#283 – Chris Mason: Space Travel, Colonization, and Long-Term Survival in Space
Lex Fridman Podcast
Are Viruses Alive?
Viruses are not considered alive based on traditional definitions because they cannot self-replicate independently. However, the concept of life could be restructured to include autonomously aggregating and replicating information, similar to AI. In that case, viruses could be viewed as a version of life, but not alive. The ability to continually propagate instructions for their own existence is what could define something as living. While viruses don't meet this criteria, they are considered a version of life given their expression and impact. As for AI, the challenge lies in determining at what point it can be considered alive. The speaker, having studied viruses, finds them both exciting and terrifying, leaning more towards excitement.
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