Dr. Michael Levin is a biologist, computer scientist, and co-creator of the Xenobot — the world’s first living, programmable organism, built entirely from frog skin and heart cells. These tiny constructs can move, heal, and even replicate — making them the first-ever synthetic life forms capable of self-replication.

But this is just the beginning.

Dr. Levin’s research into bioelectricity is flipping biology on its head. He’s shown that cells use electrical signals — not just genes — to communicate, store memories, and make decisions. He’s grown eyes on tadpole tails, regenerated limbs, and reprogrammed cancer — all by changing cellular voltage, not DNA.Expect to learn why intelligence might exist in every tissue of your body, how cells solve problems without brains, why memory can persist even after decapitation, how Xenobots replicate without a genetic blueprint, why bioelectricity may be the true architecture of consciousness, how Levin’s discoveries could transform medicine, ethics, and AI — and why your liver might be more self-aware than you think.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

05:30 Introduction to Xenobots

08:17 The Discovery and Behavior of Xenobots

11:16 Understanding Agential Material and Intelligence

14:19 Sensory Capabilities and Environmental Interaction 17:28 The Continuum of Cognition and Language Challenges 20:27 The Nature of Transformation and Development

23:44 The Relationship Between Cells and Xenobots

33:40 The Development of Xenobots

37:18 The Role of AI in Xenobot Experimentation

38:14 Collective Behavior and Interaction of Xenobots

40:08 Exploring the Potential of Different Cell Types

42:02 Human Cells and Their Capabilities

43:54 Predicting Behavior in Xenobots and Anthropobots 45:44 The Healing Abilities of Anthropobots

47:08 Consciousness and Cognitive Capacity in Xenobots 48:57 The Criteria for Attributing Consciousness

51:49 The Hard Problem of Consciousness

53:32 The Emergence of Subjectivity in Simple Organisms 55:23 The Theory of Consciousness and Its Implications 60:29 The Ethical Responsibilities of Scientific Advancements

...

Video credits:

Xenobots: Douglas Blackiston and Sam Kriegman

Anthrobots: Gizem Gumuskaya, Levin lab

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