Robinson's Podcast

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. 

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

Lawrence Krauss is a theoretical physicist who has taught at Yale, Arizona State University, and Case Western, and is the founder of ASU?s Origins Project. He is a prominent public intellectual and best-selling author, and has written about the origins of the universe, atheism, and many other topics. He is also the host of the Origins Podcast. In this episode, Robinson and Lawrence have a wide-ranging conversation about the current state of physics?and whether or not there is a crisis?the potential shortcomings of string theory, whether or not the world is a hologram, arguments for the existence of god, and the role of science in ethics. Lawrence?s most recent book is The Edge of Knowledge (Post Hill Press, 2023).

Lawrence?s Website: https://lawrencemkrauss.com

The Edge of Knowledge: https://a.co/d/6tIrJzy

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

04:04 Theory versus Experiment

10:13 Is There a Crisis in Physics? 

22:43 On the State of Quantum Gravity

25:40 What?s Wrong with String Theory?

40:58 Cormac McCarthy

50:22 Is the World a Hologram?

1:02:14 God and the Fine-Tuned Universe

1:19:33 Does Science Help Us with Morality?

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

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. Michael was also a guest on episode 180, where he and Robinson discussed neoliberalism, industrial capitalism, and the rentier economy. In this episode we continue the discussion, focusing on his book Killing the Host (ISLET, 2015). More particularly, they discuss the rhythm of debt and economic crashes, the role of history in the study of economics, the history of debt cancellation, Marxism, economic parasites, and how to heal ailing economies. Michael?s most recent book is The Collapse of Antiquity (ISLET, 2023).

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

The Collapse of Antiquity: https://a.co/d/0TMt9Sh

Killing the Host: https://a.co/d/fG2wD19

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

02:29 The Rhythm of Debt and Economic Crashes

8:27 The Role of History in Economic Thought

17:09 The Fascinating History of Debt Cancellation 

25:52 Aristotle, Plato, and The Cancellation of Debt

31:49 Ancient Greece and the Cancellation of Debt

41:10 The Problems with Today?s Neoliberal Economics

45:29 On Karl Marx and Marxism

47:21 The Lord?s Prayer, Christianity, and Debt Cancellation

56:34 FIRE and Economic Parasites

1:07:13 How Does Wall Street Parasitize the Government?

1:09:57 Are We Hosts for Economic Parasites?

1:19:32 What?s Wrong With Austerity Measures for Economic Crashes?

1:21:39 Preventing Economic Parasites from Sucking the Country Dry

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

Martha Nussbaum is the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, with appointments in the Department of Philosophy and the Law School. Martha is among the most recognized philosophers today. Over the course of her career, she has made numerous major contributions to ancient philosophy, ethics, political philosophy, the philosophy of law, and other areas. Martha?s most recent book is Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility (Simon & Schuster, 2023). In this episode, Robinson and Martha discuss some of her contributions to animal ethics both in philosophy and law. More particularly, they touch on philosophical conceptions of justice, various approaches to animal ethics?such as utilitarianism and Kantianism?the Capabilities Approach to freedom and justice, and how people ought to think about eating meat.

Justice for Animals: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JPHCKLJ

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

02:08 Martha?s Interest in Justice for Animals

8:15 Justice and Flourishing Lives

16:31 Recognizing Injustice for Animals

29:54 What Is the Scala Naturae?

42:28 Utilitarianism

52:28 The Capabilities Approach 

1:15:39 Is Meat-Eating Ever Ethical?

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

Stephen Wolfram is the founder and CEO of Wolfram Research, and the creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha, and the Wolfram Language. He received his PhD in theoretical physics from Caltech when he was twenty years old. In addition to his work at the helm of Wolfram Research, he writes and researches widely across computer science, physics, mathematics, and more. This is Stephen?s second appearance on the show. In episode 102, he and Robinson discussed artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, and the philosophy of math. In this episode, however, they turn to the Ruliad?the entangled limited of computability?and Stephen?s search for the fundamental theory of physics. Along the way, they talk about the philosophy of science, abstract and concrete objects, and quantum mechanics.

A Project to Find the Fundamental Theory of Physics: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0917YZDNF?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_Z7EPANZC9JVQR0HP2E1D

The Concept of the Ruliad: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2021/11/the-concept-of-the-ruliad/#:~:text=November%2010%2C%202021-,The%20Entangled%20Limit%20of%20Everything,arisen%20from%20our%20Physics%20Project.

Stephen?s Website: https://www.stephenwolfram.com

Stephen?s Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephen_wolfram

Wolfram Research on YouTube: https://a.co/d/aADrGGh

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

03:44 How Did Stephen Wolfram Discover the Ruliad? 

34:22 The Axiomatic Revolution in Physics 

46:37 Is the Ruliad a Theory or an Object? 

1:10:01 How Big is the Space of Alien Minds? 

1:18:25 Is the Universe an Abstract Object? 

1:31:43 What Is 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, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

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

Brian Keating is the Chancellor?s Distinguished Professor of Physics at the Center for Astrophysics & Space Sciences at UC San Diego, host of the Into the Impossible Podcast, an expert on the cosmic microwave background, and the author of a number of books.  Robinson and Brian discuss the expansion and inflation of the universe, the relationship between theory and experiment in cosmology, gravitational waves, Brian?s brainchild the BICEP experiment, and a lot more. Brian?s most recent book is Into the Impossible (2021), which is a distillation of many of his conversations with Nobel Laureates and other brilliant thinkers.

Brian?s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 

Into the Impossible Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/into-the-impossible 

Brian?s Mailing List: briankeating.com/list

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

01:02 Introduction

03:30 Brian the Builder

10:59 The Theory of Cosmological Expansion?

27:08 The Origins of Inflation

34:15 On Theory and Experiment in Astrophysics

44:27 On Gravitational Waves and Inflation

1:01:40 BICEP Tech Specs

1:14:54 What Did BICEP Find?

