Best Michael Robinson Historian Of Science Podcasts (2025)

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Russian Soul, American Life: A Conversation with Ignat Solzhenitsyn | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 1:04:08

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11m ago1:04:08

1:04:08

Pianist and conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn reflects on growing up in exile as the son of Nobel laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, moving from Soviet persecution to a quiet childhood in rural Vermont. Ignat recounts how music, faith, and Russian culture sustained his family far from home, how cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich helped set him on…

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Teaching Gorbachev Capitalism: Jerome Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Michael Boskin Discuss George Shultz, the Economist | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 1:02:33

32m ago1:02:33

1:02:33

For the second edition of the George P. Shultz Memorial Lecture Series, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Hoover Institution Director Condoleezza Rice, and Hoover Senior Fellow Michael Boskin assemble for a wide-ranging conversation on the economic mind and legacy of George P. Shultz. From his early career as a labor economist at MIT and the Uni…

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Why the Cold War Still Matters with John Lewis Gaddis | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 1:07:49

19d ago1:07:49

1:07:49

Peter Robinson sits down at Yale University with the “dean of Cold War historians,” John Lewis Gaddis—Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer of Long Telegram author George F. Kennan and one of America’s most influential thinkers on grand strategy. From the origins of the Cold War to the nuclear age, from Vietnam to détente, and from Ronald Reagan to Mik…

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Listening to the Law: How Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett Does Her Job | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 1:12:24

1M ago1:12:24

1:12:24

How does the Supreme Court really work—and how does one of its youngest justices balance life, law, and seven children? In this in-depth conversation, Justice Amy Coney Barrett discusses her new book, Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and the Constitution. Barrett explains the principles behind originalism, the Court’s reasoning in Dob…

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Gems, Science, and Empire 33:59

2M ago33:59

33:59

17th century traders who traveled the sea routes between India and Southeast Asia were interested in spices, but they were also interested in gemstones, objects of desire, commercial value, and increasingly, scientific fascination. Claire Conklin Sabel talks about the gem trade in South and Southeast Asia, and the way this trade was impacted by Eur…

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Thomas Sowell: A Free Man | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 1:05:19

2M ago1:05:19

1:05:19

This special episode of Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson features our most requested guest: Hoover senior fellow and acclaimed economist and author Dr. Thomas Sowell. But rather than discussing Sowell’s many books, this conversation explores the full arc of Sowell’s life — from his childhood, along a dirt road in North Carolina, through his y…

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Niall Ferguson, Victor Davis Hanson, and Stephen Kotkin: Three Historians Debate the Era of Trump 1:19:33

2M ago1:19:33

1:19:33

Niall Ferguson, Victor Davis Hanson, and Stephen Kotkin are all senior fellows at the Hoover Institution, and this is the first time they have appeared together in a public discussion. The topic: Is the United States in decline or on the verge of renewal? Exploring topics including Donald Trump’s second term and the transformation of the Republican…

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From Havana to Yale: Carlos Eire on Cuba, Becoming an American—and Miracles | Peter Robinson | Uncommon Knowledge 1:04:45

2M ago1:04:45

1:04:45

Yale historian and memoirist Carlos Eire recounts his extraordinary journey from being an 11-year-old Cuban boy in Operation Peter Pan—sent to the United States to escape Fidel Castro’s regime—to becoming a National Book Award–winning author and chaired professor at Yale. Eire discusses the painful separation from his family, the challenges of assi…

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The Age of Depopulation With Nicholas Eberstadt | Peter Robinson | Uncommon Knowledge 55:15

3M ago55:15

55:15

Is humanity running out of people? Demographer and American Enterprise Institute scholar Nicholas Eberstadt joins Peter Robinson to explain why birthrates are collapsing across the globe—from China and Japan to Europe and the United States—and what this means for the future of prosperity, freedom, and global power. Can immigration save America? Wil…

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From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima: Two Historians on How America Fought and Won The Pacific in WWII | Peter Robinson | Uncommon Knowledge 1:25:45

