In this podcast, they discuss the origin of life, evolution of music, free will, consciousness, and more. Topics include replicators in natural selection, Robert Sapolsky and free will, thought experiments in philosophy of mind, the Chinese Room, and homuncular functionalism. They challenge intuitions through various experiments, analyze Frank Jackson's thought experiment on color perception, and explore the evolution of objects and design complexity. The evolution of language, mind, and the role of feral neurons are also discussed.

Robert Sapolsky, a Professor at Stanford University and leading mind in the free will debate, discusses intriguing topics in this conversation. He explores how personal experiences and biology shape our beliefs, challenging the illusion of free will. Sapolsky argues that societal constructs, especially the justice system, should adapt if we accept determinism. The conversation dives into the effects of maternal stress on behavior, the role of emotions in moral decisions, and the implications of neuroscience on moral responsibility.

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 Norman Finkelstein received his PhD from the Princeton University Politics Department, and is best known for his indefatigable research on Israel and Palestine, which is what he and Robinson discuss in this episode of the show, marking the culmination of a three-installment mini-series on Israel and Palestine. In particular, they discuss the importance—or distraction—of ideology, whether Israel is ethnically cleansing Palestine, the message that October 7th sent to the Arab world, what Gaza has in common with the concentration camps of the Holocaust, Palestinian and Israeli psychology, and whether this conflict is going to be the end of humanity. Norman’s most recent book is I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It! Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic Freedom (Sublation Media, 2023). Norman’s Website: https://www.normanfinkelstein.com I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It!: https://a.co/d/hDDj9OK OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:43 Introduction 2:56 Poisonous Ideology and the Israel-Palestine Conflict 14:20 Zionism, Imperialism, and the Conquest of Palestine 24:34 Is Zionist Israeli Policy Ethnically Cleansing Palestine? 42:28 Is Gaza a Concentration Camp?  52:47 On Israel and the Leader of Hezbollah 1:01:36 Will Israel-Palestine Be the End of Humanity? 1:11:38 Does the Holocaust Justify Israel’s Response in Palestine?  Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com 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. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 Victor Davis Hanson is a renowned classicist, military historian, and political commentator. He is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow in Residence in Classics and Military History at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. Among numerous other awards, Victor was presented the National Humanities Medal in 2007. In this episode, which is the second in an installment of three considering different perspectives on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Robinson and Victor discuss his appraisal of the situation as a military historian, some of the contentious claims on both sides that are repeated in the media, how the conflict is discussed on college campuses, and how equality ought to be achieved. Victor was also a guest on episode #112, in which he and Robinson talked about Victor’s latest book, The Dying Citizen. Keep up with Victor on Twitter, through his website, and on his podcast, The Victor Davis Hanson Show.  Victor’s Website: https://victorhanson.com Victor’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/VDHanson The Victor Davis Hanson Show: https://art19.com/shows/the-victor-davis-hanson-show  The Dying Citizen: https://a.co/d/dPocUJg OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:26 Introduction 03:52 An Overview of the Israel-Palestine Conflict 13:40 Who Has the Right to the Territory of Israel-Palestine? 20:01 Do the Jewish People Need a State? 26:08 Israel-Palestine Activism on College Campuses 29:39 DEI on College Campuses 37:05 Is Israel Committing Genocide in Palestine? 51:05 Is Israel an Apartheid State? 55:47 On Equality in Israel versus Palestine Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com 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. 