1:29:26 The Simons Array

1:32:50 On Eric Weinstein?s Theory of Everything

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

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. Dan?s latest book is I?ve Been Thinking (W. W. Norton, 2023), though much of what he and Robinson discuss comes from his earlier book, From Bacteria to Bach and Back (W. W. Norton, 2017). More particularly, they talk about the origin of life and reasons, the evolution of music, Robert Sapolsky and free will, famous thought experiments in the philosophy of mind, the origin of consciousness, and the relationship between mind and language.

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

From Bacteria to Bach and Back: https://a.co/d/htcrcn7

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:54 Introduction

3:51 Where Am I? 

11:00 The Origin of Life as the Origin of Reasons 

16:42 On Music and Philosophy

23:13 Is Music Evolved?

26:52 What are Replicators and How Do they Figure in Natural Selection?

33:32 On Robert Sapolsky and Free Will

47:50 On Free Will and the Justice System

59:55 On Sean Carroll, Free Will, and Intuition Pumps

1:09:49 On the Chinese Room

1:13:14 On Mary in the White Room

1:18:18 Why Would Aliens Be Excited to Discover Clam Rakes? 

1:21:58 What Is Homuncular Functionalism?

1:30:11 How Do Brains Make Minds?

1:38:59 Are There Pathological Memes? 

1:47:19 Where Does Consciousness Come From?

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

Robert Sapolsky is John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor and Professor of Biology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery at Stanford University. He?s also a best-selling author and one of the leading voices in the current?and enduring?debate over free will. In this conversation, Robinson and Robert discuss his latest book, Determined (Penguin, 2023), and the many arguments it contains against free will, and how, if we don?t have it, we ought to change many of our social institutions, like the carceral system, that operate on the assumption that people are free, morally responsible agents. 

Determined: https://a.co/d/g7n5fPj

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:34 Introduction

3:08 Turtles and the Illusion of Free Will

9:35 The Neuroscience of Denial

12:55 What Is Free Will and Why Don?t We Have It?

21:08 What Is Physical Determinism?

23:15 Chaos Theory, Complexity, and Free Will

34:08 Quantum Bullshit 

39:53 Quantum Mechanics and Free Will 

47:59 Does Consciousness Give Us Free Will?

58:12 Fear, Disgust, and Free Will

1:05:46 What Primatology Tells Us About Free Will

1:08:09 The Limbic System and Free Will

1:13:14 Does Testosterone Undermine Free Will?

1:19:45 How Does the Womb Determine Who We Are?

1:24:32 How Is Free Will Connected to Weight Loss? 

1:31:05 How Does Skepticism About Free Will Impact Behavior? 

1:36:51 If There Is No Free Will, What Should We Do With Prisons? 

1:45:32 What Is Funishment?

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

Norman Finkelstein received his PhD from the Princeton University Politics Department, and is best known for his indefatigable research on Israel and Palestine, which is what he and Robinson discuss in this episode of the show, marking the culmination of a three-installment mini-series on Israel and Palestine. In particular, they discuss the importance?or distraction?of ideology, whether Israel is ethnically cleansing Palestine, the message that October 7th sent to the Arab world, what Gaza has in common with the concentration camps of the Holocaust, Palestinian and Israeli psychology, and whether this conflict is going to be the end of humanity. 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

I?ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It!: https://a.co/d/hDDj9OK

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:43 Introduction

2:56 Poisonous Ideology and the Israel-Palestine Conflict

14:20 Zionism, Imperialism, and the Conquest of Palestine

24:34 Is Zionist Israeli Policy Ethnically Cleansing Palestine?

42:28 Is Gaza a Concentration Camp? 

52:47 On Israel and the Leader of Hezbollah

1:01:36 Will Israel-Palestine Be the End of Humanity?

1:11:38 Does the Holocaust Justify Israel?s Response in Palestine? 

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

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, which is the second in an installment of three considering different perspectives on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Robinson and Victor discuss his appraisal of the situation as a military historian, some of the contentious claims on both sides that are repeated in the media, how the conflict is discussed on college campuses, and how equality ought to be achieved. Victor was also a guest on episode #112, in which he and Robinson talked about Victor?s latest book, The Dying Citizen. 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

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:26 Introduction

03:52 An Overview of the Israel-Palestine Conflict

13:40 Who Has the Right to the Territory of Israel-Palestine?

20:01 Do the Jewish People Need a State?

26:08 Israel-Palestine Activism on College Campuses

29:39 DEI on College Campuses

37:05 Is Israel Committing Genocide in Palestine?

51:05 Is Israel an Apartheid State?

55:47 On Equality in Israel versus Palestine

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

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 third appearance on Robinson?s Podcast. In episode #127, he and Robinson discussed some of the most profound criticisms of capitalism, and in #154 installment, they focused on the myths surrounding Marxism and Marx himself. In this episode, Richard and Robinson talk about the current?and enduring?Israel-Palestine conflict, with particular emphasis on how, with his Marxist training and background, Richard understands it from that perspective. Some particular questions discussed are how class figures into the conflict, whether ideology plays any pernicious roles, whether Israel should be considered a refugee state, why pro-Palestinian views are suppressed in the United States, and how Marx might have attempted to adjudicate the conflict.

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

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

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:37 Introduction

04:19 Israel-Palestine and the Marxist Perspective 

11:33 Is Israel a Colonial State or a Refugee State? 

16:45 Some Important Marxist Distinctions in Israel and Palestine 

25:09 Israel as a Project of Colonialist Capitalism 

41:50 Ideology and the Perpetuation of the Israel-Palestine Disaster 

01:01:03 Warfare and the Horrors of Israel-Palestine 

01:07:43 The Suppression of Opposition to Israel in the United States 

01:19:15 The Marxist Solution to the Israel-Palestine Conflict?

