I am a Philosopher of Biology and Cognitive Science. My research interests range from the evolution of cognition, the relationship between heritable behaviour and learning, Evo-Devo, the behaviour of acellular slime mould, major transitions in individuality, and human-AI interaction.
I am currently a postdoctoral researcher on the project ‘Cognition All the Way Up’ at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, and an affiliate at the History and Philosophy of Science Department at the University of Cambridge. I was previously a Research Associate at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, where I contributed to the project ‘Major Transitions in Cognitive Evolution’. Whereas much of my previous research focused on learning and memory in non-neuronal organisms, in addition to the role of various ecological factors in influencing cognitive evolution in vertebrates (particularly monitor lizards), my current research has four strands: The first focuses on understanding the evolutionary relationship between biological memory found at various levels of biological organisation (e.g., somatic cell memory, immunological memory, organismal memory, and colony-level memory) and when such memory should be investigated as a cognitive capacity (as opposed to merely a physiological regulatory process). The second strand focuses on developing various bio-inspired conceptual models of human-AI interaction, and how such analogical models might inform AI development, the way we use AI, policy, and governance.
The third strand falls at the intersection of practical philosophy and the Philosophy of Biology and the Philosophy of Cognitive Science; namely, how can understanding fundamental aspects of organismal behaviour help frame questions about moral standing and, relatedly, can a biocentric ethics provide an effective way to ground AI alignment. Last, but certainly not least, my research focuses on developing a way of operationalising the notion of biological agency in a way that can be used to approach dynamic phenomena occurring at at different levels of biological organisation and at ontogenetic and phylogenetic timescales.
In the past I have look deeply at the biology of the unicellular protist, Physarum polycephalum, an acellular slime mould, cultivating it (in my study) and using it a model organism to approach some difficult puzzles in the philosophy of biology. My 2025 book ‘Slime Mould and Philosophy’ on Cambridge University Press was precisely focused on this topic: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009488648
When I am not researching, I spend my time with my partner, Ben, hiking, hill walking, and exploring tide pools across the beautiful coastal shores of Scotland.
Matthew Sims 