Dr. Michael Levin on Lex Fridman: How Cells Can Be Persuaded

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

November 30, 2025

Duration

3h 18m

Channel

Lex Fridman Podcast

Watch on YouTube

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📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Michael Levin is a biologist at Tufts University working on novel ways to understand and control complex pattern formation in biological systems. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep486-sb See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. *Transcript:* https://lexfridman.com/michael-levin-2-transcript *CONTACT LEX:* *Feedback* - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey *AMA* - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama *Hiring* - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring *Other* - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact *EPISODE LINKS:* Michael Levin's X: https://x.com/drmichaellevin Michael Levin's Website: https://drmichaellevin.org Michael Levin's Papers: https://drmichaellevin.org/publications/

• Biological Robots: https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.00880
• Classical Sorting Algorithms: https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.05375
• Aging as a Morphostasis Defect: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38636560/
• TAME: https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.10346
• Synthetic Living Machines: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abf1571

*SPONSORS:* To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: *Shopify:* Sell stuff online. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/shopify-ep486-sb *CodeRabbit:* AI-powered code reviews. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/coderabbit-ep486-sb *LMNT:* Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/lmnt-ep486-sb *UPLIFT Desk:* Standing desks and office ergonomics. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/uplift_desk-ep486-sb *Miro:* Online collaborative whiteboard platform. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/miro-ep486-sb *MasterClass:* Online classes from world-class experts. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/masterclass-ep486-sb *OUTLINE:* 0:00 - Introduction 0:44 - Biological intelligence 9:17 - Living vs non-living organisms 14:30 - Origin of life 18:15 - The search for alien life (on Earth) 51:19 - Creating life in the lab - Xenobots and Anthrobots 1:04:21 - Memories and ideas are living organisms 1:18:02 - Reality is an illusion: The brain is an interface to a hidden reality 2:03:48 - Unexpected intelligence of sorting algorithms 2:29:26 - Can aging be reversed? 2:33:17 - Mind uploading 2:51:57 - Alien intelligence 3:06:52 - Advice for young people 3:13:21 - Questions for AGI *PODCAST LINKS:*

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🎤 SPEAKERS

• Lex Fridman

  host

• Michael Levin

  guest

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Lex Fridman Podcast, featuring Lex Fridman and Michael Levin, Dr. Michael Levin on Lex Fridman: How Cells Can Be Persuaded explores michael Levin maps hidden minds from cells to Platonic space Michael Levin argues that intelligence, agency, and mind exist on a broad continuum, from molecules and cells up through organisms, collectives, and even algorithms, and that our current categories like ‘life’ versus ‘non-life’ or ‘machine’ versus ‘organism’ are holding back science.

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