#849: Dr. Michael Levin — Reprogramming Bioelectricity, Updating "Software" for Anti-Aging, Treating Cancer Without Drugs, Cognition of Cells, and Much More

Overview

This episode dives into the groundbreaking work of Dr. Michael Levin, a leading researcher in bioelectricity and cellular intelligence. The conversation explores how bioelectricity can be harnessed to reprogram cells, treat diseases like cancer, and even tackle aging. Dr. Levin also discusses the broader implications of cellular cognition, the potential for human regeneration, and the philosophical questions surrounding consciousness and intelligence.

Notable Quotes

- Cancer is a dissociative identity disorder on the part of the cells. – Dr. Michael Levin, on how cancer arises from cells losing their collective purpose.

- The genome is your factory settings, not your destiny. – Dr. Michael Levin, on the reprogrammability of biological systems.

- What does a goal-seeking system do when there are no new goals? Maybe aging is the boredom of the body. – Dr. Michael Levin, on the potential root cause of aging.

🧠 Bioelectricity and Cellular Intelligence

- Bioelectricity is the use of electrical signals by cells to communicate and organize, extending beyond the brain to all tissues.

- Dr. Levin distinguishes between neural bioelectricity (e.g., brain activity) and developmental bioelectricity, which predates the evolution of neurons and governs body formation.

- His lab has demonstrated that cells store memories in bioelectric patterns, which can be reprogrammed to alter physical outcomes, such as growing a second head on flatworms without altering DNA.

🧬 Reprogramming Biology: Applications for Humans

- Birth Defects: Restoring correct bioelectric patterns in animal models has repaired defects in the brain, heart, and other organs.

- Regeneration: Bioelectric signals can instruct cells to regenerate limbs or organs, bypassing the need for stem cells or scaffolds.

- Cancer: By re-establishing bioelectric communication, cells can be reminded of their collective purpose, preventing or reversing tumor formation.

- Aging: Aging may result from the degradation of bioelectric patterns over time. Reinforcing these patterns could slow or reverse aging.

🧩 The Boredom Theory of Aging

- Dr. Levin proposes that aging might stem from a lack of new goals for cellular systems.

- In experiments, flatworms regenerate indefinitely by challenging themselves through self-division every two weeks. This suggests that introducing new biological goals could extend longevity.

- He speculates that humans might need periodic tune-ups to reinforce their bioelectric patterns or even adopt new body configurations to maintain cellular engagement.

🤖 Cognition Beyond the Brain

- Dr. Levin argues that intelligence and cognition are not exclusive to brains but exist on a continuum across all living systems, including cells and tissues.

- His lab studies how groups of cells solve problems and make decisions, likening their behavior to collective intelligence.

- He challenges the binary view of intelligence, suggesting that cognition is a scalable property that predates life itself.

📚 Sci-Fi and the Future of Biology

- Dr. Levin credits science fiction, particularly the works of Stanislav Lem, for inspiring his thinking about intelligence and biology.

- He envisions a future where biology and computation merge, enabling humans to reprogram their bodies and even transcend traditional biological limits.

- His research raises profound questions about consciousness, suggesting that it may be the viewpoint of patterns projecting into physical space, akin to mathematical truths shaping the physical world.