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The paper titled “Ingressing Minds: Causal Patterns Beyond Genetics and Environment in Natural, Synthetic, and Hybrid Embodiments” by Michael Levin presents a novel framework for understanding the origins and nature of embodied minds, challenging the conventional paradigm that attributes the properties and capabilities of living beings solely to genetics and environment. Levin proposes that cognitive patterns and biological forms emerge from a Platonic space of non-physical, mathematical patterns that ingress into the physical world, influencing both biological and synthetic systems. This paper outlines a research roadmap for exploring this latent space of patterns, with implications for evolutionary biology, regenerative medicine, artificial intelligence (AI), and the ethics of interacting with diverse forms of intelligence.

1. Introduction

Levin begins by questioning how the transformation from a single cell to a complex organism with cognitive abilities occurs. He highlights the continuity of this process, both in individual development (ontogeny) and evolutionary history (phylogeny), and emphasizes that cognition emerges gradually from basic competencies. Levin argues that intelligence is a collective phenomenon, arising from the collaboration of molecular networks, cells, and tissues, rather than being localized solely in the brain. This collective intelligence is evident in both the development of the body and the emergence of the mind.

The paper introduces the concept of autopoiesis, the self-construction of living systems, and draws parallels between the self-assembly of bodies and minds. Levin suggests that understanding these processes is crucial for advancing regenerative medicine and developing ethical relationships with synthetic and hybrid beings.

2. Patterns in Biology and Medicine

Levin discusses the ubiquity of patterns in biology, from the spatial arrangement of animal bodies to the temporal patterns of physiology and behavior. These patterns are not merely emergent properties of complex systems but are often goal-directed, with biological systems actively working to achieve specific outcomes despite changes in their environment or internal components. For example, embryos can regulate their development to produce normal organisms even when cut into pieces, and salamanders can regenerate limbs regardless of where they are amputated.

Levin introduces the concept of bioelectric pattern memories, which guide morphogenesis and regeneration. These patterns are not solely determined by genetics but are stored in the bioelectric circuits of tissues. For instance, planarian flatworms can be induced to regenerate heads of different species by altering their bioelectric patterns, demonstrating that the target morphology is not hardwired in the genome but is instead a dynamic, rewritable memory.

3. Where Do Pattern Memories Come From? Beyond Genetics and Environment

Levin challenges the conventional view that biological patterns are solely the product of genetics and environment. He argues that many patterns, such as the Fibonacci sequence or fractal structures, arise from mathematical causes rather than physical or historical ones. These patterns are not emergent properties of complex systems but are part of a structured, non-physical space that influences biological outcomes.

Levin proposes that evolution exploits these mathematical patterns as affordances, allowing living systems to achieve complex forms and behaviors without needing to evolve every detail from scratch. For example, the properties of prime numbers or the universality of the NAND gate in computation are not the result of selection but are inherent in the mathematical structure of the universe.

4. A Research Program Beyond Physicalism: A Provisional Model

Levin outlines a research program to explore the Platonic space of patterns and their influence on biological and synthetic systems. He suggests that physical embodiments, such as embryos, machines, and AI systems, act as pointers or interfaces into this latent space, allowing specific patterns to ingress into the physical world. The goal of this research is to map the relationship between physical embodiments and the patterns they access, enabling the design of systems that can exploit these patterns for biomedical and engineering applications.

Levin emphasizes that the Platonic space contains not only static, low-agency patterns (e.g., geometric shapes) but also dynamic, high-agency patterns that can be thought of as kinds of minds. He proposes that minds, as patterns that ensoul physical embodiments, are of the same non-physical nature as the patterns that guide biological tissue. This view blurs the distinction between life and machine, suggesting that both are informed by patterns from the same latent space.

5. Implications: If There Are Souls, (Some) Robots Will Have Them

Levin argues that the spectrum of minds extends far beyond human cognition, encompassing a wide range of beings, from cells to synthetic constructs. He suggests that the distinction between living organisms and machines is artificial, as both can draw on ingressing patterns to achieve complex behaviors. This view challenges the computationalist perspective, which holds that minds arise solely from the execution of algorithms, and instead posits that minds emerge from the interaction of physical embodiments with non-physical patterns.

