MICHAEL LEVIN Tufts University DIVERSE INTELLIGENCE IN UNCONVENTIONAL SUBSTRATES LIFE AND BEYOND

https://youtu.be/Ca-WZ6lEQRg?si=JVdWdZ8Zd7n4xPDs

This video by Michael Levin, part of the “Embodied Intelligence Conference,” explores the emerging field of diverse intelligence, moving beyond traditional brain-centric views to encompass unconventional substrates of life. He highlights the deep symmetry between body and mind formation, emphasizing self-assembly and the autopoiesis of minds (1:10–1:23).

Here’s a breakdown of the key areas discussed:

• Unconventional Biology as Inspiration (1:30–4:11): Levin uses examples like tadpoles with eyes on their tails that can still see (4:13–5:17) to illustrate the material of life’s problem-solving competency, where it can achieve the same goals through different means without new rounds of evolution.

• Information and Interpretation in Biological Architecture (8:20–11:50): He discusses how biology optimizes for the active salience of information, not just fidelity. The metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly, where memories are remapped onto a completely different architecture, demonstrates this (8:43–10:27). This remapping allows generalized lessons to survive, but not specifics, highlighting the creative and dynamic reconstruction of memories.

• Collective Intelligence of Cells (16:41–18:18): Levin introduces the idea that cells in the body exhibit collective intelligence, behaving in anatomical space. He explains that individuals start as a single cell and transition through gradual embryonic development into complex organisms, emphasizing that there’s no sharp transition where cognition “kicks in,” but rather a scaling of cognition from simple cellular functions.

• Bioelectric Interface for Communication (23:06–28:10): The talk highlights the ancient mechanism of electrical signaling (cognitive glue) that binds individual cells into a larger collective, similar to how brains function. This bioelectric network, present in every cell, controls cell behaviors to move the body through anatomical space.

• Hacking the Bioelectric Interface (28:11–30:43): Levin demonstrates how manipulating this interface, for instance by providing prompts that tell cells to build specific organs like an eye on a gut, allows communication of novel information and goals to this collective intelligence. Cells can even self-scale to the problem, recruiting neighbors to complete a project.

• Rewriting Memories and Latent Morphospace (30:44–33:57): The video shows how they can rewrite specific memories in flatworms (planaria), enabling them to regenerate with different head shapes without genetic modification. This reveals an enormous plasticity in how the system navigates anatomical space.

• Origins of Set Points and Novel Beings (34:53–35:41): Levin questions where the anatomical “set points” for natural creatures come from, acknowledging evolution’s role. He then introduces the concept of “novel beings” that humanity will soon encounter due to technological and biological advancements.

• Anthrobots and Xenobots (38:00–40:31): He introduces “anthrobots,” which are self-motile biobots made from human lung epithelial cells that can heal damaged neurons (39:22–39:59). Similarly, “xenobots,” made from frog embryonic epithelial cells, exhibit interesting collective behaviors and can even “hear” by detecting sound stimuli, changing their motion in response (40:04–44:00).

• Future Implications and Humility (45:53–49:05): Levin concludes by discussing the ethical symbiosis needed with beings not on the tree of life, possessing different cognition and embodiment. He emphasizes the need for humility when comparing life and machines, as even simple algorithms can have unexpected behavioral competencies.