Robinson's Podcast Robinson Erhardt
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- Science
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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.
https://linktr.ee/robinsonerhardt Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support
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206 - Slavoj Žižek & Lee Smolin: Marxism Meets Quantum Physics
Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7
Slavoj Žižek is international director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities at the University of London and a senior researcher at the University of Ljubljana’s Department of Philosophy. He was also the guest for episodes 109—on psychoanalysis, wokeness, racism, and a hundred other topics—and 118, where he appeared with Sean Carroll to discuss quantum physics, the multiverse, and time travel. Lee Smolin is a founding and senior faculty member at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and the author of a number of bestselling books, including The Trouble with Physics (Mariner, 2006). He was the guest for episode 148, in which he and Robinson discussed presentism, the foundations of mathematics, and the philosophy of quantum mechanics. In this episode, Robinson, Slavoj, and Lee discuss time, space, superposition, and other concepts at the core of physics, as well as postmodernism, the big bang, problems with democracy, and much more. Lee is also an Honorary Fellow of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. If you’re interested in the foundations of physics—which you absolutely should be—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.
Lee’s Website: http://leesmolin.com
The Trouble with Physics: https://a.co/d/eJZPWaE
OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction
06:26 Breaking the Copenhagen Interpretation
11:55 On Sabine Hossenfelder
21:11 On Monads, Atoms, and Democritus
30:18 Is the World a Game of Physics?
38:46 On the Big Bang
45:26 On European Immigration and Populism
53:09 A Few Jokes
Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com
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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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support -
205 - Nick Bostrom: Superintelligence, Posthumanity, and AI Utopia
Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7
Nick Bostrom is a Swedish philosopher who was most recently Professor at Oxford University, where he served as the founding Director of the Future of Humanity Institute. He is best known for his book Superintelligence (Oxford, 2014), which covers the dangers of artificial intelligence. In this episode, Robinson and Nick discuss his more recent book, Deep Utopia: Life and Meaning in a Solved World (Ideapress, 2024). More particularly, they discuss the alignment problem with artificial intelligence, the problem of utopia, how artificial intelligence—if it doesn’t make our world horrible—could make it wonderful, the future of technology, and how humans might adjust to a life without work.
Nick’s Website: https://nickbostrom.com
Deep Utopia: https://a.co/d/b8eHuhQ
OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction
02:50 From AI Dystopia to AI Utopia
9:15 On Superintelligence and the Alignment Problem
17:48 The Problem of Utopia
21:14 What Are the Different Types of Utopia?
28:04 AI and the Purpose of Mathematics
38:59 What Technologies Can We Expect in an AI Utopia?
43:59 Philosophical Problems with Immortality
55:14 Are There Advanced Alien Civilizations Out There?
59:54 Why Don’t We Live in Utopia?
Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com
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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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support -
204 - Philip Goff: Panpsychism and the Mystery of Consciousness
Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7
Philip Goff is a professor of philosophy at Durham University in the United Kingdom, where he researches consciousness and the philosophy of mind. He is the best known proponent of a view about consciousness known as panpsychism, which takes mentality to be fundamental in the world rather than something that either emerges out of complex structures or exists parallel to physical objects (as an immaterial property of things like souls). In this episode, Robinson and Philip discuss the major camps in the debate over consciousness, including physicalism, dualism, and panpsychism, touching on both their strengths and weaknesses. They then turn to a few questions raised in Philip’s most recent book, Why? The Purpose of the Universe (Oxford, 2023), in which he seeks to find a middle ground between atheism and deism.
Why? The Purpose of the Universe: https://a.co/d/2cqj5Us
Philip’s Website: https://philipgoffphilosophy.com
OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction
04:41 Philip’s Interest in Consciousness
8:11 What Is Consciousness?
14:36 Is Consciousness a Spectrum?
19:42 On Dualism About Consciousness
31:37 On Physicalism and the Mind
46:56 What Is Panpsychism?
53:27 The Best Arguments for Panpsychism
57:11 Panpsychism and the Combination Problem
1:02:20 On Panpsychism and Parapsychology
1:07:06 On Panpsychism and Free Will
1:13:04 On the Fine-Tuning Problem
Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com
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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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support -
203 - Vijay Prashad: Colonialism, Israel-Palestine, Marxism, and European Anti-Semitism
Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7
Vijay Prashad is a historian and journalist. He obtained his PhD in history at the University of Chicago and was most recently the George and Martha Kellner Chair in South Asian History at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Vijay is a Marxist, and much of his work and writing has been devoted to critiques of capitalism and colonialism, and this notably includes research on Israel, Palestine, and the Middle East. In this episode, Robinson and Vijay discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict as a problem of anti-semitism and colonialism, and touch on various other dimensions of the issue, such as how the war might end, Noam Chomsky’s contributions to the discussion, and the legitimacy of Palestine.
