#388 — What Is Life?
Making Sense with Sam Harris
Deep Dive
What was Erwin Schrödinger's contribution to the understanding of life?
Schrödinger's major contribution was to think about the nature of genetic heredity and propose the idea of an aperiodic crystal, which could encode a lot of information. This concept was influential in the discovery of DNA as the genetic material.
What is the current best definition of life, and what are its limitations?
The common definition in astrobiology is that life is a self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution. However, this definition has limitations, such as the question of whether individuals or groups (like bee colonies) are alive, and whether viruses or mules fit the criteria.
How does Sara Imari Walker view the concept of artificial life?
Walker sees the phrase 'artificial life' as a challenge to understand life well enough to instantiate it in machines. She argues that the distinction between biological and non-biological life is provincial and that a proper definition of life should be substrate-agnostic.
What role does information play in the boundary between life and non-life according to Walker?
Walker believes that information is a physical feature of reality and that the boundary between life and non-life is where information must take on a causal role. She argues that living systems require information storage and processing to exist.
What is assembly theory, and how does it relate to constructor theory?
Assembly theory focuses on the origin of life by proposing that complex objects require a history of construction and cannot spontaneously form. It is related to constructor theory, which focuses on what is possible or impossible in the universe based on constructors, but assembly theory specifically addresses the evolutionary process of constructing complex objects.
Why does Walker argue that single objects cannot exist in isolation in assembly theory?
Walker argues that single objects cannot exist in isolation because complex objects require a history of construction from existing parts. The theory posits that objects with high assembly indices need to be constructed over time using reliable processes, which necessitates multiple instances of parts.
How does Walker view the concept of a block universe in physics?
Walker sees the block universe as a philosophical interpretation of physics rather than a definitive description of reality. She believes that living inside reality, rather than viewing it from a God's-eye perspective, leads to a different understanding of how laws of physics and time operate.
How does Walker view the existence of abstract objects like numbers?
Walker views abstract objects like numbers as physical structures that are deeply tied to information. She believes that mathematical objects are part of a larger causal structure that we are embedded in, and their existence is tied to the history of their construction.
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