Tavassoly, iman (2026) How Cells Compute, or How We Compute the Cells: Mathematical Models, Metaphor, and the Limits of Language in Systems Biology. [Preprint]
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Iman Tavassoly-Computational Cell Biology.pdf Download (511kB) |
Abstract
Living cells are increasingly described as computational entities that process information, execute
regulatory programs, and make decisions through complex molecular-level networks.
Mathematical and in silico models have therefore become central to modern systems biology,
offering powerful tools for forecasting and controlling cellular behavior. Yet a fundamental
conceptual tension remains. Cells themselves do not perform calculations or manipulate symbols;
rather, mathematics is a human-constructed language used to describe biological regularities. This
review analyzes the distinction between how cells compute and how we compute the cells, drawing
on insights from the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein (both his early Tractatus picture theory
and his later notion of language games) to interrogate the epistemic limits of mathematical
modeling in biology. I argue that computational and mathematical descriptions of cells function as
linguistic representations, maps rather than mirrors of living reality. While such models
successfully capture aspects of cellular dynamics that are quantifiable and sayable, they inevitably
exclude features tied to historicity, individuality, context dependence, and biological function that
may be observable (only “showable” in a Wittgensteinian sense) rather than formally expressible.
By combining philosophical analysis with contemporary challenges in quantitative and
experimental cell biology, this article stresses both the power and the limitations of the
computational metaphor. The goal is a more reflective and pluralistic approach that unites
mathematical, experimental, and conceptual perspectives, advancing systems biology while
remaining honest about what current models can and cannot explain.
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