Episode
#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
2:15:37
Published: Mon Nov 30 2020
Description
Manolis Kellis is a computational biologist at MIT. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Grammarly: https://grammarly.com/lex to get 20% off premium - Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/lex and use code LEX to get 1 month of fish oil - Cash App: https://cash.app/ and use code LexPodcast to get $10 EPISODE LINKS: Manolis Website: http://web.mit.edu/manoli/ Manolis Twitter: https://twitter.com/manoliskellis Manolis YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkKlJ5LHrE3C7fgbnPA5DGA PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LexFridmanPage - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (06:48) - Music and life (46:21) - The number 42 (52:22) - The question about the meaning of life (55:02) - Are humans unique in the universe? (1:00:46) - Human civilization (1:12:52) - Mars (1:14:45) - Human mind and the abstraction layers of reality (1:25:38) - Neural networks and intelligence (1:32:55) - Ideas as organisms (1:42:19) - Language (1:53:34) - Legacy (2:08:25) - Poems SONGS MENTIONED: [1] Dwros Gewrgiadis - An imoun plousios https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7akZoEQv6jI [2] Grigoris Bithikotsis - Ftoxologia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyGR24O0KQ8 [3] Sto perigiali to kryfo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-GBPx_GXQw [4] Michael Jackson - Man in the Mirror https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zqe5NP86OCc [5] George Michael - Careless Whisper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ [6] Gainsbourg with Isabelle Adjani - Pull Marine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7MwHGHWgLk [7] Georges Moustaki - Le meteque https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV8fGf-N06A [8] Jacques Brel - Ne me quitte pas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_bq5mStroM [9] Sting - Englishman In New York https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d27gTrPPAyk [10] Sting - Fragile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB6a-iD6ZOY [11] Pink Floyd - The Wall (When the Tigers Broke Free) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9b9UhFe6Eg [12] Pink Floyd - The Wall (One Of My Turns) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOay-7aqLks [13] Sting - Russians https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHylQRVN2Qs [14] Joni Mitchell - Both sides now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCnf46boC3I [15] Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOnXe8ttmjY [16] Alison Krauss & Union Station - The Lucky One https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcRZ_J_VgNc
Chapters
In this episode, Manolis and Dimitris discuss the unanswerable question of the meaning of life through various lenses, including biology, psychology, metaphysics, and music, with a special focus on the way music can provide meaning and purpose to our lives.
00:00 - 03:47 (03:47)
Summary
In this episode, Manolis and Dimitris discuss the unanswerable question of the meaning of life through various lenses, including biology, psychology, metaphysics, and music, with a special focus on the way music can provide meaning and purpose to our lives.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The podcast discusses the impact of passionate and powerful songs in English, such as those by Madonna and Michael Jackson, which can be lacking in non-English music industries.
03:47 - 15:19 (11:32)
Summary
The podcast discusses the impact of passionate and powerful songs in English, such as those by Madonna and Michael Jackson, which can be lacking in non-English music industries.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker reflects on the importance of physical movement and gestures in teaching, citing French expressions to illustrate how the body can communicate meaning alongside language.
15:19 - 21:26 (06:06)
Summary
The speaker reflects on the importance of physical movement and gestures in teaching, citing French expressions to illustrate how the body can communicate meaning alongside language.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In the movie adaptation of Pink Floyd's "The Wall", there is an unreleased song called "When the Tigers Broke Free" that was not included in the album.
21:26 - 28:29 (07:02)
Summary
In the movie adaptation of Pink Floyd's "The Wall", there is an unreleased song called "When the Tigers Broke Free" that was not included in the album. The song explores the theme of loss and the discovery of a father's death by a child through a letter written by King George.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The podcast touches upon the feeling of being trapped in one's mind, the commonality of emotions across borders and a scene from a movie involving a guitar and a prostitute.
28:29 - 32:28 (03:59)
Summary
The podcast touches upon the feeling of being trapped in one's mind, the commonality of emotions across borders and a scene from a movie involving a guitar and a prostitute.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The discussion explores the deeper meanings behind classic songs such as Jacques Brel's "No M'Kita Pa" and Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man," as well as the complexities of love and life in Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides, Now."
32:28 - 37:13 (04:45)
Summary
The discussion explores the deeper meanings behind classic songs such as Jacques Brel's "No M'Kita Pa" and Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man," as well as the complexities of love and life in Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides, Now."
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The song "The Lucky One" by Alison Krauss and Union Station may sound happy, but upon closer inspection, it reveals the irony of luck and how it can be perceived differently by different people.
