Robert H. Austin
Department Of Physics
Princeton University
Ask Not What Physics Can Do For Biology, Ask What Biology Can Do For Physics
After World War II physics experienced an explosive growth fueled by the arms race, the excitement of particle physics and fundamental progress in understanding materials. However, the 21st Century could well see Biology emerge as the area of science most likely to explosively grow due to deep changes in the that field of science. I'll try to sketch out how these two disciplines have grown together and then try to peer into the future about how the ascendance of biology as a quantitative science could actually inject new life into physics.