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

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, as is the second guest. 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 second time on the show?in episode 83 he and Robinson discusses probability and laws of nature, both of which come up in this episode. This is David?s sixth (!) appearance on Robinson?s Podcast. He appeared on episode #23 with Justin Clarke-Doane on metaethics and absolute space, episode #30 on the philosophy of time, episode #67 with Tim Maudlin on the foundations of quantum theory, episode #106 with Sean Carroll on Many-Worlds and fine-tuning, and episode #157 on the metaphysics of quantum mechanics. In this episode, Robinson, Barry, and David talk about the Mentaculus, their joint project on the foundations of statistical mechanics, which provides a guide for how to think of and solve problems involving probability, determinism, free will, cosmology, time, and more. A book Barry, Brad Weslake, and Eric Winsberg have edited on essays concerning David?s book, Time and Chance, called The Probability Map of the Universe (Harvard, 2023), came out around this time last year, and the link is in the description.

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

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

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

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:41 Introduction

04:23 The Mentaculus

07:08 Chance, Probability, and Determinism

29:52 What Is the Mentaculus?

46:37 The Mentaculus, Thermodynamics, and Time?s Arrows

01:18:51 The Quantum Arrow of Time

01:30:34 On Tim Maudlin and the Arrow of Time

01:36:30 Can We Time Travel to the Future

01:44:22 Free Will and Statistical 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, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

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

Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at NYU and Founder and Director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. Sheldon Goldstein is Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University, where he researches mathematical physics, the foundations of quantum mechanics, and Bohmian Mechanics. He is also Board Member of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics, and this is his second appearance on the show. In episode 170, he and Robinson discussed Bohmian Mechanics. On the other hand, this is Tim?s fifth appearance on the show. Tim was also a guest on episode 46 (laws of nature, space, and free will), episode 67 with David Albert (the foundations of quantum mechanics), episode 115 with Craig Callender (the philosophy of time), and episode 142 on Bell?s inequality and the philosophy of science. In this episode, Robinson, Tim, and Shelly discuss the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, the Many-Worlds theory, spontaneous collapse theories, Bohmian mechanics, and emergent relativity. 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.

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

Shelly?s Website: https://sites.math.rutgers.edu/~oldstein/

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

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:22 Introduction

03:04 Is Copenhagen the Dominant Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics?

20:12 On the Most Promising Theories of Quantum Mechanics

34:46 Are There 0-Dimensional Quantum Objects?

41:03 On Spontaneous Wave Function Collapse in Quantum Mechanics

47:56 Bohmian Mechanics and Determinism

51:34 What is Bohmian Mechanics?

1:10:33 Is There a Fundamental Theory of Quantum Mechanics

1:18:45What Is Emergent Relativity?

1:31:01 What Are the Problems with Bohmian 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, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

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

Michael Levin is a Distinguished Professor in the Biology Department at Tufts University, where he holds the Vannevar Bush endowed Chair, and he is also associate faculty at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. Michael and the Levin Lab work at the intersection of biology, artificial life, bioengineering, synthetic morphology, and cognitive science. Michael also appeared on the show in episode #151, which was all about synthetic life and collective intelligence. In this episode, Michael and Robinson discuss the nature of cognition, working with Daniel Dennett, how cognition can be realized by different structures and materials, how to define robots, a new class of robot called the Anthrobot, and whether or not we have moral obligations to biological robots.

The Levin Lab: https://drmichaellevin.org/

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:19 Introduction

02:14 What is Cognition?

08:01 On Working with Daniel Dennett

13:17 Gatekeeping in Cognitive Science 

25:15 The Multi-Realizability of Cognition 

31:30 What are Anthrobots? 

39:33 What Are Robots, Really?

59:53 Do We Have Moral Obligations to Biological Robots?

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

Jenann Ismael is the William H. Miller III Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University, where she researches the philosophy of physics, science, mind, and metaphysics. In this episode, Robinson and Jenann discuss the role of self-reference in physics, the arrows of time, interpretations of quantum mechanics, and free will. Jenann?s latest book is Time: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2021).

Jenann?s Website: https://www.jenanni.com

Time: A Very Short Introduction: https://a.co/d/8fRtXFZ

How Physics Makes Us Free: https://a.co/d/9OdFJ12

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode

00:23 Introduction

02:21 Jenann?s Entry into Philosophy of Physics

8:26 Self-Reference and the Universe

21:54 The Real-World Problem of Self-Reference

32:51 The Mentaculus

57:01 Interference and Self-Reference

1:01:55 Interference and Quantum Measurement

1:06:12 On Self-Reference and the Many-Worlds Theory of Quantum Mechanics

1:17:13 On Determinism and Free Will

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

Jim Al-Khalili holds a University of Surrey Distinguished Chair in physics and a university chair in the Public Engagement in Science at the University of Surrey, where he is a theoretical physicist, author, and broadcaster. In this episode, Robinson and Jim talk about the fundamentals of quantum biology, including what it is, how some animals?like Robinson?s namesake, the Robin?take advantage of quantum mechanics, how exotic phenomena like quantum tunneling fit into the biological world, and how quantum mechanics relates to the arrow of time. Jim?s latest book is The Joy of Science (Princeton, 2022).

The Joy of Science: https://amzn.eu/d/hREAipW

Jim?s Website: https://jimal-khalili.com

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode

00:37 Introduction

03:02 What Is Quantum Biology?

17:00 How Do Robins Use Quantum Mechanics?

26:42 Where Does Quantum Tunneling Fit into Biology?

34:16 What is Quantum Decoherence?

