Science & Technology Q&A for Kids (and others) [September 30, 2022]

Stephen Wolfram answers general questions from his viewers about science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa Questions include: Why are there herbivores and carnivores? Isn't it evolutionarily best for everything to be omnivorous? - Short digestive systems are better for meat, as they offer some protection from infection, but are less efficient for extracting nutrients from plant matter. Fire allowed us to enjoy both worlds. - Aren't we "specialists" in terms of our ability to think? - What is holding back robotics? Why don't we have humanoid robots yet? - Neural nets and learning algorithms can find approximate solutions to many problems in robotics, I guess. - Dr. Wolfram, do you have any thoughts on Michael Levin's work with biological systems using bioelectricity for self-organization and communication? - Any thoughts on computer-designed organisms? - Could we build robots out of random proteins? - K. Eric Drexler and the Foresight Institute researched and designed molecular machines on the assumption one that day a universal assembler will be created. - What if every microorganism is also a macroorganism? What is a macroorganism?

Om Podcasten

Stephen Wolfram is the creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha and the Wolfram Language; the author of A New Kind of Science; and the founder and CEO of Wolfram Research. Over the course of nearly four decades, he has been a pioneer in the development and application of computational thinking—and has been responsible for many discoveries, inventions and innovations in science, technology and business. On his podcast, Stephen discusses topics ranging from the history of science to the future of civilization and ethics of AI.