Best Bob Hoffman Podcasts (2026)

SOCCER STADIUMS AS PROTEST VENUES AND THE ETHNIC FACTOR Colleague Brenda Shaffer. Shafferdescribes how soccer stadiums, particularly for the Azerbaijani team "Tractor," have become venues for ethnic and anti-regime protest. She notes the regime's brutal crackdown on athletes supporting the movement. Shaffer observes a shift in the opposition from s…

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S8 Ep292: BROKEN PROMISES AND LINGUISTIC DISCRIMINATION Colleague Brenda Shaffer. Shaffer details how the Islamic Republic initially promised ethnic minorities linguistic and cultural rights to secure ... 13:39

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18m ago13:39

13:39

BROKEN PROMISES AND LINGUISTIC DISCRIMINATION Colleague Brenda Shaffer. Shaffer details how the Islamic Republic initially promised ethnic minorities linguistic and cultural rights to secure power in 1979, only to violently suppress them once established. She explains that this oppression continues today through the policing of non-Persian names on…

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S8 Ep292: BROKEN PROMISES AND LINGUISTIC DISCRIMINATION Colleague Brenda Shaffer. Shaffer details how the Islamic Republic initially promised ethnic minorities linguistic and cultural rights to secure ... 7:54

22m ago7:54

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BROKEN PROMISES AND LINGUISTIC DISCRIMINATION Colleague Brenda Shaffer. Shaffer details how the Islamic Republic initially promised ethnic minorities linguistic and cultural rights to secure power in 1979, only to violently suppress them once established. She explains that this oppression continues today through the policing of non-Persian names on…

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S8 Ep292: IRAN IS MORE THAN PERSIA: A DIVERSE MOSAIC OF ETHNIC MINORITIES Colleague Brenda Shaffer. Brenda Shaffer discusses her book, Iran is More than Persia, arguing that Iran is not a monolithic Persian ... 10:53

12m ago10:53

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IRAN IS MORE THAN PERSIA: A DIVERSE MOSAIC OF ETHNIC MINORITIES Colleague Brenda Shaffer. Brenda Shaffer discusses her book, Iran is More than Persia, arguing that Iran is not a monolithic Persian state but a diverse mosaic where ethnic minorities comprise roughly half the population. She explains how the 20th-century shift to Persian nationalism m…

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Hometown Radio 01/09/26 5p: Conservative Bob defends federal agents in recent shootings 48:06

16m ago48:06

48:06

Hometown Radio 01/09/26 5p: Conservative Bob defends federal agents in recent shootingsBy News Talk 920 KVEC

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S8 Ep291: THE SAM ALTMAN MELODRAMA Colleague Gary Rivlin. The shock firing of Sam Altman by the OpenAI board over trust issues, Microsoft's intervention, and the rapid rehiring that solidified the race ... 6:32

18m ago6:32

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THE SAM ALTMAN MELODRAMA Colleague Gary Rivlin. The shock firing of Sam Altman by the OpenAI board over trust issues, Microsoft's intervention, and the rapid rehiring that solidified the race for dominance. NUMBER 16 1955By John Batchelor

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S8 Ep291: THE DILEMMA OF BIGNESS Colleague Gary Rivlin. How corporate giants like Google were slowed by their own business models, leading Suleyman to leave for Inflection and eventually Microsoft to bypass ... 13:13

30m ago13:13

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THE DILEMMA OF BIGNESS Colleague Gary Rivlin. How corporate giants like Google were slowed by their own business models, leading Suleyman to leave for Inflection and eventually Microsoft to bypass startup funding issues. NUMBER 15By John Batchelor

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Hometown Radio 01/09/26 4p: Our local NAACP previews the Martin Luther King holiday 49:44

1h ago49:44

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Hometown Radio 01/09/26 4p: Our local NAACP previews the Martin Luther King holidayBy News Talk 920 KVEC

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Hometown Radio 01/09/26 3p: Pet of the Week and your chance to win the Linn's gift card then Kathy Minck from the Diversity Coalition of SLO County 45:18

18m ago45:18

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Hometown Radio 01/09/26 3p: Pet of the Week and your chance to win the Linn's gift card then Kathy Minck from the Diversity Coalition of SLO CountyBy News Talk 920 KVEC

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S8 Ep291: DOOMERS VS. ACCELERATIONISTS Colleague Gary Rivlin. The ideological battle between "accelerationists" who want rapid progress and "doomers" who fear existential risk, with Hoffman positioning ... 6:45

21m ago6:45

6:45

DOOMERS VS. ACCELERATIONISTS Colleague Gary Rivlin. The ideological battle between "accelerationists" who want rapid progress and "doomers" who fear existential risk, with Hoffman positioning himself as a "bloomer." NUMBER 14 1959By John Batchelor

