Lee Cronin is Regius Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow. Among his many pursuits are the digitization of chemistry, the discovery of alien life, and the creation of artificial life. In this episode, Robinson and Lee focus on astrobiology, the chemistry of life as we know it, and the controversies surrounding artificial intelligence.

Lee’s Website: https://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin/

Lee’s Twitter: https://x.com/leecronin

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

00:55 Lee’s Interests in the Origin of Life

10:29 Is Life Unique to Earth?

18:16 What Is the Self?

24:05 Is the Selfish Gene Hypothesis Wrong?

30:46 How Does Sand Turn into Cells?

44:02 What Is Chemputation?

45:41 What Is Assembly Theory?

01:11:33 Why Won’t We Find a Mine of Coffee Mugs on an Asteroid?

01:25:09 Has AI Become a Cult?

01:32:16 Will AI Use Biological Weapons to Wipe Out Humanity?

01:55:24 Why AI Can’t Be Agents

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.