Preface A scientist is supposed to have a complete and thorough I of knowledge, at first hand, of some subjects and, therefore, is usually expected not to write on any topic of which he is not a life, master. This is regarded as a matter of noblesse oblige. For the present purpose I beg to renounce the noblesse, if any, and to be the freed of the ensuing obligation. My excuse is as follows: We have inherited from our forefathers the keen longing for unified, all-embracing knowledge. The very name given to the highest institutions of learning reminds us, that from antiquity to and throughout many centuries the universal aspect has been the only one to be given full credit. But the spread, both in and width and depth, of the multifarious branches of knowledge by during the last hundred odd years has confronted us with a queer dilemma. We feel clearly that we are only now beginning to acquire reliable material for welding together the sum total of all that is known into a whole; but, on the other hand, it has become next to impossible for a single mind fully to command more than a small specialized portion of it. I can see no other escape from this dilemma (lest our true who aim be lost for ever) than that some of us should venture to embark on a synthesis of facts and theories, albeit with secondhand and incomplete knowledge of some of them-and at the risk of making fools of ourselves. So much for my apology. The difficulties of language are not negligible. One's native speech is a closely fitting garment, and one never feels quite at ease when it is not immediately available and has to be replaced by another. My thanks are due to Dr Inkster (Trinity College, Dublin), to Dr Padraig Browne (St Patrick's College, Maynooth) and, last but not least, to Mr S. C. Roberts. They were put to great trouble to fit the new garment on me and to even greater trouble by my occasional reluctance to give up some 'original' fashion of my own. Should some of it have survived the mitigating tendency of my friends, it is to be put at my door, not at theirs. The headlines of the numerous sections were originally intended to be marginal summaries, and the text of every chapter should be read in continuo. …

Nobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger's What is Life? is one of the great science classics of the twentieth century. It was written for the layman, but proved to be one of the spurs to the birth of molecular biology and the subsequent discovery of DNA. What is Life? appears here together with Mind and Matter, his essay investigating a relationship which has eluded and puzzled philosophers since the earliest times. Brought together with these two classics are Schrödinger's autobiographical sketches, which offer a fascinating account of his life as a background to his scientific writings.

Preface 1. The classical physicist's approach to the subject 2. The hereditary mechanism 3. Mutations 4. The quantum-mechanical evidence 5. Delbruck's model discussed and tested 6. Order, disorder and entropy 7. Is life based on the laws of physics? Epilogue: on determinism and free will Mind and Matter: 1. The physical basis of consciousness 2. The future of understanding 3. The principle of objectivation 4. The arithmetical paradox: the oneness of mind 5. Science and religion 6. The mystery of the sensual qualities Autobiographical sketches (translated from the German by Schrodinger's granddaughter Verena).

Schroedinger's famous quadruple of factorizations of the hypergeometric equation is archived here

Nobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger was one of the most distinguished scientists of the twentieth century; his lectures on the history and philosophy of science are legendary. 'Nature and the Greeks' and 'Science and Humanism' makes available for the first time in many years the text of two of Schrödinger's most famous lecture series. 'Nature and the Greeks' offers a comprehensive historical account of the twentieth-century scientific world picture, tracing modern science back to the earliest stages of Western philosophic thought. 'Science and Humanism' addresses some of the most fundamental questions of the century: what is the value of scientific research? and how do the achievements of modern science affect the relationship between material and spiritual matters? A foreword by Roger Penrose sets the lectures in a contemporary context, and affirms they are as relevant today as when they were first published.