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S8 Ep291: TRANSFORMERS AND OPENAI Colleague Gary Rivlin. The development of the "transformer" paper at Google, the rise of large language models like GPT, and OpenAI's pivot from non-profit to a Microsoft ... 11:10

23m ago11:10

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TRANSFORMERS AND OPENAI Colleague Gary Rivlin. The development of the "transformer" paper at Google, the rise of large language models like GPT, and OpenAI's pivot from non-profit to a Microsoft-backed entity. NUMBER 13 1950By John Batchelor

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S8 Ep291: DEEPMIND AND THE GOOGLE ACQUISITION Colleague Gary Rivlin. Mustafa Suleyman and Demis Hassabis founding DeepMind to master games, their sale to Google for $650 million, and the culture clash ... 8:48

7m ago8:48

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DEEPMIND AND THE GOOGLE ACQUISITION Colleague Gary Rivlin. Mustafa Suleyman and Demis Hassabisfounding DeepMind to master games, their sale to Google for $650 million, and the culture clash that followed. NUMBER 12 1952By John Batchelor

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S8 Ep291: THE AI WINTER Colleague Gary Rivlin. The history of Frank Rosenblatt's neural networks, their dismissal by Marvin Minsky in favor of rules-based computing, and the decades-long "winter" before ... 10:56

8m ago10:56

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THE AI WINTER Colleague Gary Rivlin. The history of Frank Rosenblatt's neural networks, their dismissal by Marvin Minsky in favor of rules-based computing, and the decades-long "winter" before the resurgence of machine learning. NUMBER 11By John Batchelor

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S8 Ep291: THE CONNECTOR Colleague Gary Rivlin. Reid Hoffman's journey from a lonely childhood to becoming a Silicon Valley "super-connector," his relationship with Peter Thiel, and his early recognition ... 7:03

9m ago7:03

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THE CONNECTOR Colleague Gary Rivlin. Reid Hoffman's journey from a lonely childhood to becoming a Silicon Valley "super-connector," his relationship with Peter Thiel, and his early recognition of AI's potential. NUMBER 10 1955By John Batchelor

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S8 Ep291: AI VALLEY: THE TRILLION DOLLAR RACE TO CASH IN Colleague Gary Rivlin. Gary Rivlin chronicles the personalities driving the AI revolution, including Reid Hoffman and Mustafa Suleyman. He explores ... 10:51

15m ago10:51

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AI VALLEY: THE TRILLION DOLLAR RACE TO CASH IN Colleague Gary Rivlin. Gary Rivlin chronicles the personalities driving the AI revolution, including Reid Hoffman and Mustafa Suleyman. He explores the history of "AI winters," the rise of neural networks, and the corporate battle between Google and Microsoft. The narrative covers the "Doomer" safety d…

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S8 Ep291: THE MACHINERY OF REPRESSION Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. The structure of the IRGC and Basij, the specific targeting of ethnic minorities like Kurds and Baluchis, and the state's sadistic use of violence ... 7:39

33m ago7:39

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THE MACHINERY OF REPRESSION Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. The structure of the IRGC and Basij, the specific targeting of ethnic minorities like Kurds and Baluchis, and the state's sadistic use of violence against mourners. NUMBER 8 1906 TEHRAN. HEADS OF TURCOMAN CHIEFSBy John Batchelor

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S8 Ep291: ROOTS OF THE REVOLUTION Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. The historical context of the 1953 coup against Mossadegh, the alienation of the Pahlavi dynasty, and the recurring cycle of foreign interference ... 12:06

35m ago12:06

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ROOTS OF THE REVOLUTION Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. The historical context of the 1953 coup against Mossadegh, the alienation of the Pahlavi dynasty, and the recurring cycle of foreign interference and internal authoritarianism. NUMBER 7 1902 PERSIABy John Batchelor

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S8 Ep291: THE DEATH OF GINA Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. The killing of Mahsa Jina Amini by the morality police for her hair, the Kurdish origins of "Woman, Life, Freedom," and the immediate eruption of protests ... 5:35

21m ago5:35

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THE DEATH OF GINA Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. The killing of Mahsa Jina Amini by the morality police for her hair, the Kurdish origins of "Woman, Life, Freedom," and the immediate eruption of protests. NUMBER 6 1832 PERSIAN GIRLBy John Batchelor

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S8 Ep291: WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM: THE STORY OF IRAN'S UPRISING Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. Nilo Tabrizy and co-author Fatima Jamalapur document the uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in police ... 12:20

