In this episode, we break down Michael Levin’s scale-free framework for the biological self, a view arguing that cognition and goal-directedness show up at every level of living systems. Levin argues that bioelectric signaling lets cells coordinate into higher-order agents that pursue coherent anatomical goals, and reframes disease states like cancer as a collapse of collective problem-solving into a narrow, short-term local horizon. We unpack his “cognitive light cone” rubric for measuring agency by how far an agent can sense and act across space and time, and why it matters for regenerative medicine, synthetic biology, and a new definition of “self” as an informational boundary rather than a specific material.

The research paper referenced in this episode along with bonus content for visual learners can be found at  ...