Color Research & ApplicationVolume 19, Issue 1 p. 37-47 On The Relationship of Four-Color Theory to Three-Color Theory Erwin Schrödinger, Erwin Schrödinger Über das Verhältnis der Vierfarben-zur Dreifarbentheorie, Sitzungsber. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss. Wien [11a] 134,471–490 (1925).Search for more papers by this authorQasim Zaidi, Qasim Zaidi Department of Psychology Columbia University New York, NY 10027Search for more papers by this author Erwin Schrödinger, Erwin Schrödinger Über das Verhältnis der Vierfarben-zur Dreifarbentheorie, Sitzungsber. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss. Wien [11a] 134,471–490 (1925).Search for more papers by this authorQasim Zaidi, Qasim Zaidi Department of Psychology Columbia University New York, NY 10027Search for more papers by this author First published: February 1994 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1520-6378.1994.tb00059.xCitations: 2AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat References 1 E. Schrödinger, Thresholds of Color Differences in Muller-Pouillets Lehrbuch der Physik, 2nd edition, Vol. 2, Lehre von der strahlenden Energie (Optik), Part 1 (1926). E. Schrödinger, Grundlinien einer Theorie der Farbenmetrik im Tagassehen. Ann. Physik, 63, 397–447, 481–520 (1920). Translations in D. L. MacAdam, Sources of Color Science. M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, MA (1970). 2 D. B. Judd, Response functions for types of vision according to the Müller theory, Journal of Research National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC, 42, 1–16 (1949). 3 D. B. Judd, Basic correlates of the visual stimulus, in Handbook of Experimental Psychology. Chapter 22. 811–867 S.S. Stevens ed., John Wiley and Sons, New York (1951). 4 CIE, CIE Proceedings, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1931). 5 H. Helmholz, Handbuch der Physiologishen Optik. 2nd edit, L. Voss, Hamburg, (1896). 6 J. C. Maxwell, On the theory of compound colours and the relations of the colours of the spectrum, Phil. Trans. 150, 57–84 (1860). Reprinted Color Res. Appl. 18, 270–287 (1993). 7 E. Hering, Zur Lehre vom Lichtsinne, Carl Gerald's Sohn, Wien (1878). 8 J. von Kries, Die Gesichtsempfindungen, in Handb. d. Physiol. des Menschen. W. Nagel. Ed., 3, 102–282 (1905). 9 Q. Zaidi, Parallel and serial connections between human color mechanisms, in Applications of Parallel Processing in Vision, J. Brannan ed., North Holland, New York, 227–259 (1992). 10 G. Wyszecki and W. S. Stiles, Color Science, Wiley, New York (1982). 11 W. W. de Abney, Colour Vision, S. Low, Marston and Co., London (1895). 12 F. L. Dimmick, and M. R. Hubbard, The spectral location of psychologically unique yellow, green and blue. Am. J. Psychol. 52, 242–254 (1939). 13 F. L. Dimmick and M. R. Hubbard, The spectral components of psychologically unique red, Am. J. Psychol. 52, 348–353 (1939). 14 S. A. Burns, A. E. Eisner, J. Pokorny, and V. C. Smith, The Abney effect chromaticity coordinates of unique and other constant hues. Vision Res. 24, 479–489 (1984). 15 J. Pokorny, V. C. Smith, S. A. Burns, A. Elsner, and Q. Zaidi, Modeling Blue-Yellow Opponency, Proc. 4th Int. Congr. Int. Color Assoc. (AIC), Berlin (1981). 16 J. Larimer, D. H. Krantz, and C. M. Cicerone, Opponent-process additivity. I. Yellow/blue equilibria and nonlinear models. Vision Res. 18, 723–731 (1975). 17 M. Ikeda, and M. Ayama, Additivity of opponent chromatic valence. Vision Res. 20, 995–999 (1980). 18 S. L. Guth, and H. R. Lodge, Heterochromatic additivity, foveal spectral sensitivity, and a new color model. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 63, 450–462 (1973). 19 S. L. Guth, R. W. Massof, and T. Benzschawel, Vector model for normal and dichromatic color vision. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 70, 197–212 (1980). 20 J. Krauskopf, D. R. Williams, and D. M. Heely, The cardinal directions of color space. Vision Res. 22, 1123–1131 (1982). 21 A. M. Derrington, J. Krauskopf, and P. Lennie, Chromatic mechanisms in lateral geniculate nucleus of macaque, J. Physiol., 357, 241–265. 22 K. S. Gibson, The relative visibility function in Proc. of 1924 Session of Commission Internationale de Eclairage, 232–238, Cambridge Univ Press, Cambridge. 23 R. M. Boynton, Human Color Vision. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York (1979). 24 V. C. Smith and J. Pokorny, Spectral sensitivity of the foveal ne pigments between 400 and 500-nm, Vision Res. 15, 161–171 (1975). 25 A. Eisner and D. I. A. MacLeod, Blue-sensitive cones do not contribute to luminance, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 70, 121–123 (1980). 