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Robinson's Podcast

Robinson Erhardt

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.

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#293
Saturday · 1 hr 3 min
293 - Justin Wolfers: AI, Inflation, & The 2026 Elections
Platypus Economics on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PlatypusEconomics Justin Wolfers is Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the University of Michigan, where his research spans macroeconomics, labor economics, political economy, and behavioral economics. He is also affiliated with the Brookings Institution, Peterson Institute for International Economics, and National Bureau of Economic Research, and in 2026 launched Platypus Economics, a new media platform devoted to making economics accessible to a broad audience. In this episode, Robinson and Justin discuss the intersection of economics, technology, and American politics. More particularly, they talk about Elon Musk and the influence of extreme wealth on elections, how artificial intelligence could transform the labor market, whether current economic data accurately reflects Americans’ experiences, and political bias in economics. They also discuss inflation, Justin’s criticisms of the Trump administration’s economic policies, proposed $5,000 checks, and how economic considerations shape political choices. Platypus Economics: https://platypuseconomics.com Justin’s University of Michigan Profile: https://fordschool.umich.edu/faculty/justin-wolfers Justin’s X: https://x.com/JustinWolfers Justin’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/justinwolfers.bsky.social Platypus Economics Newsletter: https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com 00:00 Introduction 00:25 Elon Musk Can Buy ANY Election He Wants 07:21 AI Could DESTROY Jobs If We Don’t Do This 14:28 Is Current Econ Data Misleading? 19:36 Political Bias in Economics 28:35 Corruption in the Trump Admin 36:33 Understanding Inflation and Cheap Candy 44:58 Is Trump Personally Responsible for Inflation? 51:40 Trump’s 5k Checks Are IDIOTIC LIES 56:50 How to Vote If Trump Were on Ballot Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#292
Wednesday · 1 hr 24 min
292 - Jason Stanley: Breaking Down Trump’s Propaganda
Jason Stanley is the Bissell-Heyd-Associates Chair in American Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, where he is also Professor of Philosophy. Before moving to Toronto in 2025, he was the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University. Jason’s work focuses on propaganda, authoritarianism, democracy, free speech, and political language. In this episode, Robinson and Jason discuss Jason’s account of how political propaganda has changed during the Trump era. More particularly, they talk about soft and hard propaganda, social media and political bots, Trump’s political communication, Jason’s decision to leave Twitter and later the United States, and the effects of online attacks. They also discuss artificial intelligence and democracy, the political influence of tech billionaires, Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, and Jason’s transition toward the philosophy of propaganda. Jason’s most recent book is Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future (Atria/One Signal, 2024). Jason’s Website: https://jasonstanley.org How Propaganda Works: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Jason+Stanley+How+Propaganda+Works Erasing History: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Jason+Stanley+Erasing+History OUTLINE 00:00 How Propaganda Has Changed with Donald Trump 10:42 Soft and Hard Propaganda 13:56 Defining Propaganda 25:01 Is Trump Trying to Broaden Popular Support? 30:12 Trump Is Ruining Democracy 33:15 Social Media is Political Theater for BOTS 45:39 Why Jason Left Twitter 49:54 Attacks Against Jason on Twitter 53:20 The Terrible Cost of Leaving the US 01:04:56 How AI Threatens Democracy 01:08:26 Tech Billionaires Want to Wipe Out Humanity 01:12:02 Elon Musk's Secret Plans 01:14:30 Does Peter Thiel Want All Humans Dead? 01:17:37 Jason's Transition to Philosophy of Propaganda Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#291
September 20 · 1 hr
291 - Daron Acemoglu: AI Is Destroying American Democracy
Daron Acemoglu is an Institute Professor of Economics at MIT and a recipient of the 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, which he shared with Simon Johnson and James Robinson for research on how institutions shape prosperity. He is also the bestselling co-author of Why Nations Fail, The Narrow Corridor, and Power and Progress. In this episode, Robinson and Daron discuss the future of liberal democracy in an age of artificial intelligence. More particularly, they talk about how AI could undermine democratic institutions, whether tech billionaires have accumulated too much power, and why Daron believes current approaches to AI could produce an increasingly unequal, two-tier American society. They also discuss the importance of the 2026 elections, Zohran Mamdani, disagreements between the center and far left, and Daron’s proposal for a renewed “working-class liberalism.” Daron’s latest book is What Happened to Liberal Democracy?: Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity (Dutton, 2026). Daron’s Website: https://www.daronacemoglu.com What Happened to Liberal Democracy?: https://a.co/d/0f0qGMxt OUTLINE 00:00 What Is Liberal Democracy? 09:30 How Does AI Undermine Democracy? 18:30 Are the Tech Billionaires Out of Control? 24:50 AI Is an Existential Threat 27:18 How AI Will Turn the USA into a Two-Tier Dystopia 35:17 Other Views on AI 38:19 Why the 2026 Elections Are So Important for the Left 42:30 What Makes Mamdani a Great Politician? 45:58 The Far Left vs the Center Left: Who Should Win? 52:00 Working Class Liberalism
#290
September 13 · 1 hr 17 min
290 - Nicholas Humphrey: Why Does Beauty Exist?
