Dr. Nolan is the Rachford and Carlota A. Harris Professor in the Department of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine. He has published over 350 research articles and is the holder of 50 US patents, and has been honored as one of the top 25 inventors at Stanford University. He specializes in groundbreaking cancer and immunotherapy research. Yet Garry is also a world-renowned UAP investigator and Executive Director of the Board at the Sol Foundation, one of whose unofficial mottos is: Science, Policy, and Public Education for a Post-UAP World. In this episode, Robinson and Garry discuss the evidence that aliens exist and have already visited Earth. More particularly, they discuss various hypotheses about what aliens are?interdimensional travelers, visitors from other planets, Boltzmann Brains, and others?the Atacama Mummy, Garry?s own UFO encounter, the relationship between aliens and national security, the Pentagon Videos, the Fermi Paradox, and more. Keep up with Garry through X and the Sol Foundation.

Garry?s X Account: https://x.com/GarryPNolan

The Sol Foundation: https://thesolfoundation.org

OUTLINE

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:23 Garry?s Interest in Aliens

00:05:03 How Garry?s Medical Research Turned into Alien Investigations

00:14:44 The Alien Controversy Around the Atacama Mummy

00:24:08 What Is the Definitive Proof for Aliens?

00:29:34 What Are UAPs

00:32:46 What Are Interdimensional Aliens??

00:36:03 What Are Ultraterrestrial Aliens?

00:40:01 The Time-Traveling Alien Hypothesis

00:41:13 The Angry-Monkey Alien Hypothesis

00:43:35 The Panspermia Alien Hypothesis

00:48:20 Could Intelligent Aliens Have Come to Earth?

00:54:50 Garry?s Background in Genetics

00:57:13 Does Extraterrestrial Life Need Air and Water to Live?

01:07:16 What Is the Fermi Paradox?

01:15:56 UFOs and Government

01:22:23 Garry?s UAP Experience

01:35:27 On Telepathy and Paranormal Abilities

01:39:31 On the Credibility of Alien Witnesses

01:41:34 Does the Government Suppress UFO Reports?

01:49:11 Why Are Aerospace Companies Hiding UFO Data?

01:51:53 Does the Government Possess Alien Metals?

01:58:29 Is Knowledge of Aliens a National Security Threat?

02:02:15 On Alien Abductions and Animal Mutilations

02:06:28 The Violent Changes to Brains Exposed to UFOs

02:17:56 Garry?s Top Secret Clearance

02:19:15 The Truth About the Tic-Tac UFO Incident

02:37:25 What Is the Skywatcher UAP Contact Program?

02:46:01 The Sol Foundation

02:58:24 Why Alien Research Can Prevent Nuclear War

03:02:03 What Are Transmedium Alien UAPs?

03:04:50 Are UAPs Biological Threats?

03:06:31 On Avi Loeb?s Pioneering UAP Research

03:12:49 Is Jacques Vallee One of the Most Important Alien Researchers?

03:18:17 What Should You Tell Someone Who Doesn?t Believe in Aliens?

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at NYU and Founder and Director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. This is Tim?s seventh appearance on the show. He last appeared on episode 237 for a masterclass on Albert Einstein?s theory of special relativity, explaining it from the ground up and elucidating some common misconceptions. In this episode Tim returns for a discussion of another of Einstein?s major impacts on physics: his theory of general relativity. More particularly, Tim and Robinson discuss black holes, time, paradoxes of distance, Penrose diagrams, figures like Leonard Susskind and Richard Feynman, the curvature of space, 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.

Tim?s Website: www.tim-maudlin.site

The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org

00:00:42 An Extended Prelude

00:05:08 Naming Names

00:10:02 The Difference Between Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity

00:13:46 Einstein on General Relativity and Metric

00:27:21 More on Coordinates

00:40:26 A Novel Coordinate System

00:46:25 What Is Special Relativity?

00:50:30 The Conflict Between Quantum Theory and Relativity

01:02:00 Doing Physics with Geometry

01:12:38 Geometry and Special Relativity

01:30:20 More on Geometry and Relativity

01:36:19 Lorentz Frames

01:46:56 Simultaneity

02:02:03 John Bell and Special Relativity

02:11:00 Paradoxes of Distance

02:22:12 A Penrose Diagram

02:27:47 Introducing General Relativity

02:32:23 The Most Important Experiment About Gravity 

02:45:52 Changing the Geometry of Spacetime

02:55:28 Curvature of Space

03:02:03 Be Careful with Diagrams in Science 

03:05:45 The Basic Idea of General Relativity

03:10:23 The Equivalence Principle

03:19:40 Clocks and Gravity

03:28:09 Richard Feynman on General Relativity

03:37:00 The Cosmological Constant

03:41:56 What Are Black Holes?

03:50:45 What Steven Weinberg Got Wrong About General Relativity 

04:01:01 Black Holes and the Centrifugal Force Paradox

04:06:32 Curved Black Holes and Gödel Spacetime

04:19:34 The John Bell Institute

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

Leonard Susskind is Felix Block Professor of Physics at Stanford University. Along with other accomplishments, he is among the fathers of such revolutionary concepts in physics as string theory, black hole complementarity, the holographic principle, and the string-theoretic landscape. He was also the guest on episode #217, where he and Robinson discussed the fine-tuning problem and the physics of the multiverse. In this episode, Leonard and Robinson get into another topic?black holes and the information paradox. More particularly, they talk about important figures like Stephen Hawking and Gerard ?t Hooft, singularities, chaos, whether the cosmos is a hologram, the end of the universe, and more. For further details, check out Leonard?s book on the title: The Black Hole War (Back Bay Books, 2009).

The Black Hole War: https://a.co/d/3eTOHoZ

The Theoretical Minimum: https://theoreticalminimum.com

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

05:21 Black Holes and the War Between Relativity and Quantum Mechanics

11:18 Is The Singularity at the Heart of a Black Hole Real?

21:51 Demystifying the Puzzle of Quantum Information

28:27 What Does The Famous Phrase ?It From Bit? Mean?

38:47 Can Information Be Stored on the Surface of a Black Hole?

47:11 Was Stephen Hawking a Good Physicist?

56:21 How Will The Universe End?

1:00:49 What Is the Black Hole Information Paradox?

1:10:47 What Is the Holographic Principle?

1:20:01 How Leonard Susskind Won the Black Hole War Against Stephen Hawking

1:25:09 What Is the Infamous AdS/CFT Correspondence?

1:32:29 Is Physics in a Deep Crisis?

1:39:29 Are String and M-Theory Totally Wrong?

1:43:05 Is String Theory the Theory of Everything?

1:47:43 Is String Theory a Failure?

1:50:15 Does Our World Have Extra Dimensions?

1:53:34 Could Our World Be a Hologram?

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

Norman Finkelstein received his PhD from the Princeton University Politics Department, and is best known for his research on Israel and Palestine. In this episode, Norman and Robinson sit down for a discussion about Donald Trump, the latest from Israel, Palestine, and Gaza, and the dying Left. Norman also appeared on episode 192, where he and Robinson discussed allegations of genocide and apartheid, Hamas and Hezbollah, and connections between the war and the Holocaust. Norman was also featured on episode 218, where he addressed the facts and fictions generated by the Israel-Hamas War, and episode 228, which was all about October 6th. Norman and Robinson also discuss Mehdi Hassan, Noam Chomsky, Christopher Hitchens, the Holocaust, Apartheid, Joan Peters, Julia Sebutinde, the Mossad, Sheryl Sandberg, Destiny, Lex Fridman, Bill Ackman, Alan Dershowitz, and more. Norman?s most recent book is I?ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It! Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic Freedom (Sublation Media, 2023).

Norman?s Website: https://www.normanfinkelstein.com

OUTLINE

00:00:00 Introduction

00:07:25 Mehdi Hassan: The Working Class is Stupid

00:12:59 How Far Will the Supreme Court Go with Donald Trump?

00:21:49 Why Bernie Sanders Appeals to the Common Man

00:38:12 How Did Identity Politics Help Trump Win?

00:46:02 The Joy of Stereotypes

01:01:23 Why the People Loved Bernie Sanders and Trump

01:06:16 Noam Chomsky, Philosopher King

01:11:16 Christopher Hitchens Was Not a Serious Intellectual

01:20:58 Norman?s Parents Hate For Religion After the Holocaust

01:34:06 A Lex Fridman and Destiny Conspiracy

01:37:12 Norman?s Family and the Holocaust

01:45:43 Why Jews Stopped Caring About the Holocaust

01:54:43 Why Norman Never Had a Bar Mitzvah

02:02:52 Why Norman?s Parents Hated Germans and Poles

02:11:22 Comparing Gaza to the Holocaust

02:16:48 Comparing Gaza to Apartheid South Africa

02:24:41 Corruption Over Genocide in Palestine

02:27:05 On the Colossal Joan Peters Palestine Hoax

02:30:16 On Norman?s Time as a Maoist

02:39:35 The Corruption of Julia Sebutinde at the International Court of Justice

02:42:25 Does the Mossad Blackmail Public Figures?

02:52:49 Sheryl Sandberg and the War Crime ?Israeli Propaganda Machine?

03:05:19 On Accusations of Sex Crimes on October 6th

03:18:12 On His Mortal Feud With Alan Dershowitz

03:31:19 On Bill Ackman and the Pro-Israel American Billionaire Class

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

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 seventh appearance on Robinson?s Podcast. In his last appearance, episode #230, he and Robinson discussed Richard?s arguments against electing Donald Trump for president, as well as his analysis of the election. In this episode, Richard and Robinson talk about 2025 and the first weeks of Trump?s presidency, as well as what?s to come. More particularly, they discuss the irrelevance of Donald Trump, his domestic and global policies, China, narratives on the right and left, and the future of the United States. Richard?s latest book is Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024).

Understanding Capitalism (Book): https://www.democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalism

Class Theory and History (Book): https://a.co/d/ht4trZN

Understanding the 2024 Elections (Article): https://asiatimes.com/2024/08/capitalism-mass-anger-and-2024-elections/

Richard?s Website: https://www.rdwolff.com

Economic Update: https://www.democracyatwork.info/economicupdate

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

05:48 Three Months Later: Why Did Trump Defeat Harris?

