Making Sense with Sam Harris #388 — What Is Life?
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Oct 21, 2024 
Sara Imari Walker, an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist, dives into the origin and definition of life. They challenge conventional concepts of life, exploring interesting questions about artificial life amidst a background of physics and biology. Discussions cover the Fermi paradox, the potential for extraterrestrial existence, and the evolution of complex structures through assembly theory. Walker also speaks on the philosophical implications of a 'block universe' and the infinite nature of prime numbers, highlighting the fascinating intersection of mathematics and existence.
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Schrödinger's Contribution
Erwin Schrödinger's book 'What is Life?' first structured the scientific inquiry into the nature of life based on physics. His idea of an 'aperiodic crystal' predicted the structure of DNA as the genetic material.
Definitions of Life
Standard definitions of life often fall short when scrutinized. Edge cases such as viruses and honeybee colonies challenge our understanding of what constitutes living organisms.
Consider Artificial Life
Challenge the idea that artificial life is a contradiction. Explore the possibility of understanding life enough to potentially instantiate it in machines.