Why Is the World So Beautiful?: https://a.co/d/0d3LsupA Nicholas Humphrey is a theoretical psychologist and Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the London School of Economics, where his work has focused on the evolution of intelligence and consciousness. Among his many contributions, he was the first to demonstrate “blindsight” in monkeys, studied mountain gorillas with Dian Fossey, and developed influential theories about the social evolution of intelligence. In this episode, Robinson and Nicholas discuss the evolutionary origins of beauty and why human beings are so drawn to it. More particularly, they talk about rhyme, pattern-recognition, the adaptive value of aesthetic experience, the relationship between beauty and social life, and the methodology of evolutionary psychology. They also discuss whether beauty implies agency or creation, difficult cases for an evolutionary theory of aesthetics, spirituality and transcendence, and why some art is deliberately ugly. Nicholas’s upcoming book is Why Is the World So Beautiful? Our Minds in Search of Nature’s Rhymes (MIT Press, 2026). Nicholas’s Website: https://humphrey.org.uk OUTLINE 00:00 Why Is the World So Beautiful? 08:48 What Is Rhyme? 18:47 The Utility of Beauty 24:09 Beauty and Pattern-Recognition 34:26 Beauty and Society 41:21 The Methodology of Evolutionary Psychology 49:20 Creation and Agency 56:24 Problem Cases 01:02:26 Spirituality and Transcendence 01:07:34 Ugly Art
#289
September 6 · 1 hr 1 min
289 - Joe Henrich: How Culture Made Humans Weird
Joe Henrich is the Ruth Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology and Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. His research focuses on cultural evolution, human psychology, sociality, prestige, cooperation, and the emergence of complex societies. In this episode, Robinson and Joe discuss how culture transformed human evolution and enabled our species to build increasingly large and complex societies. More particularly, they talk about the tools of paleoanthropology, hunter-gatherer societies, the rise of massive cities, and why Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic—or WEIRD—people are psychologically unusual. They also discuss dominance hierarchies, attractiveness and prestige, the evolution of morality, and the importance of punishment in human societies. Joe’s most recent popular book is The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020). Joe’s Website: https://henrich.fas.harvard.edu The WEIRDest People in the World: https://amzn.to/3F3wUY7 OUTLINE 00:00 Tools of Paleoanthropology 07:31 Two Hunter-Gatherer Societies 13:12 How Culture Enabled Massive Cities 19:08 The WEIRDEST People in the World 25:59 Dominance Hierarchies 35:40 Attractiveness and Prestige 46:01 The Evolution of Morality 52:33 Punishment Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#288
August 30 · 1 hr 14 min
288 - Richard Wrangham: How Humans Caught Fire
Richard Wrangham is the Ruth Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology, Emeritus, at Harvard University. A primatologist and biological anthropologist, he has studied wild chimpanzees in Uganda since 1987 and is known for his work on human evolution, the origins of violence, and the role of cooking in shaping our species. In this episode, Robinson and Richard discuss how humans diverged from our primate ancestors and the evolutionary importance of learning to control fire. More particularly, they talk about Richard’s cooking hypothesis, how cooking may have transformed the human brain and body, the relationship between fire and culture, and what chimpanzee behavior can teach us about the origins of human violence. Richard’s books include Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence, and The Goodness Paradox: The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution.Richard’s Harvard Profile: https://heb.fas.harvard.edu/people/richard-w-wranghamCatching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human: https://a.co/d/0iaxEBhyOUTLINE00:00 Puzzles Posed by Human Beings09:32 The Cooking Hypothesis17:54 Cooking and the Brain22:12 Diverging From Our Ancestors28:27 Playing with Fire35:19 How Cooking Shaped Culture51:29 What Does Chimpanzee Warfare Look Like?01:04:50 Chimpanzee vs Human ViolenceRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#287
August 23 · 1 hr 12 min
287: Daniel Lieberman: Evolution and the Human Diet
