Manifold

Nov 21 2024 123 ep. 74 mins 910

Manifold Podcast artwork

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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Letter from Shanghai: Reflections on China in 2024 — #73

Nov 21 2024 59 mins

00:00 Introduction and summary of my trip to Shanghai02:33 Understanding China and its knowledge problem06:54 Physics seminars in Shanghai and Beijing15:54 Insights into Chinese academia, challenges in scientific culture22:43 Historical contributions: Two Bombs, one satellite27:02 He Jiankui and gene editing, plus the future of biotech in China33:32 China's AI and chip war strategy

Letter from Beijing, with Han Feizi — #72

Nov 07 2024 62 mins

Han Feizi is the pseudonym of a columnist for Asia Times, who covers the Chinese economy, technology, and US-China competition. The author lives in Beijing, and has an extensive background in finance and investment banking.Han Feizi's articles for Asia Times: https://asiatimes.com/author/han-feizi/ Chapters:00:00 Introduction to the guest: Han Feizi01:39 What it's like in Beijing r

Seeking Truth From Facts: Israel and Iran, Missile Defense, China Economic Development

Oct 24 2024 65 mins

This is a crossover episode with the Seeking Truth From Facts podcast. (00:00) - Iranian missile attack vs Israel and missile defense (13:10) - Is there potential for a 1973-style oil crisis? (21:41) - Is NATO getting tired of the proxy war in Ukraine? (25:43) - Why has Europe declined relatively since 2008 and what are the consequences of said decline? (30:13) - Is procyclical Eu

Samo Burja: Intellectuals, Culture. and the Technosphere — #70

Oct 10 2024 97 mins

Samo Burja founded Bismarck Analysis, a consulting firm that investigates the political and institutional landscape of society. He is a Senior Research Fellow in Political Science at the Foresight Institute where he advises on how institutions can shape the future of technology. Since 2024, he has chaired the editorial board of Palladium Magazine, a non-partisan publication that ex

Deus Ex Machina: A Man, Machines, and God

Sep 26 2024 90 mins

This is a crossover episode in which https://x.com/loubohan interviews me for his podcast Deus Ex Machina.I was obviously in an exuberant mood for this interview - it's one of my favorites!Deus Ex Machina podcast:https://open.spotify.com/episode/7mXUfNJdNnOjGfu6VGactr?si=Y3j1OZG4QsGdPhXd8dKsrw…Timestamps:(00:00) - Growing up in Iowa. Athletics, Chinese culture. KMT and military f

Seeking Truth From Facts: Alf & Steve Hsu — #68

Sep 12 2024 55 mins

This is a crossover episode in which Alf of the Seeking Truth from Facts podcast interviews Steve Hsu about the Chinese economy and political system, and US-China competition.Seeking Truth From Facts podcast: https://substack.com/@seekingtruthfromfacts/p-148705853Steve and Alf discuss:(00:00) - Introduction to the Podcast Collaboration (00:48) - Steve Hsu's Background and Expertise

Letter from Reykjavik: Genomics, Chess, Hyperscaling genAI, and Quantum Black Holes — #67

Aug 29 2024 35 mins

This is a short episode recorded at the end of a trip to Caltech (LA), Frankfurt, and Reykjavik.Black hole information and replica wormholes at Caltech (talk slides):https://stevehsu.substack.com/p/black-hole-information-and-replica00:00 Intro: summer in Iceland02:04 deCODE genetics 05:52 Chess: Bobby Fischer in Reykjavik11:56 Hyperscaling genAI23:11 Synthetic data and Hyperscaling

Robin Hanson: Prediction Markets, the Future of Civilization, and Polymathy — #66

Aug 15 2024 80 mins

Robin Hanson is a professor of economics at George Mason University. He has worked in a variety of fields, including Physics, AI, Economics, and Futurism.Follow him at https://x.com/robinhanson"When the typical economist tells me about his latest research, my standard reaction is 'Eh, maybe.' Then I forget about it. When Robin Hanson tells me about his latest research, my standard

China Today: Myths and Realities — #65

Aug 01 2024 81 mins

Steve discusses China myths and realities with Victor, a tech founder who ran a company in Beijing for 7 years. Among the topics covered: economic growth, real estate bubble, technology innovation, human capital, freedom of expression, Confucianism and Culture.00:00 Introduction02:02 Post-COVID economy and bursting of the real estate bubble08:25 Semiconductor Industry and US-China

Ivy League Anonymous: Great Awokening and Campus Radicals — #64

Jul 18 2024 71 mins

Earlier episode, Harvard Veritas:https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/harvard-veritas-interview-with-a-recent-graduate-anonymous-18Chapter markers:(00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (02:12) - Campus Protests and Media Perception (06:29) - Student Political Views and Academic Freedom (21:44) - Intellectual History of Wokeism (35:46) - STEM vs. Humanities: A Cultural Divide (54:3