Lex Fridman Podcast #325 – Michael Levin: Biology, Life, Aliens, Evolution, Embryogenesis & Xenobots
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Oct 1, 2022 
Michael Levin, a biologist at Tufts University, discusses groundbreaking insights into embryogenesis and the emergence of biological agency. He challenges traditional views on evolution by exploring the capabilities of xenobots and their implications for regenerative medicine. The conversation touches on bioelectricity's role in cell communication, the adaptability of life, and unconventional cognition across different organisms. Levin also reflects on the philosophical implications of synthetic biology and the quest for meaning in life and death.
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DNA's Role
- DNA encodes the hardware of life, like proteins and signaling factors.
- Generic laws, not DNA, govern the software, including math, computation, and physics.
Laws of Biology
- Biological structures embody latent laws, similar to how mathematical laws are discovered, not created.
- Embryogenesis reveals these laws by creating the capacity for their manifestation.
Xenobots: Unexpected Behaviors
- Skin cells from frog embryos, when isolated, self-assemble into Xenobots.
- These Xenobots demonstrate unexpected behaviors like navigation and self-replication.