Daniel Lieberman is the Edwin M. Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences and Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, where he studies the evolution of the human body and its relevance to health. In this episode, Robinson and Dan discuss the evolution of the human diet. More particularly, they talk about our last common ancestors with chimpanzees, how changes in the gut shaped human evolution, what Homo sapiens actually ate during the Paleolithic, and the transformative role of cooking. They also discuss whether there is such a thing as a natural human diet, why junk food is so appealing, and what an evolutionary perspective can teach us about weight loss and eating well. Dan’s latest book is Fed Up: What Evolution Reveals About Food, Diet, Health, and Eating Well (Knopf, 2026). Fed Up: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593537998 OUTLINE 00:00 Dan’s Interest in Human Evolution 04:43 Why Our Heads Don’t Topple Over When We Run 07:41 Human Evolution and “Fed Up” 10:40 Understanding the Evolution of the Human Diet 19:12 Our Last Common Ancestors with Chimpanzees 30:05 Evolutionary Changes in the Gut 38:51 Homo Sapiens and the Paleolithic Diet 48:18 The Transformative Power of Cooking 54:30 The Most Important Diets 59:19 Why Are Junk Foods So Appealing? 01:03:19 Weight Loss Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#286
August 16 · 1 hr 2 min
286: Adam Mockler: Trump, Newsom, and the Dark Future of American Politics
Adam Mockler is a liberal political commentator, YouTube host, and digital media creator who has become one of the most prominent Gen Z voices in American political media. He hosts The Adam Mockler Show and has built an audience of more than two million subscribers on YouTube, where he produces daily political commentary and reporting. In this episode, Robinson and Adam discuss the changing relationship between politics, media, and the internet. More particularly, they talk about Adam’s liberal values, why independent media can outperform legacy media, the battle for attention online, how clipping has become a new form of political canvassing, and what Democrats need to do to win elections in 2026. They also discuss Charlie Kirk, political conspiracy theories and death threats, what Nick Fuentes is doing effectively as a communicator, Gavin Newsom’s media strategy, and whether Generation Alpha speaks a fundamentally different political language. Adam’s Website: https://www.adammockler.com Adam’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adammockler/ Adam’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@adammockler Adam’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adammockler Adam’s X: https://x.com/adammocklerr OUTLINE 00:45 Adam’s Expertise 10:53 Adam’s Liberal Values 14:30 Why Independent Media Beats Legacy Media 18:26 Clipping Is the New Canvassing 20:39 The Battle for the Attention Economy 26:06 How to Win Elections in 2026 31:16 What Constraints Are There on Independent Media? 38:44 On Charlie Kirk, Conspiracies, and Death Threats 41:46 What Is Nick Fuentes Doing Right? 47:18 Gavin Newsom’s Media Strategy, Explained 52:46 Does Gen Alpha Speak a New Political Language? Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#285
August 9 · 1 hr 59 min
285 - Richard Wolff & Michael Hudson: The Destruction of Modern Nations
Richard Wolff is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a visiting professor at The New School, where he works on economics in the Marxist tradition. This is Richard’s twelfth appearance on Robinson’s Podcast. Michael Hudson is Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and President of the Institute for the Study of Long-Term Economic Trends. He researches domestic and international finance, the history of economics, and the role of debt in shaping class stratification, among many other topics. This is Michael’s eighth appearance on the show. In this episode, Robinson, Richard, and Michael discuss colonialism and the death of modern nations. More particularly, they discuss the evolution of capitalism toward socialism, whether colonialism has officially ended, Russia, China, Israel, Iran, Trump, Putin, and the United States. Richard’s latest book is Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024). Michael’s most recent book is Temples of Enterprise (ISLET, 2024). Understanding Capitalism (Book): https://www.democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalism Richard’s Website: https://www.rdwolff.com Economic Update: https://www.democracyatwork.info/economicupdate Michael’s Website: https://michael-hudson.com Temples of Enterprise: https://a.co/d/a3c53dm OUTLINE 00:00 Is Capitalism Evolving into Socialism? 07:20 Is Today the Post-Colonial Period? 18:10 How Colonialism Divided the World 28:54 China and the Revenge of Feudalism 41:06 Productive vs Unproductive Labor 49:24 Overcoming the “Discipline” of Academia 01:01:17 The Danger of Education 01:13:19 Will the United States Break Up? 01:21:22 Why the EU and NATO Will Break Up 01:29:15 Why Michael Believes the US Will Remain United 01:38:37 Trump’s Army and the Militarized Police 01:46:49 Is the US Turning into a Police State? 01:48:49 The Choice Before a Declining Empire Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#284
