Robinson's Podcast Archiv

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/0ckzsWav

OUTLINE

00:00 Why Quantum Mechanics?

11:59 How Should We Interpret Quantum Mechanics?

22:22 Complexity and Quantum Theory

30:59 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 Computers

01:04:16 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.

Priyamvada Natarajan is the Joseph S. and Sophia S. Fruton Professor of Astronomy and Professor of Physics at Yale University, where she is also the Chair of Astronomy. Priya researches broadly across astrophysics and cosmology; some topics she has worked on include gravitational lensing, black hole physics, the philosophy of science, and dark matter. In this conversation, Priya and Robinson largely stick to the latter. They discuss her interest in cosmology writ large, as well as how the scientific community tackles the unknown. Priya’s most recent book is Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas that Reveal the Cosmos (Yale, 2016).

Mapping the Heavens: https://a.co/d/02HPcMB1

OUTLINE

00:00 A Paradox of Cosmology

06:16 Investigating Invisibilia

11:25 The Sociology of Astrophysics

16:52 Phenomenology in Physics

19:47 What Is the Mystery of Dark Matter?

29:07 The Problem of Dark Energy

36:38 Models and Simulations

46:17 Modifying the Standard Model to Explain Dark Matter

58:20 The Crisis in Dark Matter

01:12:22 Alternative Explanations of Dark Matter

01:19:51 Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse

01:25:24 Black Holes

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he 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. In this episode, Robinson and Tim discuss the nature of philosophy. More particularly, they discuss philosophy’s origin, its connections to physics, what characterizes some of its well-known sub disciplines, and some of its biggest problems. If you’re interested in the foundations of physics, then please check out the JBI, which is devoted to providing a home for research and education in this important area. Any donations are immensely helpful at this early stage in the institute’s life.

Tim’s Website: www.tim-maudlin.site

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

OUTLINE

00:00 The Beginning of Philosophy

06:53 Where Physics and Philosophy Diverged

14:07 Quantum Gravity

18:30 Physicists and Philosophers on Space and Time

23:10 Is Metaphysics Different From Physics?

34:54 Why Don’t Universities Have Departments of Metaphysics?

49:27 Are Numbers Real?

01:07:50 What Are Continental and Analytic Philosophy?

01:14:58 The Age-Old Puzzle of the Statue and the Clay

01:28:05 What Is Epistemology?

01:38:57 Is the World Around Us an Illusion?

01:49:13 What Are the Biggest Open Problems in Philosophy?

01:57:00 A John Bell Institute Update

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Craig Callender is Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Institute for Practical Ethics at UC San Diego, where he is a leading philosopher of science and physics. Craig also appeared on episode 73, in which he and Robinson discussed pseudoscience and conspiracy theories, and epidote 114, where he, Robinson, and Tim Maudlin discussed the philosophy of time, including the reality of the past, present, and future, the direction of time, its relationship to relativity and quantum mechanics, and time travel. In this episode, Robinson and Craig turn to a different assortment of topics. They talk about disinformation, lab-grown meat, de-extinction, scientific communication, quantum mechanics, and the Tolman-Ehrenfest Effect.

Craig’s Website: https://www.craigcallender.com

OUTLINE

00:00 Craig’s Interest in Lab-Grown Meat

04:25 Disinformation and the Philosophy of Science

18:18 The Root of the Error

23:43 The Importance of Science Communication

31:12 What Is De-Extinction?

47:28 What Is the Tolman-Ehrenfest Effect?

1:00:00 Tolman-Ehrenfest, Continued

01:15:07 A Philosopher’s Perspective

01:23:05 What Is The Problem with Quantum Mechanics?

01:24:56 What’s the Best Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics?

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.

Nate Soares is the President of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, and plays a central role in setting MIRI’s vision and strategy. Soares has been working in the field for over a decade, and is the author of a large body of technical and semi-technical writing on AI alignment, including foundational work on value learning, decision theory, and power-seeking incentives in smarter-than-human AIs. Prior to MIRI, Soares worked as an engineer at Google and Microsoft, as a research associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and as a contractor for the US Department of Defense. In this episode, Nate and Robinson discuss the problems of AI from the ground up. They touch on how AI is trained, why it will surpass human intelligence, why this is dangerous, how it could wipe out humankind, and more. Nate’s recent book, co-written with Eliezer Yudkowsky, is If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies (Little, Brown and Company, 2025).

If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies

Nate’s X: https://x.com/So8res

MIRI: https://intelligence.org

OUTLINE

00:00 Nate’s Existential Dread

07:11 What’s the REAL Problem with Artificial Intelligence?

11:39 How Is AI Trained?

17:15 The Vital Importance of Interpreting AI

20:53 Why AI Will Soon Surpass Human Intelligence

32:58 Why Solving the AI Alignment Problem is Crucial to Human Survival

38:40 Will AI Render Human Software Engineers Obsolete?

48:03 Does It Make Sense to Say AI Has Goals?

01:00:02 Why AI Consciousness Is Unimportant

01:11:33 How, Realistically, Could AI Wipe Out Humanity?

01:35:27 A Sci-Fi (But Realistic) AI Doomsday Scenario

01:44:34 Is There Hope that Humans Will Survive AI?

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.

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.

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 Policy

10:44 How American Foreign Policy Is Leading to World War III

31:03 Trump’s Neocon War Strategy

34:56 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 Ukraine

52:53 Why Does the US Support Ukraine?

56:10 How China Became an Economic Superpower

59:49 AI and the Economic War for Global Dominance

01:10:21 Oil, Renewable Energy, and the Shifting Global Power Structure

01:12:25 The US Economy After WWI

01:24:21 Why Europe Fell from WWII to the Present

01:36:45 How Trump Ignores the First Amendment

01:40:20 The Apex of American Power after WWII

01:43:12 Who Will Win the Economic World War?

01:49:25 Why Iran Is Crucial to the World’s Future

01:53:38 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Life

28:23 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 Thoughts

59:16 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 Minds

01:17:10 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.

Annaka Harris is the New York Times bestselling author of CONSCIOUS: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind and writer and producer of the audio documentary series, LIGHTS ON. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Nautilus Magazine, the Journal of Consciousness Studies, and IAI Magazine. She is also an editor and consultant for science writers, specializing in neuroscience and physics. In this episode, Robinson and Annaka discuss panpsychism and the case that consciousness is fundamental. More particularly, they talk about complexity and emergence, the relationship between consciousness and physics, and artificial intelligence.

Lights On: https://a.co/d/cy8YTpd

Conscious: https://a.co/d/3uFZ2Jq

Annaka’s Website: https://annakaharris.com

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

00:52 Annaka’s Obsession with Consciousness

06:09 How Should We Define Consciousness?

13:06 Why the Complexity Might Not Explain Consciousness

25:30 Is Consciousness Emergent or Fundamental?

29:45 Are Fundamentalia Conscious?

45:18 How Can Consciousness Solve Deep Problems of Physics?

52:14 Consciousness and Quantum Entanglement

01:00:11 Consciousness and the Many Worlds Theory of Quantum Mechanics

01:10:50 What Does an Electron Feel?

01:13:41 AI and Consciousness

01:22:42 Science and the Fundamentality of Consciousness

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.