Lex Fridman Podcast
#380 – Neil Gershenfeld: Self-Replicating Robots and the Future of Fabrication
28 May 2023
Neil Gershenfeld is the director of the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - LMNT: https://drinkLMNT.com/lex to get free sample pack - NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/lex to get free product tour - BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/lex to get 10% off EPISODE LINKS: Neil's Website: http://ng.cba.mit.edu/ MIT Center for Bits and Atoms: https://cba.mit.edu/ Fab Foundation: https://fabfoundation.org/ Fab Lab community: https://fablabs.io/ Fab Academy: https://fabacademy.org/ Fab City: https://fab.city/ PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (05:37) - What Turing got wrong (11:02) - MIT Center for Bits and Atoms (24:08) - Digital logic (30:44) - Self-assembling robots (41:12) - Digital fabrication (52:07) - Self-reproducing machine (59:53) - Trash and fabrication (1:04:49) - Lab-made bioweapons (1:09:04) - Genome (1:20:56) - Quantum computing (1:25:28) - Microfluidic bubble computation (1:30:49) - Maxwell's demon (1:39:35) - Consciousness (1:46:35) - Cellular automata (1:51:07) - Universe is a computer (1:55:53) - Advice for young people (2:05:10) - Meaning of life
Full Episode
The following is a conversation with Neil Gershenfeld, the director of MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms, an amazing laboratory that is breaking down boundaries between the digital and physical worlds, fabricating objects and machines at all scales of reality, including robots and automata that can build copies of themselves and self-assemble into complex structures.
His work inspires millions across the world as part of the maker movement to build cool stuff, to create the very act that makes life so beautiful and fun. And now a quick few second mention of each sponsor. Check them out in the description. It's the best way to support this podcast.
We got Element for zero sugar hydration, NetSuite for business management software, and BetterHelp for mental health. Choose wisely, my friends. Also, if you want to work with our amazing team, we're always hiring. Go to lexfriedman.com slash hiring. And now, on to the full ad reads. As always, no ads in the middle.
I try to make this interesting, but if you must skip them, please still check out our sponsors. I enjoy their stuff. Maybe you will too. This episode is brought to you by Element, spelled L-M-N-T. It's an electrolyte drink mix that I'm currently drinking, that I drink throughout the day. I drink a huge amount of it. My favorite flavor is the watermelon salt flavor.
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I bring it when I travel. I bring it anywhere I go. I have to have Element as part of my life. It makes me happy. It makes me feel like I got my stuff together. Anyway, get a sample pack for free with any purchase. Try it at drinkelement.com. This show is also brought to you by NetSuite, an all-in-one cloud business management system.
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