Tricontinental: https://thetricontinental.org/institutes/
OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction
04:20 Human Rights and the Crisis in Palestine
10:50 Decolonizing Palestine and the Problem of European Antisemitism
19:33 Is Israel a European Colonialist Enterprise?
31:06 Is Palestine a Legitimate Nation?
43:14 On Noam Chomsky and a One-State Solution to Israel-Palestine
53:26 Communism, Israel-Palestine, and Dreams of Utopia
59:46 Is There a Practical Solution to the War in Gaza?
Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com
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.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support -
202 - Jeffrey Sachs: JFK, Conspiracy Theories, Israel-Palestine, and Ending the War in Gaza
Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7
Jeffrey Sachs is University Professor at Columbia University, where he serves as the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development. Before that, he taught at Harvard University for twenty years. Jeff is the author of numerous books, including three New York Times bestsellers. His latest is The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions (Columbia, 2020). In addition to his work as an economist on the cutting edge of sustainable development—including research on changes related to extreme poverty, climate change, and other national economic reforms—Jeff is an authority on geopolitics and international relations, with particular expertise on Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, and other currently contentious areas. In this episode, Jeff and Robinson discuss practical solutions to the war in Gaza, the geopolitics surrounding the conflict in Israel and Palestine, allegations of anti-semitism in American universities, the assassination of JFK, and the truth behind conspiracy theories.
The Ages of Globalization: https://a.co/d/34yO8HB
Jeff’s Website: https://www.jeffsachs.org
OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction
03:48 Was October 7th Justifiable?
05:35 Can the UN End the War in Palestine?
09:31 Is Israel an Apartheid State?
11:28 Is Israel Committing Genocide?
17:50 Is a Two-State Solution Right for Israel and Palestine?
21:14 What Is the Pathway to Ending the War in Gaza?
26:06 Did the CIA Assassinate JFK?
28:12 On the Legitimacy of Conspiracy Theories
32:59 Key Israeli and Palestinian Players for the War in Gaza
42:01 Biden, Putin, Xi Jinping, and the War in Israel
46:39 On Anti-Semitism in American Universities
Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com
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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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support -
201 - Benny Morris: Israel-Palestine, Genocide, Apartheid, Hamas, Muscular Judaism, and the Nakba
Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7
Benny Morris is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Middle East Studies at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. He is among the most respected and influential historians on Israel and Palestine. Benny is perhaps best known for his work on the 1947-1948 civil war in Palestine and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and for his book The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947-1948 (Cambridge, 1989). In this episode, Robinson and Benny discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict from a historical perspective, touching on the origin of the refugee crisis, the origin and justification of Israel, the legitimacy of Israeli military tactics, whether genocide is occurring in Palestine, whether Israel is an apartheid state, and more.
The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem: https://a.co/d/9pN2W7v
OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction
3:45 Muscular Judaism and the New Jew
8:53 The Nakba and the Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Crisis
16:18 How Many Palestinians Were Driven from Palestine?
22:32 Was Palestine Occupied Before the Establishment of Israel?
26:24 Did Zionists Invade Occupied Palestine
33:27 Was the Founding of Israel Justified?
39:49 Does Israel Have the Right to Exist?
43:56 Is Egypt Responsible for the Crisis in Gaza?
48:42 On Norman Finkelstein, Concentration Camps, and Hamas Rockets
51:48 Israel, Palestine, and Propaganda
54:09 On the Legitimacy of Palestinian and Arab Historians
58:08 Does Israel Warn Palestinians Before Bombings?
1:00:59 Is Israel Committing Genocide Against Palestinians?
1:03:18 Is Israel an Apartheid State?
Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com
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.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support
Customer Reviews
My favorite podcast
Robinson is a fantastic host who has the rare ability to ask deep, thoughtful questions while giving his guests plenty of room to air out their ideas. Unlike other podcast hosts, it feels like he doesn’t have an agenda or ego, he simply wants to get to the truth of whatever is being discussed. You can tell he puts a tremendous amount of effort into preparing for his guests, and often they seem delighted that he asks genuinely good questions. This podcast has opened my mind to many new concepts and has spurred my own curiosity to which I’m grateful. Thanks Robinson!
The Best Intellectual Podcast
Best guests + best discussion = best podcast. The math checks out!
Great podcast
Robinson’s podcast and Sean Carroll’s Mindscape are my two essential science podcasts. I never miss an episode.
Batsy’s owner.