Robinson's Podcast

Lee Cronin is Regius Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow. Among his many pursuits are the digitization of chemistry, the discovery of alien life, and the creation of artificial life. In this episode, Robinson and Lee focus on astrobiology, the chemistry of life as we know it, and the controversies surrounding artificial intelligence.Lee’s Website: https://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin/Lee’s Twitter: https://x.com/leecroninOUTLINE00:00 Introduction00:55 Lee’s Interests in the Origin of Life10:29 Is Life Unique to Earth?18:16 What Is the Self?24:05 Is the Selfish Gene Hypothesis Wrong?30:46 How Does Sand Turn into Cells?44:02 What Is Chemputation?45:41 What Is Assembly Theory?01:11:33 Why Won’t We Find a Mine of Coffee Mugs on an Asteroid?01:25:09 Has AI Become a Cult?01:32:16 Will AI Use Biological Weapons to Wipe Out Humanity?01:55:24 Why AI Can’t Be AgentsRobinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Visit our sponsor, Wealthfront!: wealthfront.com/robinsonSlavoj Žižek 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 fifth 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 episode 212, Robinson and Slavoj talk about ancient philosophy, god, communism, quantum mechanics, and psychoanalysis. In this episode, they discuss current political events, marxism, quantum mechanics, and artificial intelligence. Slavoj’s upcoming book is Quantum History: A New Materialist Philosophy (Bloomsbury, 2025).Quantum History: https://a.co/d/7WFcAGiVisit our sponsor, Wealthfront!: wealthfront.com/robinsonPromo terms & conditions apply. See our affiliated link for more details.Robinson Erhardt is a Wealthfront client and was compensated for the testimonial and promotion of the Wealthfront Cash Account. This compensation creates a conflict of interest. Experiences may vary among Cash Account clients, and results are not guaranteed. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of September 26, 2025, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable APY.If you are eligible for the overall boosted rate of 4.25% offered in connection with this promo, your boosted rate is also subject to change if the base rate decreases during the three-month promotional period.OUTLINE00:00 Introduction01:07 Marxism and Quantum Mechanics07:34 Why We Aren’t Pessimistic Enough16:29 The Wisdom of the First Philosopher29:27 The Assassination of Charlie Kirk38:10 On Curtis Yarvin49:23 The Naivety of Pete Hegseth51:06 The Contradiction in American Fascism57:43 Could a Coup Overthrow Trump?01:04:17 The Utter Shamelessness of Today’s Society01:14:15 The Danger of the Disappearing Left01:18:06 AI Is a Tool of Authoritarian SuppressionRobinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Reid Hoffman is the co-founder of LinkedIn, Manas AI, and Inflection AI. As an investor at Greylock, he is one of the leading figures in the tech industry, working at the forefront of AI development. In this episode, Reid and Robinson talk all about the future of AI. They begin by covering the worst case scenario—doomsday—and why Reid is optimistic about our chances. From there, they turn to how AI could help us cure cancer, replace therapists, enable us to be more powerful agents, and make our lives better. Reid’s most recent book is Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future (2025).Reid’s Website: https://www.reidhoffman.orgSuperagency: https://a.co/d/hdSZeCYOUTLINE00:00:00 Introduction00:01:09 Why Won’t AI Destroy Humanity?00:06:39 Will AI Be Good or Bad for Employment?00:08:20 On Optimism00:10:10 It Isn’t Inevitable that AI Will Wipe Out Human Life00:19:03 How to Align AI with Human Interests00:24:40 Reid’s Interest in Friendship00:32:13 Why AI Can’t be Our Friends00:36:33 Could AI Replace Therapists?00:45:18 Using AI to Cure Cancer00:52:04 Will AI Extinguish Humanity with a Virus?01:00:02 How Will AI Make Us More Powerful Agents?01:07:06 Will Academia Be Revolutionized by AI?01:15:10 Are You an AI Native?01:17:36 How to Invest in AIRobinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Support our sponsor, FarmKind, to fix factory farming: https://www.farmkind.givingThe code “ROBINSON” will increase your donation by 50% with a bump from large donors.