Mind & Matter
Whether food, drugs or ideas, what you consume influences who you become. Learn directly from the best scientists & thinkers alive today about how your mind-body reacts to what you feed it.
The weekly M&M podcast features conversations with the most interesting scientists, thinkers, and technology entrepreneurs alive today.
Not medical advice.
At M&M, we are interested in trying to figure out how things work, not affirming our existing beliefs. We prefer consulting primary rather than secondary sources and independent rather than institutional voices. If we encounter uncomfortable truths or the evidence suggests unfashionable ideas may be valid, so be it.
As the host, my aim is to help you better understand how the body & mind work by curating & synthesizing information in a way that yields science-based insights that you can choose to use or disregard in your own life. Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
I am motivated to connect the dots and distill general principles from what I learn, preferring to ask questions and play devil’s advocate to debating or incessantly pushing my own viewpoint.
My beliefs:
- Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
- All knowledge is provisional and we must work hard to prevent ourselves from becoming attached to our favorite ideas & preferred conclusions.
- Wisdom comes from an iterative, trial-and-error process of learning and unlearning. Letting go of pre-conceived notions can be painful, but pain is information.
Sometimes modern discoveries teach us we must unlearn received wisdom. Other times, modern information overload & historical chauvinism cause us to forget ancient wisdom which stills applies. The framework for learning that I embody is inspired by three Ancient Greek maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi:
- “Γνῶθι σεαυτόν” (Know thyself)
- “Μηδὲν ἄγαν” (Nothing in excess)
- “Ἐγγύα πάρα δ Ἄτα” (Certainty brings insanity)
Mind & Matter
Cognition, Form, Regeneration & Metaphysics: Does Biology Arise From Math? | Michael Levin | 250
Where does biological complexity come from and how is it generated?
Episode Summary: Dr. Michael Levin talks about cognition manifesting at scales beyond brains, including in cells and tissues via bioelectric networks; analog vs. digital coding in biology; how bioelectric patterns guide development and regeneration (e.g., in planarians); creation of novel life forms like xenobots and anthrobots; philosophical ideas on a "platonic space" of mathematical patterns influencing biology; evolutionary trade-offs in regeneration and implications for regenerative medicine.
About the guest: Michael Levin, PhD is a biologist and computer scientist who directs the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, focusing on bioelectricity, regeneration, and cognition in non-neural systems.
Discussion Points:
- Cognition isn't limited to brains; tools from neuroscience reveal learning, memory, and goal-directed behavior in cells and tissues.
- Bioelectricity acts as "cognitive glue," enabling collective intelligence in non-neural systems, predating multicellular life.
- Analog coding in development uses slow voltage patterns across cells, contrasting fast digital spikes in neurons.
- Planarians regenerate perfectly due to bioelectric "memories"; altering patterns creates stable two-headed worms without genetic changes.
- Regeneration trade-offs: Mammals prioritize quick healing over full regrowth due to infection risks and load-bearing needs.
- Xenobots (from frog cells) and anthropots (from human cells) self-assemble, replicate, and heal tissues, revealing untapped cellular potentials.
- Patterns in biology may stem from a "platonic space" of mathematical truths, not just evolution or physics.
- Neuroscience studies mind scaling, not just neurons; diverse intelligences could exist in non-cellular systems.
Related content:
- M&M 95: Purpose, Value, Evolution, Consciousness, Sentience, Life & Emergence of Mind From Matter | Terrence Deacon
*Not medical advice.
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