Uncommon Knowledge - podcast cover

Uncommon Knowledge

For more than two decades the Hoover Institution has been producing Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson, a series hosted by Hoover fellow Peter Robinson as an outlet for political leaders, scholars, journalists, and today’s big thinkers to share their views with the world.

Episodes

Christopher Buckley: “Steaming to Bamboola” and Other Journeys

In this wide-ranging and richly entertaining conversation, novelist and political satirist Christopher Buckley joins Peter Robinson for a reflection on writing, legacy, friendship, and grace. From their early days as speechwriters for George H. W. Bush to Buckley’s prolific career as an author of more than 20 books—including Thank You for Smoking and Steaming to Bamboola—the two longtime friends revisit the formative moments, literary inspirations, and unforgettable characters that shaped Buckle...

Apr 30, 20251 hr 2 minEp. 436

Thomas Sowell: Facts Against Rhetoric, Capitalism, Culture—and, Yes, the Tariffs

Economist and author Thomas Sowell makes his long-awaited (and oft requested) return to Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson to unveil his newest project: a website titled Facts Against Rhetoric , a powerful resource dedicated to empirical thinking and intellectual clarity. In this interview, Sowell explores some of the most urgent issues in American life—from the collapse of educational standards to the unintended consequences of affirmative action, the impact of tariffs, and the erosion of f...

Apr 15, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 435

Empire of Illusion: Frank Dikötter on Why China Isn’t a Superpower

Frank Dikötter challenges the narrative of China's rise, arguing its image as a superpower is a facade built on repression and propaganda. He explains that China's growth is fueled by an impoverished population and inflated statistics, and the CCP's decisions are driven by fear. Dikötter suggests China's power is brittle and the West has misread its intentions.

Apr 01, 20251 hr 4 minEp. 434

Conflict: Niall Ferguson on Ukraine, Taiwan, and His War of Words with V. P. Vance

Niall Ferguson, preeminent historian and Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, joins this episode of Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson to discuss the war and ongoing stalemate in Ukraine; the Trump administration’s foreign policy and negotiations with Russia; and the broader geopolitical landscape, including the shift in Europe’s defense posture as the US signals a reduced commitment to NATO. Throughout the conversation, Ferguson explores historical analogies to better und...

Mar 18, 20251 hr 5 minEp. 433

The Great Partnership: How George Shultz Helped Ronald Reagan Win The Cold War

This panel discussion on the legacy of George Shultz, former US secretary of state and Hoover Institution senior fellow, features the Hoover Institution’s director, Condoleezza Rice; Israeli politician and human rights activist Natan Sharansky; and Abraham Sofaer, the former legal advisor to the State Department under George Shultz and the George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy and National Security Affairs at the Hoover Institution. Together, they reflect on Shultz’s contributions to ...

Feb 21, 20251 hrEp. 432

Five Questions for Stephen Kotkin: Advice for the New Administration (and the Rest of Us)

Stephen Kotkin is the Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and one of the most preeminent historians in the world. In this installment of Five Questions for Stephen Kotkin, he explores the reelection of Donald Trump, debating whether it represents a fluke or a seismic shift in American politics, while contextualizing this within a broader discussion of global democracy, as 2024 saw significant elections across many of the world’s most populous nations. The conversation also delves ...

Jan 28, 20251 hr 23 minEp. 431

Marc Andreessen: It’s Morning Again In America

Marc Andreessen is a prominent Silicon Valley entrepreneur, investor, and technologist and the cofounder and general partner at Andreessen Horowitz. This discussion covers Andreessen’s journey from his upbringing in rural Wisconsin, through his founding Netscape and the development of one of the first commercial internet browsers in his twenties, to his pivotal role in shaping Silicon Valley and now national politics. The interview also delves into the technological and political evolution of Si...

Jan 14, 20251 hr 14 minEp. 430

The Extinction of Experience: Christine Rosen on the Impact of Technology on Society

Christine Rosen is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, cohost of the daily Commentary Magazine Podcast, and the author of The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World. This wide-ranging discussion delves into the pervasive impact of technology on human experience, relationships, and societal norms. Drawing from themes in her book, Rosen critiques how digital devices and virtual realities have increasingly supplanted direct human interaction and embodied expe...

Jan 07, 202550 minEp. 429

Part II: Apocalypse Now? Peter Thiel on Ancient Prophecies and Modern Tech

In this, the second half of our conversation with Peter Thiel, the discussion delves into Thiel’s reflections on ancient prophecies, particularly the concept of the Antichrist as outlined in biblical and literary sources. Drawing from thinkers such as Cardinal Newman and fiction by Vladimir Solovyov and Robert Hugh Benson, Thiel explores how apocalyptic ideas remain relevant today, particularly in light of global challenges like technological risks, nuclear threats, and international governance....

