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Energia e medicina em Robert Mayer
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Resumo(s)
O Nobel da Física Richard Feynman dizia nas suas Lectures nos anos sessenta que é importante ter consciência que na física de hoje não temos um conhecimento do que seja a energia. Outros físicos têm salientado a mesma dificuldade. O conceito de energia é também usado em explicações de processos fisiológicos. Neste contexto, o significado de energia é uma questão em aberto. Um estudo recente (Coelho 2009) mostra que os descobridores da energia não encontraram nada que não possa ser destruído ou criado mas antes um princípio de equivalência entre quantidades físicas que não tinham sido até então ligadas. Então surge a questão se esta ideia de equivalência pode ser útil na compreesão da energia nas ciências da vida. Neste contexto será tratada a contribuição de Mayer para o princípio da conservação da energia. A ideia deste princípio tem origem numa observação clínica. Jenstsch 1916 salientou que não havia evidência para a tese de Mayer baseada naquela observação: o sangue venoso é mais escuro nas regiões frias do que nos trópicos porque nas regiões frias se consome mais oxigénio para manter a temperatura do corpo. Isto conduziu à questão se Mayer observou o que ele diz ter observado. Relativamente a esta questão, algumas hipóteses são apresentadas e discutidas nos capítulos 4 e 5 da presente dissertação. No livro de 1845, Mayer generalizou pela primeira vez a ideia de conservação da energia à fisiologia e biologia. Em alguns casos, havia uma investigação empírica. Em muitos casos, os argumentos de Mayer para a generalização são baseados em analogias entre os fenómenos inorgânicos e orgânicos. Os modelos teóricos ou conceptuais usados por Mayer em ambos os domínios são abordados no capítulo 1.
The Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman said in his Lectures in the 60s that it is important to realize that we have no knowledge in physics today of what energy is. Other physicists have pointed out the same difficulty. The concept of energy is also used in explanations of physiological processes. In this context, the meaning of energy is an open question. A recent study (Coelho 2009) shows that the discoverers of energy did not find anything which can neither be destroyed nor created but rather a principle of equivalence between physical quantities which had not been connected until then. The question whether this idea of equivalence can be useful in understanding energy in life sciences then arises. In this context, Mayer’s contribution to the principle of energy conservation is dealt with. The idea of this principle has its origin in a clinical observation. Jentsch 1916 pointed out that there was no evidence for Mayer’s thesis based on that observation: the venous blood is darker in cold regions than in the tropics because in cold regions the consuming of oxygen is greater in order to maintain the temperature of the body. This leads to the question of whether Mayer observed what he said he had. Concerning this, some hypotheses are presented and discussed in the chapters 4 and 5 of the present dissertation. In the 1845 book, Mayer generalized the idea of the conservation of energy to physiology and biology, for the first time. In some cases, there was empirical research. In most cases, Mayer’s arguments for that generalisation are based on analogies between inorganic and organic phenomena. The theoretical or conceptual models used by Mayer in both domains are dealt with in the chapter 1.
The Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman said in his Lectures in the 60s that it is important to realize that we have no knowledge in physics today of what energy is. Other physicists have pointed out the same difficulty. The concept of energy is also used in explanations of physiological processes. In this context, the meaning of energy is an open question. A recent study (Coelho 2009) shows that the discoverers of energy did not find anything which can neither be destroyed nor created but rather a principle of equivalence between physical quantities which had not been connected until then. The question whether this idea of equivalence can be useful in understanding energy in life sciences then arises. In this context, Mayer’s contribution to the principle of energy conservation is dealt with. The idea of this principle has its origin in a clinical observation. Jentsch 1916 pointed out that there was no evidence for Mayer’s thesis based on that observation: the venous blood is darker in cold regions than in the tropics because in cold regions the consuming of oxygen is greater in order to maintain the temperature of the body. This leads to the question of whether Mayer observed what he said he had. Concerning this, some hypotheses are presented and discussed in the chapters 4 and 5 of the present dissertation. In the 1845 book, Mayer generalized the idea of the conservation of energy to physiology and biology, for the first time. In some cases, there was empirical research. In most cases, Mayer’s arguments for that generalisation are based on analogies between inorganic and organic phenomena. The theoretical or conceptual models used by Mayer in both domains are dealt with in the chapter 1.
Descrição
Tese de mestrado, História e Filosofia das Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2010
Palavras-chave
Mayer Energia Princípio de equivalência Cor do sangue Modelos conceptuais Teses de mestrado - 2010