Michael Levin and Joscha Bach: The Shape of Collective Thought

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Previously titled “Michael Levin Λ Joscha Bach on The Global Mind, Collective Intelligence, Agency, and Morphogenesis” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 3, 2026

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Recorded09 Nov 2022

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YouTube link: https://youtu.be/kgMFnfB5E_A This theolocution has been released early in an ad-free audio version for TOE members at http://theoriesofeverything.org. Sponsors: - Drink Trade: https://www.drinktrade.com/everything for 30% off -Uncommon Goods: uncommongoods.com/everything for 15% off your first gift! - Roman: https://ro.co/curt for 20% off first order - Masterworks: https://www.masterworks.art/toe (promocode: theoriesofeverything) Average net returns/Net IRR reflects annualized return on investment, net of all fees and expenses. Past performance is not indicative of future results. *New* TOE Website (early access to episodes): https://theoriesofeverything.org/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal Crypto: https://tinyurl.com/cryptoTOE PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/paypalTOE Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802 Pandora: https://pdora.co/33b9lfP Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything LINKS MENTIONED: - Michael Levin (Solo TOE podcast): https://youtu.be/Z0TNfysTazc - Michael Levin Theolocution With Chris Fields & Karl Friston: https://youtu.be/J6eJ44Jq_pw - Joscha Bach Theolocution With John Vervaeke: https://youtu.be/rK7ux_JhHM4 - Joscha Bach Theolocution With Donald Hoffman: https://youtu.be/bhSlYfVtgww - Joscha Bach (Solo TOE podcast): https://youtu.be/3MNBxfrmfmI This episode has been released early in an ad-free audio version for TOE members at http://theoriesofeverything.org/ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:55 Bach and Levin speak about each other's work 00:03:34 The cell functions as a neuron 00:07:15 Software as a control pattern 00:10:55 Disciplinary boundaries in academia 00:14:38 The perceptron is a "toy model" of the brain 00:18:44 How do you identify yourself as a researcher? 00:20:10 The benefits of podcasts vs. academia 00:30:04 Beliefs of Bach's and Levin's that have drastically changed 00:38:54 Memory moves outside the brain structure 00:45:06 Engrams and memory storage 00:47:30 The implications of transferring memory between species 00:55:25 Weissman's barrier 00:59:25 The notion of "competence" (Bach's and Levin's largest insight) 01:12:10 Virtualization for unreliable hardware 01:16:02 Defining "competence" 01:22:35 Bach's issues with goals (for and against teleology) 01:27:34 Planarian goals and explicitly encoded instructions 01:34:55 Navigation in "Morphic Space" 01:36:11 One species' birth defect can be another's benefit 01:37:42 The "Intelligence Trap" and bias 01:39:05 Application of each others' work to their own 01:52:25 Necessities of general intelligence in cells Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.