Dec 06, 202441 minEp. 428

This Is BIG: Podhoretz, Ferguson, and Olsen Discuss the Meaning of the Election and What’s Next

Andrew Ferguson is a journalist and author; John Podhoretz is the editor of Commentary magazine and the host of the daily Commentary Magazine Podcast; Henry Olsen is a veteran political analyst, host of the Beyond the Polls podcast, and one of the few people who correctly predicted the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. This discussion hosted by Peter Robinson centers on the shifting political landscape in America, dissecting voter behavior, demographics, cultural changes, the shifting r...

Nov 26, 20241 hr 18 minEp. 427

A Hero Speaks: Natan Sharansky on the US and Israel At This Hour

Natan Sharansky is a renowned human rights activist, former Soviet dissident, Israeli politician, and author. In 1977, Sharansky was sentenced to 13 years of hard labor in a Soviet prison for the crime of advocating for human rights and the right for Soviet Jews to emigrate to Israel. After nine years of imprisonment, under harsh conditions and including long periods of solitary confinement, Sharankly was released in 1986 as part of a political prisoner exchange between the Soviet Union and west...

Nov 21, 202432 minEp. 426

Apocalypse Now? Peter Thiel on Ancient Prophecies and Modern Tech | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Peter Thiel—the prominent tech entrepreneur and thinker—returns to Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson to discuss his views on the end times, technology, and societal progress. Thiel delves into the historical and philosophical context of apocalyptic thinking, referencing biblical texts and the work of René Girard. He argues that modern technological advancements, such as nuclear weapons and AI, have apocalyptic potential and should be taken seriously. Be sure to come back for part two of thi...

Nov 18, 202447 minEp. 425

The Three Historians: Niall Ferguson, Victor Davis Hanson, and Andrew Roberts | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Niall Ferguson, Victor Davis Hanson, and Andrew Roberts are senior fellows at the Hoover Institution and among the most prestigious and popular historians in the world. This is the first time they have appeared together in a public forum. Among the topics they cover in this wide-ranging discussion: the recent controversy regarding Winston Churchill’s role in World War II, the false premise of the 1619 Project, the Cold War, World War II, and the role of historians in public life. In addition, th...

Nov 06, 202459 minEp. 424

Which Way, America? Condoleezza Rice on America’s Foreign Policy Challenges | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Condoleezza Rice is the Tad and Dianne Taube Director of the Hoover Institution and a former US secretary of state and national security advisor in the George W. Bush administration. Rice joins Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson at a perilous moment for the United States and the world at large, even more dangerous than the Cold War, Rice argues. Drawing on her recent article in Foreign Affairs , Rice highlights the complex threats posed by global powers including China, Russia, and Iran. The...

Oct 18, 202451 minEp. 423

H.R. McMaster on Why the Trump Administration Was “At War with Ourselves” | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

General (ret.) H.R. McMaster, the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution , returns to Uncommon Knowledge to discuss his latest book, At War with Ourselves , in which he candidly recounts his experiences as former national security advisor to President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2018. In this wide-ranging interview, McMaster delves into the complexities and challenges he faced while serving in the administration and describes his role in providing the president with multi...

Sep 03, 202457 minEp. 422

Are We Alone? Fine-Tuning the Universe, with Barnes, Keating, and Richards | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

“Are we alone in the universe?” That’s the central question we put to astrophysicist Dr. Luke Barnes, cosmologist Dr. Brian Keating, and philosopher Dr. Jay Richards. Our guests delve into the probabilities and challenges of finding extraterrestrial life, considering the vastness of the cosmos and the fine-tuning necessary for life to exist. They explore the implications of the SETI project, the rarity of Earth-like conditions, and the potential for habitable planets in other solar systems. This...

Aug 20, 20241 hr 13 minEp. 421

Beyond Evolution: Unraveling the Origins of Life with Stephen Meyer and James Tour | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Stephen Meyer is the author of Return of the God Hypothesis and the director of the Discovery Institute. James Tour is a synthetic organic chemist and professor at Rice University , renowned for his work in nanotechnology and his skepticism toward the current scientific models explaining the origin of life. In this wide-ranging conversation, Meyer and Tour contrast biological evolution with the more complex challenge of chemical evolution, where modern science still struggles to explain how nonl...

Aug 05, 20241 hr 4 minEp. 420

The Magician’s Twin, with David Berlinski, Stephen Meyer, and James Orr | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

In his 1943 book The Abolition of Man, C. S. Lewis wrote: “The serious magical endeavor and the serious scientific endeavor are twins: One was sickly and died, the other strong and throve. But they were twins. They were born of the same impulse.” In this Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson, mathematician and philosopher David Berlinski, intelligent design advocate Stephen Meyer, and Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion at Cambridge University, James Orr explore the parallels between ...

Jul 16, 20241 hr 12 minEp. 419

Doing “The Best Things First,” with Bjorn Lomborg | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Bjorn Lomborg is president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center , a think tank dedicated to applying economic analysis, including cost-benefit analysis, to proposed policies around the issues of the day. He’s also a visiting professor at Copenhagen Business School and visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He's the author of many books, including the 2001 bestseller The Skeptical Environmentalist . His latest book, and the topic for this interview, is Best Things First ....

