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Michael Levin | Cell Intelligence in Physiological and Morphological Spaces

SEMF
11.2K subscribers
128K views 2 years ago
Talk kindly contributed by Michael Levin in SEMF's 2022 Spacious Spatiality https://semf.org.es/spatiality TALK ABSTRACT Life was solving problems in metabolic, genetic, physiological, and anatomical spaces long before brains and nervous systems appeared. In this talk, I will describe remarkable capabilities of cell groups as they create, repair, and remodel complex anatomies. Anatomical homeostasis reveals that groups of cells are collective intelligences; their cognitive medium is the same as that of the human mind: electrical signals propagating in cell networks. I will explain non-neural bioelectricity and the tools we use to track the basal cognition of cells and tissues and control their function for applications in regenerative medicine. I will conclude with a discussion of our framework based on evolutionary scaling of intelligence by pivoting conserved mechanisms that allow agents, whether designed or evolved, to navigate complex prob …...more
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INTRODUCTION

0:00

All intelligence is collective intelligence

1:27

Main points of the talk

3:45

Single cell spatial competencies

4:32

Outline of the talk

6:19

PLASTICITY

6:46

Planarian memories survive brain regeneration

8:18

Tadpoles can see with artificially implanted eyes

9:29

Biological systems have competency in different scales and spaces

10:42

Planaria regenerates head with new adaptive gene expression

12:56

Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere

15:06

INTELLIGENT NAVIGATION IN MORPHOSPACE

16:34

Biomedical endgame: anatomical compiler

17:55

Unpredictability of anatomy of chimeric species: frogolotls

19:01

Hardware and software: analogy between nowadays biology and 40s-50s computer science

19:59

What is morphospace?

21:15

Examples of natural regeneration

23:26

Cells change molecular mechanisms to adapt shape to artifical constraints

25:15

Induced frog leg regenration takes different path than default limb development

27:05

Facial mispatterning in tadpoles still ends in normal frog faces

28:08

Feedback loops in pattern homeostasis and goal-directedness

29:36

BIOELECTRICITY

31:34

Usual example of bioelectricity explaining goal-directedness: the brain

31:38

Generalizing: non-brain tissues also encode goals through bioelectricity

32:49

Reading and writing electrical information in non-brain tissues

34:36

Reading #1: “electric face” before face development

35:29

Reading #2: electric signature before tumor development

36:45

Writing electrical information in non-brain tissues using neuroscience tools

37:12

Writing #1: inducing voltage patterns that develop organs and limbs

38:12

Writing #2: inducing limb regeneration

40:16

Writing #3: inducing anatomical memory that produces two-headed planaria when injured

42:08

Writing #4: inducing shape changes

47:01

Developing quantitative, predictive models

48:36

Writing #5: correcting brain defects using model predictions

49:27

Electroceutical drugs

51:14

TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH TO MIND EVERYWHERE

52:09

Different scales of biological systems have different goals

52:18

Potential application to reverse cancer

55:00

Diversity of intelligences

55:48

Multi-scale control and up-scaling goals across spaces

57:16

Behavior of skin cells clusters when isolated: xenobots

59:01

Overview of the Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere

1:07:15

The space of intelligent agents and its implications for ethics

1:08:00
Michael Levin | Cell Intelligence in Physiological and Morphological Spaces
4KLikes
128,530Views
2022Oct 27
Talk kindly contributed by Michael Levin in SEMF's 2022 Spacious Spatiality https://semf.org.es/spatiality TALK ABSTRACT Life was solving problems in metabolic, genetic, physiological, and anatomical spaces long before brains and nervous systems appeared. In this talk, I will describe remarkable capabilities of cell groups as they create, repair, and remodel complex anatomies. Anatomical homeostasis reveals that groups of cells are collective intelligences; their cognitive medium is the same as that of the human mind: electrical signals propagating in cell networks. I will explain non-neural bioelectricity and the tools we use to track the basal cognition of cells and tissues and control their function for applications in regenerative medicine. I will conclude with a discussion of our framework based on evolutionary scaling of intelligence by pivoting conserved mechanisms that allow agents, whether designed or evolved, to navigate complex problem spaces. TALK MATERIALS · The Electrical Blueprints that Orchestrate Life (TED Talk): https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_lev... · Michael Levin's interviews and presentations: https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/le... · Michael Levin's publications: https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/le... · The Institute for Computationally Designed Organisms (ICDO): https://icdorgs.org/ MICHAEL LEVIN Department of Biology, Tufts University: https://as.tufts.edu/biology Tufts University profile: https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/le... Wyss Institute profile: https://wyss.harvard.edu/team/associa... Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael...) Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?... Twitter:   / drmichaellevin   LinkedIn:   / michael-levin-b0983a6   SEMF NETWORKS Website: https://semf.org.es Twitter:   / semf_nexus   LinkedIn:   / semf-nexus   Instagram:   / semf.nexus   Facebook:   / semf.nexus   MUSIC    / baroquenoise   TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 INTRODUCTION 00:01:27 All intelligence is collective intelligence 00:03:45 Main points of the talk 00:04:32 Single cell spatial competencies 00:06:19 Outline of the talk 00:06:46 PLASTICITY 00:08:18 Planarian memories survive brain regeneration 00:09:29 Tadpoles can see with artificially implanted eyes 00:10:42 Biological systems have competency in different scales and spaces 00:12:56 Planaria regenerates head with new adaptive gene expression 00:15:06 Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere 00:16:34 INTELLIGENT NAVIGATION IN MORPHOSPACE 00:16:34 Where are anatomy and shape encoded in biology? 00:17:55 Biomedical endgame: anatomical compiler 00:19:01 Unpredictability of anatomy of chimeric species: frogolotls 00:19:59 Hardware and software: analogy between nowadays biology and 40s-50s computer science 00:21:15 What is morphospace? 00:23:26 Examples of natural regeneration 00:25:15 Cells change molecular mechanisms to adapt shape to artifical constraints 00:27:05 Induced frog leg regenration takes different path than default limb development 00:28:08 Facial mispatterning in tadpoles still ends in normal frog faces 00:29:36 Feedback loops in pattern homeostasis and goal-directedness 00:31:34 BIOELECTRICITY 00:31:38 Usual example of bioelectricity explaining goal-directedness: the brain 00:32:49 Generalizing: non-brain tissues also encode goals through bioelectricity 00:34:36 Reading and writing electrical information in non-brain tissues 00:35:29 Reading #1: “electric face” before face development 00:36:45 Reading #2: electric signature before tumor development 00:37:12 Writing electrical information in non-brain tissues using neuroscience tools 00:38:12 Writing #1: inducing voltage patterns that develop organs and limbs 00:40:16 Writing #2: inducing limb regeneration 00:42:08 Writing #3: inducing anatomical memory that produces two-headed planaria when injured 00:47:01 Writing #4: inducing shape changes 00:48:36 Developing quantitative, predictive models 00:49:27 Writing #5: correcting brain defects using model predictions 00:51:14 Electroceutical drugs 00:52:09 TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH TO MIND EVERYWHERE 00:52:18 Different scales of biological systems have different goals 00:55:00 Potential application to reverse cancer 00:55:48 Diversity of intelligences 00:57:16 Multi-scale control and up-scaling goals across spaces 00:59:01 Behavior of skin cells clusters when isolated: xenobots 01:07:15 Overview of the Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere 01:08:00 The space of intelligent agents and its implications for ethics

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