Recorded 21 November 2024. Govind Menon of Brown University presents "Does life compute?" at IPAM's Modeling Multi-Scale Collective Intelligences Workshop. Abstract: The use of alpha-fold to resolve the three-dimensional structure of protein given information on the underlying amino acid sequence leaves unanswered the question of whether one can "understand" protein folding in more conventional terms. I will discuss some models that shed light on the process of biomolecular assembly, revealing some unexpected mathematical structure. Learn more online at: https://www.ipam.ucla.edu/programs/workshops/workshop-iv-modeling-multi-scale-collective-intelligences/?tab=overview