Robinson's Podcast

Robinson Erhardt
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Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. https://linktr.ee/robinsonerhardt

  1. 4D AGO

    274 - Norman Finkelstein: Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, and the War in Iran

    Norman's Upcoming Book, Gaza's Gravediggers: https://orbooks.com/catalog/gazas-gravediggers/ Norman Finkelstein received his PhD from the Princeton University Politics Department, and is best known for his research on Israel and Palestine.  Norman also appeared on episodes 192, 218, 228, 244, and 250, where he addressed the facts and fictions generated by the Israel-Hamas War, October 6th, allegations of genocide and apartheid, Hezbollah, the Holocaust, and more. In this episode, Robinson and Norman discuss Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, the wars in Ukraine and Iran, and more. Norman’s new book is Gaza’s Gravediggers: An Inquiry into Corruption in High Places (OR Books, 2026). Norman’s Website: https://www.normanfinkelstein.com OUTLINE 00:00 No Investigation, No Right to Speak 02:15 Why the War with Iran is Unjustified 09:07 Israel Violated Article II of the UN Charter 13:44 Will the Iran War the End the World in Nuclear War? 21:03 Why Trump Is Underestimating Iran 30:55 How Israel and the United States Tried to Deceive the World About Iran 38:27 Is Israel’s Mentality “Homicidal”? 44:43 What’s Less Justified: Putin’s War on Ukraine or Netanyahu’s on Iran? 01:00:00 More on Ukraine 01:12:31 What Should We Make of Joe Kent? 01:21:00 More on Kent Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

    1h 35m

  2. MAR 22

    273 - Richard Wolff: Iran, Israel, and the End of the American Empire

    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 tenth  appearance on Robinson’s Podcast. In this episode, Richard and Robinson discuss the ongoing war in Iran. More particularly, they discuss whether it was predictable, how it will affect the United States, Israel, and Europe, what really motivated the war, and more. Richard’s latest book is Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024). Understanding Capitalism (Book): https://www.democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalism Richard’s Website: https://www.rdwolff.com Economic Update: https://www.democracyatwork.info/economicupdate OUTLINE 00:00 Was the Iran War Predictable? 05:43 How History Made Trump’s War with Iran Inevitable 15:00 The Historical Perspective 24:45 The War in Iran Is a Catastrophic Mistake for Israel 32:03 Will Europe Survive the War in Iran? 46:32 Is the Iran War the Last Straw for Donald Trump? 53:48 Why China Is Obliterating American Companies 01:03:17 How Trump and Israel Are Ending the American Empire 01:08:35 Is the United States Turning on Donald Trump? 01:13:54 Why Mamdani Is Winning Over New Yorkers 01:17:20 The Iran War Is Really About Oil 01:28:20 What Happens When The People of Iran Say “No More”? 01:39:13 Does AI Mean the End of Capitalism? 01:50:55 Will the United States Lose the War in Iran? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

    2h 5m

  3. MAR 15

    272 - Michael Hudson: Iran, Israel, and World War III

    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 sixth appearance on the show. On past episodes, including with Richard Wolff, he and Robinson have neoliberalism, industrial capitalism, the rentier economy, Marxism, and the role of economics in political history. In this episode, Michael and Robinson talk about Donald Trump, the war in Iran, Russia and Ukraine, Israel, China, and the possibility of World War III. Michael’s most recent book is Temples of Enterprise (ISLET, 2024).  Michael’s Website: https://michael-hudson.com Temples of Enterprise: https://a.co/d/a3c53dm OUTLINE 00:10 How Oil Controls US Foreign Policy10:44 How American Foreign Policy Is Leading to World War III31:03 Trump’s Neocon War Strategy34:56 Why Does the United States Need Israel for its Iran War?41:26 Does the US Finance Terrorism in Ukraine and Israel?44:16 How the West Provoked Russia’s War in Ukraine52:53 Why Does the US Support Ukraine?56:10 How China Became an Economic Superpower59:49 AI and the Economic War for Global Dominance01:10:21 Oil, Renewable Energy, and the Shifting Global Power Structure01:12:25 The US Economy After WWI01:24:21 Why Europe Fell from WWII to the Present01:36:45 How Trump Ignores the First Amendment01:40:20 The Apex of American Power after WWII01:43:12 Who Will Win the Economic World War?01:49:25 Why Iran Is Crucial to the World’s Future01:53:38 The Dismal Future of the American Empire Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

    1h 57m

  4. MAR 1

    271 - Sara Imari Walker & Lee Cronin: Quantum Physics, Time, and the Origin of Life

    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. 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, Sara, and Lee discuss the relationship between philosophy and science, quantum physics, time, determinism, AI, and the origin of Life. Life as No One Knows It: https://a.co/d/2fdKa2e Lee’s Website: https://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin/ Lee’s Twitter: https://x.com/leecronin OUTLINE 00:00 Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Philosophy 07:57 Philosophy and Science 20:58 Is Time an Object? 30:00 More on Time 44:38 On Time and Entropy 51:13 Is the Universe Deterministic? 01:08:54 What’s Wrong with Quantum Physics? 01:17:08 Contingency, Selection, and Evolution 01:29:05 Scientific Temperament 01:44:18 Do We Experience ChatGPT as Human? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

