title: Comments on the unreasonable effectiveness of the biological and especially medical sciences.
abstract: About 50 years ago it was pointed out by Dr. Eugene Wigner that applications of mathematics to a wide range of physical problems were inexplicably effective in both their immediate practical results and predictive power. The reasons for this remain elusive. In a loosely analogous sense, parallels can be drawn between such an effectiveness and the evolving power of the biological sciences, leading to the accomplishment of many practical and theoretical goals. We consider some of the similarities and differences that distinguish these two modalities with which certain features of physical reality are apprehanded, analyzed and manipulated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. kanderso@rush.edu
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D001695:Biology; D015510:Clinical Medicine; D008433:Mathematics