08:34 How the Left Can Defeat Donald Trump

12:57 Donald J. Trump Is a Naughty Boy

15:06 Why Kamala Harris Lost the Election

16:27 Why Trump Won the Longshoremen?s Union (Because the Left Failed Them)

25:23 Is Victor Davis Hanson Wrong About the Elites? War on the Working Class?

36:31 Did West Coast Elites Cause the LA Wildfire Disaster (Is Victor Davis Hanson Wrong?)?

42:26 Why Richard Wolff Enjoys Tucker Carlson

47:02 Can Psychoanalysis and the Subconscious Explain Donald Trump?s Victory?

54:32 Why Unemployment Tanked Harris in the Election

59:45 Deep Seek, The Chinese Phenomenon

1:05:31 The Astonishing Story of How China Came to Dominate Elon Musk Over Electric Cars

1:13:25 Donald Trump?s Huge Misunderstanding About Tariffs

1:17:44 Donald Trump?s Irrational Bluster Tactics

1:20:04 Richard Wolff Exposes Donald Trump?s Contradictions About Immigration

1:34:23 The Marxist Truth About Why Immigrants Are a Gift to the United States

1:41:37 The Weakness of the American Empire

1:44:34 Why Trump?s Policies Will Increase Illegal Mexican Immigration and Drug Trafficking

1:47:58 Should Trump Make Canada the 51st State?

1:51:04 How Elites Rejected Donald Trump and Created the Man He Became

1:54:45 On Larry Summers?s Debacle at Harvard (And How Donald Trump Did It Better)

1:59:25 Why Donald Trump Wants to Take the Panama Canal (And the Actual Best Reason to Control It)

2:02:33 How American Neocons Failed to Stop China From the World Superpower

2:13:29 How the BRICS Are Drastically Outperforming the American Economy

2:20:14 On Europe?s Impending Economic Doom

2:25:18 Is There a Fatal Contradiction in Trump?s Climate Policy?

2:30:03 On Donald Trump?s Anti-Elitist, Anti-DEI Rhetoric

2:33:20 How Will AI Affect China and America?s Economic War?

2:43:19 How Elon Musk is Only an Unsuccessful Bureaucrat

2:45:04 How China?s Communist Government Is More Efficient than the United States?s

2:48:11 Why the United States Is the Aggressor Against China

2:51:10 Why Trump Thinks We Should Conquer Greenland

3:02:18 On China?s Number One Global Priority

3:09:41 What Marxists Learned from the Failure of the Soviet Union

3:15:23 Some Key Lessons from Marx?s Kapital

3:21:56 On How History Will Overwhelm Trump In the Next Four Years

3:26:30 Donald Trump and the Gulf of America

3:28:28 Why We Should Expect More of the Same from Donald Trump

3:32:26 On His Hope For a Brighter Future From the Left

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

Victor Davis Hanson is a renowned classicist, military historian, and political commentator. He is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow in Residence in Classics and Military History at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. Among numerous other awards, Victor was presented with the National Humanities Medal in 2007. Victor most recently appeared on episode #231, which came out just before the 2024 election, and where he made a case to vote for Donald Trump. In this episode, Robinson and Victor discuss the results of the election and President Trump?s inauguration. More particularly, they talk about the biggest challenges he will face as president, the class- and culture war in the United States, Trump?s rhetorical abilities, the California wildfires, and geopolitics, including our relationships with China, Canada, Russia, and the Middle East. Keep up with Victor on Twitter, through his website, and on his podcast, The Victor Davis Hanson Show.

Victor?s Website: https://victorhanson.com

Victor?s Twitter: https://twitter.com/VDHanson

The Victor Davis Hanson Show: https://art19.com/shows/the-victor-davis-hanson-show

The End of Everything: https://a.co/d/46O0mMB

The Case for Trump: https://a.co/d/8Bf0OdC

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

00:53 Victor?s Biggest Worries For Donald Trump?s Presidency

06:38 Donald Trump, The Troll

10:53 Should Donald Trump and the United States Annex Greenland and Canada?

12:50 Will President Donald Trump Take Over the Panama Canal?

14:57 Why the World Fears Donald Trump

17:53 Are the CIA and FBI More Damaging to the United States than Donald Trump?

25:33 The Ideological Disease that Caused the California Wildfire Disaster

28:33 How Victor?s Life Was Saved by Three Hispanic Women

30:08 Is Donald Trump the Problem with America, or Something Else?

32:13 The Real Reason People Hate Donald Trump

34:04 Victor Davis Hanson?s Rude Awakening at Stanford from University Elites

37:43 How California?s Incompetence Destroyed Its Own Water Supply

45:16 Did California Elites Cause the Los Angeles Wildfire Disaster?

50:48 Why Competence Defeated Ideology in Trump?s 2024 Election Victory

54:41 Does Donald Trump Have an Incompetent Cabinet?

1:04:45 Who?s More Competent? Blue Collar Americans or Bicoastal Elites?

1:07:07 Is China Trump?s Biggest Challenge?

1:11:44 Will the Middle East Finally See Peace Under Trump?

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

Raphael Bousso is the Chancellor?s Chair in Physics at the Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics, where he leads the Bousso Group in research on quantum gravity and quantum information. He is a renowned string theorist famous also for his development of the string theoretic landscape and the Bousso bound in holography. In this episode, Robinson and Raphael talk about the foundations of quantum mechanics and whether or not there are any deep mysteries within the theory that remain to be solved, and whether philosophical discussion of these issues is overblown. More particularly, they get into what quantum theories tell us about the world, whether we need different interpretations of quantum mechanics, whether the final theory of the universe will be quantum mechanical, how quantum mechanics connects to cosmology, the multiverse, and quantum gravity, and more. The Bousso Group: https://lightsheet.berkeley.edu OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 00:58 Raphael?s Interest in the Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics 06:11 What Does Quantum Mechanics Tell Us About the World? 19:43 Just What Is an Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics? 26:17 Are There Serious Holes in Quantum Mechanics? 31:01 Schrödinger?s Cat 45:11 UV Completion 48:57 Will The Final Theory of Physics Be Quantum Mechanical? 58:00 How Cosmology Might Help Answer Questions About Quantum Mechanics 1:13:44 String Theory and the Multiverse 1:20:39 How the Multiverse Can Explain Probability 1:30:01 Will the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics Help Us Solve Quantum Gravity? Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

Robinson?s Podcast #240 - Peter Godfrey-Smith: Cuttlefish, Octopuses, and the Consciousness of Mysterious Minds

Peter Godfrey-Smith is a professor in the School of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Sydney. He has also taught at Stanford University and Harvard University. Among other topics, he has researched the philosophy of biology and mind, and is very well-known for his book Other Minds: The Octopus, The Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness (FSG, 2016). In this episode, Peter and Robinson discuss that book, as well as his latest, Living on Earth (William Collins, 2024). More particularly, they discuss cuttlefish, octopuses, consciousness, metaethics, and animal welfare.

Peter?s Website: https://petergodfreysmith.com

Living on Earth: https://a.co/d/9MvUFHV

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

01:10 Scuba Diving with Cuttlefish and Octopuses

09:43 Why Did Creatures Evolve Nervous Systems?

16:18 Why Did Conscious Minds Evolve?

27:23 Why Do We Believe that Other Animals Have Minds?

36:49 Do Shrimp or Fish Feel Pain?

47:01 What?s It Like to Be an Octopus?

57:32 What Is Metaethics?

1:04:57 First-Order Ethics

1:08:12 Is It Morally Acceptable to Eat Animals?

1:16:04 What Does Peter Eat?

1:29:49 Future Work

Ned Block is Silver Professor at New York University in the Departments of Philosophy and Psychology, where he works on the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of neuroscience, and cognitive science. In this episode, Robinson and Ned discuss some of the titans he studied under, ChatGPT and the nature of artificial intelligence, the Turing Test, androids, consciousness, the connection between seeing and thinking, blindsight, change blindness, and more. Ned?s most recent book is The Border Between Seeing and Thinking (OUP, 2023).

Ned?s Website: https://www.nedblock.us

The Border Between Seeing and Thinking: https://a.co/d/fqVb7gj

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

00:53 Ned?s Entry into Philosophy of Mind

02:08 On Hilary Putnam, John Rawls, and Philippa Foot

08:10 Can ChatGPT Do Multiplication?

10:57 Does Noam Chomsky Understand ChatGPT?

13:11 Is the Turing Test Completely Wrong?

17:52 On Daniel Dennett

23:46 On Michael Graziano and the Attention Schema Theory of Consciousness

26:03 Are Animals Conscious?

30:51 Does ChatGPT Pass the Turing Test?

36:53 Mary in the White Room

41:16 The Blockhead Thought Experiment

45:53 How to Show that ChatGPT Is Dumb

48:51 Why Can?t ChatGPT Reason About Images?

51:48 How to Create an Android

55:10 What Is Thought?

1:00:13 Susan Carey

1:03:19 Are There Different Kinds of Consciousness?

1:05:10 On Psychoanalysis

1:06:08 What Are Blindsight and Change Blindness?

1:11:38 The Difference Between Seeing and Thinking

1:16:03 Was Helen Keller Conscious?

1:18:39 Are Salmon Conscious?

1:20:58 What Are the Dominant Theories of Consciousness?

1:27:35 Do We Know What Consciousness Is?

1:31:25 Functionalism and Mental Properties

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

Barry Loewer is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers. Before that he did his PhD in philosophy at Stanford. Barry works largely in the philosophy of physics, the philosophy of science, and metaphysics. This is Barry?s third appearance on the show. He was last on episode 189 with David Albert, in which Robinson, David, and Barry discussed David and Barry?s joint program known as ?The Mentaculus?, which they use to solve many problems in the foundations of physics, from probability to the direction of time. In this episode, Barry and Robinson discuss the philosophical foundations of science, touching on the relationship between science and pseudoscience, Karl Popper, string theory, scientific realism, and many other important debates and figures. If you?re interested in the foundations of physics, then please check out the the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics, 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.

