on the Origins of Life: Harold Morowitz”, The Mason Gazette, 14 Aug.
(b) McLean v. Arkansas – Wikipedia.
4. McLean v. Arkansas Documentation Project. (1982). “Testimony of Dr. Harold Morowitz”, Professor of Biophysics, Yale University (Plaintiffs Witness)
5. (a) Harold J. Morowitz Manuscripts – George Mason University Libraries
(b) Harold Morowitz – Accelerating Change (2005), Biographies.
6. Morowitz, Harold J. (2002). The Emergence of Everything (pg. 196). Oxford University Press.
7. Morowitz, Harold, Hazen, Robert, and Trefil, James. (2005) “Intelligent Design Has no Place in the Science Curriculum”, The Chronicle of Higher Education.
8. Morowitz, Harold J. (1996). Entropy and the Magic Flute: S = k ln W = dQ/T = - kΣfi ln fi (pgs. 1-3). Oxford University Press.

Further reading
● Morowitz, Harold J. (1963). Life and the Physical Sciences: Introduction to Biophysics. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
● Waterman, Talbot H. and Morowitz, Harold J. (1965) Theoretical and Mathematical Biology (abstract). Blaisdell Pub. Co.
● Oster, G.F., Silver, I.L., and Tobias, C.A. (1974). Irreversible Thermodynamics and the Origin of Life (Section: "Energy flow and Biological Organization" by Harold Morowitz, pgs. 25-32). Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.
● Morowitz, Harold. J. (1978). Foundations of Bioenergetics. Ox Bow Press.
● Morowitz, Harold J. (1979). Energy Flow in Biology. Ox Bow Press.
● Morowitz, Harold J. (1992). The Thermodynamics of Pizza. Rutgers University Press.

External links
● Harold Morowitz (Clarence J. Robinson Professors) – George Mason University.