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 ninth appearance on Robinson’s Podcast. In this episode, Richard and Robinson discuss the tariffs that President Donald Trump would like to place on goods imported from around the world. More particularly, they cover the real problems America is facing that Trump has to solve, the connection to Russia, China, and the BRICS, Elon Musk and electric vehicles, and more. Richard’s latest book is Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024).Understanding Capitalism (Book): https://www.democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalismRichard’s Website: https://www.rdwolff.comEconomic Update: https://www.democracyatwork.info/economicupdateOUTLINE00:00:00 Introduction00:01:07 Is Trump’s Tariff Plan Nuts?00:06:31 Is the United States Unsustainable?00:15:33 Can Tariffs Solve America’s Debt Problems?00:19:17 Tesla’s Electric Vehicle Tariff War on China00:25:19 The Declining American Empire00:32:53 Exposing the Myths About Trump’s Tariffs00:44:55 The Empty Promises of American Politics00:53:54 Why DC Doesn’t Have Representation in Congress01:00:22 The Bizarre Alliance Between Israel and the United States01:04:48 Why Russia Is Exempt from Trump’s Tariffs01:13:48 Are Israel and the United States “Winning” Against Gaza?01:24:25 How Wealth Now Controls the United States01:27:52 On The Impending Economic Downturn in the United States01:31:47 How Trump is Turning Allies into Enemies01:37:12 America’s Terrible Healthcare01:42:25 Who Really Rules America?01:57:04 How Should Trump Solve America’s Real Problems?02:04:39 What America Can Learn from Britain’s CollapseRobinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

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 eighth appearance on the show. His second to last appeared on episode 246 for a masterclass on Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, explaining it from the ground up and elucidating some common misconceptions. In this episode Tim returns for a discussion of the philosophy of time. More particularly, Tim and Robinson discuss black holes, fundamentality, simultaneity, time’s flow, rate, and limits, connections to physics, time travel, 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.siteThe John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.orgOUTLINE00:00:00 Introduction00:01:01 “What Is” Questions00:06:09 Everyday Misconceptions About Simultaneity00:15:12 The Relativity of Duration00:20:19 Is Time Fundamental?00:28:55 Does Time Exist at Quantum Scales?00:40:19 Is Quantum Mechanics Complete?00:50:16 What Is Time-Reversal Invariance?01:01:01 Parity Violations01:11:46 What Is Metaphysics?01:22:16 Does Time Have A Rate of Passage?01:25:02 Does Time Flow?01:27:04 What Does Time Really Measure?01:29:15 Is There a Limit to How Accurately Clocks Can Measure Time?01:33:06 Is Time Continuous or Discrete?01:36:36 On Zeno’s Paradoxes of Motion01:44:08 Is Time Discrete?01:51:14 Did Time Have a Beginning?02:02:41 Stephen Hawking on Time02:05:39 David Albert’s Past Hypothesis02:14:13 The Debate Between Presentism and Eternalism02:23:16 Lee Smolin’s Black Hole Theory02:24:46 A Shortcoming of the Standard Model02:26:05 Arrival Time and Time of Flight02:34:51 Arrival Time Experiments and Bell’s Inequality02:46:07 The Black Hole Information Paradox02:56:27 Is Time Travel Back to the Dinosaurs Possible?02:58:34 A Rant on Aliens03:03:35 The John Bell Institute for the Foundations of PhysicsRobinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where is also a student in the Law School.

