Lee Cronin

Lee Cronin, a chemist from the University of Glasgow, discusses his groundbreaking work on assembly theory and its implications for understanding life's evolution. He explores a controversial paper challenging traditional views on the intersection of physics, biology, and the origins of life. The conversation dives into the dynamics of molecular selection and the use of assembly indexes to search for extraterrestrial life. Cronin also shares insights on the publishing challenges faced by innovative scientists and the profound philosophical implications of his research.

Lee Cronin, a chemist at the University of Glasgow known for his groundbreaking work on the origin of life, shares intriguing insights into complex topics. The discussion spans the chemical processes that may have sparked life on Earth and the potential for extraterrestrial civilizations. Cronin explores self-replicating molecules, ethical implications of synthetic biology, and advancements in AI's role in chemistry and drug manufacturing. The conversation blends humor with philosophical musings on consciousness, existence, and the future of life in the universe.

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.

Jim talks with Sara Walker and Lee Cronin about the ideas in their Aeon essay "Time Is an Object." They discuss the history of the idea of time, Newton's clockwork universe, the capacity for things to happen, the impossibility of time travel, Einstein's block universe theory, making time testable, conceptions of the arrow of time, irreversibility as an emergent property, the core of assembly theory, measures of complexity, recursive deconstruction, distinguishing random & complex, Kolmogorov complexity, the absence of a useful theory of complexity, counting steps in the assembly pathway, developing theories from measurement, the size of chemical possibility space, the role of memory in the creation of large organic chemicals, memory depth, the assembly index, the origins of life, a sharp phase transition between biotic & non-biotic molecules, life as a stack of objects, a phase transition between life & technology, techno-signatures, error correction in DNA, whether assembly theory is a theory of time, the temporal dimension as a physical feature of objects, implications for SETI & the Fermi paradox, spotting the difference between noise & assembly, the Great Perceptual Filter, looking for complexity in the universe, the probability of life originating, and much more. Episode Transcript "Time is an object," by Sara Walker and Lee Cronin (Aeon) JRS EP5 - Lee Smolin on Quantum Foundations and Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution Professor Sara Walker is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist. Her work focuses on the origins and nature of life, and in particular whether or not there are universal ‘laws of life’ that would allow predicting when life emerges and can guide our search for other examples on other worlds.  Her research integrates diverse perspectives ranging from chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy and the foundations of physics, to computer science, cheminformatics, artificial life, artificial intelligence and consciousness. At Arizona State University she is Deputy Director of the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Associate Director of the ASU-Santa Fe Institute Center for Biosocial Complex Systems and Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration. She is also a member of the External Faculty at the Santa Fe Institute. She is active in public engagement in science, with appearances on "Through the Wormhole", NPR's Science Friday, and on a number of international science festivals and podcasts. She has published in leading research journals and is an internationally recognized thought leader in the study of the origins of life, alien life and the search for a deeper understanding of ourselves in our universe. Leroy (Lee) Cronin is the Regius Professor of Chemistry in Glasgow. Since the age of 9 Lee has wanted to explore chemistry using electronics to control matter. His research spans many disciplines and has four main aims: the construction of an artificial life form; the digitization of chemistry; the use of artificial intelligence in chemistry including the construction of ‘wet’ chemical computers; the exploration of complexity and information in chemistry. His recent work on the digitization of chemistry has resulted in a new programming paradigm for matter and organic synthesis and discovery – chemputation – which uses the worlds first domain specific and universal programming language for chemistry – XDL, see XDL-standard.com. His team designs and builds all their own robots from the ground up and the team currently has 25 different robotic systems operating across four domains: Organic synthesis; Energy materials discovery; Nanomaterials discovery; Formulation discovery. All the systems use XDL and are easily programmable for both manufacture and discovery. His group is organised and assembled transparently around ideas, avoids hierarchy, and aims to mentor researchers using a problem-based approach. Nothing is impossible until it is tried.

In this engaging discussion, Lee Cronin, Regius Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow and CEO of Chemify, delves into the revolutionary assembly theory he co-authored. He unpacks the assembly index and copy number, challenging traditional views of complexity in nature. Cronin also connects assembly theory to broader concepts of selection, innovation, and free will, illuminating how simple interactions can lead to sophisticated biological structures and evolution. Prepare for a thought-provoking journey through the intricacies of molecular creation!

Lee Cronin, a pioneering chemist behind Assembly Theory, challenges conventional definitions of life. He proposes that life is all about producing complexity at scale rather than just biological makeup. Cronin discusses his groundbreaking Assembly Index, which quantifies the complexity of objects, suggesting the universe has a ‘choosy’ nature. He also reveals his team's ambitious project to build a machine that can identify lifelike behaviors in random chemistry, potentially unlocking secrets of life's origins and even allowing us to create life in a lab.

Lee Cronin, a chemist and the Regius Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, dives into fascinating discussions surrounding the origins of life and synthetic biology. He explores the complexities in defining 'life' and challenges traditional notions of entropy. The conversation touches on assembly theory as a key to understanding life's beginnings and hints at humanity's quest for extraterrestrial life through the Drake Equation. With humor and depth, Cronin calls for new laws of physics to better grasp these intricate questions.

In this discussion, Lee Cronin, Regius Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow and Founder of Chemify, delves into Assembly Theory's fascinating implications. He reveals how assembly can be quantitatively measured in labs, using tools like mass spectrometry. Lee explains the critical threshold of 15 that distinguishes living systems from non-living ones. He paints an ambitious vision of using this theory to explore life beyond Earth and even measure consciousness, challenging conventional scientific perspectives along the way.

Lee Cronin, a leading scientist merging physics and biology, delves into fascinating topics like the intricacies of artificial intelligence and its misconceptions. He discusses the importance of embracing change in scientific inquiry and why being wrong can lead to breakthroughs. Cronin explores the relationship between life and intelligence, the implications of assembly theory, and critiques both AI optimists and doomers. He also touches on climate change solutions and philosophical questions about the universe, offering a captivating blend of science, curiosity, and existential pondering.

Lee Cronin, a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow and expert in inorganic chemistry, joins the conversation to dissect Terence Howard's provocative statements on chemistry. They explore intriguing concepts like the relationship between energy, sound, and the atomic structure of elements. The discussion also critiques traditional scientific education and emphasizes understanding over mere calculation. Additionally, Cronin shares his ambitious projects aimed at creating life in the lab and developing artificial chemical consciousness.