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depending on whether the product of the quantum decay time constant with
the scanning rate of the read-out is either smaller or else larger than unity.
While this model gives good agreement between macroscopic variables
such as forgetting rates, temperature dependence of conceived lapse of time
(Hoagland, 1951; Hoagland, 1954), and such microscopic variables as
binding energies, electron orbital frequencies, it suffers the malaise of all
recording schemes, namely, it is unable to infer anything from the accumu-
lated records. Only if an inductive inference machine which computes the
appropriate behavior functions is attached to this record can an organism
survive (Von Foerster et al ., 1968). Hence, one may abandon speculations
about systems that just record specifics, and contemplate those that com-
pute generalizations.
C. Molecular Computer
The good match between macroscopic and microscopic variables of the pre-
vious model suggests that this relation should be pursued further. Indeed,
it can be shown (Von Foerster, 1969) that the energy intervals between
excited meta-stable states are so organized that the decay times in the
lattice vibration band correspond to neuronal pulse intervals, and their
energy levels to a polarization potential of from 60 mV to 150 mV. Conse-
quently, a pulse train of various pulse intervals will “pump” such a mole-
cule up into higher states of excitation, depending on its initial condition.
However, if the excitation level reaches about 1.2 eV, the molecule under-
goes configurational changes with life spans of 1 day or longer. In this
“structurally charged” state it may now participate in various ways in alter-
ing the transfer function of a neuron, either transmitting its energy to other
molecules or facilitating their reaction. Since in this model undirected elec-
trical potential energy is used to cause specific structural change, it is
referred to as “energy in—structure out.” This, however, gives rise to a
concept of molecular computation, the result of which is deposition of
energy on a specific site of utilization. This is the content of the next and
last model.
D. Molecular Carrier
One of the most widely used principles of energy dissemination in a living
organism is that of separation of sites of synthesis and utilization. The
general method employed in this transfer is a cyclic operation that involves
one or many molecular carriers which are “charged” at the site where envi-
ronmental energy can be absorbed, and are “discharged” where this energy
must be used. Charging and discharging is usually accomplished by chem-
ical modifications of the basic carrier molecules. One obvious example
of the directional flow of energy and the cyclic flow of matter is, of course,
the complementarity of the processes of photosynthesis and respiration
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