    1h 59m

  5. FEB 15

    270 - Tim Maudlin & Jacob Barandes: The Indivisible Approach to Quantum Theory

    Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at NYU and Founder and Director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. 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, Tim, and Jacob discuss Jacob’s novel approach to quantum mechanics, which he calls the “Indivisible Approach”. More particularly, they discuss the problems at the core of quantum mechanics, the ontology of the theory, causality and quantum phenomena, probability, and more. If you’re interested in the foundations of physics, then please check out the JBI, which is devoted to providing a home for research and education in this important area. Any donations are immensely helpful at this early stage in the institute’s life. Tim’s Website: www.tim-maudlin.site The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org Jacob’s Website: https://www.jacobbarandes.com The Stochastic-Quantum Correspondence: https://philosophyofphysics.lse.ac.uk/articles/10.31389/pop.186 Historical Debates over the Physical Reality of the Wave Function: https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.09397 Pilot-Wave Theories as Hidden Markov Models: https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.10569 OUTLINE 00:21 The Problems at the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics 13:00 More on the Problems 26:09 Is the Wave Function a Real Thing? 32:48 Causation, Correlation, and Quantum Mechanics 42:03 Terminological Issues 44:34 Causal Models and the Markov Condition 01:00:57 Can Time Exist Without Change? 01:15:00 On Time and Change 01:30:38 Newtonian Mechanics and the Markov Condition 1:45:00 More on Newtonian Mechanics 2:00:00 More on the Markov Condition 02:17:49 Tim’s Response 02:28:18 Philosophy and Physics 02:32:38 More on Probability 02:42:13 Probability and the Double Slit Experiment  02:59:42 Why Tim Remains Puzzled Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

    3h 10m

  6. FEB 1

    269 - Scott Aaronson: What Is Quantum Computing?

    Scott Aaronson is the Schlumberger Centennial Chair of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin, and director of its Quantum Information Center. He researches the capabilities and limits of quantum computers, and computational complexity theory more generally. For the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years, he was on leave to work at OpenAI on the theoretical foundations of AI safety. In this episode of Robinson’s Podcast, Scott answers a host of questions about the basics of quantum computing. He and Robinson discuss the physics- and computer science elements of the field, how it connects to the foundations of quantum mechanics, the biggest myths about quantum computing, and whether quantum computers will every actually be built. Scott’s Blog: https://scottaaronson.blog OUTLINE 00:00 Scott’s Interest in Quantum Computing 07:10 Distinguishing the Physics from the Computer Science 14:43 What Is Quantum Computation? 39:41 The Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics 53:31 Quantum Information 55:54 Prime Factorization 01:03:19 The Biggest Myths About Quantum Computing 01:14:06 Can Quantum Computers Actually Be Built? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

    1h 25m

  7. JAN 18

    268 - Jeffrey Pfeffer: Power, Influence, and the Psychology of Institutions

    Jeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University where he has taught since 1979. He is the author or co-author of 16 books. Dr. Pfeffer received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Carnegie-Mellon University and his Ph.D. from Stanford. In this episode, Robinson and Jeffrey discuss the field of organizational behavior. More particularly, they talk about the aims and methods of the field, some of its subjects—such as power and influence—and case studies. Jeffrey’s latest book is the 7 Rules of Power (Holt, 2022).  7 Rules of Power: https://a.co/d/58WWhiC OUTLINE OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 05:46 Understanding Vs Implementation 11:42 The Seven Principles of Influence 19:33 Evolutionary Biology 20:49 How Self-Interest Rules Organizations 29:37 Power and the Prevalence of Conspiracies 33:53 Jeffrey Epstein and the Laws of Power 42:55 The Administration of Health Benefits 49:16 How Jeffrey’s Research Has Influenced His Behavior 59:06 The Price of Power Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

    1 hr

  8. JAN 3

    267 - Lee Cronin: Aliens, Artificial Intelligence, and the Origin of Life

    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. Lee was most recently on the show for episode 264, in which he and Robinson and Lee discussed astrobiology, the chemistry of life as we know it, and the controversies surrounding artificial intelligence. In this follow-up conversation, they focused primarily on artificial intelligence, aliens, and assembly theory. Lee’s Website: https://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin/ Lee’s Twitter: https://x.com/leecronin OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 01:01 AI or Aliens?02:46 What Is Intelligence?13:57 Are Autonomous Vehicles Intelligent?21:39 Assembly Theory and the Origin of Life28:23 Is ChatGPT Intelligent?34:12 What Would Genuine Artificial Intelligence Really Look Like?41:13 Are “AI Skills” Just Product Placement?49:45 Are AI Actually Intelligent “Agents”?56:21 Concluding Thoughts59:16 Will Aliens Be Biological?01:00:01 How Common Are Aliens in the Universe?01:05:51 How Will Aliens Search for Life on Earth?01:12:58 The Chemistry of Minds01:17:10 The Biggest Myths About Aliens Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

    1h 23m
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About

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. https://linktr.ee/robinsonerhardt

Information

  • Creator
    Robinson Erhardt
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    276
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Robinson Erhardt
  • Show Website
    Robinson's Podcast

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