Biology and Self Organization

"The arch of complexity and open-ended creation in the last four billion years is nothing compared to what lies ahead." - Kevin Kelly

Learn More:
Out of Control - Kevin Kelly
the New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic World

Are We Really All Made of Stars?
"We are a way for the universe to know itself. Some part of our being knows this is where we came from. We long to return. And we can, because the cosmos is also within us. We're made of star stuff," Carl Sagan

Edward O. Wilson
Natural selection explains eusociality without need for kin selection
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Join Jason Silva every week as he freestyles his way into the complex systems of society, technology and human existence and discusses the truth and beauty of science in a form of existential jazz. New episodes every Tuesday.

[ArbitraryxIntentions]

The universe through entropy, creates anti entropic processes, some of which we call life. Processes that evolve towards complexity. Technology, is another one of those processes.

[derrekdraper]

One of the best, in my opinion, from the Shots of Awe series. THANK YOU for sharing!

[intjatheist]

I think we have a very enlightened individual on our hands here. It seems to me that humans organize their societies around philosophical adventurers such as yourself. It is as if we are all compelled to orbit around concentrated sources of wisdom as the universe naturally strives towards self-awareness and self-transcendence. Perhaps it is all designed, or perhaps it is all happenstance; either way it is magical and I'm glad to be a part of it. Thanks for the content!

[lisaswaboda]

Makes sense. Love this stuff! I also love watching Jason's passion come through!

[dogmahacker]

Wow.. What an inspiring way to look at humanity and consciousness that i never thought of before. The universe itself is in fact conscious and we are that way of consciousness.  He never takes up your time to explain something so significant.

[jonassamuel]

I am studying for my *cell biology exam* right now, thanks for the motivation :).
Great video!

[WalterMaximusMitty]

The universe comes to know itself. Now that's deep.

[Meme]

Keep doing what you are doing man you keep blowing my mind

[DamienZshadow]

YES! This is what I keep trying to tell everyone I meet about! We get so caught up in our problems and fear of death because we have this illusion of ME vs EVERYTHING ELSE. As if we are individuals with free will that exist within this universe or just simply as a product of it.

We ARE the universe, or at least a small part of it. The fact that we can come to understand it is a genuinely amazing thing. The universe is speaking to itself through us and having us ask questions. Not necessarily in a conscious god sort of way, but what is any life but a single cog in bigger machines within bigger machines just like a cell is within an animal within an ecosystem within the biosphere within the planet within the solar system (ect.).

This was beautifully well put as the simple prospect of even imagining ourselves as "nothing more than the matter of the universe" somehow insults them because of their spiritual delusions of grandeur.

[mikebernard]

Part of the exciting and terrifying thing of being able to 'decide what we are to become' is that it involves trusting that as much as we are self-aware, the process is somehow ingrained with a sort of grand blueprint that would guide us. When I look at our ability to manage natural systems on the planet we seem to be doing a pretty crappy job. So if depleting the earth is part of the grand narrative then maybe that is the correct course that DNA intended for us, if everything, including maintaining the integrity of the biosphere that gave rise to us, is our responsibility then I think we are in trouble and have to revisit our 'I am a golden god' thing...

[NeWx]

Roshawn Terrell as I understand it, it isn't a type of anti-entropy. As complex things like us and life is a tiny fluctuation in the universe. I think Stephen Hawking talked about this in his books, that the more complex something is the more entropy it will create. His example being the complexity it took to create the neural connection (memories) of reading his book, but at the same time as the new complexity in the brain were created even more entropy would be released in the form of heat from your body, etc, to balance out the universe. So to really create some type of anti-entropy would probably be as hard as creating a perpetual motion machine. But who knows, maybe there is some way to do this in the distant future.

[over]

I know it's hard to come up with something new and inspiring every week, but dude, Jason. You really need to make these better. I used to be seriously inspired by Shots of Awe. But this was just an incredibly faint echo of a 40 year old Alan Watts talk. Yes, we are the Universe observing itself, and Biology exists... 

[RobLoach]

We are a way for the Cosmos to know itself. -- Carl Sagan

[tiberiusvetus]

This video reminded me of Incomplete Nature by Terrence Deacon

[bakintoast]

Such a short video made me think so drastically differently than before, haha, that was weird. 

[aparnaalavalapadu]

What is the background music? It is rather amazing!

[dominoking]

First off, I really like your videos! Wish you'd do more of them!
But in some of your newer videos you seem to reuse alot of quotes and ideas from your previous videos. And if there's a video once a week, atleast make it around 4-10 minutes, instead of 1:50...
Keep up the good work, looking forward to your future videos. ^_^

[SamuelAlder]

worth sharing... life yearns to self organise and become aware of all of itself, are you feeling it? 

[bubisdead]

the universe uses humanity to understand and look back on itself. Are we just a tool the universe created to understand itself?

[FluxeyHnS]

do you know the feeling when you watch a video like this, and everyone is like "Whoa this is incredible thinking" -and you have been thinking 'just this' the intire time for yourself? funny :)