The Probability Map of the Universe: https://a.co/d/4XoYTMY

The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

7:53 On Pseudoscience and Astrology

11:40 Falsification as a Criterion of Science

16:40 Is String Theory Pseudoscience?

20:14 On Marxism

24:45 What Is Scientific Realism?

34:35 On Hilary Putnam

42:16 Science Vs Metaphysics

48:32 Time in Science and Metaphysics

52:38 On Fundamentalia

56:01 On Reductionism

1:00:04 On Consciousness and Emergence

1:04:56 On Causation

1:25:52 On Time Travel

1:28:29 On Explanation and Thermodynamics

1:39:23 On Free Will

1:47:00 The Laws of Nature

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at NYU and Founder and Director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. This is Tim?s seventh appearance on the show. He last appeared on episode 210 with David Albert for a discussion of the measurement problem in quantum mechanics. In this episode, Tim and Robinson talk about Albert Einstein?s theory of special relativity, explaining it from the ground up and elucidating some common misconceptions. More particularly, they get into Einstein?s magnificent mind, how special relativity displaced the theory of the ether, absolute and relative space, the speed and nature of light, the possibility of time travel, relativistic quantum mechanics, 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.

Tim?s Website: www.tim-maudlin.site

The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

01:59 The Amazing Fertility of Einstein's Mind

08:50 The Mysterious Ether and Why It Isn't All Around Us

25:01 Einstein Versus Relative and Absolute Space

29:58 The Single Most Important Experiment in Physics

45:23 Special Relativity and Absolute Space

53:56 The Conceptual Clarity of Genius Physicists

1:01:05 A Thought Experiment to Explain Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity

1:13:48 Is the Speed of Light an Illusion?

1:23:33 Richard Feynman's Big Mistake About Einstein

1:34:23 On Einstein and the Possibility of Time Travel

1:42:53 Is Special Relativity Compatible with Quantum Mechanics?

1:49:55 Relativistic Bohmian Mechanics

1:57:00 Does Anything Move Faster than Light?

1:59:03 The John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

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. This is David?s ninth appearance on Robinson?s Podcast. He last appeared on episode 221 to discuss the measurement problem of quantum mechanics. In this episode, David gives a pedagogical and introductory overview of the problem of time?s arrow, which is one of the most enduring of all physical and philosophical puzzles. David?s most recent book is A Guess at the Riddle (2023). 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.

A Guess at the Riddle: https://a.co/d/6qcsidl

The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org

OUTLINE

00:58 The Tension Between Past and Future in Physics

8:56 The Arrow of Time in Life and Physics

12:26 The Three Arrows of Time

18:12 Entropy and the Direction of Time

29:12 Thermodynamics and the Problem of the Past

38:26 Why Do We Remember the Past But Not the Future?

48:46 Two Ways to Understand the Past

1:04:21 Why Can We Affect the Future But Not the Past

1:17:51 Why Can Agents Control the Future but not the Past?

1:26:57 Can the Laws of Quantum Physics Be Run Backward?

1:33:11 The Connection Between the Foundations of Quantum Physics and Statistical Mechanics

1:41:53 Cosmology and the Past Hypothesis

1:44:25 Why are Left and Right Different from Past and Future?

1:49:28 The Difference Between Space and Time

1:57:14 Is Time a Fundamental Part of Reality?

1:59:14 Future Work

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University

Janna Levin is the Claire Tow Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is also the Chair and Founding Director of the Science Studios at Pioneer Works. In this episode, Robinson and Janna talk all about black holes and how to survive them. More particularly, they discuss how black holes were discovered both theoretically and empirically, common misconceptions about black holes, their role in theories of quantum gravity, and how they do and will contribute to both the life and death of the universe. If you?d like to learn more about black holes, read Janna?s latest book, Black Hole Survival Guide (Anchor, 2022). Janna?s Website: https://jannalevin.com Black Hole Survival Guide: https://a.co/d/biGGqZc Pioneer Works: https://pioneerworks.org OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 06:10 The Original Theory of Black Holes 14:45 Is There Gravity in Space? 20:40 Just What IS a Black Hole? 38:47 Why Physicists Resisted the Possibility of Black Holes 50:44 What?s at the Center of a Black Hole? 55:34 What Happens When Something Falls into a Black Hole? 1:03:23 Is Leonard Susskind a Genius Physicist? 1:12:07 What Is the Fine-Tuning Problem? 1:17:52 How Close Can You Get to a Black Hole and Still Survive? 1:25:10 Why Are Black Holes Perfect Objects? 1:32:12 How Do Black Holes Form? 1:41:31 What Will Happen to the Sun When It Dies? 1:50:38 Black Holes, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe 1:54:45 The Heat Death of the Universe 1:59:18 Pioneer Works Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

This episode came on the heels of a traumatic, eight-interview sprint in NYC. As you?ll see, this one was particularly chaotic, but the stars aligned to make it happen. Camera switches, bathroom breaks, health concerns, equipment malfunctions, and even a robbery didn?t prevent the conversation from coming together. With this in mind, I hope you?ll forgive how crazy and inconsistent the video is; the fact that it even got put together is courtesy of my friend and editor Yu Guo (a philosopher who got his PhD from NYU with past guest Paul Boghossian). Given that there?s some new intro music, and you?re already getting an abundance of distracting production nuggets, I decided to show the soup being made. My thanks go to Richard, who met with me twice in three days (not to mention his wife, who allowed it), and Michael, who put up with me for over four hours.
- Robinson

P.S. Toward the end of the episode Michael eats a jerky stick from Maui Nui Venison, which is a company operating out of Hawaii that manages the invasive deer population of Maui that is decimating the landscape. Instead of culling the animals and disposing of their bodies, the meat is butchered and sold. It is the only meat I eat, full-stop, and the ethical reasons are sufficient for this, but it is also the best meat that I have ever had. I reached out to Maui Nui and told them that I support what they are doing and would like to be of any help that I can. They gave me this coupon code?ROBINSON?which you can use for 15% off. I am not being paid for this in any way. I believe in what they are doing and I want this model to succeed. People are going to be eating meat for the foreseeable future and I would be happier if it was not factory-farmed meat. So please check Maui Nui out and give them a try!

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. 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.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

00:51 Michael and Rick's Histories with Marx

16:50 A Marxless Education

29:42 Marxism and the West

35:18 Marx and the Emergence of Capitalism

43:59 Socialism Vs State Capitalism

49:21 The Culmination of Economics in Marx

57:16 The Crucial Features of Marxism

1:12:15 Marx, China, and the BRICS

1:25:57 The Laws of Motion of Finance Capitalism

1:28:58 Why Won't Mainstream Media Interview Michael Hudson and Richard Wolff?

1:42:16 Why is the American Empire Crumbling?

1:54:51 Is the Dollar Destroying the United States?

2:01:38 Marx as the Culmination of Classical Economics

2:10:19 Will Trump's China Tariff Policy Spell Disaster for America?

2:22:43 Is Trump's Policy on Russia Idiotic?

2:27:23 Does It Matter for America Who Wins the Election?

2:37:13 Michael's Rhetorical Abilities

2:43:54 How Can We Use Economics to Forecast the Future?

2:54:48 Does Paul Krugman Know Anything About Economics?

2:57:57 How Michael Got His PhD

3:04:59 What's Wrong With the Nobel Prize in Economics?

3:10:04 The Long and Short of Marx's Kapital

3:17:20 Capitalism and Labor

3:31:51 The Biggest Myth About Karl Marx

Judith Butler is Distinguished Professor in the Graduate School and formerly the Maxine Elliot Chair in the Department of Comparative Literature and the Program of Critical Theory at the University of California, Berkeley. In this episode, Robinson and Judith discuss three broad topics. First, they talk about Judith?s latest book, Who?s Afraid of Gender? (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2024). In particular, they touch on the dynamics of sex and gender, as well as their political dimensions. Second, the conversation turns to the 2024 presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Finally, they broach the topic of Israel and Palestine, with particular attention to the questions of genocide and anti-semitism. Who?s Afraid of Gender?: https://a.co/d/beDcQ1S OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 01:03 Judith?s Introduction to Philosophy and Gender Studies 11:00 Who?s Afraid of Gender? 22:11 On Trans and Intersex Olympics Controversies 26:09 Is the Man/Woman Binary a Fantasy? 35:17 Are Putin and Orban Transphobic? 41:49 How to Change One?s Gender 47:25 Language and Gender 52:16 On Psychoanalysis 58:49 On Gender Issues and the 2024 Election 1:04:30 On Trump 2024 1:06:14 On Harris 2024 1:10:39 Is Anti-Zionism Anti-Semitism? 1:18:51 Is Gaza a Concentration Camp? 1:20:49 How Will the War in Israel and Palestine End? 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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.

Sir Niall Ferguson is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, where he served for twelve years as the Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History. In this episode, Robinson and Niall discuss three of the biggest conflicts currently gripping the news?the election in the United States and the two wars between Israel and Hamas on the one hand, and Russia and Ukraine on the other. Undergirding the entire discussion is the question of whether the United States is an empire, whether it is failing, and what the world needs America to be. Niall's most recent book is Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe (Penguin, 2021).

Niall's Website: https://www.niallferguson.com

Doom: https://a.co/d/eWAx65C

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

00:44 Niall's Take as a Scottish Historian

05:20 Is the United States an Empire?

12:49 What Does the World Need the United States to Be?

19:47 Is Trump or Harris Better for the Russia-Ukraine War?

26:35 Is Trump Too Dangerous to Have the Nuclear Launch Codes?

29:54 How Terrible Was Biden's Withdrawal from Afghanistan?

34:22 Is the United States on the Precipice of Self-Destruction?

41:08 Will Donald Trump Actually Help the Suffering Poor of America?

46:23 Will Niall Ferguson Vote For Donald Trump?

50:31 The Dangers of American Politics

54:55 The Right Versus the Left on the Wars in Ukraine and Israel

1:00:07 How Has the Media Fed the Israel-Hamas War in Palestine?

