Sara Walker: How the Origin of Life Could Guide Our Search for Aliens [Ep. 456]

What is the connection between the origin of life on Earth and the
search for extraterrestrial life? Could a revolutionary new theory
guide us in our search for aliens? And is consciousness an
inevitable outcome of life’s complexity, or is it something more
mysterious? I had the pleasure of discussing these fascinating
issues with the incredible astrobiologist and theoretical physicist
Sara Walker. Sara has greatly contributed to our understanding of
how life emerges from non-living matter and how information
processing in biological systems differs from that in non-living
systems. Her work often explores the intersections of physics,
biology, and information theory, seeking to uncover the fundamental
principles that govern the transition from chemistry to
biology.  In this episode, we dive deep into the mysteries of
life, assembly theory, consciousness, and life beyond Earth. 
Tune in! — Key Takeaways:  00:00:00 Intro  00:01:40 The
origin of life and our search for aliens  00:05:31 Judging a
book by its cover 00:10:04 Assembly theory and consciousness
00:15:33 What’s the testable hypothesis?  00:21:25 Is life a
miracle?  00:30:47 Criticisms of assembly theory 
00:43:35 Intelligent design 00:46:35 The concept of time in
physics  00:51:08 The future of assembly theory  00:58:30
Predicting life on other planets using assembly theory 
01:04:05 What if life didn’t originate on Earth?  01:07:19
Issues with assembly theory and Johannes Jäger 01:21:19 The day
after aliens 01:26:44 Outro  — Additional resources:  ️
Connect with Sara Walker:  ️ Twitter:
https://x.com/Sara_Imari/  Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/alien_matter/ — ️ Follow me on your fav
platforms: ️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating 
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 
Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list  ️ Check
out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/  ️
Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast  — Into
the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all
those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.
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