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 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 third appearance on Robinson’s Podcast. In episode #127, he and Robinson discussed some of the most profound criticisms of capitalism, and in #154 installment, they focused on the myths surrounding Marxism and Marx himself. In this episode, Richard and Robinson talk about the current—and enduring—Israel-Palestine conflict, with particular emphasis on how, with his Marxist training and background, Richard understands it from that perspective. Some particular questions discussed are how class figures into the conflict, whether ideology plays any pernicious roles, whether Israel should be considered a refugee state, why pro-Palestinian views are suppressed in the United States, and how Marx might have attempted to adjudicate the conflict. Richard’s Website: https://www.rdwolff.com Economic Update: https://www.democracyatwork.info/economicupdate OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:37 Introduction 04:19 Israel-Palestine and the Marxist Perspective  11:33 Is Israel a Colonial State or a Refugee State?  16:45 Some Important Marxist Distinctions in Israel and Palestine  25:09 Israel as a Project of Colonialist Capitalism  41:50 Ideology and the Perpetuation of the Israel-Palestine Disaster  01:01:03 Warfare and the Horrors of Israel-Palestine  01:07:43 The Suppression of Opposition to Israel in the United States  01:19:15 The Marxist Solution to the Israel-Palestine Conflict? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com 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. 

David Albert and Barry Loewer discuss the Mentaculus, their joint project on probability, determinism, and more. They explore subjective and objective perspectives on probability, the relationship between microscopic and macroscopic descriptions of the world, time's arrows, the measurement problem in quantum mechanics, and the influence of evaluating counterfactuals on free will and agency.

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at NYU and Founder and Director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. Sheldon Goldstein is Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University, where he researches mathematical physics, the foundations of quantum mechanics, and Bohmian Mechanics. He is also Board Member of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics, and this is his second appearance on the show. In episode 170, he and Robinson discussed Bohmian Mechanics. On the other hand, this is Tim’s fifth appearance on the show. Tim was also a guest on episode 46 (laws of nature, space, and free will), episode 67 with David Albert (the foundations of quantum mechanics), episode 115 with Craig Callender (the philosophy of time), and episode 142 on Bell’s inequality and the philosophy of science. In this episode, Robinson, Tim, and Shelly discuss the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, the Many-Worlds theory, spontaneous collapse theories, Bohmian mechanics, and emergent relativity. If you’re interested in the foundations of physics—which you absolutely should be—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 Shelly’s Website: https://sites.math.rutgers.edu/~oldstein/ The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:22 Introduction 03:04 Is Copenhagen the Dominant Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics? 20:12 On the Most Promising Theories of Quantum Mechanics 34:46 Are There 0-Dimensional Quantum Objects? 41:03 On Spontaneous Wave Function Collapse in Quantum Mechanics 47:56 Bohmian Mechanics and Determinism 51:34 What is Bohmian Mechanics? 1:10:33 Is There a Fundamental Theory of Quantum Mechanics 1:18:45What Is Emergent Relativity? 1:31:01 What Are the Problems with Bohmian Mechanics? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com 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. 

Michael Levin, Biology Professor at Tufts University and faculty at Harvard, discusses the nature of cognition, working with Daniel Dennett, defining robots, a new class of robot called Anthrobot, and moral obligations to biological robots.

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 Jenann Ismael is the William H. Miller III Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University, where she researches the philosophy of physics, science, mind, and metaphysics. In this episode, Robinson and Jenann discuss the role of self-reference in physics, the arrows of time, interpretations of quantum mechanics, and free will. Jenann’s latest book is Time: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2021). Jenann’s Website: https://www.jenanni.com Time: A Very Short Introduction: https://a.co/d/8fRtXFZ How Physics Makes Us Free: https://a.co/d/9OdFJ12 OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode 00:23 Introduction 02:21 Jenann’s Entry into Philosophy of Physics 8:26 Self-Reference and the Universe 21:54 The Real-World Problem of Self-Reference 32:51 The Mentaculus 57:01 Interference and Self-Reference 1:01:55 Interference and Quantum Measurement 1:06:12 On Self-Reference and the Many-Worlds Theory of Quantum Mechanics 1:17:13 On Determinism and Free Will Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com 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. 

Jim Al-Khalili, a theoretical physicist and author from the University of Surrey, delves into the intriguing world of quantum biology. He explains how animals like the European Robin navigate using quantum mechanics, shedding light on concepts like quantum tunneling and decoherence. The discussion also touches on the connection between quantum phenomena and biological processes, as well as how these might influence evolution. Al-Khalili's insights provide a fascinating bridge between the realms of physics and the complexities of life.