The Origins of Life with Sara Imari Walker

About This Episode

What is life? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice tackle assembly theory, artificial life, and the origin of lifeforms in the universe as we revise the definition of life with astrobiologist and theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker.

Is life the biological systems we know, or could life exist in ways we have yet to discover? Starting with the familiar—carbon-based life forms— we explore the idea that life may be a universal physical process governed by laws of physics we have yet to uncover. Is life fundamentally tied to chemistry, or could it be explained by a new kind of physics? Learn about assembly theory and the line between chemistry and when something can be considered alive. 

Walker explains how the Miller-Urey experiment sparked a quest to understand life’s origins, but that experiment alone wasn’t enough to explain life’s complexity. From prebiotic chemistry to evolutionary steps, the discussion teases the thin line between randomness and selection. Could life be the result of a phase transition, like water turning into ice?

We discuss the search for extraterrestrial life and possible alternative biochemistries. Could life exist on other planets with different chemical structures? And what role does complexity play in this grand equation? As technology advances, can artificial intelligence be considered alive? Could it represent a new form of life, co-evolving alongside humans? Could the future hold life forms and technologies beyond our current imagination? What new laws of physics might emerge from our growing understanding of complexity, evolution, and information? One thing is certain: the journey to discover life, in all its forms, is just beginning.

Thanks to our Patrons Bill Williamson, Amanda, Charles Waggoner, Jason Wiatr, Don Lane, Biren Amin, Jean C Roy, david accetta, STAHLGEIST, joshua george, Danny, daniel oliveira, Matthew Szwajda, Gabe Magallanes, Mike Jespersen, Elias, and Jon O for supporting us this week.

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