Sarah Walker

Right, so this is the classic idea.

And that's what we're trying to figure out is what are the causal constraints that close the loop. So there is this idea that's been in the literature for a really long time that was originally proposed by Stuart Kaufman as really critical to the origin life called autocatalytic set. So autocatalytic set is exactly this property. We have A makes B, B makes C, C makes A, and you get a closed system.

And that's what we're trying to figure out is what are the causal constraints that close the loop. So there is this idea that's been in the literature for a really long time that was originally proposed by Stuart Kaufman as really critical to the origin life called autocatalytic set. So autocatalytic set is exactly this property. We have A makes B, B makes C, C makes A, and you get a closed system.

And that's what we're trying to figure out is what are the causal constraints that close the loop. So there is this idea that's been in the literature for a really long time that was originally proposed by Stuart Kaufman as really critical to the origin life called autocatalytic set. So autocatalytic set is exactly this property. We have A makes B, B makes C, C makes A, and you get a closed system.

But the problem with the theory of autocatalytic sets is an incredibly... brittle as a theory and it requires a lot of ad hoc assumptions. Like you have to assume function. You have to say this thing makes B. It's not an emergent property, the association between A and B. And so the way I think about it is much more general. If you think about

But the problem with the theory of autocatalytic sets is an incredibly... brittle as a theory and it requires a lot of ad hoc assumptions. Like you have to assume function. You have to say this thing makes B. It's not an emergent property, the association between A and B. And so the way I think about it is much more general. If you think about

But the problem with the theory of autocatalytic sets is an incredibly... brittle as a theory and it requires a lot of ad hoc assumptions. Like you have to assume function. You have to say this thing makes B. It's not an emergent property, the association between A and B. And so the way I think about it is much more general. If you think about

um these histories that make objects it's kind of like the structure of the histories becomes um collapses in such a way that these things are all in the same sort of causal structure and that causal structure actually loops back on itself to be able to generate some of the things that make the higher level structures. Lee has a beautiful example of this actually in molybdenum.

um these histories that make objects it's kind of like the structure of the histories becomes um collapses in such a way that these things are all in the same sort of causal structure and that causal structure actually loops back on itself to be able to generate some of the things that make the higher level structures. Lee has a beautiful example of this actually in molybdenum.

um these histories that make objects it's kind of like the structure of the histories becomes um collapses in such a way that these things are all in the same sort of causal structure and that causal structure actually loops back on itself to be able to generate some of the things that make the higher level structures. Lee has a beautiful example of this actually in molybdenum.

It's like the first non-organic autocatalytic set. It's a self-reproducing molybdenum ring, but it's like molybdenum. And basically, if you look at the molybdenum, it makes a huge molybdenum ring. I don't remember exactly how big it is. It might be like 150 molybdenum atoms or something. But

It's like the first non-organic autocatalytic set. It's a self-reproducing molybdenum ring, but it's like molybdenum. And basically, if you look at the molybdenum, it makes a huge molybdenum ring. I don't remember exactly how big it is. It might be like 150 molybdenum atoms or something. But

It's like the first non-organic autocatalytic set. It's a self-reproducing molybdenum ring, but it's like molybdenum. And basically, if you look at the molybdenum, it makes a huge molybdenum ring. I don't remember exactly how big it is. It might be like 150 molybdenum atoms or something. But

But if you think about the configuration space of that object, you know, it's exponentially large, how many possible molecules. So, like, why does the entire system collapse on just making that one structure? If you start from, like, you know, molybdenum atoms that are maybe just, like, a couple of them stuck together. And so what they see in this system is there's a few intermediate stages.

But if you think about the configuration space of that object, you know, it's exponentially large, how many possible molecules. So, like, why does the entire system collapse on just making that one structure? If you start from, like, you know, molybdenum atoms that are maybe just, like, a couple of them stuck together. And so what they see in this system is there's a few intermediate stages.

But if you think about the configuration space of that object, you know, it's exponentially large, how many possible molecules. So, like, why does the entire system collapse on just making that one structure? If you start from, like, you know, molybdenum atoms that are maybe just, like, a couple of them stuck together. And so what they see in this system is there's a few intermediate stages.

So there's, like, some random events where the chemistry comes together and makes these structures large. And then once you get to this very large one, it becomes a template for the smaller ones, and then the whole system just reinforces its own production.

So there's, like, some random events where the chemistry comes together and makes these structures large. And then once you get to this very large one, it becomes a template for the smaller ones, and then the whole system just reinforces its own production.

So there's, like, some random events where the chemistry comes together and makes these structures large. And then once you get to this very large one, it becomes a template for the smaller ones, and then the whole system just reinforces its own production.

It's a... No, but I think it goes to the deepest roots of like when he started thinking about origins of life. So I like, I mean, I don't know all his history, but like what he's told me is he started out in crystallography. And, you know, there are some things that he would just, you know, like people would just take for granted about chemical structures that he was like deeply perplexed about.