The effect of macroscopic quantum phenomena on human evolution

[alphajoza]

In a discussion between Sam Harris and Brian Greene, at this point, Brian stated that even if we return the brain and all the environment to its previous state, we "WON'T MAKE THE SAME NOISES";

I know that for example, indeterminacy in determining the precise time of decay of an atom (and the effect of that decay on random mutation of DNA and subsequent evolution) can't be calculated (and hence different mutations may occur) but I am curious what other quantum phenomena (micro/macroscopic) can influence the evolution of for example human species and how violent* are those effects?

*by violent I mean the degree of which those quantum effects may penetrate the macroscopic world. For example, are their effects so high that even if we turn the clock back just for 1 hour, human brain would produce a different output or the effects need much more time to affect the system.

Note 1: I am only interested in the physical perspective of the discussion and it is not a question of ethics.
Note 2: I am aware of the nature of chaotic systems in which introduction/change of a variable (even a fraction of change in value) could cause a drastic difference in the outcome at the end of the pipeline.

 

[azntoon]

There are a variety of quantum phenomena, both micro and macroscopic, that can influence the evolution of the human species. On the microscale, quantum effects such as superposition, entanglement, tunneling, and decoherence all play a role in how the microscopic building blocks of life interact with each other and evolve over time. On the macroscale, quantum effects such as wave-particle duality, quantum tunneling, and quantum fluctuations can affect the behavior and properties of larger scale systems, including the biology and chemistry of living organisms.The degree to which these quantum effects penetrate the macroscopic world can vary widely, depending on the system in question. For example, while quantum effects may be small but measurable in the behavior of certain molecules, they may be extremely pronounced and even visible in the behavior of certain materials at the nanoscale. Moreover, quantum effects may also have a cumulative effect over long periods of time, leading to significant changes in the macroscopic system.In terms of your specific question, it is difficult to predict the exact effects that quantum phenomena will have on the behavior of the human species over short periods of time, such as just one hour. However, it is possible to speculate that quantum effects may still have some subtle influence on the behavior of humans over that timescale, as some quantum effects can occur on very short timescales. Ultimately, whether or not those effects are “violent” enough to cause a significant change in the behavior of the human species over that timescale is impossible to say without further study.