294 | Addy Pross on Dynamics, Stability, and Life

Sean Carroll and chemist Addy Pross examine how living systems maintain persistence despite constant internal activity. Pross introduces dynamic kinetic stability: a way for chemical systems to sustain themselves through continuing processes supported by an energy source. The discussion develops this chemical perspective on the transition from nonliving matter to life and considers its implications for understanding biological organization and, more speculatively, consciousness.