August 1 · 2 hr 2 min
284 - Steve Keen: The Economics of Global Warfare
Steve Keen is an economist and was most recently Head of the School of Economics, History and Politics at Kingston University in London. He has done research on a wide variety of topics, including Marxist economics, debt, complexity theory, and systems dynamics. In this episode, Steve and Robinson discuss his economic framework in relation to wars around the globe. More particularly, the discuss the importance of oil in the Iran War, the cold war with China, the war in Ukraine, and more. OUTLINE 00:00 The Crucial Importance of Oil in the Iran War 08:54 Systems Dynamics and Economics 14:22 How Much Inflation Will the Iran War Cause? 18:17 Will the Iran War Cause Famine? 28:56 Conspiracy and the Iran War 30:48 Tariffs and Trade Deficits 46:03 Will Trump’s Tariffs Bring Manufacturing Back to the United States 52:49 Steve’s Motivation 59:25 The Crucial Flaw in Marxism 01:12:43 Understanding the War in Ukraine’s Impact on Europe 01:16:38 On Putin’s Motivations in Ukraine 01:26:32 Understanding Trump through Narcissistic Personality Disorder 01:32:52 Trump and the Takeover of Venezuela 01:38:11 Economists Misunderstand Everything About China 01:53:01 Why Will China Survive Global Warming? 01:57:18 AI and the Future Economics of the World Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#283
July 19 · 1 hr 5 min
283 - Timothy Snyder: Donald Trump and the End of America
Timothy Snyder holds the inaugural Temerty Chair in Modern European History at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. Snyder’s work has appeared in forty languages and has received a number of prizes, including the Emerson Prize in the Humanities. Snyder was a Marshall Scholar at Oxford, has received the Carnegie and Guggenheim fellowships, and holds state orders from Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland. He is researching a family history of nationalism and finishing a philosophical book about freedom. In this episode, Robinson and Timothy discuss the future of the United States. More particularly, they delve into AI, rebellion, conspiracy theory, our relationship with Russia and Ukraine, Donald Trump, and more. Timothy’s most recent book is On Freedom (Crown, 2024). Timothy’s Website: https://timothysnyder.org On Freedom: https://timothysnyder.org/books/ OUTLINE 00:00 Will the United States Cease to Exist? 13:47 Is Trump Breaking the United States Apart? 21:09 Will AI Prevent Armed Rebellion Against the Government? 30:20 Trump, Conspiracy Theories, and the Politics of Small Numbers 39:46 Putin Does Not Think Ukraine Is Real 45:57 What Are Trump’s Soft Spots? 50:26 How Tim Organizes His Thought 57:59 Donald Trump and the Superloser Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#282
July 12 · 2 hr 3 min
282 - Richard Wolff: China, Russia, Iran, and World War III
Richard Wolff is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a visiting professor at The New School, where he works on economics in the Marxist tradition. This is Richard’s eleventh appearance on Robinson’s Podcast. In this episode, Richard and Robinson discuss the ongoing war in Iran, as well as the war in Russia and Ukraine, our cold war with China, and the future possibilities of World War III. Richard’s latest book is Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024). Understanding Capitalism (Book): https://www.democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalism Richard’s Website: https://www.rdwolff.com Economic Update: https://www.democracyatwork.info/economicupdate OUTLINE 00:00 China, Iran, and the Implosion of the West 13:00 The Irreconcilable Gulf Between Russia and the West 16:01 Europe’s Hard World War II Lesson 21:20 Europe’s Final Collapse Is Coming 28:42 How China Is Methodically Conquering the World 35:44 Russia’s Siberian Advantage 39:15 Marx, War, and Economic Decline 52:39 Why Iran Will Always Control the Strait of Hormuz 01:02:02 How the United States Already Failed in Iran 01:06:37 What the United States Can Learn from the Collapse of the British Empire 01:12:19 Why the War in Iran Will Not Lead to Nuclear War 01:14:44 John Mearsheimer’s Escalation Ladder and the Threat of Nuclear War in Russia 01:29:53 What Would World War Look Like in the 21st Century? 01:36:17 Donald Trump, The Isolator 01:41:40 The Sad Legacy of the League of Nations 01:51:04 Is World War III Inevitable?
