# The electrical blueprints that orchestrate life

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED2020
- Speaker: Michael Levin
- Year: 2020
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Biology, Engineering
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_levin_the_electrical_blueprints_that_orchestrate_life)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

DNA isn't the only builder in the biological world -- there's also a mysterious bioelectric layer directing cells to work together to grow organs, systems and bodies, says biologist Michael Levin. Sharing unforgettable and groundbreaking footage of two-headed worms, he introduces us to xenobots -- the world's first living robots, created in his lab by cracking the electrical code of cells -- and discusses what this discovery may mean for the future of medicine, the environment and even life itself. (This conversation, hosted by TED's Chris Anderson, was recorded June 2020.)

## Lectures

1. [The electrical blueprints that orchestrate life](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/michael_levin_the_electrical_blueprints_that_orchestrate_life/424601469b82), 20 min (TED's player)