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Dr. Michael Levin and Dr. Matthew Segall enter the mind meld!
*Video Episode *
Dr. Michael Levin is a developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University where heās the Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor. His groundbreaking research on bioelectricity, morphogenesis, and cognition is reshaping our understanding of how living systems self-organize and regenerate. He explores how cells and tissues communicate through bioelectrical signals, guiding the formation of complex structures without relying solely on genetic instructions. Levin's work suggests that biological development is not purely mechanical but follows invisible organizational principles, akin to the Platonic Forms. By demonstrating how bioelectrical fields encode structural information beyond genetic determinism, Levinās research hints at an underlying realm of conscious intelligible patterns, challenging reductionist views and opening the door to a Platonic interpretation of biology.
Dr. Matthew Segall is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness Program at California Institute of Integral Studies. He explores the intersections of metaphysics, science, and consciousness often through the philosopher Alfred North Whiteheadās process philosophy. Whitehead, highly influenced by Plato, rejected the static, mechanistic worldview of classical science, instead proposing that reality is composed of dynamic processes, where mind and matter are deeply intertwined. This aligns with the work of Levin, whose research suggests that living systems follow formative principles that transcend mere genetic codeāan idea resonant with Whiteheadās notion of eternal objects (akin to Platonic Forms) as guiding forces in the becoming of things.
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