40:03 Jim on His Preferred Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

43:18 Quantum Mechanics and the Arrow of Time

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

Brian Leiter is Karl N. Llewellyn Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Chicago Law School, founder and Director of Chicago?s Center for Law, Philosophy & Human Values, and is best known in the philosophical world for his work on Nietzsche and legal philosophy. He is the founding editor of the Routledge Philosophers book series, Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Law, and Philosophical Gourmet Report, which is the canonical?as well as extremely helpful and illuminating?ranking of philosophy departments and PhD programs in the English-speaking world. He also maintains the world?s most popular philosophy blog, Leiter Reports. Brian was also a guest on episode 97, where he and Robinson discussed Karl Marx, ideology, and historical materialism, but in this episode they talk about Friedrich Nietzsche?s moral psychology and his criticism of morality. Among the topics they discuss are The Genealogy of Morals, The Gay Science, moral realism and anti-realism, moral psychology, and Nietzsche?s thoughts on free will. Brian?s latest book is Moral Psychology with Nietzsche (Oxford, 2021).

Brian?s Website: https://www.brianleiter.net

Brian?s Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianLeiter

Leiter Reports: https://leiterreports.typepad.com

Moral Psychology with Nietzsche: https://a.co/d/3dJZBeZ

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:04 Introduction

02:14 Who Was Friedrich Nietzsche?

10:50 Naturalism in Nietzsche?s Moral Psychology

20:24 Nietzsche and the Death of God

28:36 Nietzsche and Moral Anti-Realism

40:32 Did Nietzsche Believe in Free Will?

47:43  Nietzsche and the Genealogy of Morals

01:11:50 The Main Takeaways from Nietzsche?s Moral 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. 

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

Neil Shubin is Robert R. Bensley Distinguished Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago. In addition to actively leading research expeditions across the globe, Neil runs the Shubin Lab, where genetic, kinematic, and paleontologic work combine to investigate some of the major transitions in evolution. In this episode, Robinson and Neil discuss some of these transitions, including the importance of the Devonian and Triassic Periods, how fish moved from water to land, and how early terrestrial environments accommodated them. Neil?s most recent book is Some Assembly Required: Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA (Random House, 2020). 

The Shubin Lab: https://shubinlab.uchicago.edu

Neil?s Twitter: https://shubinlab.uchicago.edu

Some Assembly Required: https://a.co/d/dnZMuSl

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:39 Introduction

03:25 What Is Evolutionary Biology? 

12:59 On The importance of the Devonian Period

20:39 Searching Antarctica for Fish Fossils

31:50 How Did Fish Become People? 

54:43 Genetics and Kinematics

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

Larry Keith is the Head of Conservation and Keeper of the National Gallery of London, where he preserves and maintains some of the world?s most precious works of art, including paintings by Leonardo, Caravaggio, and Rubens. In this episode, Robinson and Larry discuss what goes into a conservator?s appraisal of an artwork, some of the tools and techniques of the job, and how Larry has treated a number of famous paintings, such as Leonardo?s Virgin of the Rocks and Caravaggio?s The Boy and a Lizard.

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

01:08 Introduction

03:19 Piere Menard and Borges

11:01 Conserving Da Vinci?s Virgin of the Rocks

23:28 What Goes into Conserving a Renaissance Masterpiece?

51:00 Conserving Caravaggio?s Masterpieces

01:17:32 On Authorship and Paul Rubens? Drunken Silenus

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://www.patreon.com/robinsonerhardt

Jon Butterworth is Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at University College London, where he works on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland. In this episode, Robinson and Jon discuss his work on the standard model of particle physics, it?s connection to quantum theory, life at the LHC, the search for the Higgs Boson, and its role in physics as we know it and going forward. Jon?s book on the Higgs boson is Most Wanted Particle: The Inside Story of the Hunt for the Higgs, the Heart of the Future of Physics (The Experiment, 2016).

Most Wanted Particle: https://a.co/d/02B0H5C

00:00 Pre-Roll

00:16 Introduction

03:01 Jon?s Interest in Physics

10:02 What Is the Standard Model of Particle Physics?

19:31 How Does Quantum Theory Fit into the Standard Model? 

25:28 How Does the Large Hadron Collider Work? 

44:39 On The Theory Behind the Higgs Boson 

56:45 Is the Higgs Boson the God Particle?

58:50 How Does The Higgs Boson Work (For Dummies)?

01:02:22 Where Does Mass Come From in the Universe? 

01:11:01 The Higgs Boson, Quantum Gravity, and Meta-Stability

01:25:28 Life at the LHC

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://www.patreon.com/robinsonerhardt?

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. In this episode, Robinson and Michael discuss this last subject. They begin broadly, with how as an economist Michael even thinks of debt, and move on to questions concerning the rentier class, industrial capitalism usury, and neoliberalism, as well as Michael?s beliefs about what must be done to save the economy. Michael?s most recent book is The Collapse of Antiquity (ISLET, 2023).

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

The Collapse of Antiquity: https://a.co/d/0TMt9Sh

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode

00:25 Introduction

02:55 Michael?s Background in Economics

09:48 How Does an Economist Think of Debt?

22:15 Why Are Rent and the ?Rentier Class? Crucial to What?s Wrong with the Economy?

30:21 What Is Industrial Capitalism?

40:58 Why Is Usury So Prevalent in the United States?

46:17 What Is Neoliberal Ideology?

01:00:23 Is China A Good Example of Trickle-Down Economics?

01:03:52 How to Save the Economy from the Upper Class

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. 

Adam Gazzaley is David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He obtained his M.D. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Adam works on developing new approaches to both assess and optimize human cognition, with particular attention to underutilized but high-potential tools like video games. In this episode, Robinson and Adam discuss the cognition crisis?why our brains seem to be under such duress in the modern age?and the structural features of the brain, as well as its plasticity, and how these things can be modified and optimized to deal with the current environment. Check out Adam?s book, The Distracted Mind (MIT, 2016).

Adam?s Website: https://gazzaley.com

The Distracted Mind: https://a.co/d/aZm8Reg

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:39 Introduction

03:09 Science and Medicine

07:29 What Is Brain Plasticity

11:17 What Is the Cognition Crisis?

31:48 Can Neuroscience Make Us Smarter?

43:17 Can Neuroscience Develop Technological Medicine?