4M ago1:25:45

1:25:45

August 15th, 2025 is the 80th anniversary of the surrender of the Japanese to Allied Forces in the Pacific, ending World War II . To mark the occasion, Peter Robinson sits down with Jonathan Horn and Ian Toll to examine the most contested decision of World War II: the use of atomic weapons against Japan. Building from the brutal endgame—Iwo Jima, O…

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The Light Withdrawn: Christopher Cox On How Woodrow Wilson Shaped—And Undermined—American Democracy | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 55:16

5M ago55:16

55:16

Was Woodrow Wilson a visionary statesman—or a reactionary bigot? Peter Robinson sits down with historian and former SEC Chairman Christopher Cox to discuss his latest book, Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn, Cox’s meticulously researched biography of the 28th president of the United States. Together, they explore Wilson’s complicated legacy: his …

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Inflation Is A Choice: Kevin Warsh on Fixing the Federal Reserve | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 1:01:47

5M ago1:01:47

1:01:47

Has the Fed lost its way? Hoover Visiting Fellow Kevin Warsh thinks it has and offers solutions on how to fix it. Kevin Warsh is the Shepard Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Economics at the Hoover Institution, a partner at Duquesne Family Office LLC, the investment firm of Stanley Druckenmiller, a former governor at the Federal Reserve, and…

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Artificial General Intelligence, Part II 25:43

5M ago25:43

25:43

Part two of my interview with Julian Togelius, who talks about the history of machine learning, the quest for Artificial General Intelligence, and the difficulties AI researchers have in defining exactly what intelligence is. Togelius is an associate professor of Computer Science at New York University. He is the author of Artificial General Intell…

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Justice Alito: Dobbs, A Color Blind Constitution, And The Balancing Of Power | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 1:04:09

6M ago1:04:09

1:04:09

In this wide-ranging conversation, Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito discusses the principles that guide his judicial philosophy. From his majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson to his views on originalism, precedent, and the role of the courts in American democracy, Alito offers a candid defense of the Constitution as a fixed and enduring…

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The Signal in the Noise: Speaker Mike Johnson on Elon, the Big Beautiful Bill, and “Our Chance to Save Our Country” | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 45:33

6M ago45:33

45:33

Peter Robinson interviews Speaker of the House Mike Johnson about the contentious passage of the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping budget reconciliation measure crafted to implement core elements of the Trump agenda. Johnson defends the bill against criticism from Elon Musk and others, arguing it delivers historic tax cuts, $1.6 trillion in sa…

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Dr. Jay Goes to Washington: Reforming Science from the Inside at NIH | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 1:10:04

7M ago1:10:04

1:10:04

Peter Robinson speaks with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a former Stanford professor and epidemiologist, and the newly appointed director of the National Institutes of Health. Once labeled a “fringe epidemiologist” by the previous administration at NIH, he now leads the world’s largest biomedical research agency and its $50 billion annual budget. Their con…

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Christopher Buckley: “Steaming to Bamboola” and Other Journeys 1:01:34

8M ago1:01:34

1:01:34

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 a…

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Artificial General Intelligence, Part I 30:54

8M ago30:54

30:54

In the first of two episodes, Julian Togelius talks about the history of machine learning, the quest for Artificial General Intelligence, and the difficulties AI researchers have in defining exactly what intelligence is. Togelius is an associate professor of Computer Science at New York University. He is the author of Artificial General Intelligenc…

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Thomas Sowell: Facts Against Rhetoric, Capitalism, Culture—and, Yes, the Tariffs | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 1:01:17

8M ago1:01:17

1:01:17

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 Ameri…

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Replay: Inventing the World 28:25

8M ago28:25

28:25

Meredith Small talks about the city of Venice and its importance to the history of travel and exploration. Small is professor emerita at Cornell University. She's the author of Inventing the World: Venice and the Transformation of Western Civilization

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Empire of Illusion: Frank Dikötter on Why China Isn’t a Superpower 1:03:44

9M ago1:03:44

1:03:44

Frank Dikötter is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution who has recently returned to the United States after living in Hong Kong since 2006. In this provocative conversation, Dikötter challenges the prevailing narrative about China’s rise. Drawing from his latest book, China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower, Dikötter argues that the Chinese …

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The Habitable Worlds Observatory 45:35

