271 - Sara Imari Walker & Lee Cronin: Quantum Physics, Time, and the Origin of Life

Sara Imari Walker is Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, where she is Deputy Director of the Beyond Center. Sara is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist, with research interests in the origins of life, artificial life, life and detection on other worlds. 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, Sara, and Lee discuss the relationship between philosophy and science, quantum physics, time, determinism, AI, and the origin of Life.

Life as No One Knows It: https://a.co/d/2fdKa2e

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

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

OUTLINE

00:00 Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Philosophy

07:57 Philosophy and Science

20:58 Is Time an Object?

30:00 More on Time

44:38 On Time and Entropy

51:13 Is the Universe Deterministic?

01:08:54 What’s Wrong with Quantum Physics?

01:17:08 Contingency, Selection, and Evolution

01:29:05 Scientific Temperament

01:44:18 Do We Experience ChatGPT as Human?

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.