37:13 - 44:33 (07:19)
Summary
The song "The Lucky One" by Alison Krauss and Union Station may sound happy, but upon closer inspection, it reveals the irony of luck and how it can be perceived differently by different people.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker spent time researching why 42 is considered a cool number and found out that it was the answer given by a supercomputer as the only number left under 100 for which the equation of X to the cube plus Y to the cube plus Z to the cube is N and was not known to not have a solution.
44:33 - 49:20 (04:46)
Summary
The speaker spent time researching why 42 is considered a cool number and found out that it was the answer given by a supercomputer as the only number left under 100 for which the equation of X to the cube plus Y to the cube plus Z to the cube is N and was not known to not have a solution. The number 42 has since been made famous by the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Exploring why humans search for meaning and how the concept of "42" from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy may hold some relevance.
49:20 - 54:55 (05:35)
Summary
Exploring why humans search for meaning and how the concept of "42" from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy may hold some relevance.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The development of the neocortex, the latest addition to the brain, brought about an explosion in intelligence, social structures and coordinating larger groups, ultimately leading to self-awareness, empathy and the concept of the self.
54:55 - 1:02:11 (07:15)
Summary
The development of the neocortex, the latest addition to the brain, brought about an explosion in intelligence, social structures and coordinating larger groups, ultimately leading to self-awareness, empathy and the concept of the self.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Advances in technology have led to an explosion of knowledge, allowing for civilization to evolve and decrease violence, death, poverty, and war.
1:02:11 - 1:11:16 (09:05)
Summary
Advances in technology have led to an explosion of knowledge, allowing for civilization to evolve and decrease violence, death, poverty, and war.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
A discussion about the possibility of human exploration and colonization of other planets and how science and technology continue to advance rapidly.
1:11:16 - 1:16:25 (05:09)
Summary
A discussion about the possibility of human exploration and colonization of other planets and how science and technology continue to advance rapidly.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker delves into the layers of human perception, starting from the cognitive layer and going down to the atomic and quantum layer, arguing that all of these layers are united cognitively to form our reasoning layer.
1:16:25 - 1:22:11 (05:45)
Summary
The speaker delves into the layers of human perception, starting from the cognitive layer and going down to the atomic and quantum layer, arguing that all of these layers are united cognitively to form our reasoning layer.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The cognitive and software evolution have given us the realization that we are living in a matrix and the ability to convert layers of reality into ideas.
1:22:11 - 1:30:21 (08:09)
Summary
The cognitive and software evolution have given us the realization that we are living in a matrix and the ability to convert layers of reality into ideas.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The evolution of memes and ideas alongside cognitive conversational systems brings socially and genetically related cognitive systems together.
1:30:21 - 1:41:25 (11:03)
Summary
The evolution of memes and ideas alongside cognitive conversational systems brings socially and genetically related cognitive systems together. MIT's selection process for fellowships not only looks for innovative ideas but also for the cognitive hardware that produced them, creating a system where ideas shape the distribution of cognitive systems and genetics plays a role too.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The use of language as a medium of communication has limitations which create different perspectives from individuals with common goals and interests.
1:41:25 - 1:47:52 (06:26)
Summary
The use of language as a medium of communication has limitations which create different perspectives from individuals with common goals and interests. This is due to the complexities of projecting three-dimensional ideas into a one-dimensional language system.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker highlights the significance of being present in the moment, enhancing local experiences, demonstrating kindness, and how communication can permeate through cognitive systems to create a better network of ideas and knowledge.
1:47:52 - 1:57:03 (09:11)
Summary
The speaker highlights the significance of being present in the moment, enhancing local experiences, demonstrating kindness, and how communication can permeate through cognitive systems to create a better network of ideas and knowledge.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Eric Lander, the founding director of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, talks about how sharing knowledge can inspire and impact countless generations of people in the present and the future.
1:57:03 - 2:08:19 (11:15)
Summary
Eric Lander, the founding director of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, talks about how sharing knowledge can inspire and impact countless generations of people in the present and the future.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In this episode, the hosts share their experiences with writing poetry on demand and the challenges that come with it.
2:08:19 - 2:11:46 (03:27)
Summary
In this episode, the hosts share their experiences with writing poetry on demand and the challenges that come with it.
Episode#142 – Manolis Kellis: Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The podcast episode includes ads for Aesthetic Greens, a nutritional drink, and Cash App, a money sending app.
2:11:46 - 2:15:19 (03:32)
Summary
The podcast episode includes ads for Aesthetic Greens, a nutritional drink, and Cash App, a money sending app.