Robinson's Podcast

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.

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.com

OUTLINE

00:00 Mathematics, Nature, and Physics

07:55 The Deep Link Between Math and Physics CLIP

15:21 Scrutinizing the History and Philosophy of Physics

28:11 A Digression on Achille Varzi

36:53 The Etymology of “Matrix”

41:17 Learning from the History of Physics

52:38 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 Determinism

01:45:30 The Wave Function

02:06:53 Inconsistencies in Quantum Mechanics

02:12:20 What Is Quantum Decoherence?

02:23:10 The Biggest Problems in Quantum Foundations?

02:33:49 Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics

02:38:57 Quantum Mechanics, Many Worlds, and the Problem of Induction

02:50:05 The Indivisibility Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

03:04:42 What Are the Fundamentalia of the Universe?

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. 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/leecronin

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

00:55 Lee’s Interests in the Origin of Life

10:29 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 Agents

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.