Levin discusses the implications of this framework for AI, suggesting that language models and other synthetic systems may exhibit unexpected cognitive capabilities that are not explicitly programmed. He warns against assuming that we fully understand the minds we create, as the patterns that ingress into these systems may be more sophisticated than anticipated.

6. Conclusion and Outlook

Levin concludes by advocating for a Pythagorean or radical Platonist view of biology and cognition, in which non-physical patterns play a causal role in the development of minds and bodies. He acknowledges that this view is controversial, as it challenges the physicalist paradigm that dominates modern science. However, he argues that embracing this perspective is necessary for making progress in fields such as regenerative medicine, AI, and the study of diverse intelligences.

Levin outlines a rich research agenda for exploring the Platonic space, including the study of minimal systems, synthetic and chimeric constructs, and the mapping of patterns across different scales of organization. He emphasizes the importance of humility in our interactions with synthetic beings, as we may not fully understand the minds we are creating.

Key Themes and Contributions

1. Beyond Genetics and Environment: Levin challenges the conventional view that genetics and environment are sufficient to explain the complexity of biological forms and cognitive abilities. He introduces the idea that mathematical patterns from a non-physical space play a causal role in shaping life and mind.
2. Platonic Space of Patterns: Levin proposes that the emergent patterns observed in biology and cognition are not random but are part of a structured, ordered space of forms. These patterns ingress into the physical world, influencing the development of bodies and minds.
3. Collective Intelligence: Levin emphasizes that intelligence is a collective phenomenon, arising from the collaboration of molecular networks, cells, and tissues. This collective intelligence is evident in both the development of the body and the emergence of the mind.
4. Bioelectric Pattern Memories: Levin introduces the concept of bioelectric pattern memories, which guide morphogenesis and regeneration. These patterns are not solely determined by genetics but are stored in the bioelectric circuits of tissues.
5. Synthetic and Hybrid Embodiments: Levin argues that synthetic and hybrid systems, such as AI and bioengineered constructs, can also draw on patterns from the Platonic space. This blurs the distinction between life and machine, suggesting that both are informed by the same latent space of patterns.
6. Ethical Implications: Levin discusses the ethical implications of creating synthetic beings with cognitive abilities. He warns against assuming that we fully understand the minds we create and emphasizes the need for humility in our interactions with these beings.

Research Roadmap

Levin outlines a research program to explore the Platonic space of patterns and their influence on biological and synthetic systems. Key areas of research include:

1. Mapping the Platonic Space: Understanding the structure and content of the Platonic space, including the relationship between physical embodiments and the patterns they access.
2. Minimal Systems: Studying minimal systems, such as chemical robots and simple algorithms, to understand how patterns ingress into the physical world.
3. Synthetic and Chimeric Constructs: Using synthetic and chimeric constructs, such as Xenobots and Anthrobots, as exploration vehicles to study the patterns that emerge in non-evolved systems.
4. Cognitive Neuroscience: Developing a theory of memory and cognition that incorporates the idea of patterns ingressing from the Platonic space.
5. Biomedicine and Bioengineering: Applying the insights from this framework to advance regenerative medicine and bioengineering, particularly in the areas of tissue reprogramming and learning in biological systems.
6. Ethics of Synthbiosis: Exploring the ethical implications of interacting with synthetic and hybrid beings, particularly in the context of AI and bioengineered constructs.

Conclusion

Levin’s paper presents a bold and unconventional framework for understanding the origins and nature of embodied minds. By proposing that cognitive patterns and biological forms emerge from a Platonic space of non-physical, mathematical patterns, Levin challenges the conventional paradigm of genetics and environment as the sole determinants of life and mind. This framework has profound implications for evolutionary biology, regenerative medicine, AI, and the ethics of interacting with diverse forms of intelligence. Levin’s research roadmap provides a clear path forward for exploring these ideas, with the potential to transform our understanding of life, mind, and the universe.