Lex Fridman Podcast #279 – Alien Debate: Sara Walker and Lee Cronin
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Apr 24, 2022 
Sara Walker, an astrobiologist known for her insights on the origin of life, and Lee Cronin, a chemist focused on assembly theory, dive deep into the mysteries of extraterrestrial life. They discuss the challenges of detecting alien civilizations and what criteria define intelligent life. The conversation touches on the essence of human curiosity and communication with beings from beyond our planet. They also explore the philosophical implications of existence, the origins of life, and the idea of a universal language for interstellar dialogue.
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Defining Life
- Life isn't defined, but explained as a phenomenon.
- This phenomenon structures information across spacetime, builds complex machines, and explores possibilities.
Assembly Theory
- Assembly theory measures an object's complexity via its assembly index.
- This index represents the shortest path or minimal history needed to create that object.
Mathematics
- Math is labeling objects, classifying them, and performing operations.
- Assembly theory suggests math emerged from this process.