#281
July 6 · 1 hr 49 min
281 - Michael Hudson: How Debt Destroys Empires
Michael Hudson is Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and President of the Institute for the Study of Long-Term Economic Trends. He researches domestic and international finance, the history of economics, and the role of debt in shaping class stratification, among many other topics. This is Michael’s Seventh appearance on the show. On past episodes, including with Richard Wolff, he and Robinson have neoliberalism, industrial capitalism, the rentier economy, Marxism, and the role of economics in political history. In this episode, Michael and Robinson talk about debt and the destruction of empires. Michael’s most recent book is Temples of Enterprise (ISLET, 2024). Michael’s Website: https://michael-hudson.com Temples of Enterprise: https://a.co/d/a3c53dm OUTLINE 00:00 Keeping Governments Under Control 07:01 Understanding the Church 17:27 Why Debts Grow Too Fast to Be Paid 22:57 Understanding the BRICS 26:50 How Can Countries Get Rich? 32:47 Where Is the United States’ Debt Dragging Us? 46:26 Why Michael Hudson Is Not a Mainstream Economist 48:59 The Historical Approach to Economics 01:06:01 Controlling Governments Through Tax Policy 01:23:55 How Michael Researches 01:33:31 The Myth of Economic Rent 01:38:47 The United States’ Hereditary Oligarchy 01:41:04 Why the United States Can’t Go Bankrupt 01:44:42 Closing Thoughts Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#280
June 29 · 2 hr 32 min
280 - David Albert & Jacob Barandes: Debating the Foundation of Quantum Mechanics
David Albert is the Frederick E. Woodbridge Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University, director of the Philosophical Foundations of Physics program at Columbia, and a faculty member of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. Jacob Barandes is Senior Preceptor in Physics at Harvard University, where he works widely across the philosophy of physics, with focuses on the foundations of quantum mechanics, the philosophy of spacetime, and the metaphysics of laws. In this episode, Robinson, Jacob, and David discuss Jacob’s novel Indivisibility Approach to quantum mechanics. After beginning with an introduction from David, the conversation touches on the measurement problem, completeness, scientific realism, the purpose of physics, and more. If you’re interested in the foundations of physics, then please check out the JBI, which is devoted to providing a home for research and education in this important area. Any donations are immensely helpful at this early stage in the institute’s life. Jacob’s Website: https://www.jacobbarandes.com A Guess at the Riddle: https://a.co/d/6qcsidl The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org OUTLINE 00:00 The Problem with the Wave Function 05:30 The Indivisibility Approach 17:28 What Is Indivisibility? 25:13 The Measurement Problem 32:18 The Incompleteness of Jacob’s Theory 42:20 Completing the Theory 47:12 Realism in Quantum Mechanics 01:03:13 The Fundamental Task of Physics 01:10:57 The Structure of the Indivisibility Theory 01;22:26 Summarizing and Calculating 01:40:01 The Game of Fundamental Physics 01:46:31 Can Bohmian Mechanics Work? 01:56:26 A Version Including David’s Theory 02:04:49 What Is the Wave Function? 02:15:33 Where We’ve Ended Up Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#279
June 14 · 1 hr 20 min
279 - Paul Davies: The Second Quantum Mechanics Revolution