54:45 On Medicinal Video Games

01:04:01 Why Doctors Might Prescribe Video Games For ADHD

01:23:49 Sleep Improvement

01:27:24 The Future of Medicinal Video Game Research

01:43:07 How We Can All Improve Cognitive Function

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. 

Chike Jeffers is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Dalhousie University, where he researches Africana philosophy, the philosophy of race, social and political philosophy, and ethics. Lucius Outlaw is Professor of Philosophy Emeritus and W. Alton Jones Chair Emeritus in the Philosophy Department at Vanderbilt University, where he researches African, Africana, continental, social, and political philosophy. Both Chike and Lou have written widely on African and Africana philosophy, which form the subject of this episode. More particularly, Robinson, Chike, and Lou discuss the origin of Africana philosophy in the diaspora, violence in Africana philosophy, and the role of aesthetics in the tradition. For background, check out Lou?s article on Africana Philosophy in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and Chike?s work with Peter Adamson and Jonardon Ganeri on the History of Indian and Africana Philosophy Podcast.

History of Indian and Africana Philosophy Podcast: https://historyofphilosophy.net/series/africana-philosophy

Africana Philosophy on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/africana/

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode

00:52 Introduction

03:14 What Is Africana Philosophy?

30:16 Distinguishing African and Africana Philosophy

37:16 Violence in Africana Philosophy

01:04:44 Aesthetics and Africana Philosophy

01:28:17 Final Thoughts

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. 

Juan Maldacena is Carl P. Feinberg Professor in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study, where his work focuses on quantum gravity, string theory, and quantum field theories. In this episode, Robinson and Juan discuss the relationship between string theory and black holes, the holographic principle, and Juan?s groundbreaking paper on the AdS/CFT Correspondence.

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:48 Introduction

04:04 What Is the Purpose of String Theory?

16:35 Working at the IAS

17:55 String Theory and The Black Hole Information Paradox

41:19 Is Space Curved?

47:00 What is Conformal Field Theory?

50:24 String Theory and the AdS/CFT Correspondence

01:27:00 Quantizing Gravity

01:40:20 De Sitter Space Correspondences

01:56:36 Fine-Tuning and String Theory

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.

Brian Little is Research Professor in the Department of Psychology at Cambridge University, Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus at Carleton, and a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is well known for his work on personality psychology and his development of personal project analysis. In this episode, Brian and Robinson discuss the Big Five personality traits, how psychologists measure them, what their predictive power is, and how personal projects give us a new dimension for understanding ourselves. Brian?s latest book is Who Are You, Really? The Surprising Puzzle of Personality (Simon & Schuster, 2017).

Who Are You, Really?: https://a.co/d/cp4QRuE

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:57 Introduction

02:53 An Interest in Personality

10:30 The Origin of The Big Five Personality Traits

20:51 What Are The Big Five Traits?

44:37 How Do Psychologists Measure Personality?

58:06 Is Personality Inherited?

01:07:13 What Is the Ideogenic Self?

01:16:09 What Are Personal Projects in Psychology?

01:31:14 Can We Change Our Personalities?

01:42:21 Managing Our Personal Projects

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.

Robert Plomin is MRC Research Professor of Behavioral Genetics at King?s College London. He has published over 800 papers, is among the hundred most cited psychologists of the twentieth century, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his research, the best known of which is on twin studies and behavioral genetics. In this episode, Robinson and Robert discuss the distinction between molecular and quantitative genetics, how one researches the question of nature vs nurture, the extent to which genetics determines human behavior, the controversies about these lines of research, and what to expect in the next ten years of behavioral genetics. Robert?s most recent book is Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are (MIT, 2018).

Blueprint: https://a.co/d/eqpK5dB

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

01:06 Introduction

03:22 An Interest in Behavioral Genetics

12:46 The Distinction Between Quantitative and Molecular Genetics

26:12 How Impactful is Genetics on Behavior?

33:25 Twins, Adoption, and Nature Versus Nurture

41:07 Some Remarkable Consequences of DNA Sequencing

50:43 Nazis, Intelligence, and the Controversy of Genetics Research

01:02:16 Is Intelligence Heritable?

01:15:51 The Generalist and Modular Models of Genes

01:21:50 Is Depression Genetically Determined?

01:31:22 What Is The Role of Nurture in Human Behavior?

01:39:08 What Behaviors and Traits are Heritable?

01:44:53 The Next Ten Years

01:52:47 Is Socioeconomic Status Heritable?

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. 

Rebecca Goldstein is a philosopher and novelist. She received her Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University and studied with Thomas Nagel. She is a MacArthur Follow and was awarded the National Humanities Medal by Barack Obama. Rebecca is also an expert on Spinoza and Gödel, and has a whole bevy of other wide-ranging interests. In this episode, Robinson and Rebecca discuss her novel the Mind-Body Problem, atheism, Spinoza, and what makes life meaningful in a godless world. Rebecca?s most recent book is Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won?t Go Away (Pantheon, 2014).

Rebecca?s Website: https://www.rebeccagoldstein.com

Thirty-Six Arguments for the Existence of God: https://a.co/d/dAoDqbU

Plato at the Googleplex: https://a.co/d/c1vvVaw

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:45 Introduction

02:40 Publishing a First Novel

14:01 Philosophy and Literature

22:11 From Judaism to Atheism

42:36 Arguments Against the Existence of God

01:02:45 On Spinoza

01:16:14 Mattering

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. 

Ken Olum is Research Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Tufts University, where he works on exotic physics and topics in cosmology like cosmic strings, gravitational waves, anthropic reasoning, and inflation. In this episode, Robinson and Ken talk all about cosmic strings, which are spindly, hypothesized astronomical objects of intense mass and energy that may have been created in the earliest periods of the universe.

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:27 Introduction

03:00  Exotic Astrophysics and NANOGrav

16:19  What Are Cosmic Strings?

