5min chapter

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A retrospective on agency (Ep 100)

Big Biology

CHAPTER

The Role of Agency in Complex Systems

Life-like systems have to make choices to endure. If their models become sophisticated enough that they can come to plan about how to push back, they by definition have agency. Given enough time and the right context, one should expect such systems to become common. Paul Davies: Living things are in a class apart. They seem to be different in a very fundamental way from non-living systems. We'll realize that life stands out. It really does when it looks like magic.

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