This is a deliberately provocative talk (~1 hour 20 minutes) I gave on teleology (a pretty taboo subject in a lot of the life sciences) delivered at Caltech. I try to go step by step and show the philosophical background of how I think about goal-directedness in physically embodied agents (cells and tissues etc.) and then the data - classic examples and new discoveries that this framework allowed us to make. Editing by https://x.com/DNAMediaEditing
This episode explores how bioelectricity serves as a link between physics, biology, and cognition, highlighting its role in understanding complex biological processes.
The episode explores intrinsic motivation in biological, artificial, and hybrid systems, discussing how these systems develop self-driven behaviors and the implications for research and engineering.
Michael Levin discusses the concept of agential materials and explores how recognizing and communicating with these materials challenges traditional views of mind and agency.
Exploring the unseen forces of life, cognition, and emergence — with Professor Michael Levin. Conversations on morphogenesis, bioelectricity, synthetic biology, and the nature of intelligence.