37:14 String Theory and the Multiverse

42:34 Details About Cosmic Strings

48:46 How Can We Detect Cosmic Strings?

01:00:03 Travel Within 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, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Joseph LeDoux is Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science, University Professor, Professor of Neural Science, Professor of Psychiatry, and Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at New York University, where he works in neuroscience and related areas. Though his career is expansive, one major focus of his research has been emotions in humans and other animals. He is also the frontman of The Amygdaloids. Joseph?s most recent book is The Four Realms of Existence: A New Theory of Being Human (Harvard, 2023). In this episode, Joseph and Robinson discuss psychoanalysis, the nature of biological life, how nervous systems evolved, and the relationship between consciousness and cognition.

The Four Realms: https://a.co/d/2wrFGG2

Joseph?s Website: http://joseph-ledoux.com

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

01:06 Introduction

04:29 Thoughts on Psychoanalysis

17:05 The Four Realms of Human Existence

41:29 What Is Life?

48:10 What Are Nervous Systems and How Did They Evolve?

01:10:07 Cognition Substance-Neutral?

01:15:12 What Is Consciousness? 

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. 

Richard Haier is Professor Emeritus in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, where he uses brain imagining and the tools of neuroscience to study learning, memory, and intelligence, and how they relate to brain function and structure. He is the editor-in-chief of the journal Intelligence. In this episode, Robinson and Rich discuss all things human intelligence, ranging from its controversies, the origin and current status of psychometric testing, the relationship between intelligence, brain structure, and function, the predictive power of IQ in career success and other areas, and whether or not it?s possible to increase one?s general intelligence. Rich?s most recent book is the second edition of his guide to neuroscience research and intelligence, The Neuroscience of Intelligence (Cambridge University Press, 2023).

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

The Neuroscience of Intelligence: https://a.co/d/c7aO9aK

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

01:06 Introduction

02:50 Intelligence, Psychometrics, and the Brain 

12:01 The Controversy about Race and Intelligence Research

21:09 How Should We Define Human Intelligence?

26:36 On The Origin and Value of IQ Tests

32:16 Intelligence and Brain Structure

46:05 How Accurate Are Contemporary IQ Tests Like?

57:16 Are IQ Tests Racist?

01:03:47 Should We Abolish Standardized Tests?

01:13:34 Do IQ Tests Predict Career Success?

01:17:05 The Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory of Intelligence

01:34:25 Psychometric Tests and Human Intelligence

01:41:10 Group Differences and IQ

01:46:53 Can You Increase Your IQ? 

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. 

Sheldon Goldstein is Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University, where he researches mathematical physics, the foundations of quantum mechanics, and Bohmian Mechanics. He is also Board Member of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics, founded by fellow Robinson?s Podcast multiverse denizen, Tim Maudlin. In this episode, Robinson and Shelly discuss all things Bohmian mechanics, from the origins of pilot wave theory with de Broglie to its chief theoretical innovations and its relationship to philosophy, including some of the main objections to?and strengths of?the theory. Check out Shelly?s book on the subject, Bohmian Mechanics and Quantum Theory: An Appraisal (Springer, 1996). 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.

Shelly?s Website: https://sites.math.rutgers.edu/~oldstein/

Bohmian Mechanics and Quantum Theory: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-94-015-8715-0

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

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:55 Introduction

06:40 Kripke and Quantum Logic

18:30 De Broglie and Pilot Wave Theory

23:38 What is Bohmian Mechanics?

43:55 Sociology and the Origin of Bohmian Mechanics

52:57 John Bell and Bohmian Mechanics

57:32 Realism and Bohmian Mechanics

01:12:39 Current Work on Bohmian Mechanics

01:22:10 What are the Criticisms of Bohmian 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, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Michael Graziano is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Princeton University, where he and his lab research the brain basis of consciousness. Naturally, this is precisely what Michael and Robinson discuss in this episode. More particularly, they get into the philosophical question of what consciousness is, the roles of philosophy and science in answering the same, and whether or not there are deep, intractable issues here. Then they turn to Michael?s theory of consciousness?the Attention Schema Theory?in which consciousness is a way in which the brain models attention to better organize and monitor it. 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 In This Episode?

00:55 Introduction

02:56 Getting Started in Consciousness

07:18 The Dialogue Between Science and Philosophy on Consciousness

13:05 What Are We Talking About When We Talk About Consciousness

25:38 What is Consciousness?

32:25 What Are Cognitive Models?

36:45 What Is The Meta-Problem of Consciousness?

48:24 How Does a Neuroscientist Think of Attention?

59:39 The Attention Schema Theory of Consciousness

01:17:46 Neural Correlates of Consciousness 

01:28:47 Magical? Theories of Consciousness

01:35:03 Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness

01:43:44 Fiction and Music

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. 

Una Stojni? is an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy at Princeton University, where she works in the philosophy of language, formal semantics and pragmatics of natural language, and philosophical logic. In this episode, Robinson and Una discuss three of her projects. First, they talk about linguistic conventions, and how language consists of more than just the words we might find in a dictionary. Second, they talk abut slurs and pejoratives, and how philosophers have attempted to determine just what it is that makes them offensive. Finally they talk about a problem with word individuation?just how much can our spelling or pronunciation of a word vary from its canonical spelling or pronunciation and still be that same word? Una?s latest book is Context and Coherence: The Logic and Grammar of Prominence (Oxford, 2021).

Una?s Website: https://www.unastojnic.com

Context and Coherence: https://a.co/d/0wjOoaM

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:51 Introduction

03:04 An Interest in Language

07:31 A Problem with Word Individuation

11:52 Context Sensitivity and Linguistic Convention

30:07 Word Individuation and Speaker Intentions 

45:30 Slurs and Pejoratives

01:01:55 An Articulation Account of Slurs

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. 

