New Books Network Giuseppe Longo and Adam Nocek, "The Organism Is a Theory: Giuseppe Longo on Biology, Mathematics, and AI" (U Minnesota Press, 2026)
Jan 20, 2026
Giuseppe Longo, a leading mathematician and theoretical biologist, joins Adam Nocek, a philosopher specializing in technology, to discuss their collaborative work. They delve into the limits of computation in understanding biological complexity and argue for a new biological theory that reflects the intricacies of life. Longo critiques the DNA-as-program myth and highlights the importance of historical specificity and randomness in organisms. The conversation also touches on Turing's overlooked morphogenesis model and the need for pluralistic science that accommodates diverse theoretical perspectives.
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Biology Resists Generic Computation
- Living systems are not generic computable systems and cannot be fully captured by fixed algorithms or target functions.
- Giuseppe Longo argues biological specificity and historical evolution produce non-computable behaviors irreducible to standard computation.
Limits Spark New Mathematics
- Negative limitative results (like Gödel, Church, Turing) created computability by showing its boundaries and revealing non-computable functions.
- Longo stresses that such negative results are generative, opening new mathematical and scientific domains rather than mere failures.
Deterministic Chaos Matters To Biology
- Classical randomness emerged from Poincaré's negative result on the three-body problem, showing deterministic systems can be unpredictable.
- This deterministic unpredictability underlies chaotic dynamics that are essential for understanding biological processes.
