Episode Details
EPISODE INFO
- Released
- August 27, 2022
- Duration
- 54m
- Channel
- Modern Wisdom
- Watch on YouTube
- ▶ Open ↗
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
Lee Cronin is the Regius Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, Head of the Cronin Group Lab and CEO of Chemify. The job of deciding what life is, how it originates and the different forms it could take might sound like a task for UFO theorists but it's actually in the realm of chemists like Lee. This means that some of the biggest questions humanity has rest on his lab's shoulders. Expect to learn why Lee believes that there is life everywhere in the universe, his theory on the origin of life here on earth, why we haven't seen any aliens yet, whether Robin Hanson's Great Filter hypothesis is true, what common traits all types of life will have, the most exotic types of life forms Lee has imagined and much more... Sponsors: Get 15% discount on Craftd London’s jewellery at https://bit.ly/cdwisdom (use code MW15) Get 83% discount & 3 months free from Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/MODERNWISDOM (use code MODERNWISDOM) Get 30% discount on your at-home testosterone test at https://trylgc.com/wisdom (use code: MODERN25) Extra Stuff: Lee's Lab - http://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin/ Follow Lee on Twitter - https://twitter.com/leecronin Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom #aliens #life #evolution - 00:00 Intro 00:53 The Universe’s Memory 04:31 Transitioning to Being Alive 12:52 Defining Life 20:52 The Energy of the Universe 28:45 Where did Life Originate? 35:20 Other Forms of Exotic Life 40:37 The Great Filter Hypothesis 49:38 Do Viruses Exist on Other Planets? 53:43 Where to Find Lee - Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Listen to all episodes on audio: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/
SPEAKERS
Lee Cronin
guestChris Williamson
host
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Lee Cronin and Chris Williamson, What Will Alien Life Look Like? - Lee Cronin explores chemist Lee Cronin Redefines Life, Selection, Time, And Alien Possibility Lee Cronin argues that life is best understood as the universe developing memory through material structures that persist and influence the future, rather than via traditional biology-only definitions. He proposes that selection and evolution begin in inanimate matter, driving increasing complexity from sand-like randomness to cells, technology, and potentially alien civilizations. This leads him to a broad definition of life as any process that builds highly ordered artifacts that can't arise by chance, and to the view that life is likely common in the universe while Earth's specific biochemistry is unique. Along the way, he challenges standard physics concepts like entropy and dark energy, speculates about exotic alien chemistries, and expresses strong techno-optimism about humanity’s future despite existential risk narratives.
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