Paul Davies is a theoretical physicist and Regents’ Professor at Arizona State University. Paul works on quantum mechanics, astrophysics, and cosmology, with emphasis on the origin and early stages of the universe, the quantum properties of black holes and the nature of time. He is interested in the nature and origin of life – including extraterrestrial life – beyond Earth, and in complex systems. In this episode of Robinson’s Podcast, Paul and Robinson discuss the second revolution in quantum mechanics. Among other things, they dig into the origin of quantum theory, how we should interpret it, various quarks of quantum physics, such as teleportation and entanglement, quantum computing, and more. Paul’s recent book is Quantum 2.0 (Pelican, 2025). Quantum 2.0: https://a.co/d/0ckzsWav OUTLINE 00:00 Why Quantum Mechanics? 11:59 How Should We Interpret Quantum Mechanics? 22:22 Complexity and Quantum Theory 30:59 What Will Be the Next Quantum Revolution? 39:59 The Next Generation of Quantum Technology? 49:47 Can Quantum Teleportation Move Macroscopic Objects? 52:47 Supercomputers vs Quantum Computers 01:04:16 The Fine-Tuning Problem? 01:12:37 Do We Have a Scientific Theory of Life? Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#278
May 31 · 1 hr 30 min
278 - Priyamvada Natarajan: The Mystery of Dark Matter
Priyamvada Natarajan is the Joseph S. and Sophia S. Fruton Professor of Astronomy and Professor of Physics at Yale University, where she is also the Chair of Astronomy. Priya researches broadly across astrophysics and cosmology; some topics she has worked on include gravitational lensing, black hole physics, the philosophy of science, and dark matter. In this conversation, Priya and Robinson largely stick to the latter. They discuss her interest in cosmology writ large, as well as how the scientific community tackles the unknown. Priya’s most recent book is Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas that Reveal the Cosmos (Yale, 2016). Mapping the Heavens: https://a.co/d/02HPcMB1 OUTLINE 00:00 A Paradox of Cosmology 06:16 Investigating Invisibilia 11:25 The Sociology of Astrophysics 16:52 Phenomenology in Physics 19:47 What Is the Mystery of Dark Matter? 29:07 The Problem of Dark Energy 36:38 Models and Simulations 46:17 Modifying the Standard Model to Explain Dark Matter 58:20 The Crisis in Dark Matter 01:12:22 Alternative Explanations of Dark Matter 01:19:51 Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse 01:25:24 Black Holes Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#277
May 17 · 2 hr
277 - Tim Maudlin: What Is Philosophy?
Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at NYU and Founder and Director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. In this episode, Robinson and Tim discuss the nature of philosophy. More particularly, they discuss philosophy’s origin, its connections to physics, what characterizes some of its well-known sub disciplines, and some of its biggest problems. If you’re interested in the foundations of physics, then please check out the JBI, which is devoted to providing a home for research and education in this important area. Any donations are immensely helpful at this early stage in the institute’s life. Tim’s Website: www.tim-maudlin.site The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org OUTLINE 00:00 The Beginning of Philosophy 06:53 Where Physics and Philosophy Diverged 14:07 Quantum Gravity 18:30 Physicists and Philosophers on Space and Time 23:10 Is Metaphysics Different From Physics? 34:54 Why Don’t Universities Have Departments of Metaphysics? 49:27 Are Numbers Real? 01:07:50 What Are Continental and Analytic Philosophy? 01:14:58 The Age-Old Puzzle of the Statue and the Clay 01:28:05 What Is Epistemology? 01:38:57 Is the World Around Us an Illusion? 01:49:13 What Are the Biggest Open Problems in Philosophy? 01:57:00 A John Bell Institute Update Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#276
May 3 · 1 hr 31 min
276 - Craig Callender: Lab-Grown Meat, De-Extinction, and the Tolman-Ehrenfest Effect
