271 - Sara Imari Walker & Lee Cronin: Quantum Physics, Time, and the Origin of Life

Sara Imari Walker is Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, where she is Deputy Director of the Beyond Center. Sara is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist, with research interests in the origins of life, artificial life, life and detection on other worlds. Lee Cronin is Regius Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow. Among his many pursuits are the digitization of chemistry, the discovery of alien life, and the creation of artificial life. In this episode, Robinson, Sara, and Lee discuss the relationship between philosophy and science, quantum physics, time, determinism, AI, and the origin of Life. Life as No One Knows It: https://a.co/d/2fdKa2e Lee’s Website: https://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin/ Lee’s Twitter: https://x.com/leecronin OUTLINE 00:00 Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Philosophy 07:57 Philosophy and Science 20:58 Is Time an Object? 30:00 More on Time 44:38 On Time and Entropy 51:13 Is the Universe Deterministic? 01:08:54 What’s Wrong with Quantum Physics? 01:17:08 Contingency, Selection, and Evolution 01:29:05 Scientific Temperament 01:44:18 Do We Experience ChatGPT as Human? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.