Jun 25, 202444 minEp. 418

A Dangerous Moment, with Douglas Murray | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Author and columnist Douglas Murray has spent much of the past few years reporting from battlefields in Ukraine and Gaza. His reporting on the harrowing conditions in those wartorn locations make his journalism a must-read. In this wide-ranging conversation, Murray describes what he has witnessed, why the West must ensure victories in both wars, and his reaction to the campus protests across the United States, as well as his views on the upcoming British elections.

Jun 04, 202459 minEp. 417

“The End of Everything,” with Victor Davis Hanson | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Classicist Victor Davis Hanson is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and the author of hundreds of articles, book reviews, and newspaper editorials on Greek, agrarian, and military history and essays on contemporary culture. He has written or edited twenty-four books, the latest of which is The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation . The book—and this conversation—charts how and why some societies choose to utterly destroy their foes and warns t...

May 15, 20241 hr 6 minEp. 416

Paul Wolfowitz on the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars and a Life in Foreign Policy | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Currently a fellow at the Hoover Institution, Paul Wolfowitz previously served as director of policy planning at the State Department, as US ambassador to Indonesia, as under secretary of defense for policy, as dean of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, as deputy secretary of defense, and as president of the World Bank. He is perhaps best known as a policymaker during the war in Afghanistan and the first and second wars in Iraq, and that is what we delve in...

May 01, 20241 hr 2 minEp. 415

The Rise of the Machines: John Etchemendy and Fei-Fei Li on Our AI Future | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

John Etchemendy and Fei-Fei Li are the codirectors of Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) , founded in 2019 to “advance AI research, education, policy and practice to improve the human condition.” In this interview, they delve into the origins of the technology, its promise, and its potential threats. They also discuss what AI should be used for, where it should not be deployed, and why we as a society should—cautiously—embrace it....

Apr 16, 20241 hrEp. 414

Andrew Roberts on “Conflict: The Evolution of War from 1945 to Ukraine” | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Historian Andrew Roberts is the author of more than a dozen major works of history, including Napoleon: A Life, Churchill: Walking with Destiny, and The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III. His latest book, coauthored with General David Petraeus, is Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine , which provides the basis for this interview. Roberts discusses the differences in the way nations and allied forces prosecute wars in the twentieth century vs. today. R...

Apr 02, 20241 hr 4 minEp. 413

Why Bitcoin Will Take Over The World: Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Despite a tumultuous and volatile marketplace; scandals, arrests, and bankruptcies at rival digital exchanges; and social issues disrupting his own company, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is a devout believer in digital currencies and the power of the blockchain. In this interview, Armstrong describes how he co-founded Coinbase, explains the basics of how digital currencies work, and responds to criticisms of cryptocurrency from Warren Buffet and others.

Mar 19, 20241 hr 5 minEp. 412

Growing Up Segregated: Three Witnesses To The Struggle For Civil Rights, Part 2 | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson, Condoleezza Rice, Mary Bush, and Freeman Hrabowski| Hoover Institution

Mary Bush, Freeman Hrabowski, and Condoleezza Rice grew up and were classmates together in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, in the late 1950s and early ’60s. After taking a brief visit with Rice to her childhood home, we gather them again for a second conversation in Birmingham’s Westminster Presbyterian Church, where Rice’s father was pastor during that period. In this second part of our interview, the three lifelong friends further recount what life was like for Blacks in Jim Crow Alabama and t...

Feb 23, 202457 minEp. 411

Birmingham, 1963: Three Witnesses to the Struggle for Civil Rights | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson, Condoleezza Rice, Mary Bush, and Freeman Hrabowski| Hoover Institution

Mary Bush, Freeman Hrabowski, and Condoleezza Rice grew up and were classmates together in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, in the late 1950s and early ’60s. We reunited them for a conversation in Birmingham’s Westminster Presbyterian Church, where Rice’s father was pastor during that period. The three lifelong friends recount what life was like for Blacks in Jim Crow Alabama and the deep bonds that formed in the Black community at the time in order to support one another and to give the children...

Feb 07, 20241 hr 2 minEp. 409

Uncommon Knowledge Archive: Oppenheimer’s Edward Teller and Sid Drell on ICBM Defense Systems | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

With the recent announcement that Oppenheimer, the film directed by Christopher Nolan, had garnered 11 Academy Award nominations, it seemed timely to pull from the archives this rarely seen episode of Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson from 1996 (the third episode ever shot), featuring nuclear physicists and Hoover senior fellows Edward Teller and Sidney Drell. Teller was involved in the development of the first atomic bomb and is prominently featured in Oppenheimer. Drell was an expert in t...

Jan 30, 202428 minEp. 408

“The Treason Of The Intellectuals,” With Niall Ferguson | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution

Niall Ferguson is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University. In this interview, Ferguson discusses his stunning essay “The Treason of the Intellectuals,” published in December 2023 in the Free Press. The essay delves deeply into the changes Ferguson has observed in his 30-year career as an academic, especially over the past 10 years. He describes in th...

Jan 23, 202448 minEp. 407
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast