Robinson's Podcast

Paul Davies is a theoretical physicist and Regents’ Professor at Arizona State University. Paul works on quantum mechanics, astrophysics, and cosmology, with emphasis on the origin and early stages of the universe, the quantum properties of black holes and the nature of time. He is interested in the nature and origin of life – including extraterrestrial life – beyond Earth, and in complex systems. In this episode of Robinson’s Podcast, Paul and Robinson discuss the second revolution in quantum mechanics. Among other things, they dig into the origin of quantum theory, how we should interpret it, various quarks of quantum physics, such as teleportation and entanglement, quantum computing, and more. Paul’s recent book is Quantum 2.0 (Pelican, 2025).Quantum 2.0: https://a.co/d/0ckzsWavOUTLINE00:00 Why Quantum Mechanics?11:59 How Should We Interpret Quantum Mechanics?22:22 Complexity and Quantum Theory30:59 What Will Be the Next Quantum Revolution?39:59 The Next Generation of Quantum Technology?49:47 Can Quantum Teleportation Move Macroscopic Objects?52:47 Supercomputers vs Quantum Computers01:04:16 The Fine-Tuning Problem?01:12:37 Do We Have a Scientific Theory of Life?Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Jacob Barandes is Senior Preceptor in Physics at Harvard University, where he works widely across the philosophy of physics, with focuses on the foundations of quantum mechanics, the philosophy of spacetime, and the metaphysics of laws. In this episode, Robinson and Jacob focus on the foundations of quantum mechanics. They discuss the importance of history and philosophy in the same, its connections to mathematics, many of the biggest puzzles in quantum physics, and Jacob’s new approach to the foundations, which he refers to as the “Indivisibility” approach.Jacob's Website: https://www.jacobbarandes.comOUTLINE00:00 Mathematics, Nature, and Physics07:55 The Deep Link Between Math and Physics CLIP15:21 Scrutinizing the History and Philosophy of Physics28:11 A Digression on Achille Varzi36:53 The Etymology of “Matrix”41:17 Learning from the History of Physics52:38 Why Does Quantum Mechanics Need New Foundations?59:04 Does Quantum Gravity Need New Quantum Foundations?01;08:26 What Is a Constructive Physical Theory?01:32:31 Markov Laws and Determinism01:45:30 The Wave Function02:06:53 Inconsistencies in Quantum Mechanics02:12:20 What Is Quantum Decoherence?02:23:10 The Biggest Problems in Quantum Foundations?02:33:49 Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics02:38:57 Quantum Mechanics, Many Worlds, and the Problem of Induction02:50:05 The Indivisibility Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics03:04:42 What Are the Fundamentalia of the Universe?Robinson’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.

Sara Imari Walker is Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, where she is Deputy Director of the Beyond Center. Sara is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist, with research interests in the origins of life, artificial life, life and detection on other worlds. In this episode, Robinson and Sara discuss the physics that makes life possible. More particularly, they discuss assembly theory, the growing field of astrobiology, the difficulties of defining life, and where we are most likely to find aliens. Sara’s latest book is Life as No One Knows It: The Physics of Life’s Emergence (Riverhead Books, 2024).Life as No One Knows It: https://a.co/d/2fdKa2eOUTLINE00:00 Introduction00:35 The Connection Between Physics and Biology07:15 Philosophy and the Origin of Life10:03 Is the Selfish Gene Theory Wrong?22:17 On Her Work with Lee Cronin38:47 Experiments To Discover the Origin of Life48:52 What Is Assembly Theory?01:00:42 Are Boltzmann Brains Possible?01:05:53 The Paradox of Defining Life01:31:10 Is Life a Vague Concept?01:38:13 Where Are All the Aliens?Robinson’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.

Go to https://surfshark.com/robinsonerhardt and use code robinsonerhardt at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Tyler Cowen is the Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University and serves as chairman and faculty director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. A dedicated writer and communicator of economic ideas, Tyler is the author of several bestselling books and is widely published in academic journals and the popular media. In this episode, Robinson and Tyler discuss the economics of artificial intelligence. More particularly, they touch on whether AI will destroy humanity, how it will affect employment, whether there will no longer be a place for art in the marketplace, and more. Tyler’s latest book is Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World (St. Martin’s Press, 2022).Marginal Revolution: https://marginalrevolution.comTyler’s X: https://x.com/tylercowenTalent: https://a.co/d/ftqNWcnOUTLINE00:00:00 Introduction00:01:03 What is State-Capacity Libertarianism?00:04:32 Should Government Regulate AI?00:05:54 Is AI an Existential Threat to Humanity?00:07:33 The Fallacy of Mood Affiliation00:11:11 AI Music and the Velvet Sundown00:15:03 Is AI Ending America’s Great Stagnation?00:19:45 How Will Top-Tier AI Cognition Impact the Labor Market?00:30:17 How Will AI Transform Education?00:42:15 Does AI Doom Human-Generated Research?00:45:21 Why Is AI Taking Off So Slowly?00:48:39 Does AI Mean the End of Lawyers?00:51:41 Is Harvard Just a Dating Hack in the World of AI?00:54:53 Does AI Help or End Social Mobility?00:57:03 How We Should Write When AI Is Reading It All?01:02:24 Will AI Enable Us to Eat All We Want?Robinson’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.Kenneth Roth is the Charles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor at the Princeton School for Public and International Affairs. Until August 2022, he served for nearly three decades as the executive director of Human Rights Watch. In this episode, Robinson and Ken discuss his work with HRW and what he has been doing since. More particularly, they get into the details of how HRW operated, how shaming tactics can be deployed against figures like Putin, Trump, and Orban, Israel and Palestine, the relationship between genocide and ethnic cleansing, and more. For more, read Ken’s recent book, Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments (Knopf, 2025).Righting Wrongs: https://a.co/d/gHkbmmwOUTLINE00:00 Introduction00:00:53 Why Human Rights?00:08:23 How Does Human Rights Watch Work?00:14:04 Can Putin or Orban Be Shamed?00:21:14 Can Trump Be Shamed into Standing Up to Putin?00:26:53 Libya, Gaddafi, and Forcing the Release of Political Prisoners00:29:14 Fighting the Dreaded M23 Rebel Group in Congo00:31:56 Why Governments Always Violate Human Rights00:33:57 Is Torture Ever Justified?00:38:21 Facts and Investigations00:46:27 Verifying Starvation and Famine in Gaza00:51:29 Can Netanyahu Be Shamed?00:58:24 Genocide vs. Ethnic Cleansing in Palestine01:04:16 The United States’ Biggest Human Rights Violations01:09:24 Sudan: The World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis

Carl Hart is Mamie Phipps Clark Professor of Psychology at Columbia University, where he researches the behavioral and neuropharmacological effects of psychoactive drugs in humans. In this wide-ranging conversation, Robinson and Carl discuss drugs from many different angles, touching on the neuroscience of addiction, the opioid crisis, drugs’ connections to poverty, the roles they can play in a creative life, and more. Carl’s most recent book is Drug Use for Grown-Ups (2021, Penguin).Drug Use for Grown-Ups: https://a.co/d/efgXuJKOUTLINE00:00:49 Introduction00:03:14 What Is a Drug?00:14:58 DARE and Drug Education00:26:07 Rodrigo Duterte and the Drug War in the Philippines00:39:25 Studying Drugs in the Lab00:49:07 Does Addiction Change the Brain?00:58:12 On the Opioid Crisis01:10:42 How Should We Solve the Opioid Crisis?01:14:01 What Is the Connection Between Drugs and Poverty?01:18:21 How Do Drugs Affect the Brain?01:28:27 How Can Drugs Improve Your Creativity?01:36:04 Should Science Inform Drug Policy?Robinson’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.

Michael Hudson is Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and President of the Institute for the Study of Long-Term Economic Trends. He researches domestic and international finance, the history of economics, and the role of debt in shaping class stratification, among many other topics. This is Michael’s fifth appearance on the show. He was also a guest on episode 180, where he and Robinson discussed neoliberalism, industrial capitalism, and the rentier economy, and on episode 198, where they discussed Marxism, economic parasites, and contemporary debt cancellation. He has also joined with Richard Wolff. In this episode, Michael and Robinson discuss how the Crusades shaped the future of economics, the role of economics in political history, the current budget of the Republicans, problems with social security, the effects of AI on economics, and more. Michael’s most recent book is Temples of Enterprise (ISLET, 2024). Michael’s Website: https://michael-hudson.comTemples of Enterprise: https://a.co/d/a3c53dmOUTLINE00:00:00 Introduction00:00:37 Why Historians Missed How the Crusades Shapes Economics00:10:39 What Motivated the Crusades?00:20:09 The Problem of Financing Wars00:29:23 How The Roman Catholic Church Invented Financial Interest00:40:08 Importing Jewish Merchants to England00:45:12 The Intolerance of the Catholic Church00:48:51 The Origin of Roman Catholic Indulgences00:58:39 Using Indulgences to Finance the Crusades01:05:54 Neglecting the Role of Economics in Political History01:15:43 Finance as the Central Planning Power of Governments01:18:17 What’s Wrong with the Republicans’ Budget?01:19:48 The Dark Problem with Social Security01:26:40 The Conflict Between Finance and Democracy01:37:19 How the 1 Percent Don’t Contribute to the Economy01:38:40 How Will AI Impact the Future of Economics?01:45:55 How Will AI Affect Unemployment Rates?01:54:18 Will the 1 Percent Need People in an AI Future01:58:32 How Will AI Affect the Future of Academia?02:08:59 Papal Financial Control vs The IMF02:19:37 How the Government Favors the Creditor over the Debtor02:23:42 The Difference Between the Chinese and American Economies02:32:37 Global Warming’s Devastating Effects on the EconomyRobinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.