Fragments to Agents: From Metabolism to Agency

After a long hiatus, our Fragments to Agents series is back for a new chapter. Following the recent Fragments to Agents to Humans event in our main Fire, Cells, and Circuits series, this feels like a good moment to return to the fragments side of the story for a deeper dive into the possible roots of agency in the natural world.

In this event, we will focus on what may be the core idea behind natural agency, the relationship between metabolism and agency. What is this connection, how could it arise in a purely natural way, and what constraints or thresholds might need to be crossed for intrinsic agency to extend beyond a basic metabolic cycle and out into the surrounding environment?

We will build on many threads covered across both series, while adding new details, perspectives, and points of emphasis. The aim is not to settle the question, but to clarify the landscape, sharpen distinctions, and explore what current research and theory suggest about the earliest forms of agency.

Newcomers are welcome. No prior background is required, just a willingness to listen, learn, and ask questions. Those familiar with the series or the topic more broadly can expect their existing views to be challenged, expanded, and connected to ongoing work in biology, philosophy, and complex systems.