David Wallace is Mellon Professor in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh. Before that, he obtained PhDs in both physics and philosophy at Oxford. David works mainly in the philosophy of physics, and is best known for his development and defense of the Everett?or Many-Worlds?interpretation of quantum mechanics. In this episode, Robinson and David talk all about Many-Worlds, including its history, how it relates to the broader question of realism in the philosophy of science, its strong points, and some potential problems, such as how to account for probability in the multiverse. David?s book on the subject is The Emergent Multiverse (Oxford, 2014).

The Emergent Multiverse: https://a.co/d/3GOSC3a

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:18 Introduction

03:38 From Physics to Philosophy

12:54 Realism and the Measurement Problem in Quantum Mechanics

25:14 Hugh Everett and the Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

48:56 Bryce DeWitt

51:33 How Does the Many Worlds Theory of Quantum Mechanics Work?

01:02:22 Are There Problems with the Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics? 

01:10:58 How Many Worlds Are There in the Multiverse?

01:21:54 How Can We Make Sense of Probability in the Multiverse?

01:43:44 Is The Multiverse Too Absurd to Believe In?

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. 

Robert Stickgold is Professor of Pyschiatry at Harvard Medical School, where he researches sleep and dreams from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. In this episode, Bob and Robinson discuss the role of sleep in memory processing and emotional regulation, how sleep deprivation affects performance, and the evolutionary purpose and function of dreams.

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:17 Introduction

03:06 Why Study Sleep?

12:04 How Does the Brain Process Different Types of Memories?

20:45 How Does Sleep Affect Memory Processing?

33:10 How Does Sleep Deprivation Affect Memory Processing?

50:58 What Is The Connection Between Sleep and Emotions

01:09:03 How Do PTSD, Autism, and Schizophrenia Affect Sleep

01:32:00 An Interest in Dreams

01:34:05 Was Freud Wrong About Dreams?

02:03:29 On Hypnogogic Dreams

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. 

Anubav Vasudevan is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Chicago, where he works in formal epistemology and the history of logic, though he has published in a number of other areas. This is Anubav?s second appearance on the show. In episode #81, he and Robinson discussed mathematics, physics, and the history of logic. In this episode, they talk about the wonderfully bizarre metaphysics of the renowned pragmatist and logician Charles Sanders Peirce. 

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:18 Introduction

04:54 The History of Logic

19:39 Who Was Charles Sanders Peirce?

37:04 The Problem of the Single Trial

48:35 Finding Our Coherent Philosophical Selves

54:32 Charles Peirce?s Bizarre Metaphysics

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. 

Geoffrey West is Shannan Distinguished Professor and Past President at the Santa Fe Institute. He is a theoretical physicist who has worked broadly on topics related to elementary particles and their cosmological implications. Among other topics, he has also worked on complexity theory, scaling laws in biology, and how they can be applied in other areas, such as cities and problems involving global sustainability. This is precisely what Robinson and Geoffrey discuss in this episode, with particular reference to his recent book, Scale: The Universal Laws of Growth, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Pace of Life in Organisms, Cities, Economies, and Companies (Penguin, 2017). 

Scale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ05syiaUxg

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:25 Introduction

02:21 Complexity and the Santa Fe Institute

22:14 What Are Emergent Phenomena?

34:18 What is Complexity Theory?

45:51 Why Do All Animals Have the Same Number of Heartbeats in a Lifetime

01:11:43 Does Complexity Theory Tell Us How to Live Longer

01:22:49 Why Don?t Cities Die Like Organisms Do?

01:59:40 The Pandemic and the Increasing Pace of 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, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Daniel Levitin is Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Neuroscience at McGill University and Founding Dean of Arts & Humanities at Minerva University. He is also a record producer, musician, and writer. In this episode, Robinson and Daniel discuss one of his best-selling books, This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession (Penguin, 2006), as well as some of the songs on his two albums, Turnaround (2020) and Sex & Math (2021). More particularly, they talk about whether a neurological understanding of the mind and music reduces or increases one?s appreciation for music, how the brain processes complex music, whether music is evolved, why we get songs stuck in our head, and why some sounds are more pleasing than others.

Daniel?s Website: https://www.daniellevitin.com

This Is Your Brain On Music: https://a.co/d/fDxIvxd

Sex & Math: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/daniellevitin/sex--math

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:56 Introduction

03:05 Music, Awe, and Neuroscience

11:12 Neuroscience and Songwriting

17:10 Why Can the Brain Easily Process Complex Music?

34:59 Why Do We Get Songs Stuck in Our Heads?

41:12 Why Do We Prefer Some Musical Time Signatures and Sounds to Others?

58:02 What Gives Some Musicians the IT Factor?

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. 

Tim Palmer is Royal Society Research Professor in Climate Physics at the University of Oxford, where he is a Senior Fellow at the Oxford Martin Institute and a Professorial Fellow at Jesus College. Tim works on the predictability and dynamics of weather and climate, including extreme events, and is well known within the field for developing probabilistic ensemble forecasting techniques. In this episode, Robinson and Tim discuss his recent book, The Primacy of Doubt: From Quantum Physics to Climate Change, How the Science of Uncertainty Can Help Us Understand Our Chaotic World (2022). More particularly, they talk about black holes and the holographic principle, the foundations of quantum mechanics, meteorology and probabilistic forecasting, chaos theory and consciousness, and the problem of climate change.

The Primacy of Doubt: https://a.co/d/dL8JfTn

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:37 Introduction

02:37 From Physics to Meteorology

13:17 Black Holes and the Holographic Principle

35:09 What Is the Butterfly Effect?

43:31 Why Is Weather Chaotic and What Can We Do About It?

01:09:34 Can Principles of Meteorology Be Applied to the Problems of Consciousness and Free Will?

