The electrical blueprints that orchestrate life - TED2020
( March 31, 2021; TED2020 )
DNA isn't the only builder in the biological world -- there's also a mysterious bioelectric layer directing cells to work together to grow organs, systems and bodies, says biologist Michael Levin. Sharing unforgettable and groundbreaking footage of two-headed worms, he introduces us to xenobots -- the world's first living robots, created in his lab by cracking the electrical code of cells -- and discusses what this discovery may mean for the future of medicine, the environment and even life itself. (This conversation, hosted by TED's Chris Anderson, was recorded June 2020.)
The accompanying video includes images of the first-ever organism whose evolution took place in a computer, not in a biosphere. Levin notes that this research has biomedical implications in areas like, "birth defects, degenerative disease, aging, traumatic injury, even cancer".
View the interview with Tufts University's Michael Levin from TED2020: The electrical blueprints that orchestrate life
Well, here's a new series of rabbit holes to explore. I've never heard of most of what's going on in this research. I found the Principle of least action that I found in my brief research about the lab interesting.
Agreed. Most of it was new to me, too. There are a bunch of interesting-looking presentations and interviews on the lab's web site, in the Presentations section. I think the titles, Is DNA Hardware or Software? and The Biology Revolution: A Computational Perspective look especially interesting. Also, I'm listening to this: 'Science for the Public' interview ("Harnessing the Bioelectric Potential of Cells for Regeneration", 2012) now.
Not sure if/when I'll find time to review the others.
Science will increase greatly, say the Holy Scriptures, it is extraordinary to think about this. We are mind, soul and spirit ... but we are also a cellular world. it is quite interesting.
Thanks for the reply! I agree. It is a fascinating talk and topic.