9M ago45:35

45:35

Dr. Giada Arney talks about the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a space telescope that, when it's built and launched into space, will be able to image planets in other solar systems directly, focusing on planets that may support life. Arney is a Research Space Scientist in the Planetary Systems Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She's al…

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Conflict: Niall Ferguson on Ukraine, Taiwan, and His War of Words with V. P. Vance 1:04:33

9M ago1:04:33

1:04:33

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 Euro…

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Replay: Icebound 32:39

10M ago32:39

32:39

In the late 1500s, Dutch navigator William Barrents sailed north in search of a Northeast Passage to Asia. This expedition and a second one both suffered hardships, but they were mild in comparison with the horrors of the third expedition. Andrea Pitzer talks about the Arctic voyages of William Barents and their impact on Europe for centuries to co…

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The Great Partnership: How George Shultz Helped Ronald Reagan Win The Cold War 59:35

10M ago59:35

59:35

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…

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The Europa Clipper and the Search for Extraterrestrial LIfe 39:56

10M ago39:56

39:56

Claire Isabel Webb talks about the Europa Clipper mission and NASA's broader agenda to find life on other worlds. Webb is a historian of science and directs the Future Humans program at the Berggruen Institute. Her opinion piece, "Can We Please Just Find the Aliens Already," was published by the New York Times in October, 2024…

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Replay: Enemy of All Mankind 30:51

11M ago30:51

30:51

Steven Johnson talks about the British pirate Henry Every and his improbable capture of the Mughal treasure ship, Gunsway. Johnson is the author of twelve books, including Enemy of All Mankind, Farsighted, Where Good Ideas Come From, and The Ghost Map. He's also the host of the PBS series How We Got To Now and the podcast American Innovations.…

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Five Questions for Stephen Kotkin: Advice for the New Administration (and the Rest of Us) 1:23:15

11M ago1:23:15

1:23:15

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 bro…

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Mountains, Writers, and Travelers in the 18th Century Alps 36:12

11M ago36:12

36:12

Célia Abele talks about Wolfgang von Goethe, the French writer Chateaubriand, and the German physicist Georg Lichtenberg. These writers became fascinated in the Alps and volcanoes such as Vesuvius. Abele is an assistant professor of French at Boston College. She's the author of "Mountain Time: Tense Futures and Present Pasts in the Alps and Vesuviu…

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Marc Andreessen: It’s Morning Again In America 1:14:11

11M ago1:14:11

1:14:11

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, t…

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The Extinction of Experience: Christine Rosen on the Impact of Technology on Society 49:47

11M ago49:47

49:47

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…

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Part II: Apocalypse Now? Peter Thiel on Ancient Prophecies and Modern Tech 40:38

1y ago40:38

40:38

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 apocal…

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This Is BIG: Podhoretz, Ferguson, and Olsen Discuss the Meaning of the Election and What’s Next 1:17:43

1y ago1:17:43

1:17:43

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 host…

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A Hero Speaks: Natan Sharansky on the US and Israel At This Hour 32:04

1y ago32:04

32:04

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 inc…

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Apocalypse Now? Peter Thiel on Ancient Prophecies and Modern Tech | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 47:03

1y ago47:03

47:03

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 technolo…

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On the Backs of Others: Rethinking the History of British Geographical Exploration 36:47

1y ago36:47

36:47

Ed Armston-Sheret returns to Time to Eat the Dogs to talk about British geographical expeditions and the labor that made them possible, specifically the labor of local peoples that is frequently omitted from explorer accounts. Armston-Sheret is a Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. He's the author of On the Backs o…

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The Three Historians: Niall Ferguson, Victor Davis Hanson, and Andrew Roberts | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 59:24

1y ago59:24

59:24

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…

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Which Way, America? Condoleezza Rice on America’s Foreign Policy Challenges | Uncommon Knowledge | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution 51:10

1y ago51:10

51:10

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…

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Replay: Quantum Legacies 38:54

1y ago38:54

38:54

David Kaiser talks about the history of twentieth-century physics and the forces that have shaped it as a scientific discipline. Kaiser is a Professor of the History of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he is also a Professor of Physics. He's the author of Quantum Legacies: Dispatches from an Uncertain World.…