Overview and Introduction: Thermodynamics, Adaptation and Complexity in Life

This talk will provide an introduction and overview of the conceptual role of thermodynamics in living cells.  An overview of the history of the field will be presented, beginning with Lotka’s seminal work in 1922 and summarizing subsequent developments up to the present.  Leading perspectives on our understanding of adaptation, emergence, dynamics, and control across scales, from metabolism to evolving ecosystems, will be discussed.