Theories of Consciousness
No.1 Biopsychist: Michael Levin's Platonic Minds & Cognition All The Way Down
1h 25m 19K
Michael Levin
Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor of Biology
Michael Levin runs the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts, where his group studies how non-neural cells communicate, remember, and problem-solve. His work on bioelectric pattern formation has rewritten what 'cognition' can apply to — and introduced the world to xenobots, self-assembled living machines made from frog cells.
Their work
Key papers by Michael
A scalable pipeline for designing reconfigurable organisms
PNAS · 2020
The xenobot paper — living machines from scratch.
Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere (TAME): an experimentally-grounded framework for understanding diverse bodies and minds
Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience · 2022
Levin's own framework for cognition-everywhere.
Bioelectric signaling: Reprogrammable circuits underlying embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer
Cell · 2021
The review that explains why patterns, not just genes, build bodies.
On the show
Michael on Giant’s Shoulder
AI & Machine MindsMeet The Scientist Redefining Intelligence With Michael Levin
1h 44m 23K
Bioelectricity & Basal CognitionMeet The Philosopher Investigating The Platonic Space of Minds with Michael Levin
1h 20m 10K
Bioelectricity & Basal CognitionMeet the Neuroscientist Who Gave A Brain to Michael Levins Xenobots
1h 10m 12K
Bioelectricity & Basal CognitionMichael Levin & Earl Miller: Platonic Space of Minds, Bioelectricity, Cell Intelligence & Neurobots
1h 39m 56K
Bioelectricity & Basal CognitionChris Fields: Whats Wrong With Quantum Mechanics, Cellular Intelligence and Consciousness
1h 22m 6.3K
Evolution & GeneticsBiology Is Cognition The Whole Way Down! Best of Giant's Shoulder 2025
1h 19m 3.5K
Bioelectricity & Basal CognitionMichael Levin: Bioelectricity, Morphogenesis, Platonic Spaces & Xenobots
1h 6m 27K
Mentioned in
Episodes that talk about Michael
Where their ideas came up in other Giants' conversations.
AI & Machine MindsMeet the Neuroscientist Proving Scientists Got Conscious Ai WRONG
1h 50m 4.9K
Theories of ConsciousnessJoscha Bach: “The Nature Of Reality is Even Weirder Than We Previously Thought”
1h 58m 20K
Dreams & HypnosisMeet the Scientist Proving Dreams Hold the Key to Consciousness! Dr Mark Solms
1h 43m 6.1K
Theories of ConsciousnessPhilip Ball: Why Quantum Mechanics is NOT What you think, Consciousness, Brain Organoids, AI & Life!
2h 16m 5.8K
Psychedelic ScienceMind-Body Expert: The New Science of Emotion, Nervous System Mastery & Psychedelics!
1h 41m 1.2K
Theories of ConsciousnessMeet the Scientist Showing Every Cell In Your Body is Conscious!
1h 38m 4.6K
Theories of ConsciousnessDenis Noble: Evolution Has Purpose, Cell Consciousness & Why The Last 70 Years of Genetics Is Wrong
1h 30m 8.4K
Bioelectricity & Basal CognitionMeet The Greatest Bioelectricity Scientist You've Never Heard Of
1h 15m 27K
Psychedelic ScienceMeet the AI Researcher Proving Machines Will NEVER Be Conscious!
1h 46m 2.8K
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