1 - Haim Gaifman: Vagueness & the Sorites Paradox

John Burgess is John N. Woodhull Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University, where he works in mathematical and philosophical logic and the philosophy of mathematics. In this episode, Robinson and John discuss realism in the philosophy of mathematics, and while the nature of this question is itself disputed, it can be roughly described as concerning the extent to which we should be committed to the mind-independent truth of mathematical theorems, or to the existence of the objects they apparently describe. Robinson and John begin by addressing the nuances of this question, and they then turn to various developments in mathematics that have been historically associated with realism—set theory, in particular—as well as specific philosophical positions associated with realism (such as Platonism) and anti-realism (such as conventionalism). John’s most recent book is Set Theory (Cambridge, 2022). Set Theory: https://a.co/d/cF305wf OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:22 Introduction 03:17 Mathematics or Philosophy? 08:06 What is Realism in the Philosophy of Mathematics? 14:11 Objectivity and Mathematics 24:34 What Is Set Theory? 47:29 Platonism and the Continuum Problem 01:15:42 Conventionalism 01:22:06 Finitism 01:31:17 A Cap on Infinity? 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.

13 Sep 20231h 34min

Lawrence Summers is the President Emeritus and Charles W. Eliot University Professor at Harvard University. He also served as the 71st Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton Administration, as Director of the White House National Economic Council in the Obama Administration, and as the Chief Economist of the World Bank. In this episode, Robinson and Larry discuss two topics close to his heart and work. First, they talk about the relationship between economic research and economic policy, both at a broad, theoretical level and with respect to cases, such as the current problem of inflation and Larry’s own work on global investments in the education of women. Second, they explore free speech and the social function of the university, including its commitments to the pursuit of truth, the promotion of opportunity, and an increase in prosperity. Larry’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/LHSummers Larry’s Website: https://larrysummers.com/ OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 01:06 Introduction 05:19 Theory, Research, and Policy in Economics 18:15 Using Research to Debunk Theory 23:00 Investing in Women’s Education 27:33 Free Speech at Harvard 34:52 Harvard and the Purpose of the University 38:17 Why Larry Ran Harvard 41:50 The STEM Revolution 54:03 Anti-Semitism in the University 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.

10 Sep 202358min

Konstantin Batygin is Professor of Planetary Science in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences at the California Institute of Technology, where he works on a wide variety of problems related to the formation and evolution of the solar system, the dynamical evolution of exoplanets, and physical processes that occur in planetary interiors and atmospheres. In this episode, Robinson and Konstantin discuss interstellar interlopers in our solar system, planet and satellite formation, the death of Pluto, Planet Nine, and the newest music from his band, The Seventh Season. Konstantin’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/kbatygin Konstantin’s Website: https://www.konstantinbatygin.com/ The Seventh Season: https://theseventhseason.band/ OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:37 Introduction 03:56 Konstantin’s Background 07:53 Was Oumuamua an Alien Spacecraft? 16:17 Planetesimals, Planet Formation, and the Size of the Solar System 25:15 Are there Extrasolar Objects in our Solar System? 35:06 How do Planets Form? 48:54 Is Our Solar System Falling Apart? 54:46 How Do Moons Form? 01:04:20 The Complexity of the Outer Solar System 01:07:12 The Death of Pluto 01:17:21 What and Where Is Planet Nine? 01:41:59 The Seventh Season 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.

8 Sep 20232h

Joyce Carol Oates is the Rogers S. Berlind ’52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities at Princeton University with the Program in Creative Writing. She is among the most widely-recognized and respected writers of our time, and has written in a wide variety of media and genres, from poetry and fiction in the former category to horror and Gothic in the latter. Her work has also been adapted into various other media, from plays to film. Joyce is the recipient of two O. Henry Awards and the National Book Award, among many others. In this conversation, Robinson and Joyce talk about various dimensions of fiction and poetry. Their discussion largely centers on technique and form, and touches on the work of James Joyce, Stephen Crane, Vladimir Nabokov, and Edgar Allan Poe, in addition to Joyce’s own novels and short stories. Errata: In the section marked “Edgar Allan Poe and James Joyce”, Joyce says “Blazes Boylan” when she intends to refer to Buck Mulligan. Joyce’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoyceCarolOates Joyce’s Substack: https://joycecaroloates.substack.com OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:55 Introduction 05:39 On Stephen Crane and The Bitter Heart 31:22 Literature as a Distillation of Life 42:53 Repetition and other Techniques 53:07 Edgar Allan Poe and James Joyce 01:08:14 Stephen Crane’s Many Red Devils 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.