1:06:35 Is Benjamin Netanyahu a Satanic Figure?

1:11:19 Is Israel Committing a new Holocaust?Genocide?in Palestine?

1:17:21 Trump, Harris, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Palestine: Do They Even Matter?

Robinson's Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

Victor Davis Hanson is a renowned classicist, military historian, and political commentator. He is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow in Residence in Classics and Military History at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. Among numerous other awards, Victor was presented the National Humanities Medal in 2007. In this episode, Robinson and Victor discuss the 2024 presidential election. More particularly, they review some of the main arguments for and against electing Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. This includes their records, domestic and foreign policies, recent assassination attempts, and more. Victor also appeared as a guest on episode #112, in which he and Robinson talked about what was at the time Victor?s latest book, The Dying Citizen. He was also a guest on episode #191, which covered Victor?s views on the current crisis in Israel and Palestine. Most recently, on episode #208, they spoke about Victor?s most recent book, The End of Everything. Keep up with Victor on Twitter, through his website, and on his podcast, The Victor Davis Hanson Show.

Victor?s Website: https://victorhanson.com

Victor?s Twitter: https://twitter.com/VDHanson

The Victor Davis Hanson Show: https://art19.com/shows/the-victor-davis-hanson-show

The End of Everything: https://a.co/d/46O0mMB

The Case for Trump: https://a.co/d/8Bf0OdC

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

03:56 Why Is The 2024 Election So Important?

10:18 Is Trump Innocent of All Charges?

20:19 Is Trump a Unique Election Denier?

27:30 On the Trump Assassination Attempts and Anti-Trump Conspiracy Theories

35:21 The Best Reasons to Have Voted for Joe Biden

44:44 Will Kamala Harris Bring a New Radical Agenda to the White House?

48:49 Why You Shouldn?t Vote for Kamala Harris

55:51 The Case for Trump

1:01:50 On Hillsdale College

1:07:52 On Hard Political Discussions in Hard Times

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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Robinson?s Fashion Empire: http://bit.ly/3XBKqO2

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 fifth appearance on Robinson?s Podcast. In episode #127, he and Robinson discussed some of the most profound criticisms of capitalism; in #154, they focused on the myths surrounding Marxism and Marx himself; in #190 they covered the Israel-Palestine conflict from a Marxist perspective; and in #222 they assess the end of the American Empire. In this episode, Richard and Robinson talk about the 2024 election. More particularly, they discuss the irrelevance of Donald Trump, both candidates? economic policies, the Biden administration?s track record, Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, the promise of Kamala Harris, immigration, and the future of the United States. Richard?s latest book is Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024).

Understanding Capitalism (Book): https://www.democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalism

Class Theory and History (Book): https://a.co/d/ht4trZN

Understanding the 2024 Elections (Article): https://asiatimes.com/2024/08/capitalism-mass-anger-and-2024-elections/

Richard?s Website: https://www.rdwolff.com

Economic Update: https://www.democracyatwork.info/economicupdate

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

01:08 Is it Possible to Predict the Future?

07:51 The Irrelevance of Donald Trump

12:15 The United States vs The Savages

15:41 Does the Government Even Matter?

18:26 On Young Frankenstein and the Declining American Empire

20:49 On Richard?s Astounding Rhetorical Abilities

29:40 What Makes Donald Trump Great?

37:38 Was Trump Good for the Economy?

40:52 Did Trump Win the Economic War Against China?

43:46 Were Trump?s Tax Cuts Disastrous for Americans?

50:00 Why Won?t Trump Just Go Away?

52:29 Is Ukraine Doomed to Lose the Russian War?

54:26 On Private Versus State Capitalism (Or, American vs Russia)

1:00:21 Who Will be Left When America Crumbles?

1:05:04 How Can We Sum Up Biden?s Presidency?

1:13:14 What on Earth Should We Make of Kamala Harris

1:23:24 Donald Trump Versus Marxism

1:29:30 The Republican and Democratic War on Immigrants

1:37:38 Trump Vs Harris on Economics | Who Wins?

1:43:44 Trump Vs Harris on Russia, Ukraine, Israel, & Palestine

1:50:37 Trump, Harris, and the War on Data

1:55:10 On Richard Wolff, the Man, and Donald Trump

1:57:43 Will Trump or Harris Win 2024?

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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Robinson?s Fashion Empire: http://bit.ly/3XBKqO2

Some speakers, like Norman (https://youtu.be/vhFm62msNGc), are whip-smart and all I can do is ask a question before letting them take me along for the ride. Others are just as sharp, but the interview is an entirely different experience. I feel silly being this dramatic, so forgive me; it just seems that what follows is the proper extended metaphor to describe our conversation. Rashid crackles with energy when he talks, just as if he were a fighter. Even if he?s not using his fists, his cadence is like a boxer?s and I had to roll with the punches. This was another great one, and as usual I bear very little responsibility beyond sticking it out in the ring. I?m going to resist the urge to make any more boxing comments and instead finish with this: Thanks for listening.

- Robinson

P.S. In a number of recent episodes I?ve mentioned Maui Nui Venison, which is a company operating out of Hawaii that manages the invasive deer population of Maui that is decimating the landscape. Instead of culling the animals and disposing of their bodies, the meat is butchered and sold. It is the only meat I eat, full-stop, and the ethical reasons are sufficient for this, but it is also the best meat that I have ever eaten. I reached out to Maui Nui and told them that I support what they are doing and would like to be of any help that I can. They gave me this coupon code?ROBINSON?which you can use for 20% off. I am not being paid for this in any way. I believe in what they are doing and I want this model to succeed. People are going to be eating meat for the foreseeable future and I would be happier if it was not factory-farmed meat. So please check Maui Nui out and give them a try!

---

Rashid Khalidi is the Edward Said Professor Emeritus of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. He was editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies, President of the Middle East Studies Association, and an advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid and Washington Arab-Israeli peace negotiations from October 1992 until June 1993. In this episode, Rashid and Robinson discuss the history that culminated in October 7th, 2023, what has happened since then, and what might happen in the future. More particularly, they talk about Zionism, the Nakba, how Gaza was created, the war between Israel and Hamas, Egypt?s role in the crisis, the question of genocide, and the future of Palestine. Rashid?s most recent book is The Hundred Years? War on Palestine (Metropolitan Books, 2021).

The Hundred Years? War on Palestine: https://a.co/d/7Mrwuz9

The Neck and the Sword: https://shorturl.at/N7HRo

A New Abyss (The Guardian Long Read): https://shorturl.at/oVn5j

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

01:07 On His Palestinian Ancestors? Battle Against Zionism

04:04 Is the Israel-Hamas War an American War?

06:04 How Far Back Must We Go to Understand October 7th?

07:33 The Nakba Versus the Bible

12:42 The Zionist Propaganda War

15:40 Is the War Between Israel and Hamas Fought in the Media?

18:52 Is All Zionist History Propaganda?

22:12 How Did the Nakba Create Gaza?

27:16 How Rashid?s Family Was Scattered by the Nakba

28:45 Has Gaza Become a Concentration Camp?

33:10 Did Hamas Cause the Apocalyptic Blockade on Gaza?

38:04 Did the Election of Hamas Further Doom Gaza?

40:21 Is Israel Committing Genocide in Gaza?

45:17 Were the War Crimes of October 7th Justified?

46:52 Can Israel?s War Crimes Against Gaza Be Justified?

48:48 Can Israel Destroy Hamas?

51:30 Is Egypt Responsible for the Gaza Crisis?

53:30 Who Are the Biggest Players in the Israel-Hamas War?

54:30 Is the Israel-Hamas War Just Beginning?

01:00:07 How Soon Will Israel Conquer Gaza?

01:05:19 Rashid?s Hope for the Future of Israel and Palestine

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Robinson?s Fashion Empire: http://bit.ly/3XBKqO2

Norman Finkelstein received his PhD from the Princeton University Politics Department, and is best known for his research on Israel and Palestine. In this episode, Norman and Robinson sit down for a discussion centered around the anniversary of October 7th, and they speak about the immensity of what has happened in the Israel-Palestine region in the time before and since. Norman also appeared on episode 192, where he and Robinson discussed allegations of genocide and apartheid, Hamas and Hezbollah, and connections between the war and the Holocaust. Norman was also featured on episode 218, where he addressed the facts and fictions generated by the Israel-Hamas War. Norman?s most recent book is I?ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It! Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic Freedom (Sublation Media, 2023).

Norman?s Website: https://www.normanfinkelstein.com

OUTLINE

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:44 Why Norman Couldn?t Have Predicted October 7th

00:04:45 Gaza?s Last Victim

00:07:55 Is the Palestine Question Dead?

00:11:13 What Hamas in Gaza and American Slave Rebellions Have in Common

00:17:22 How the Nakba Created Gaza in 1948

00:21:21 Is Gaza a Concentration Camp?

00:25:20 High-Tech Israeli Killing Sprees in Gaza

00:29:23 The Butcher of Beirut & The Sabra and Shatila Massacre

00:31:20 On the First Intifada and the Silencing of Gaza

00:37:11 On Hassan Nasrallah, Leader of Hezbollah

00:41:59 How Israel Will Destroy Hezbollah

00:42:35 Israel Vs The Party of God

00:45:32 On the Courage of Dying for a Cause

00:48:24 On His Time with Hezbollah and Nasrallah

00:52:41 Noam Chomsky on Hezbollah?s Threat to Israel

00:56:30 On Nasrallah?s Prophetic Speech Before His Assassination

01:02:10 On Martin Luther King Jr?s Final Words

01:04:35 On Nasrallah and the Assassination of Pro-Palestine Leaders

01:07:08 The Parallel Between American Slaves and Gazan Palestinians

01:12:37 Will the Gazans Be Emancipated like American Blacks from Slavery?

01:19:16 Norman?s Big Question for Noam Chomsky

01:21:26 The Question of Gaza as a Concentration Camp

01:23:03 The Crushing Toll of the Holocaust on Norman

01:32:08 On His Mother, Piers Morgan, and Gaza as a Holocaust

01:34:14 On the Rise of Hamas

01:38:49 On Hamas, Nasrallah, and the Sealed Fate of Gaza

01:41:36 Does Israel Have the Right to Commit Genocide?