1h ago12:20

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WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM: THE STORY OF IRAN'S UPRISING Colleague Nilo Tabrizy. Nilo Tabrizy and co-author Fatima Jamalapur document the uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in police custody. They trace the regime's brutality back to the 1953 coup and the 1979 revolution. The discussion highlights the repression of minorities and defiant a…

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S8 Ep291: ANTISEMITISM IN THE ACADEMY Colleague Josh Hammer. A hostile incident at Loyola University Chicago law school where protesters disrupted a debate on presidential immunity, and the link between ... 7:07

11m ago7:07

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ANTISEMITISM IN THE ACADEMY Colleague Josh Hammer. A hostile incident at Loyola University Chicagolaw school where protesters disrupted a debate on presidential immunity, and the link between anti-Zionism and the eradication of Western civilization. NUMBER 4 842 JOSEPHUSBy John Batchelor

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S8 Ep291: FROM TREBLINKA TO KFAR AZA Colleague Josh Hammer. A visit to the Nazi death camp Treblinka contrasted with the aftermath of the October 7 massacre at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and finding solace in faith ... 12:43

16m ago12:43

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FROM TREBLINKA TO KFAR AZA Colleague Josh Hammer. A visit to the Nazi death camp Treblinka contrasted with the aftermath of the October 7 massacre at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and finding solace in faith and the Golden Rule. NUMBER 3 1860 JERUSALEMBy John Batchelor

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S8 Ep290: WESTCHESTER AND THE AMERICANIZATION OF JUDAISM Colleague Josh Hammer. Growing up in a secular Jewish environment, dropping out of Hebrew school, and the later discovery of conservatism and Edmund ... 9:00

11m ago9:00

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WESTCHESTER AND THE AMERICANIZATION OF JUDAISM Colleague Josh Hammer. Growing up in a secular Jewish environment, dropping out of Hebrew school, and the later discovery of conservatism and Edmund Burke leading to religious observance. NUMBER 2 1936 RAMALLAHBy John Batchelor

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S8 Ep290: THE FATE OF THE JEWISH NATION AND THE DESTINY OF THE WEST Colleague Josh Hammer. Josh Hammer discusses his journey from a secular upbringing to Orthodox Judaism and his new book regarding Western ... 8:54

11m ago8:54

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THE FATE OF THE JEWISH NATION AND THE DESTINY OF THE WEST Colleague Josh Hammer. Josh Hammer discusses his journey from a secular upbringing to Orthodox Judaism and his new book regarding Westerncivilization. He contrasts the Holocaust site Treblinka with the October 7 massacre at Kfar Aza. Hammer also details violent campus antisemitism, arguing i…

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S8 Ep289: PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY AI VALLEY: THE EARLY HISTORY OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Colleague Gary Rivlin. Author Gary Rivlin reviews the early history of artificial intelligence in his book AI Valley ... 2:05

29m ago2:05

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY AI VALLEY: THE EARLY HISTORY OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCEColleague Gary Rivlin. Author Gary Rivlin reviews the early history of artificial intelligence in his book AI Valley. He details how 1950s pioneers faced mockery because computers lacked the power and digital data necessary for neural networks, resulting in a fifty-year …

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Ezekiel Emanuel: "Don't Be a Schmuck"—and Yes, Eat Your Ice Cream. 33:12

28m ago33:12

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The physician and health-policy veteran lays out six "simple" rules for a long, healthy life, arguing that most wellness advice fails by demanding perfection—and that moderation, sociability, and routines matter more than optimization. He gets data-nerdy on risk (Everest versus skydiving), alcohol as social lubricant, and why "good" ice cream can f…

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S8 Ep289: PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY PI: THE POLITE CHATBOT DESIGNED FOR EMPATHY Colleague Gary Rivlin. Gary Rivlin examines the creation of "Pi," a chatbot designed by personality engineers to exhibit good ... 2:26

29m ago2:26

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY PI: THE POLITE CHATBOT DESIGNED FOR EMPATHY Colleague Gary Rivlin. Gary Rivlin examines the creation of "Pi," a chatbot designed by personality engineers to exhibit good manners and empathy. Rivlin explains how humans fine-tuned the bot to be polite, predicting a future where such AI could serve affordable therapeutic roles …

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S8 Ep289: PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY AI WINTERS: WHEN FUNDING VANISHED Colleague Gary Rivlin. Gary Rivlin explains the history of "AI winters" in the 20th century, periods when funding vanished due to overhyped ... 2:30

15m ago2:30

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY AI WINTERS: WHEN FUNDING VANISHED Colleague Gary Rivlin. Gary Rivlin explains the history of "AI winters" in the 20th century, periods when funding vanished due to overhyped expectations. He describes how optimism in the 1970s and 1980s regarding expert systems eventually collapsed, turning AI into a "dirty word" for investo…