6 Sep 20231h 33min

Andrew Strominger is Gwill E. York Professor of Physics and Director of the Center for the Fundamental Laws of Nature at Harvard University, where he works on some of the deepest questions in physics, including black holes and the unification of quantum field theory and general relativity in the form of string theory. In this episode, Robinson and Andy discuss the basics of string theory, including its unifying role in physics, its application to outstanding and once-intractable problems of black holes, and the conceptual difficulties of thinking about higher-dimensional spaces. OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:32 Introduction 05:03 Andy’s Entry into String Theory 20:49 The Irreconcilable Clash between General Relativity and Quantum Field Theory 47:02 String Theory, Fine-Tuning, and the Anthropic Principle 59:20 The Basics of String Theory 01:12:50 String Theory and the Reductionist Program of Physics 01:27:25 When Will We Observe the Strings of String Theory? 01:43:45 How Many Dimensions are There in String Theory? 02:12:50 Aesthetics in String Theory 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.

3 Sep 20232h 16min

Thomas Hertog is Professor and Head of Theoretical Physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at KU Leuven in Belgium. He was a doctoral student and close collaborator of Stephen Hawking. In this episode, Robinson and Thomas discuss his recent book, On the Origin of Time: Stephen Hawking’s Final Theory. More particularly they discuss his collaboration with Stephen Hawking Hawking’s work on black holes, and the three stages of his cosmological research, which culminated in his final theory, which Thomas worked on with him, called Top-Down Cosmology.  On the Origin of Time: https://a.co/d/ihrMoCZ OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 00:53 Introduction 04:19 Thomas’s Entry into Physics 05:49 What Was It Like to Work with Stephen Hawking? 09:46 Stephen Hawking and the Death of Philosophy 16:42 What is Cosmological Inflation 23:28 The Big Bang, Fine-Tuning, and the Anthropic Principle 41:15 On Penrose, Hawking, Black Holes, and the Big Bang 01:01:27 Stephen Hawking’s Final Theory of Top-Down Cosmology 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.

1 Sep 20231h 24min

Christopher Capozzola is Professor of History and MacVicar Faculty Fellow at MIT, where he works on the history of citizenship, war, and the military in modern American history. In this episode, Robinson and Chris discuss his first book, Uncle Sam Wants You: World War I and the Making of the Modern American Citizen (Oxford, 2008). More particularly, they talk about the background of the famous Uncle Sam “I Want You!” image and its status as a piece of propaganda, how it functioned in the United States during World War I, the domestic reception and consequences of the draft, and how patriotism resulted in violent vigilante justice. Chris’s latest book is Bound by War: How the United States and the Philippines Built America’s First Pacific Century. Uncle Sam Wants You: https://a.co/d/gBodfCL OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 01:04 Introduction 03:50 History as Narrative 08:01 Teaching History at MIT 12:21 Chris’s Interest in American History 14:42 The Origin and Purpose of Uncle Sam 32:48 Political Obligation and the Draft in World War I 45:06 History and Unwritten Facts 50:07 Draft Dodgers, Conscientious Objectors, and Vigilantes in WWI 01:04:35 Historians, Philosophers, and Political Obligation 01:16:50 How World War I Was Caused by Bad Leaders 01:23:01 Free Speech During and After the War 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.

30 Aug 20231h 29min

Ian Hutchinson is Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering in he Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT. He works in both plasma physics and nuclear physics and also writes on the philosophy of science and the compatibility of Christianity and science. In this episode, Ian and Robinson begin by discussing his work in plasma and nuclear physics, touching on space exploration, nuclear fusion, and the containment of superheated plasma. Then they turn to Ian’s religious beliefs and his understanding of how science and christianity are not only compatible, but complementary. Ian’s latest book is Can a Scientist Believe in Miracles?: An MIT Professor Answers Questions on God and Science. Ian’s Website: https://www-internal.psfc.mit.edu/~hutch/ Can a Scientist Believe in Miracles?: https://a.co/d/2Vi2wKk OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 01:03 Introduction 06:15 Is There a Crisis in Plasma Physics? 19:19 What Is the Fourth Phase of Matter? 33:24 Plasma, Astrophysics, and Space Exploration 45:49 What Are Nuclear Fission and Fusion? 55:25 How Does Nuclear Fusion Work? 01:02:34 How Viable is Nuclear Fusion as a Clean Power Source? 01:19:03 Why MIT Nuclear Physicist Ian Hutchinson Believes in God 01:34:08 How Can Science be Compatible with Christian Miracles? 01:43:22 How an MIT Physicist Reads the Book of Genesis 01:49:11 The Perils of Scientism 01:58:59 Do Science and Religion Complement Each Other? 02:04:02 How Religion Informs Ian’s Work as a Plasma Physicist 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.

27 Aug 20232h 12min