Thoughtforms Life Beyond Complexity & Emergence: Taming Multiscale Competency in Agential Materials
Jul 19, 2025
Explore the fascinating relationship between biology and complexity, discussing embodied intelligence and the evolving understanding of synthetic life. Discover how collective intelligence, illustrated by axolotl regeneration and cellular signaling, is shaping regenerative medicine. Delve into metamorphosis as caterpillars transform into butterflies, revealing insights into memory and adaptation. Finally, investigate the challenges of formal models in complexity, advocating for bio-inspired approaches to technology and innovation.
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Frogolotls Defy Genetic Predictions
- Genetics specify cellular hardware but not the software guiding organismal development.
- Frogolotls combining axolotl and frog cells produce legs unpredictably, which genetics alone can't explain.
Eyes on the Tail Work Surprisingly Well
- Tadpoles with eyes transplanted on their tails can see and learn despite no connection to the brain's traditional visual centers.
- This shows incredible functional plasticity beyond hardwired genetic instructions.
Memory Survives Planarian Head Regrowth
- Planarian flatworms can learn a place conditioning task.
- After decapitation and brain regeneration, they retain memory, indicating memory can be stored outside the brain.
