Dr. Nikolay Kukushkin is a neuroscientist, molecular biologist, and author of One Hand Clapping: A Natural History of the Mind — a groundbreaking exploration of how consciousness, memory, and intelligence evolved from the simplest forms of life.
In this episode, Nikolay reveals the extraordinary idea that memory isn’t just in your brain — it’s a universal feature of life itself. Every cell in your body can “remember” patterns of experience, learn from them, and change its behavior — using the same molecular logic that neurons use to form thoughts. This ancient cellular intelligence may even hold the key to understanding consciousness, emotion, and the mind-body connection.
Expect to learn why the difference between mind and body is an illusion, how single cells can distinguish patterns in time, why the same molecules that encode your memories also regulate your organs, how consciousness emerges gradually through information integration, why information might be more fundamental than matter, how AI and synthetic biology could help us rebuild the mind from first principles, the mystery of “obelisks” — unknown structures hidden inside your cells — and what all this means for trauma, emotion, free will, and the future of neuroscience.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
03:15 Understanding Cellular Memory
06:20 Emergence of Memory: Human vs. Cellular
09:03 Defining Memory: Perspectives and Critiques
12:21 Research on Non-Neural Memory
15:20 The Spacing Effect in Cellular Memory
18:24 Mechanisms of Memory Encoding in Cells
21:04 Cellular Memory and Emotion
24:22 Consciousness in Cells: A Philosophical Inquiry
27:08 Implications of Cellular Memory for Biology and Medicine
30:10 The Future of Understanding Consciousness
39:57 The Nature of Consciousness
43:10 Reframing Our Understanding of Consciousness
45:53 Tracing the Origins of Consciousness
48:46 Information vs. Matter: The Fundamental Debate
52:24 Artificial Consciousness: A New Frontier
55:35 The Ethics of AI and Consciousness
57:46 Defining Consciousness: A Democratic Process?
01:00:51 The Expansive Potential of Biological Understanding
01:03:02 The Future of AI and Consciousness
01:09:26 The Mystery of Obelisks and Genetic Composition
01:13:57 Synthetic Biology: The Future of Creation
01:18:01 Exploring Cellular Memory and Its Implications
01:22:00 The Gut-Brain Connection and Memory
01:26:51 Trauma and the Body: A New Perspective
01:29:52 Shifting Perspectives on Dopamine and Language
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