01:30:55 Chaos Theory and 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, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

James Owen Weatherall is Professor of Logic and the Philosophy of Science and Department Chair at the University of California, Irvine, where he is also a member of the Institute for Mathematical Behavioral Science, the Center for Cosmology, and the Jack W. Peltason Center for the Study of Democracy. Jim is a physicist, mathematician, and philosopher, and works broadly on  the mathematical and conceptual foundations of classical and quantum field theories, as well as the philosophy of science more generally, though he has plenty of other interests, such as model building in finance. In this episode, Robinson and Jim discuss nothingness and the physics of the void, beginning with the debate between Leibniz and Newton on the nature of space, moving through the revolution ushered in by Einstein?s special and general relativity, and ending with the quantum vacuum state.

Jim?s Website: http://jamesowenweatherall.com

Void: https://a.co/d/eEwbGCh

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:49 Introduction

03:04 MFA, PhD, PhD

06:04 Physics and Metaphysics

16:00 Newton, Leibniz, and the Debate Over Absolute Space

39:32 How Did Einstein Change Our Understanding of Space?

01:03:28 How Does Quantum Theory Change Our Classical Picture of the World

01:14:15 Fields and the Quantum Mechanics of the Void

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. 

David Friedman is Professor Emeritus at the Santa Clara University School of Law. While he was trained as a physicist, David is best known for his work in economics, and particularly his defense of anarcho-capitalism, a political philosophy that advocates for a free-market system unhampered by government. In this episode, Robinson and David discuss some criticisms of current economic systems, the varieties of anarchism, David?s arguments for anarcho-capitalism, and one of his fascinating hobbies, anachronism.

David?s Website: http://www.daviddfriedman.com

David?s Substack: https://daviddfriedman.substack.com

The Machinery of Freedom: https://a.co/d/iKpTQYK

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:17 Introduction

02:55 Physics to Economics

09:35 What is Anarchism?

16:09 Is Government an Agency of Legitimized Coercion?

27:41 Could Anarchy Be More Efficient than Government?

37:52 What Are Moral Facts?

44:46 Was John Rawls a Quack?

48:44 What Are Moral Facts?

56:07 How Much Should We Trust the Government?

01:02:05 Can Governments Prevent Climate Change?

01:13:18 Could We Privatize Police?

01:30:11 Would Anarchy Lead to Wealth Inequality?

01:40:08 Will the United States Ever Become Anarchic?

01:46:26 Anachronism

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. 

Erik Verlinde is Professor of Physics in the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam, where he specializes in quantum gravity and string theory, black holes, and cosmology. In this episode, Erik and Robinson discuss his studies with the Nobel laureate Gerard ?t Hooft, black holes, the holographic principle, string theory, entropic gravity, and dark matter.

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:51 Introduction

02:16 Studying with Gerard ?t Hooft

13:33 How Do Black Holes Connect Quantum Theory and General Relativity?

20:57 Why Are Black Holes the Most Symmetric Objects in the Universe

24:10 How Do You Measure a Black Hole?s Entropy?

30:32 What Is The Holographic Principle in Physics?

44:17 What is String Theory and What Does It Teach Us About Black Holes?

01:04:49 What Is Entropic Gravity? 

01:24:09 What?s the Connection Between String Theory and Quantum Mechanics?

01:29:33 Entropic Gravity and General Relativity

01:40:32 Does Entropic Gravity Explain Dark Matter?

01:47:50 The Present and Future of Emergent Gravity

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. 

Sheldon Solomon is Professor of Psychology at Skidmore College. He is best known for developing terror management theory with Tom Pyszczynski and Jeff Greenberg, which explores human psychology and mortality. In this episode, Robinson and Sheldon discuss Ernest Becker?s groundbreaking book The Denial of Death, how it influenced him and his collaborators, and how they have studied?with the tools of contemporary social psychology?how humans are affected by their sense of mortality.

The Worm at the Core: https://a.co/d/7p05yA6

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:51 Introduction

03:33 Discovering Ernest Becker

08:29 What Is Self-Esteem?

19:04 Freud and the Denial of Death

27:20 Man and the Heroic Journey

46:41 Where Was Becker Wrong?

54:44 What Is Terror Management Theory?

01:06:26 Children?s Fear of Death

01:10:23 A History of Death Denial

01:14:19 Possible Criticisms

01:18:00 A Prescriptive Dimension to Death Denial

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. 

David Albert is the Frederick E. Woodbridge Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University and one of the world?s most respected philosophers of physics. He is also the 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 fifth (!) appearance on Robinson?s Podcast. He appeared on episode #23 with Justin Clarke-Doane on metaethics and absolute space, episode #30 on the philosophy of time, episode #67 with Tim Maudlin on the foundations of quantum theory, and episode #106 with Sean Carroll on Many-Worlds and fine-tuning. In this episode, Robinson and David discuss his new book, A Guess at the Riddle: Essays on the Physical Underpinnings of Quantum Mechanics (Harvard, 2023), and the metaphysics of quantum mechanics. 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.

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

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

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:56 Introduction

05:12 On The Metaphysics of Quantum Mechanics

30:24 The Complex Origins of Antirealism in Quantum Physics

37:29 Instrumentalism and String Theory 

45:31 The Amazing History of Locality in Physics

01:22:38 Quantum Mechanics as Experimental Metaphysics

01:26:27 What Is Wave-Function Realism in the Foundations 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, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. 

Fay Dowker is Professor of Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London, where she works broadly on quantum gravity, and more particularly on an approach called causal set theory that takes the most basic pieces of the universe to be atoms of spacetime. In this episode, Robinson and Fay begin by discussing her studies with Stephen Hawking and their work on wormholes before turning to quantum gravity and causal set theory. Fay is also a faculty member at 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.

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

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode?

00:50 Introduction

04:49 How Do Physicists Think of Wormholes?

15:56 Stephen Hawking, Philosophy, and Quantum Gravity

26:00 Causal Set Theory and The Problem of Quantum Gravity

43:45 What is the Path Integral?

54:43 Is Spacetime Discrete?

57:40 Causal Set Theory and Black Holes

01:14:27 Lorentz Symmetry, Non-Locality, and Phenomenology in Causal Set Theory

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.