In this special episode, Robinson and Karl Zheng Wang co-host at the Yale US-China Forum. Return guests from the show include Slavoj Žižek, Richard Wolff, and Yascha Mounk. Slavoj Žižek 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. 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. Yascha Mounk is a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University. He is also a Contributing Editor at the Atlantic, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the host of The Good Fight podcast. Yannis Varoufakis is a Greek economist and politician, and current Secretary-General of the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025. Robin Visser is Professor in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she researches modern Chinese and Sinophone literatures, urban cultural studies, and environmental studies. Pei Wang is Professor in the Chinese History and Culture Program at the University of Hong Kong, where she specializes in comparative philosophy, psychoanalysis, and more. Daniel Mattingly is Professor in the Department of Political Science at Yale University, where he studies the domestic and international politics of authoritarian regimes, with a focus on China. OUTLINE00:00:00 Introduction00:01:46 The Future of Europe and China00:10:40 There Is No Such Thing as Trade Wars, They Are All Class Wars00:15:50 How Wall Street’s Failures Fueled the Rise of Tech00:20:02 Why Is There a New Cold War Between the US and China?00:27:18 Why the United States Is Abandoning Democracy and Why China is Yannis Varoufakis’s Only Hope00:29:26 Richard Wolff to Yannis Varoufakis: Are We Heading Toward Nuclear War with China?00:35:58 How Class WARFARE Shaped the World Superpowers CLIP00:41:01 Is China Capitalism’s Final Form?00:52:03 Is There Any Way that China and the United Stated Could Avert Conflict?00:59:16 Varoufakis to Wolff: Is a Tariff Hail Mary Trump’s Only Remaining Option?01:03:39 Daniel Mattingly on China’s Sociopolitical Organization01:08:39 How Does Xi Jinping Talk About Socialism?01:13:47 Yascha Mounk on US-China Competition01:22:36 Philosophy, Socialism, and Capitalism01:48:40 Pei Wang on the Hero and Father in US-China Competition01:54:31 Hero and Father Archetypes in PoliticsRobinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

David Kipping is a Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University, where he runs Cool Worlds Lab and researches planets and moons that revolve around stars other than our own, in addition to his own work on the search for—and theorization about—alien life. In this episode, David and Robinson have a wide-ranging conversation about extraterrestrials. They discuss alien civilizations, propulsion, megastructures, Oumuamua, quantum immortality, Dyson spheres, simulation theory, ancient aliens, and much more. David also runs the YouTube channel Cool Worlds Lab, where he has produced many videos on these topics.Cool Worlds Lab (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@CoolWorldsLabDavid’s Website: http://davidkipping.co.ukOUTLINE00:01:05 Astronomy or Aliens?00:06:12 How Scientists Get Burned by Alien Research00:16:52 Three Big Obstacles to UFO Science00:23:59 What is the Kardashev Scale of Alien Civilizations?00:30:28 Cloaking Devices00:33:46 How To Detect Alien Civilizations with Heat Signatures00:37:21 Other Schemes for Detecting Civilizations00:47:22 Does Alien Life Need Water to Exist?00:51:46 Why Would Aliens Have Very Different Technology From Us?00:55:54 When Did the First Life Form in the Universe?01:07:23 Is the Universe Filled with Ancient Alien Civilizations?01:16:45 What Is the Great Filter Hypothesis For Alien Life?01:19:31 Artificial Intelligence, Aliens, and the End of Humanity01:25:05 How Rare Is the Creation of Life From Nothing?01:31:53 Communicating with Extraterrestrials01:37:28 What Are Alien Megastructures?01:47:07 Can We Engineer the Sun to Live Longer?01:51:08 Clark Belt Detection01:54:35 Should We Look for Alien Life on Exomoons?02:01:33 Could We Find Alien Life on Planets in the Interstellar Medium?02:04:34 Future Telescopes02:13:35 What Is a Warp Drive and Why Can’t We Build One?02:21:47 On Time Travel and the Best Time Machines02:26:40 What Are the Best Interstellar Propulsion Technologies?02:34:07 Was Oumuamua an Alien Spacecraft?02:43:09 Are the TicTac UFOs Alien Spacecraft?02:56:58 Do We Live in a Simulation?03:00:17 What Is Quantum Immortality?Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.