Manifold

Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Join him for wide-ranging conversations with leading writers, scientists, technologists, academics, entrepreneurs, investors, and more.

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Episodes

Joe Cesario on Political Bias and Problematic Research Methods in Social Psychology – #13

Corey and Steve continue their discussion with Joe Cesario and examine methodological biases in the design and conduct of experiments in social psychology and ideological bias in the interpretation of the findings. Joe argues that experiments in his field are designed to be simple but that in making experimental set ups simple researchers remove critical factors that actually matter for a police officer to make a decision in the real world. In consequence, he argues that the results cannot be ta...

Jun 27, 2019•59 min

James Cham on Venture Capital, Risk Taking, and the Future Impacts of AI – Episode #12

James Cham is a partner at Bloomberg Beta, a venture capital firm focused on the future of work. James invests in companies applying machine intelligence to businesses and society. Prior to Bloomberg Beta, James was a Principal at Trinity Ventures and a VP at Bessemer Venture Partners. He was educated in computer science at Harvard and at the MIT Sloan School of Business. Resources James Cham Bloomberg Beta Transcript...

Jun 13, 2019•1 hr 16 min

Joe Cesario on Police Decision Making and Racial Bias in Deadly Force Decisions – Episode #11

Corey and Steve talk with Joe Cesario about his recent work showing that, contrary to many activist claims and media reports, there is no widespread racial bias in police shootings. Joe discusses his analysis of national criminal justice data and his experimental studies with police officers in a specially designed realistic simulator. He maintains that evidence suggests that racial bias does exist in other uses force of force such as tasering but that the decision to shoot is fundamentally diff...

May 30, 2019•1 hr 19 min

Ron Unz on the Subprime Mortgage Crisis, The Unz Review, and the Harvard Admissions Scandal – Episode #10

Ron Unz is the publisher of the Unz Review, a controversial, but widely read, alternative media site hosting opinion outside of the mainstream, including from both the far right and the far left. Unz studied theoretical physics at Harvard, Cambridge and Stanford. He founded the software company Wall Street Analytics, acquired by Moody’s in 2006, and was behind the 1998 ballot initiative that ended bilingual education in California. Resources The Unz Review The Myth of American Meritocracy – How ...

May 16, 2019•1 hr 5 min

Philosopher Sam Kerstein on the Morality of Genome Engineering, Inequality, and Star Trek – Episode #9

Corey and Steve speak with Samuel Kerstein, Professor of Philosophy and expert in Medical Ethics at the University of Maryland. They discuss the ethics of genome engineering and preimplantation embryo selection, and the inequality and narrowing of human diversity that might result from widespread adoption of these technologies. Among the topics covered: Why genome engineering at this time is immoral. Should we always pick the healthiest embryo? In the future will parents have a moral obligation ...

May 02, 2019•1 hr 11 min

Sabine Hossenfelder on the Crisis in Particle Physics and Against the Next Big Collider – #8

Hossenfelder is a Research Associate at the Frankfurt Institute of Advanced Studies. Her research areas include particle physics and quantum gravity. She discusses the current state of theoretical physics, and her recent book Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray. Resources The Uncertain Future of Particle Physics (New York Times Article) Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray (Book) Transcript...

Apr 18, 2019•1 hr 4 min

David Skrbina on Ted Kaczynski, Technological Slavery, and the Future of Our Species – Episode #7

David Skrbina is a philosopher at the University of Michigan. He and Ted Kaczynski published the book Technological Slavery, which elaborates on the Unabomber manifesto and contains about 100 pages of correspondence between the two which took place over almost a decade. Skrbina discusses his and Kaczynski’s views on deep problems of technological society, and whether violent opposition to it is justified. Resources David Skrbina’s Featured Publications Photos of Ted Kacynski David Skrbina, Pen P...

Apr 04, 2019•1 hr 15 min

John Hawks on Human Evolution, Ancient DNA, and Big Labs Devouring Fossils – Episode #6

Hawks is the Vilas-Borghesi Distinguished Achievement Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He is an anthropologist and studies the bones and genes of ancient humans. He’s worked on almost every part of our evolutionary story, from the very origin of our lineage among the apes, to the last 10,000 years of our history. Resources John Hawks Weblog Ghosts and Hybrids: How ancient DNA and new fossils are changing human origins (Research Presentation) Transcript...

Mar 21, 2019•54 min

Kaiser Kuo of Sinica on Modern China and US-China relations – Episode #5

Kaiser Kuo is a host and co-founder of Sinica, a current affairs podcast originally based in Beijing. Sinica guests include prominent journalists, academics, and policy makers who participate in uncensored discussions about Chinese political, economic, and cultural affairs. Resources Sinica Podcast Personal Ties, Meritocracy, and China’s Anti-Corruption Campaign “MMG | Kaiser Kuo” by Meet the media Guru is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 Transcript...

Mar 07, 2019•1 hr 17 min

Ted Schultz on Ants, Emergent Behavior, and the Molecular Revolution in Systematics – Episode #4

Corey and Steve speak with Ted Shultz, research Entomologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Ted is an expert in Leaf Cutter Ant evolution and systematics. Topics discussed include evolution, systematics, the genetic basis of behavior, E. O. Wilson and small revolutions in science. Resources Ted Schultz Science Magazine Table of Contents – December 9, 1994 As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods (Seymour Benzer) The City Under the Back Steps Transcript...

Feb 21, 2019•45 min

Noor Siddiqui, Thiel Fellow, on Stanford and Silicon Valley – Episode #3

Corey and Steve interview Noor Siddiqui, a student at Stanford studying AI, Machine Learning, and Genomics. She was previously a Thiel Fellow, and founded a medical collaboration technology startup after high school. The conversation covers topics like college admissions, Tiger parenting, Millennials, Stanford, Silicon Valley startup culture, innovation in the US healthcare industry, and Simplicity and Genius. Resources Noor Siddiqui Thiel Fellows Transcript...

Feb 07, 2019•1 hr 9 min

Bobby Kasthuri & Brain Mapping - Episode #2

Corey and Steve are joined by Bobby Kausthuri, a Neuroscientist at Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago. Bobby specializes in nanoscale mapping of brains using automated fine slicing followed by electron microscopy. Among the topics covered: Brain mapping, the nature of scientific progress (philosophy of science), Biology vs Physics, Is the brain too complex to be understood by our brains? AlphaGo, the Turing Test, and wiring diagrams, Are scientists underpaid? The future of...

Jan 31, 2019•1 hr 15 min

CRISPR Babies — Episode #1

Corey and Steve discuss news of gene edited babies in China, and the future of human genetic engineering. ▶️ Watch: CRISPR Babies — Episode #1 Resources Generation CRISPR? He did it: He Jiankui talk at HKU conference on gene editing Economist Radio podcast interview on Genomic Prediction Transcript...

Jan 24, 2019•23 min

Introductions — Episode #0

Corey and Steve, friends for almost 30 years, introduce each other to the audience. Caltech Traditions and Pranks http://www.admissions.caltech.edu/exp... Steve’s blog, Information Processing http://infoproc.blogspot.com man·i·fold /ˈmanəˌfōld/ many and various. In mathematics, a manifold is a topological space that locally resembles Euclidean space near each point....

Jan 24, 2019•48 min

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