June 2023 | Made in collaboration with Connor Cook at the Antikythera Design Studio
The emergence of computational systems has led to a better understanding of planetary-scale evolution. The Xenoplex seeks to explore the potential new major evolutionary transition from natural to machinic language. By simulating the origins of life from Hadean Earth and exoplanet biosignatures using chemical-computational arrays, the project aims to understand open-ended evolution across biotic life and astrobiology.
The Xenoplex examines universal principles of open-ended evolution by leveraging parallelized gradient descent algorithms and empirical testing of chemical environments. This allows for recursive transfer learning between chemical and computational knowledge, mediated by metrics such as complexity (measured through assembly index), autocatalysis (measured through copy number), and novelty (measured through diversity of chemical species). As the biosphere and technosphere become increasingly intertwined, an evolutionary theory that encompasses both biotic and abiotic systems is essential for understanding the evolution of life from its biochemical origins to the computational present.