01:45:48 Does Israel Intentionally Murder Innocent Civilians?

01:50:10 Just How Brutal Are Israel?s High Tech Military Operations?

01:54:09 On Gandhi?s Meditations in Jail

01:56:07 Does Israel Go on Killing Sprees in Palestine?

01:58:43 Are the Leaders of Hamas Rich Billionaires?

02:04:43 Comparing Gaza and the Warsaw Ghetto

02:09:33 The Absurdity of Gaza?s Economy

02:15:11 What Was Hamas?s Intentions on October 7th?

02:18:14 Did Hamas Commit Sexual Violence Against Israelis on October 7th?

02:24:07 On Israel?s Violent Revenge Against Hamas

02:26:50 Has Israel Restored Its Fearsome Reputation in the Middle East?

02:30:34 Has Israel Exterminated Gaza?

02:36:31 The Bottom Line on Israel and the Desolation of Gaza

02:39:39 Will There Be a Ceasefire in Gaza?

02:43:58 Why Does Israel Always Win?

02:52:40 On Philosophy, Chattel Slavery, and Justice in Palestine

02:58:02 On Justice and Norman Finkelstein?s Purpose in Life

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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Robinson?s Fashion Empire: http://bit.ly/3XBKqO2

David Eagleman is a neuroscientist at Stanford University who works on synesthesia, brain plasticity, and sensory substitution, among other topics. He is also a bestselling author, the host of the Inner Cosmos podcast, and writer and presenter of the international PBS series The Brain with David Eagleman. In this episode, Robinson and David discuss brain plasticity and its optimization, the neuroscience of language-learning, consciousness and animal minds, synesthesia, sensory substitution, artificial intelligence, conspiracy theories, and more. David?s most recent book is Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain (Vintage, 2021). 

David?s Website: https://eagleman.com

Livewired: https://a.co/d/67w3TQ3

Inner Cosmos: https://eagleman.com/podcast/

OUTLINE

00:00:53 David?s Interest in the Mind

00:02:52 Solving A Problem of Kant with Modern Neuroscience

00:06:08 On Brain Plasticity and How to Maximize It

00:15:23 Do Children Really Learn Languages Faster than Adults?

00:19:46 Using Neuroscience to Maximize Weight Loss and Improve Diet Outcomes

00:22:09 Was Helen Keller Conscious?

00:24:14 Why Neuroscience Hasn?t Figured Out Consciousness

00:28:32 What Really Is Synesthesia?

00:36:44 On Animal Consciousness and Eating Meat

00:42:56 What Is Intelligence?

00:45:52 What Is the Intelligence Echo Illusion?

00:52:02 Will ChatGPT Surpass Our Greatest Thinkers?

00:55:50 Do We Need to Replace the Turing Test?

01:05:57 Inner Cosmos

01:09:16 Why Does the Brain Love Conspiracy Theories?

01:11:33 Why Does the Brain Fall for Magic Tricks?

01:13:14 Why Can?t We Tickle Ourselves?

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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

David Builes is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University, where he works in metaphysics and epistemology and has made serious contributions to the philosophies of mind, science, and mathematics. In this episode, Robinson and David discuss the metaphysics of time?including debates about the reality of the past, present, and future?the question of whether science can explain consciousness, and whether numbers exist as abstract objects.

David?s Website: https://davidbuiles.com

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

01:05 David?s Interest in Philosophy

05:47 On the Philosophy of Time

16:01 In Defense of Presentism

24:21 How Long is the Present?

25:58 Humean and Non-Humean Laws

28:02 Can Science Explain Consciousness?

40:25 Does David Believe His Work?

43:32 First-Person Realism

53:18 Is First-Person Realism Correct?

57:42 The Philosophy of Math

01:01:45 Do Numbers Exist?

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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Alexander Nehamas is the Edmund N. Carpenter II Class of 1943 Professor in the Humanities, both of philosophy and comparative literature, at Princeton University. He is best known for his work on ancient philosophy, literary theory, the philosophy of art, and his scholarship on Friedrich Nietzsche. In this episode, Robinson and Alexander primarily discuss the latter, though they also delve into some of his other work. More particularly, they discuss Nietzsche?s writings on eternal recurrence, the will to power, and morality, among other topics, as well as the perils of doing history as a philosopher, the infamous Elgin marbles, great works of literature, and personal style. Alexander?s most well-known work on Nietzsche is Nietzsche: Life as Literature (Harvard, 1987).

Nietzsche: Life as Literature: https://a.co/d/7V3MYk0

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

3:07 The Essentials of Nietzsche

11:42  Nietzsche and Eternal Recurrence 

14:46  Nietzsche on Free Will

19:06  Nietzsche on Art and the Ideal Life

20:41  Nietzsche on Herd Morality and Mediocrity

23:20  Nietzsche on the Will to Power

27:02 Nietzsche on Our Dominance Over Animals  

30:41 Was Nietzsche an Anti-Semite? 

33:02 Nietzsche?s Relationship to Animals

36:53 Was Nietzsche an Enemy of Morality?  

39:54 Nietzsche and the Worship of Greatness 

41:06 Favorite Literature 

48:39 Nietzsche and the Perils of the History of Philosophy  

1:05:43 The Elgin Marbles

1:13:50 On Plato and Ancient Philosophy  

1:22:34 Nietzsche on Animal Agriculture

1:29:10 Nietzsche on Seeing Life as a Literary Work

1:34:10 Nietzsche on the Weak and the Great

1:39:32 Philosophy and Life  

1:46:11 On Philosophy and Fashion

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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Peter Woit is a senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at Columbia University, where he researches quantum field theory and quantum gravity. Peter is one of the most well-known critics of string theory, and in this episode he and Robinson discuss his work and research in the area, which is encapsulated in his book Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory and the Search for Unity in Physical Law (Basic Books, 2007), as well as his website by the same name. More particularly, they talk about the standard model of particle physics, the problem of quantum gravity, the main figures in string theory, the arguments for and against this approach to physics, its many alleged failures, and the future of research in the area.

Not Even Wrong (Book): https://a.co/d/iVnPEi1

Not Even Wrong (Website): https://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

02:29 Peter?s Training in Physics

06:21 What Is the Standard Model of Physics? 

10:42 What Is Symmetry? 

21:37 Experiment and the Standard Model of Particle Physics 

26:15 What?s Wrong with the Standard Model of Particle Physics? 

29:36 What Are Grand Unified Theories in Physics?

34:47 What Is Supersymmetry? 

40:15 On Ed Witten and the Genius Mind Behind M-Theory

49:08 What Is String Theory? 

1:04:56 What Is M-Theory?

1:07:59 On AdS/CFT 

1:16:03 On Holography and Quantum Gravity

1:20:27 String Theory and the Sokal Hoax

1:24:09 Peter?s Love of Physics

1:32:13 On the String-Theoretic Landscape and the Multiverse 

1:41:51 What?s the Path Forward for Physics?

1:47:52 Is String Theory the Only Game in Time?

1:53:17 How Did String Theory Become Dominant?

1:56:45 String Theory: Not Even Wrong?

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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Michael Graziano is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Princeton University, where he and his lab research the brain basis of consciousness. This is Michael?s second appearance on Robinson?s Podcast. In episode #169, they discussed Michael?s Attention Schema Theory of consciousness, in which consciousness is a way in which the brain models attention to better organize and monitor itself. In this conversation, Robinson and Michael reexamine the Attention Schema Theory with an eye toward the problem of studying the consciousness not only of humans, but of other animals, and with particular regard to the moral questions surrounding animals? roles in our lives. Michael?s most recent book is Rethinking Consciousness (W. W. Norton, 2019).

Rethinking Consciousness: https://a.co/d/8euR1EL

Graziano Lab: https://grazianolab.princeton.edu

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

04:28 Michael?s Interest in Consciousness

07:22 What Is Consciousness?

16:03 Is there a Magical Essence to Consciousness?

28:43 How Did Consciousness Evolve?

35:29 Testing Michael?s Model of Consciousness

44:55 What?s It Like to Be a Human?

48:25 Is Human Suffering an Illusion?

54:07 The Neuroscience of Pain and Suffering

01:00:39 Is There Value to Human Life?

01:10:42 Was Helen Keller Conscious?

01:21:15 The Global Workspace Theory of Consciousness

01:30:20 Do Animals Value Their Own Lives?

01:41:23 Are Shrimp Conscious?

01:52:23 Should Science Inform Morality?

01:54:03 Can Chickens Suffer?

01:57:12 Are Salmon Conscious?

02:09:40 Are Octopuses Conscious?

02:22:43 Are Poultry Conscious?

02:29:43 Are Barnyard Animals Conscious?

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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

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 fourth appearance on Robinson?s Podcast. In episode #127, he and Robinson discussed some of the most profound criticisms of capitalism; in #154, they focused on the myths surrounding Marxism and Marx himself; and in #190 they covered the Israel-Palestine conflict from a Marxist perspective. In this wide-ranging episode, Richard and Robinson talk about the end of the American empire. More particularly they discuss the wars in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine, the rivalry between China and the United States, the global interplay between capitalism and socialism, the distinction between socialism and communism, the conflict between the BRICS and G7 nations, and more. Richard?s latest book is Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024).

Understanding Capitalism (Book): https://www.democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalism

Class Theory and History (Book): https://a.co/d/ht4trZN

Understanding the 2024 Elections (Article): https://asiatimes.com/2024/08/capitalism-mass-anger-and-2024-elections/

Richard?s Website: https://www.rdwolff.com

Economic Update: https://www.democracyatwork.info/economicupdate

OUTLINE

03:10 On the Trauma of His Family Background

10:50 Academia?s War on Marxism 

22:45 Economics as the Secret Undercurrent of History

28:01 Will Ukraine Defeat Russia?

31:52 Is China the Empire of the New World?

39:04 The Best American Strategy Against China

45:24 How Trump Won and Lost America

56:22 Is Israel a Colonialist State?