Craig Callender is Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Institute for Practical Ethics at UC San Diego, where he is a leading philosopher of science and physics. Craig also appeared on episode 73, in which he and Robinson discussed pseudoscience and conspiracy theories, and epidote 114, where he, Robinson, and Tim Maudlin discussed the philosophy of time, including the reality of the past, present, and future, the direction of time, its relationship to relativity and quantum mechanics, and time travel. In this episode, Robinson and Craig turn to a different assortment of topics. They talk about disinformation, lab-grown meat, de-extinction, scientific communication, quantum mechanics, and the Tolman-Ehrenfest Effect. Craig’s Website: https://www.craigcallender.com OUTLINE 00:00 Craig’s Interest in Lab-Grown Meat 04:25 Disinformation and the Philosophy of Science 18:18 The Root of the Error 23:43 The Importance of Science Communication 31:12 What Is De-Extinction? 47:28 What Is the Tolman-Ehrenfest Effect? 1:00:00 Tolman-Ehrenfest, Continued 01:15:07 A Philosopher’s Perspective 01:23:05 What Is The Problem with Quantum Mechanics? 01:24:56 What’s the Best Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
#275
April 19 · 2 hr 3 min
275 - Nate Soares: AI Will Kill Us All If We Don’t Change Course
Nate Soares is the President of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, and plays a central role in setting MIRI’s vision and strategy. Soares has been working in the field for over a decade, and is the author of a large body of technical and semi-technical writing on AI alignment, including foundational work on value learning, decision theory, and power-seeking incentives in smarter-than-human AIs. Prior to MIRI, Soares worked as an engineer at Google and Microsoft, as a research associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and as a contractor for the US Department of Defense. In this episode, Nate and Robinson discuss the problems of AI from the ground up. They touch on how AI is trained, why it will surpass human intelligence, why this is dangerous, how it could wipe out humankind, and more. Nate’s recent book, co-written with Eliezer Yudkowsky, is If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies (Little, Brown and Company, 2025). If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies Nate’s X: https://x.com/So8res MIRI: https://intelligence.org OUTLINE 00:00 Nate’s Existential Dread 07:11 What’s the REAL Problem with Artificial Intelligence? 11:39 How Is AI Trained? 17:15 The Vital Importance of Interpreting AI 20:53 Why AI Will Soon Surpass Human Intelligence 32:58 Why Solving the AI Alignment Problem is Crucial to Human Survival 38:40 Will AI Render Human Software Engineers Obsolete? 48:03 Does It Make Sense to Say AI Has Goals? 01:00:02 Why AI Consciousness Is Unimportant 01:11:33 How, Realistically, Could AI Wipe Out Humanity? 01:35:27 A Sci-Fi (But Realistic) AI Doomsday Scenario 01:44:34 Is There Hope that Humans Will Survive AI?
#274
March 29 · 1 hr 35 min
274 - Norman Finkelstein: Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, and the War in Iran
Norman's Upcoming Book, Gaza's Gravediggers: https://orbooks.com/catalog/gazas-gravediggers/ Norman Finkelstein received his PhD from the Princeton University Politics Department, and is best known for his research on Israel and Palestine. Norman also appeared on episodes 192, 218, 228, 244, and 250, where he addressed the facts and fictions generated by the Israel-Hamas War, October 6th, allegations of genocide and apartheid, Hezbollah, the Holocaust, and more. In this episode, Robinson and Norman discuss Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, the wars in Ukraine and Iran, and more. Norman’s new book is Gaza’s Gravediggers: An Inquiry into Corruption in High Places (OR Books, 2026). Norman’s Website: https://www.normanfinkelstein.com OUTLINE 00:00 No Investigation, No Right to Speak 02:15 Why the War with Iran is Unjustified 09:07 Israel Violated Article II of the UN Charter 13:44 Will the Iran War the End the World in Nuclear War? 21:03 Why Trump Is Underestimating Iran 30:55 How Israel and the United States Tried to Deceive the World About Iran 38:27 Is Israel’s Mentality “Homicidal”? 44:43 What’s Less Justified: Putin’s War on Ukraine or Netanyahu’s on Iran? 01:00:00 More on Ukraine 01:12:31 What Should We Make of Joe Kent? 01:21:00 More on Kent Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

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