26 A. Stockman, D. I. A. MacLeod, and D. D. DePriest, The temporal properties of the human short-wave photoreceptors and their associated pathways, Vision Res. 31, 161–171 (1991). 27 J. Nathans, D. Thomas, and D. S. Hogness, Molecular genetics of human color vision: The genes encoding the blue, green, and red pigments, Science 232, 193–202 (1986). 28 J. Nathans, T. Piantanida, R. L. Eddy and T. B. Shows, Molecular genetics of inherited variation of human color vision, Science 232, 203–232 (1986). 29 F. C. Donders, Uber Farbensysteme. Archives of Ophthalmology, 27, (1) 155–223 (1881). 30 E. Q. Adams, A theory of color vision. Psychological Review, (1923). X-Z planes in the 1931 ICI system of colorimetry. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 32, 168–173 (1942). 31 G. E. Müller, Darstellung und Erklarung der verschiedenen Typen der Farbenblindheit. Vandenhoek and Ruprecht, Göttingen. (1924) Uber die Farbenempfindungen. Z. Psychol. Erganzungsb, 17, 18 (1930). 32 D. Jameson, and L. M. Hurvich, Some quantitative aspects of an opponent-colors theory, I. Chromatic responses and spectral saturation. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 45, 546–552 (1955). 33 L. M. Hurvich, and D. Jameson, Further development of a quantified opponent-colors theory, in Visual Problems of Colour. 2, 693–723, NPL Symposium No. 8, Her Majesty's Stationary Office, London (1958). 34 C. R. Ingling, Jr., The spectral sensitivity of the opponent color channels, Vision Res. 17, 1083–1089 (1977). 35 Y. Le Grand, Le seuils differentials de coleurs dans la theorie de Young. Rev Opt Theo Inst 28, 261–278 (1949). 36 R. W. Rodieck, The Vertebrate Retina, Principles of Structure and Function. W. H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco (1973). 37 D. I. A. MacLeod and R. M. Boynton, Chromaticity diagram showing cone excitation by stimuli of equal luminance. J. Opt. Soc. Am.A 69, 1183–1186 (1979). 38 D. L. MacAdam, Photometric relationships between complementary colors, J Opt. Soc. of Am. 28, 103–111 (1938). References 1 See, for example Nagel's Handbuch der Physiologie de Menschen, Vol. 3, Article by J. v. Kries. The Visual perceptions, p. 269 (Braunschweig, by Vieweg, 1905). In the following this basic article is cited as J. v. Kries, G.E. 2 A. König and C. Dieterici, Zeitschr.f. Psych. u. Phys. d. Sinnesorgane, 4, 241–347, 1892. 3 A. König, Ges. Abh. Leipzig, J. A. Barth, p. 310, 1903. 4 A. König and C. Dieterici, .c. Ges. Abh., p. 317, Note. 5 F. Exner, These reports (2a) 127, p. 1829, 1918; 1920. 6 See the above citations (F. Exner, O. Steindler, etc). 7 K. F. Kohlrausch, Phys. Zeitschr., 21, 423, 1920. 8 Journ. Franklin Inst. 195, p. 23, Jan. 1923 (H. E. Ives). 9 F. Exner, These reports (2a), 129, p. 40 et seq. Table IV, and Fig. 2, full line curve, 1920. I could not use the correction of the König fundamental which Exner makes further because it results in defective appearance (concavities outward) of the spectral curve in the color diagram. 10 F. W. Fröhlich, Grundzuge einer Lehre vom Licht und Frabensinn; Jena by G. Fischer 1921 p. 46). 11 J. v. Kries G.E., p. 192f. 12 J.V. Kries, G. E., p. 203. 13 See the discussion by J. v. Kries, Zeitschr. f. techn. Physik 5, 327, 1924, especially, p. 340. 14 Journ. Opt. Soc. Amer. and Rev. Scient. Inst., 6, p. 527, 1922. 1925. 15 W. Abney, Proc. Roy. Soc. A., 83, 462; 84, 449. 16 Which is the case in normal and anomalous trichromats, as is known. 17 See also Die Naturwissenschaften, 12, 927, 1924. 18 F. Exner, These reports (2a), 131, 636, 1922. Citing Literature Volume19, Issue1February 1994Pages 37-47 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Nobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger's What is Life? is one of the great science classics of the twentieth century. A distinguished physicist's exploration of the question which lies at the heart of biology, it was written for the layman, but proved one of the spurs to the birth of molecular biology and the subsequent discovery of the structure of DNA. The philosopher Karl Popper hailed it as a 'beautiful and important book' by 'a great man to whom I owe a personal debt for many exciting discussions'. It appears here together with Mind and Matter, his essay investigating a relationship which has eluded and puzzled philosophers since the earliest times. Schrodinger asks what place consciousness occupies in the evolution of life, and what part the state of development of the human mind plays in moral questions. Brought together with these two classics are Schrödinger's autobiographical sketches, published and translated here for the first time. They offer a fascinating fragmentary account of his life as a background to his scientific writings, making this volume a valuable additon to the shelves of scientist and layman alike.