01:03:23 On the Expulsion of the Palestinians from Israel

01:10:49 Israel as America?s Economic Baby

01:18:08 Global Capitalism as the Enemy of the Islamic World

01:23:00 Why You Should Distrust Wartime Propaganda

01:33:03 Zelensky and the Ukrainian Chess Match

01:42:53 The Economic Conspiracy Behind the American Pick-Up Truck

01:49:31 Israel, Ukraine, and the New Cold War

01:54:20 The Many Taboos of Socialism and Communism

01:58:54 The War Between Socialism and Capitalism

02:07:51 Is Socialism More Efficient than Capitalism?

02:16:58 World War I and the Rise of Socialism

02:22:58 The Failed American Attempt to Destroy Russian Communism

02:27:26 Why Did Russia Choose Communism over Socialism?

02:38:06 Communism, Socialism, and the War for the Workplace

02:43:00 Is China Secretly Capitalist?

02:53:18 America?s Choice Between Equality or Subservience to China

02:58:45 Europe?s Hidden Economic Apocalypse

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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

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. This is David?s eighth appearance on Robinson?s Podcast. He last appeared on episode 210 with Tim Maudlin, which was a more advanced episode on Niels Bohr and the foundations of quantum mechanics. In this episode, David gives a pedagogical and introductory overview of the measurement problem, which is the issue at the core of many discussions about the foundations of quantum mechanics. David?s most recent book is A Guess at the Riddle (2023). 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.

Note: Unfortunately, the cameras turned off in the middle of the episode. For twenty minutes there is no video, and for most of the episode only the camera focusing on David is recording.

A Guess at the Riddle: https://a.co/d/6qcsidl

The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

04:54 On Philosophy and the Foundations of Physics

15:35 The Bizarreness of the Quantum World

19:16 What Is the World of Classical Physics?

24:00 How Quantum Mechanics Destroyed the Classical World

29:19 What Is Quantum Mechanical Superposition?

32:18 How Quantum Mechanics Became the Theory of Reality

39:53 What Is the Measurement Problem of Quantum Mechanics?

51:05 Niels Bohr and the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

01:01:14 Niels Bohr and the EPR Paper

01:08:45 Was Niels Bohr the Most Charming Physicist of All Time?

01:15:59 Is the Measurement Problem a Scientific Problem?

01:21:24 Is String Theory Pseudoscience?

01:31:03 Why Don?t Many Philosophers Work on String Theory?

01:34:08 The Wave Function and the Measurement Problem

01:37:57 Quantum Measurement and Wave Function Collapse

01:41:34 Hidden Variable Theories of Quantum Mechanics

01:44:54 Quantum Mechanics and the Multiverse

01:48:47 Solving the Measurement Problem with Experiment

01:56:41 Quantum Mechanics and the Scientific Project

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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

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 third appearance on the show. He was also a guest on episode 180, where he and Robinson discussed neoliberalism, industrial capitalism, and the rentier economy, and on episode 198, where they discussed Marxism, economic parasites, and contemporary debt cancellation. In this episode, Michael and Robinson talk about the history of debt cancellation in the ancient world?including Babylon, Greece, and Rome?how they helped to stave off economic collapse, how the failure to implement them contributed to the demise of these civilizations, and how they might be used in today?s economies. Michael?s most recent book is Temples of Enterprise (ISLET, 2024). This episode was recorded at Austin?s Ale House in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York, and comes highly recommended.

Michael?s Website: https://michael-hudson.com

Temples of Enterprise: https://a.co/d/a3c53dm

Austin?s Ale House: https://www.austinsteakandalehouse.com/

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

03:08 Michael?s Interest in Debt

08:23 Why Countries Can?t Pay Their Debts

12:14 Debt Cancellations in the Ancient World

16:51 Can Society Survive Forgiving Everyone?s Debts?

21:30 The Brilliance of Bronze Age Economics

29:19 What Happened When Ancient Harvests Failed?

32:04 The Timeless War of Creditors Against Debtors

37:49 Why States Should Print Their Own Money

41:11 How the Catholic Church Created the Modern State

55:50 On the Origin of Money

01:01:28 On the Economics of Ancient Babylon

01:07:17 Were Ancient Economists Better than Today?s?

01:09:09 The Most Important Prices of an Economy

01:11:39 Uncovering the Collapse of Babylon

01:22:30 Debt and the End of Civilization

01:24:58 Are Ancient Economics the Key to the Future?

01:30:33 Should the Government Forgive Student Loan Debt?

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, historians, economists, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

This is the August 2024 AMA for Robinson?s Podcast. It is supported by the members of the Patreon. In this installment, Robinson answers questions about metaethics, art history, discipline, fashion, fitness, fantasy world-building, consciousness, fine-tuning, quantum mechanics, and more.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

01:01 What to Do

07:43 Thoughts on Discipline

17:29 Art History

20:43 Philosophy for Daily Life

23:30 Planners and Pantsers

27:53 Favorite Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics?

33:06 Favorite Color?

35:57 On Magic and Fantasy World-Building

46:32 Black Holes, Electrons, and Thumbnails

52:45 Favorite Comedy

55:37 Physicality in Life

01:02:19 Is Consciousness Emergent or Fundamental?

01:04:54 Views on Fashion

01:15:16 What?s It Like to be a Philosopher?

01:24:00 Solutions of 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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Joscha Bach is a computer scientist and artificial intelligence researcher currently working with Liquid AI. He has previously done research at Harvard, MIT, Intel, and the AI Foundation. In this episode, Joscha and Robinson discuss the nature of consciousness?both in humans and synthetic?various theories of consciousness like panpsychism, physicalism, dualism, and Roger Penrose?s, the distinction between intelligence and artificial intelligence, the next developments of ChatGPT and other LLMs, OpenAI, and whether advances in AI will spell the end of humankind.

Joscha?s X: https://x.com/Plinz

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

03:33 Why are Legos Like Computer Programs?

08:23 Philosophy and Mental Representation

11:17 Using Computer Science to Understand Reality

16:26 Could We Make Minds from Machines?

19:14 Is Reality a Simulation?

21:46 What Is the Mind?

24:27 What Do Mysterions Believe About Consciousness?

26:20 Does Roger Penrose?s Theory of Consciousness Make Sense?

35:15 Could Dualism Explain the Human Mind?

37:58 What Is Physicalism About the Human Mind?

41:03 What?s Wrong with Panpsychism?

47:58 On the Next Breakthrough in Consciousness

52:59 What Is Intelligence? 

55:45 What?s Artificial Intelligence?

58:22 What Defines the Current Wave of AI?

01:00:57 On the First AI Winter

01:04:55 On Meaning, LLMs, and ChatGPT

01:08:18 Does ChatGPT Mirror the Human Mind?

01:13:18 Is ChatGPT Intelligent?

01:18:43 Will ChatGPT Become Smarter than Humans? 

01:24:25 What Is the ARC Challenge for AI?

01:27:58 Will ChatGPT Philosophize Better than Philosophers?

01:35:04 Are Apple, Google, and Microsoft on the Cutting Edge of AI?

01:39:16 Shoulder We Fear AI?

01:45:34 Are We the Smartest Thing on Earth?

01:49:47 What?s More Dangerous: The Internet or AI?

01:54:20 Could AI Take Over the Planet? 

01:59:22 Will AI Make Human Artists Obsolete?

02:04:10 Will AI Make Humankind Dependent on the One Percent?

02:11:28 Could AI Solve Climate Change?

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, and everyone in-betwee

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Norman Finkelstein received his PhD from the Princeton University Politics Department, and is best known for his research on Israel and Palestine. In this episode of Robinson?s Podcast, Norman addresses some of the most common arguments made in defense of Israel, such as those purporting to show Israel is not committing genocide, that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, that Israel is fighting in self-defense, that Egypt is responsible for the crisis, and more. Norman also appeared on episode 192, where he and Robinson discussed October 7th, allegations of genocide and apartheid, and connections between the war and the Holocaust. Norman?s most recent book is I?ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It! Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic Freedom (Sublation Media, 2023).

Norman?s Website: https://www.normanfinkelstein.com

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

03:47 Will Israel Nuke Palestine?

12:07 On Palestine and the Holocaust

15:10 Is Israel Getting Away with Genocide?

20:35 On Nuclear War and Israel?s Dependence on the United States

24:00 How Responsible Is Egypt for the Crisis in Gaza?

27:43 Does the Israeli Military Target Civilians?

36:27 Why Norman Finkelstein Can?t Watch the News from Palestine

38:06 On Hoaxes and Conspiracies in Israel-Palestine

47:06 On Corruption in Academia

49:16 Propaganda in Holocaust Scholarship

53:00 Facts and Fiction in Israel-Palestine

1:00:27 Norman Finkelstein?s Research Habits

1:05:10 Do Israeli Settlements Break International Law?

1:07:44 Why Does the United States Support Israel?

1:12:21 ?Jewish Supremacy? Versus Harvard

1:20:11 Does Anti-Zionism = Anti-Semitism? 

1:29:38 Does Anti-Semitism Cause Protests Against Israel?

1:35:44 Is The War in Gaza Justifiable as Self-Defense?

1:42:39 On Becoming a Public Figure

1:50:51 On His War with Alan Dershowitz

2:04:19 On Integrity and Palestine Scholarship

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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Leonard Susskind is Felix Bloch Professor of Physics at Stanford University. Among other accomplishments, he is among the fathers of such revolutionary concepts in physics as string theory, black hole complementarity, the holographic principle, and the string-theoretic landscape. It is this last concept that Robinson and Leonard discuss in this episode. More particularly, they address the fine-tuning problem?that so many of the constants in physics, such as the cosmological constant?appear to have been selected precisely to allow for human life, as if they were substantially different we would not exist. In answering this question they talk about string theory, dark energy, the Higgs boson, god and supernatural explanations, eternal inflation, the multiverse, the interpretations of quantum mechanics, the anthropic principle, alternative answers to the problem, and the future of research in the area. For more detail, read Leonard?s book on the topic, The Cosmic Landscape.

