Brave New World -- hosted by Vasant Dhar Ep 91: Michael Levin on the New Frontiers of Biological Intelligence
23 snips
Jan 11, 2025 
Michael Levin, a biology professor at Tufts University, merges biology, neuroscience, and philosophy to explore cognition. He discusses how memory fundamentally shapes consciousness, revealing its reconstructive nature. Levin challenges traditional views of the genome, advocating for a perspective that sees it as dynamic rather than fixed. He introduces the idea of a fluid self influenced by experiences and delves into the intersection of consciousness and artificial intelligence, questioning the future relationship between organisms and machines.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Butterfly Memory
- Caterpillars trained to find specific colored leaves retain that memory as butterflies.
- Butterflies, however, cannot use this information directly as they have different needs and locomotion.
Mind-Body Connection
- Biological information flows across scales, from high-level goals to cellular actions.
- This mind-body connection is evident in phenomena like hypnodermatology and the placebo effect.
Newt Kidney Tubules
- Newt cells adapt to varying genetic material, forming kidney tubules with different cell numbers and mechanisms.
- This shows that biological systems prioritize problem-solving over strict adherence to genetic information.