Robinson's Podcast

• 265 - Jacob Barandes: A New Foundation for Quantum Mechanics

  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.

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• 264 - Lee Cronin: The Chemistry 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. 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.

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• 263 - Sara Imari Walker: Astrobiology, Aliens, 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. 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.

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• 262 - Slavoj Žižek: Marxism, Quantum Mechanics, and Artificial Intelligence

  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.

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• 261 - Tyler Cowen: The Economics of Artificial Intelligence

  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.

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