Josh Mitteldorf: Biological Transmutation

The mainstream understanding of biology is that it is based on chemistry. Life routinely transforms one molecule into a different molecule, rearranging chemical bonds; but life cannot change one chemical element into another chemical element, rearranging protons and neutrons in atomic nuclei. Chemical bonds have energies in the range of 1 electron volt (1 eV). It is also well-known that there are electric potential differences that drive neurological signaling and – in recent work by Michael Levin’s lab – are maps for development and body plans. These potentials are also in the range of 1 volt. In contrast, there is enormous energy available in the nucleus of atoms – millions of eV. But there are barriers to harvesting nuclear energy that are also millions of eV. This energy range is available inside the Sun (temperature ~107 K, equivalent to 104eV), inside thermonuclear bombs, and inside particle accelerators. But energies beyond a few eV are unavailable to living things, according to foundational understandings of life’s mechanisms. Against this background, there are persistent reports of nuclear transformations that take place as routine biological processes. For example, chickens that are raised on diets lacking calcium are

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Published on October 23, 2026

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