The Cosmic Landscape: https://a.co/d/j2njH7h

The Theoretical Minimum: https://theoreticalminimum.com

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

04:03 A Parable About the Fine-Tuning Problem

09:58 String Theory and the Fine-Tuning Problem

18:04 The Problem of Dark Energy

25:05 Could Dark Energy Rip the Universe Apart?

33:11 God, String Theory, and the Illusion of Intelligent Design

42:51 On the String-Theoretic Landscape

48:54 The Eternal Inflation of the Universe

55:07 What Determines the Physics of the Multiverse?

01:02:09 On the Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics

01:05:50 On the Future of String Theory and Fine-Tuning

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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Raphael Bousso is the Chancellor?s Chair in Physics at the Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics, where he leads the Bousso Group in research on quantum gravity and quantum information. He is a renowned string theorist famous also for his development of the string theoretic landscape and the Bousso bound in holography. In this episode, Robinson and Raphael discuss the groundbreaking work of Jacob Bekenstein, Stephen Hawking, Leonard Susskind, Gerard ?t Hooft, and others on the black hole information paradox. They then turn to how this led to the formulation of the holographic principle, which has had profound implications for research on quantum gravity, especially for Raphael himself, who has recently been working on quantum information theory, quantum communication, and other ways in which classical gravity ?knows about? and encodes its own quantum states. 

The Bousso Group: https://lightsheet.berkeley.edu

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

04:14 Working with Leonard Susskind and Stephen Hawking

6:29 Why Do Physicists Care About Black Holes?

19:11 Do Black Holes have a Temperature?

23:51 How Cold is a Black Hole?

27:32 The Black Hole Information Paradox

41:31 Do Black Holes Mean Quantum Mechanics Must be Thrown Out?

47:09 Black Hole Complementarity and Holography

54:09 What Is Quantum Gravity?

01:01:15 Why is Quantum Gravity a Low Energy Problem?

01:06:54 The Bottom-Up Approach to Quantum Gravity

1:11:12 On String Theory and Holography

01:16:00 What Are Bousso Bounds?

01:22:58 Is Gravity a Quantum Error-Correcting Code?

01:32:09 Is Gravity a Fundamental Force? 

01:37:25 On String Theory and the Multiverse

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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Dr. Anna Lembke received her undergraduate degree in Humanities from Yale University and her medical degree from Stanford University. She is currently Professor and Medical Director of Addiction Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She is also Program Director of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Fellowship, and Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. This is Anna?s second time on the show. On episode 117, she and Robinson discussed her latest, New York Times bestselling book, Dopamine Nation (Dutton/Penguin Random House, August 2021). In this episode, they discuss psychiatry and some of its philosophical connections. Some of the topics they cover include psychiatric phenomenology, eating disorders, the patient-psychiatrist relationship, therapeutic modalities, moral realism, the goals of therapy, and the upcoming Official Dopamine Nation Workbook.

Dopamine Nation: https://a.co/d/0AJw6Je

The Official Dopamine Nation Workbook: https://a.co/d/0eVHKFc1

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

03:01 Meta-Commentary, Telehealth, and In-Person Psychiatry

13:50 Transference in Therapy

23:01 Moral Realism

33:45 Nietzsche and Veganism

42:43 Reductionism, Emotion, and Psychiatry

45:55 On Treating Eating Disorders

52:24 The DSM-V and Psychiatric Practice

01:00:00 The Relationship Between Science and Psychiatry

01:08:31 Robinson?s Speech Patterns

01:15:40 Medication Versus Therapy

01:23:07 Creative Pursuits and Therapy 

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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

This is the inaugural AMA for Robinson?s Podcast. It is supported by the members of the podcast?s Patreon. In this installment, Robinson answers questions about the reality of mathematics, podcasting, moral facts, ice cream, the nature of time, literary books for neophytes, and more.

Denying Infinity: https://doi.org/10.1080/01445340.2024.2344346

Abstract: Abraham Robinson is well-known as the inventor of nonstandard analysis, which uses nonstandard models to give the notions of infinitesimal and infinitely large magnitudes a precise interpretation. Less discussed, although subtle and original?if ultimately flawed?is Robinson?s work in the philosophy of mathematics. The foundational position he inherited from David Hilbert undermines not only the use of nonstandard analysis, but also Robinson?s considerable corpus of pre-logic contributions to the field in such diverse areas as differential equations and aeronautics. This tension emerges from Robinson?s disbelief in the existence of infinite totalities (any mention of them is ?literally meaningless?) and the fact that much of his work involves them. I argue that he treats infinitary avenues of mathematics as useful tools to avoid this difficulty, but that this is not successful to the extent that these tools must be justified by a conservative extension from finitary mathematics. While Robinson provides a compelling and unorthodox pragmatic justification for the role of formal systems in mathematical practice despite their apparent infinitary presuppositions, he deflates mainstream mathematics to a collection of games that occasionally produces meaningful results. This amounts to giving up on a commitment to reconciling his finitism with his mathematical practice. 

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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Joyce Carol Oates is the Rogers S. Berlind ?52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities at Princeton University with the Program in Creative Writing. She is among the most widely-recognized and respected writers of our time, and has written in a wide variety of media and genres, from poetry and fiction in the former category to horror and Gothic in the latter. Her work has also been adapted into various other media, from plays to film. Joyce is the recipient of two O. Henry Awards and the National Book Award, among many others. This is Joyce?s second appearance on Robinson?s Podcast. In episode 137, she and Robinson discussed craft in fiction and poetry. In this episode, they talk about Joyce?s most recent collection of short stories, Zero-Sum (link in the description), as well as philosophy, Peter Singer, dealing with criticism, translation, and more.

Joyce?s Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoyceCarolOates

Joyce?s Substack: https://joycecaroloates.substack.com

Zero-Sum: https://a.co/d/0cYh3ndo

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

03:16 On Peter Singer

12:41 On Buddhism

21:50 On Hemingway

25:50 Dealing with Criticism

38:17 On Translation

47:53 Writing Short Stories

58:38 Imagery and Recreating the World

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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Slavoj ?i?ek is international director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities at the University of London, visiting professor at New York University, and a senior researcher at the University of Ljubljana?s Department of Philosophy. This is Slavoj?s fourth appearance on the show. On episode 109, he and Robinson discussed wokeness and psychoanalysis. On episode 118, he, Sean Carroll, and Robinson discussed quantum physics, the multiverse, and time travel. And on episode 206 he, Lee Smolin, and Robinson discussed quantum physics. In this episode, Robinson and Slavoj talk about ancient philosophy, god, communism, quantum mechanics, and psychoanalysis.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

02:47 Why Is Philosophy More important Now Than Ever?

11:08 On Socrates and the Importance of Philosophy

19:12 On Excrement, God, and Atheism

27:50 A Communist Paradise

34:18 Ukraine and Marxism

39:24 Philosophy and Quantum Mechanics

47:56 Is Lying the Point of Language?

55:49 Cursing as a Test for Artificial Intelligence

58:25 On Philosophers and Physicists

1:01:50 On Superpositions and Quantum Mechanics

1:09:28 On Analytic and Continental Philosophy 

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, and everyone in-between.

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Deborah Gordon is Professor of Biology at Stanford University. She is a myrmecologist?an entomologist who studies ants?focusing on how complex behavior emerges from ant colonies, which have no central control. In this episode, Deborah and Robinson discuss some of the distinctive features of ants, how pheromones help to determine their behavior, examples of fascinating ant species, collective ant behavior, and the life cycle of an ant colony. For more of Deborah?s work on collective behavior, check out her book The Ecology of Collective Behavior (Princeton, 2023).

The Gordon Lab: https://web.stanford.edu/~dmgordon/

Ants at Work: https://a.co/d/7bpokYU

The Ecology of Collective Behavior: https://a.co/d/1bBT1h7

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

02:33 Ants and Embryology

05:29 General Features of Ants

13:14 Some Fascinating Ant Species

28:20 Pheromones and Ant Behavior

38:17 Ant Slavery

41:30 Collective Ant Behavior

47:04 A Colony?s Life Cycle

59:01 Revisiting Embryology

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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Jay Chandrasekhar is a director, writer, stand-up comic, and actor. Some of his works include directing Super Troopers, Beerfest, and Dukes of Hazzard. He has also directed episodes of Arrested Development, Community, and New Girl. Jay also wrote Mustache Shenanigans (2017) and co-hosts the podcast Mustache Tales. In this episode, Robinson and Jay discuss his growth as a writer, the importance of purpose in comedy and film, creative integrity in Hollywood, working on Supertroopers, and his time with Johnny Knoxville and the Jackass crew.

Mustache Tales: https://www.mustachetales.com

Mustache Shenanigans: https://a.co/d/8DZscAT

Opening Scene of Super Troopers: https://youtu.be/-wdVF_zJS4s?si=goQsJLqLqvBbMyF0

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

02:58 Jay?s Name Means?What?

5:22 Mustache Shenanigans

7:54 The Importance of Strong Beginnings in Comedy

20:41 The Importance of Purpose in Comedy and Film

24:39 Keeping Creative Integrity in Hollywood

32:20 On Writing a Novel

36:32 How to Have a Good Podcast

41:34 On Working with the Jackass Crew

59:20 Developing the Talent of a Storyteller

1:12:20 Breaking Down the Raiders of the Lost Ark

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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

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. Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at NYU and Founder and Director of the JBI. This is David?s seventh appearance on Robinson?s Podcast. He last appeared on episode 189 with Barry Loewer to talk about the Mentaculus, their joint project on the foundations of statistical mechanics. This is Tim?s sixth appearance on the show. He last appeared on episode 188 with Sheldon Goldstein to discuss Bohmian mechanics. Tim and David last joined Robinson together for episode 67, which gave an overview of the foundations of quantum mechanics. In this episode, Robinson, David, and Tim talk about the measurement problem, the role of philosophy in physics, various thought experiments, like Schrödinger?s cat and Wigner?s friend, and Niels Bohr?s effects both on quantum mechanics and the philosophy of science. 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.

