Discussion: What is Life Given Current Technology (AI)?

About this event

Reddy and I (and sometimes Will) are hosting the following: We have finished out series on Success, now we will have a few conversations related to AI: But before that, the Zoom link will be posted shortly before the event. During the discussion, if you want to raise a point please raise your hand and you will have up to 3 minutes to speak. Once a speaker talks there will be a 5 minute period where anyone can follow up with a counter point, question, or continuing thought along the same line of thought (leave such comments to 1 minute). But do not begin a new train of thought unless you raise your hand. If you find yourself dominating the conversation please relax and give others a chance to join in. This Week: What is life given current technology? What happens when you mix Spud Cells and AI? Optional Reading (by Claude AI): What happens when you mix Spud Cells and AI? I believe you mean Carl Zimmer’s Oct. 14 piece, “They Created a Cell That’s Almost Alive. What to Do With It Now?” I couldn’t open the full text (paywall), so this is built from the excerpts I could reach. If you paste the article, I can go deeper. What a SpudCell is It’s a synthetic cell built from non-living parts by Kate Adamala’s lab at the University of Minnesota, first reported in July. It can grow, copy its DNA, divide in two and start its cycle again, yet it’s made from lifeless ingredients. Adamala says it’s made of 150 to 200 molecules and goes through about five generations. The name riffs on Sputnik and on its lumpy, potato-like look. kottke (https://kottke.org/26/10/0049851-but-this-cell-is-made-by-)CNN (https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/01/science/synthetic-cell-research) The pitch The scientists’ argument is that natural cells are complex and deeply mysterious, and fully understanding a synthetic one should make it easier to engineer than ordinary cells. Adamala and three other scientists founded a nonprofit called Biotic so researchers could study and engineer a self-sustaining cell to make medicines, foods, fuels and other products. Google NewsGoogle News (https://news.google.com/read/CBMie0FVX3lxTFBjVk1KRnNxRzJQbllScURjeHJBTlJ0cHJqZVlHZHI5R3UtQU51QUc2V2ZzRTF5UmNNYWNDRHNDNXVhcW54TFNiOWhYMkxNY19WaFJldHlIeVVSa1ZJeWZWNGZ5WUdLdUtYellHR2RSNE0ySE1XVUJpbkdSdw?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen) The catch: it’s not self-sufficient Scientists have to feed SpudCells ribosomes (the cell’s protein factories) harvested from other cells. Those factories wear out as the cell makes proteins. Skeptics in the piece argue it’s less than it seems: Dekker noted that of 36 genes the team gave it, only one was active in their experiments, and the journal Cell rejected the paper. They Created a Cell That’s Almost Alive. What to Do With It Now? - The New York Times +2 (https://news.google.com/read/CBMie0FVX3lxTFBjVk1KRnNxRzJQbllScURjeHJBTlJ0cHJqZVlHZHI5R3UtQU51QUc2V2ZzRTF5UmNNYWNDRHNDNXVhcW54TFNiOWhYMkxNY19WaFJldHlIeVVSa1ZJeWZWNGZ5WUdLdUtYellHR2RSNE0ySE1XVUJpbkdSdw?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen) Where AI and computing come in This is the part your question is probably about, and it shows up in two ways: • As a tool. The team is now simulating the millions of molecules inside a single SpudCell, hoping those virtual experiments yield an upgraded version any lab can make using an open protocol from Biotic. Other coverage describes Biotic’s aim as advancing the automation of cell design. Google News (https://news.google.com/read/CBMie0FVX3lxTFBjVk1KRnNxRzJQbllScURjeHJBTlJ0cHJqZVlHZHI5R3UtQU51QUc2V2ZzRTF5UmNNYWNDRHNDNXVhcW54TFNiOWhYMkxNY19WaFJldHlIeVVSa1ZJeWZWNGZ5WUdLdUtYellHR2RSNE0ySE1XVUJpbkdSdw?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen)biggo (https://finance.biggo.com/news/2237734d-3d56-4410-bd63-11b1e1219aab) • As a cautionary parallel. The scientists acknowledge SpudCell could be misused and that public trust could crater. Ethicist Laurie Zoloth pointed out that OpenAI, like Biotic, started as a nonprofit dedicated to safe AI for humanity’s benefit. The implication is that idealistic nonprofi