http://2025.alife.org

Originally recorded on 3rd February 2025.

In this episode, Imy is joined by Alyssa Adams (again), as we discuss the upcoming ALIFE 2025 Conference in Kyoto, Japan!

We first discuss what scientific conferences are all about and why they're so useful in general, and take a brief look at the history of artificial life conferences. We then shift our focus to this year's conference and discuss the theme ("Ciphers of Life"), why ALIFE seems so tethered to Japan, as well as the ambitions of ALIFE 2025.

Alyssa also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of planning a major conference and teases some exciting developments, including the launch of the new ALIFE Institute in Kyoto. Whether you're a seasoned conference attendee or a curious newcomer, this episode will get you excited for ALIFE 2025!

00:00 Introduction to Academic Conferences

02:46 The Importance of Artificial Life Conferences

05:58 The Unique Nature of Artificial Life Research

08:48 Planning for ALIFE 2025

12:03 Themes and Inspirations for ALIFE 2025

14:51 The Significance of Japan in Artificial Life

18:10 The Launch of the Artificial Life Institute

20:21 Behind the Scenes of Conference Planning

23:34 What to Expect at ALIFE 2025

Note: There is a minor sound issue in the first 2 minutes (the intro) of this episode which will be rectified shortly.

On this episode of the What ALife! Podcast, I am joined by Manuel Balteiri, chief researcher at Araya Inc. (araya.org/en/). Manuel's current research focuses on theories of "agency". How do we define an agent in both physical and artificial systems? What are the boundaries of an agent and the environment? What are the prerequisites or properties that we could look for to identify the presence of an agentic system? These are the sorts of questions we dive into on this episode. Manuel also shares with us his interesting career journey, from his undergrad to his PhD and beyond, leading up to his current work looking at these sorts of questions.

00:00 Episode Intro

02:14 Manuel Intro & Career Trajectory

31:14 Defining an Agent

37:30 Understanding Agency and Boundaries

45:32 Preserving Boundaries and Adaptivity

53:29 The Importance of Goals in Agency

01:02:46 The Illusion of Agency

01:12:46 The Balance Between External and Intrinsic Properties of Agency

01:17:47 The Practical Applications of Agency

Links from this episode:

Contribute to the ALife Newsletter

⁠Subscribe to the ALife Newsletter⁠

⁠Emerging Researchers in ALife Discord⁠

Manuel: Website⁠ | Twitter | BlueSky

Follow Imy:

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/imy_tk

⁠Get in touch! ⁠podcast@imytk.co.uk⁠

Artwork credit: ⁠Gabriel J. Severino

On this episode of the What ALife! Podcast, I chat with Alyssa Adams, entrepreneur, and research fellow at Cross Labs (Japan). Alyssa and I dive into what life looks like transitioning out of PhD life and into postdoc life, the challenges and considerations that come with it, as well as how to navigate pursuing a life outside of academia beyond a PhD. Later in the episode, we recommend some useful community resources for anyone interested in learning more about ALife or who wants to find ways to get involved with the community, and we close by discussing our views and experiences with balancing science and religion.

00:00 Introduction and Background

09:35 Transitioning from PhD to Postdoc and Alternate Career Paths

30:54 Balancing Personal Life and Career

49:16 Resources for Getting Involved in ALife

01:02:24 Alyssa's Role as Development Chair on ISAL Board

01:03:19 The Intersection of Religion and Science

Links from this episode:

Open-endedness: The last grand challenge you’ve never heard of – O’Reilly (oreilly.com)

Alife Newsletter (Xmas Edition with lots of ALife resources)

Subscribe to the ALife Newsletter

Emerging Researchers in ALife Discord

Alyssa:

Website

ProPhound

Follow Imy:
Twitter: twitter.com/imy_tk
Get in touch! podcast@imytk.co.uk

Artwork credit: Gabriel J. Severino