A Guess at the Riddle: https://a.co/d/6qcsidl

Tim?s Website: www.tim-maudlin.site

The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

04:04 Einstein, Bell, and Pearl on the Measurement Problem

13:00 On ?Measurement? in Quantum Mechanics

25:34 What IS the Measurement Problem?

34:42 John Bell on the Measurement Problem

40:32 An Example of the Measurement Problem

43:08 Von Neumann on the Measurement Problem

45:38 Niels Bohr and the Measurement Problem

57:54 Niels Bohr?s Drastic Revision of Physics

1:08:36 Quantum Measurement and the Philosophy of Physics

1:22:52 On Schrodinger?s Cat and Wigner?s Friend

1:38:34 On Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics

1:45:40 The Measurement Problem, Solved?

1:51:04 On the Role of Philosophy in Physics

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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Peter Singer is Ira W. DeCamp Professor Emeritus of Bioethics in the Department of Philosophy at Princeton University. He is among the most influential living philosophers, and among the most influential moral philosophers of the last century. Peter is best known for his work in applied ethics on animal welfare and global poverty. In this episode, Robinson and Peter discuss these topics after first introducing his more general views on moral philosophy, including those on utilitarianism and meta-ethics. Throughout their conversation they also touch on Peter?s new podcast, Lives Well Lived, co-hosted with Kasia de Lazari Radek, the Journal of Controversial Ideas, Peter?s Substack, Bold Reasoning with Peter Singer, and his latest and next books, which are respectively The Buddhist and the Ethicist (Shambhala, 2023) and Consider the Turkey (Princeton, 2024).

Peter?s Website: https://www.petersinger.info

Lives Well Lived Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/6628460c6b51e80012b834c2

The Life You Can Save Organization: https://www.thelifeyoucansave.org.au

The Journal of Controversial Ideas: https://journalofcontroversialideas.org

Peter?s Substack: https://boldreasoningwithpetersinger.substack.com

The Buddhist and the Ethicist: https://a.co/d/38DOmbK

Consider the Turkey: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691231686/consider-the-turkey 

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

04:14 Peter Singer?s Entry into Philosophy

08:54 What Is Utilitarianism?

10:58 On Consequentialism vs Deontology

13:12 On Trolley Problems and Moral Facts

16:40 On Moral Realism and Anti-Realism

20:51 On Hedonistic Utilitarianism

26:17 The Lives Well Lived Podcast

33:43 A Puzzle About Trolley Problems

38:48 On the Origin of Peter Singer?s Concern for Animals

49:38 Is It Ever Morally Permissible to Eat Meat?

55:32 Consider the Turkey

1:03:07 Famine, Affluence, and Morality

1:09:08 The Life You Can Save

1:10:50 The Buddhist and the Ethicist

1:18:08 The Journal of Controversial Ideas

1:25:50 Peter?s Substack

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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Victor Davis Hanson is a renowned classicist, military historian, and political commentator. He is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow in Residence in Classics and Military History at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. Among numerous other awards, Victor was presented the National Humanities Medal in 2007. In this episode, Robinson and Victor discuss his latest book, The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation (Basic Book, 2024), which was released on May 7th. More particularly, they cover the historical connection between annihilation and genocide, how we should interpret the past through today?s moral standards, genocides in the present, and the likelihood of World War III. Victor appeared as a guest on episode #112, in which he and Robinson talked about what was at the time Victor?s latest book, The Dying Citizen. He was also a guest on episode #191, which covered Victor?s views on the current crisis in Israel and Palestine. Keep up with Victor on Twitter, through his website, and on his podcast, The Victor Davis Hanson Show. 

Victor?s Website: https://victorhanson.com

Victor?s Twitter: https://twitter.com/VDHanson

The Victor Davis Hanson Show: https://art19.com/shows/the-victor-davis-hanson-show 

The Dying Citizen: https://a.co/d/dPocUJg

The End of Everything: https://a.co/d/46O0mMB

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

03:41 On Annihilation, Extinction, and Genocide

09:31 What Causes Genocide?

16:38 The Applicability of Military Strategy to Everyday Life

24:00 On Alexander the Great

36:26 Should We Judge the People of the Past by the Moral Standards of the Present?

44:29 Uyghurs, Jews, and Genocides of the Present

50:45 What Are the Biggest Existential Threats to America?

59:28 Is World War III on the Horizon?

Robinson?s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Sean Carroll is Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University and fractal faculty at the Santa Fe Institute. He is also the host of Sean Carroll?s Mindscape, a podcast about science, society, philosophy, culture, arts, and ideas. This is Sean?s fourth appearance on the show. He appeared with David Albert of Columbia University on episode 106, which covers the Many-Worlds theory of quantum mechanics, Boltzmann Brains, and the fine-tuned universe. He was also on episode 118 with Slavoj ?i?ek on quantum physics, the multiverse, time travel, and a whole lot more, and then episode 200 with Daniel Dennett and Steven Pinker on AI, parapsychology, and consciousness. This episode is coming out in advance of Sean?s next book, Quanta and Fields: The Biggest Ideas in the Universe (Penguin, 2024), which will be released on May 14, 2024. Sean and Robinson discuss many of the topics and themes of Quanta and Fields, including the books? namesake subjects, as well as more decides, like scientific realism, free will, the simulation hypothesis, and the end 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.

Sean?s Website: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com

Sean?s Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanmcarroll

Quanta and Fields (The Biggest Ideas in the Universe): https://a.co/d/gfMDLQo

The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

5:00 The Biggest Ideas in the Universe

9:38 Do Physicists Understand Physics?

15:51 What Is the Role of Philosophers in Physics?

18:24 The Measurement Problem and Quantum Field Theory

20:24 Scientific Realism and the Standard Model of Particle Physics

25:11 What Is the Wave Function?

34:46 What Is Quantum Field Theory?

37:45 What Is the Fundamental Layer of Reality?

41:01 What Is the Standard Model of Particle Physics?

45:42 What Are the Fundamental Objects in the Standard Model of Particle Physics?

47:39 How Do We Test the Standard Model of Particle Physics?

49:38 What Are the Weaknesses of the Standard Model of Particle Physics?

54:41 Will We Ever Find a Theory of Everything?

56:19 Is String Theory the Final Theory of Physics?

58:14 String theory and the Fine-Tuning Problem

01:00:18 Is Quantum Gravity the End of Progress in Physics?

01:06:12 What is Philosophical Naturalism?

01:08:05 On Naturalized Epistemology

01:10:24 On the Philosophy of Mathematics

01:19:08 On Naturalizing Morality

01:22:33 The Myths of Quantum Entanglement

01:29:53 Is There Only One Electron?

01:34:09 Are Atoms Mostly Empty Space?

01:36:51 Are We Living in a Simulation?

01:39:58 Is Infinity a Problem for Quantum Mechanics? 

01:41:59 The Mysteries of Quantum Mechanics

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, and everyone in-between. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 Slavoj ?i?ek 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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Sean Carroll is Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University and fractal faculty at the Santa Fe Institute. He is also host of Sean Carroll?s Mindscape, a terrific show (that influenced the birth of Robinson?s Podcast) about science, society, philosophy, culture, arts, and ideas. Daniel Dennett is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Tufts University, where he was co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies and the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy. He is one of the most recognized philosophers today, and has made major contributions to the philosophy of mind and biology, among other areas, and is known as one of the Four Horsemen of Atheism. Steven Pinker is Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He is an experimental cognitive psychologist, prominent public intellectual, and best-selling author who writes on language, mind, and human nature. This is Sean?s third appearance on the show. He was one of the guests?along with David Albert of Columbia University?on episode 106, which covers the Many-Worlds theory of quantum mechanics, entropy and Boltzmann Brains, and the fine-tuned universe. He was also on episode 118 with Slavoj ?i?ek on quantum physics, the multiverse, time travel, and a whole lot more. This is Dan?s second appearance on the show, as on episode 194 he and Robinson spoke about consciousness, free will, and the evolution of minds. Finally, Steve is returning for another centennial episode, as he and Robinson discussed rationality, enlightenment, and free speech on episode 100. But in this episode of Robinson?s Podcast (the two hundredth!), Sean, Dan, Steve, and Robinson discuss artificial intelligence, large language models, and whether or not they threaten democracy or even civilization itself, parapsychology and the laws of physics, panpsychism and consciousness, some of the philosophical lessons of Darwinian thought, and the relationship between science and philosophy. Dan?s latest book is I?ve Been Thinking (W. W. Norton, 2023), Steve?s latest book is Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters (Penguin, 2022), and Sean?s next book, Quanta and Fields: The Biggest Ideas in the Universe (Penguin, 2024), will be coming out on May 14, 2024. 

Sean?s Website: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com

Sean?s Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanmcarroll

Quanta and Fields (The Biggest Ideas in the Universe): https://a.co/d/gfMDLQo

Sean?s Paper on QFT and Supervenience: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2101.07884.pdf

I?ve Been Thinking: https://a.co/d/ahMEC0G

Steven?s Website: https://stevenpinker.com

Steven?s Twitter: https://twitter.com/sapinker

Rationality: https://a.co/d/9N2uFyr

Robinson?s Podcast #106 - David Albert & Sean Carroll: Quantum Theory, Boltzmann Brains, & The Fine-Tuned Universe: https://youtu.be/U6ZtmGIhIhU

Robinson?s Podcast #118 - Slavoj ?i?ek & Sean Carroll: Quantum Physics, the Multiverse, and Time Travel

Robinson?s Podcast #194 - Daniel Dennett: Consciousness, Free Will, and the Evolution of Minds: https://youtu.be/9bZcBh0qtKo

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:59 Introduction

6:11 Will Large Language Models End Civilization?

13:42 Are Large Language Models a Threat to Democracy?

22:53 Could AI Destroy the Job Market? 

28:14 On Parapsychology and the Violation of Physics

40:23 The Parable of the Bathtub

01:03:45 Physical Causation and the Law of Sufficient Reason

01:09:23 On Emergence and Real Patterns

01:14:48 Is Consciousness an Illusion?

01:27:13 The Darwinian Lesson

01:31:50 Does Physics Show that the Universe is Conscious?

1:44:36 What is Philosophy?

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.