The beauty of collective intelligence, explained by a developmental biologist | Michael Levin

The strange science experiment that blew a worm’s head off… and blew our minds. This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. Subscribe to The Well on YouTube ► https://youtube.com/@The-Well?sub_confirmation=1 Watch Michael Levin's next interview ► https://youtu.be/XHMyKOpiYjk Michael Levin, a developmental biologist at Tufts University, challenges conventional notions of intelligence, arguing that it is inherently collective rather than individual. Levin explains that we are collections of cells, with each cell possessing competencies developed from their evolution from unicellular organisms. This forms a multi-scale competency architecture, where each level, from cells to tissues to organs, is solving problems within their unique spaces. Levin emphasizes that properly recognizing intelligence, which spans different scales of existence, is vital for understanding life's complexities. And this perspective suggests a radical shift in understanding ourselves and the world around us, acknowledging the cognitive abilities present at every level of our existence. Read the video transcript ► https://ift.tt/1NLQBhX ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Michael Levin: Michael Levin is a developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University, where he is the Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor and serves as director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts and the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. Prior to college, Michael Levin worked as a software engineer and independent contractor in the field of scientific computing. He attended Tufts University, interested in artificial intelligence and unconventional computation. To explore the algorithms by which the biological world implemented complex adaptive behavior, he got dual B.S. degrees, in CS and in Biology and then received a PhD from Harvard University. He led an independent laboratory from 2000 to 2007 at Forsyth Institute, Harvard. Now, his lab at Tufts studies anatomical and behavioral decision-making at multiple scales of biological, artificial, and hybrid systems. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read more from The Well: The case for “dusking”: In a world of light and noise, embracing the dark can be healing ► https://ift.tt/MP6K837 Respect alchemy. The crazy, criminal pursuit gave us modern science ► https://ift.tt/wDTXRig Is atheism destroying the moral fabric of society? ► https://ift.tt/NGack6v ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think Our mission is to make you smarter, faster. Watch interviews with the world’s biggest thinkers on science, philosophy, business, and more. ► Big Think+ Looking to ignite a learning culture at your company? Prepare your workforce for the future with educational courses from the world’s biggest thinkers. Trusted by Ford, Marriot, Bank of America, and many more. Learn how Big Think+ can empower your people today: https://ift.tt/PXBZzNL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Want more Big Think? ► Daily editorial features: https://ift.tt/LDN37io ► Get the best of Big Think right to your inbox: https://ift.tt/RCHpuf0 ► Facebook: https://ift.tt/3Si2AKv ► Instagram: https://ift.tt/0LUHKEz ► Twitter: https://ift.tt/hLWYmG1