372 | Erik Winfree on DNA Computers and Robots

In this episode

When we think of computers, we think of machines running on some kind of silicon chips. But the idea is more general: at heart, a computer is any object that takes in input, processes information, and produces output. Taking inspiration from biology, it is interesting to imagine building computers out of DNA -- a molecule that can store and process information, and is even programmable. Erik Winfree is one of the leading scientists who are using DNA to build tiny computers and even robots that can perform a number of tasks, with important implications for future biology and medicine. Blog post with transcript: https://preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2026/10/26/372-erik-winfree-on-dna-robots…