Avsnitt
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This special episode was recorded at Tsinghua University in Beijing, generally regarded as the top university in China. Our guests are 3 Americans studying and working at Tsinghua: Gabriel (undergrad), Justin (PhD student in AI), and Alex (Professor in AI research). Topics discussed include: Tsinghua University and elite human capital, AI in China, US-China competition, and the flow of human capital between the US and China
Han Feizi, columnist at Asia Times and the guest from the previous "Letter from Beijing" episode, is also in the room. Letter from Beijing with Han Feizi: https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/letter-from-beijing-with-han-feizi-72
Chapter Markers:
(00:00) - Welcome to Tsinghua University(02:47) - Gabriel’s Undergrad Journey(12:35) - Justin’s PhD(25:10) - Professor Alex on AI and Rankings(42:51) - Second Chances and Status Signals(46:48) - China’s Exam Ladder Explained(50:20) - Infrastructure and Tech Competition(01:17:18) - Semiconductors, EUV, and Wrap Up–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Jaan Tallinn is a tech billionaire and founding engineer of Skype who leverages his wealth to mitigate existential risks from artificial general intelligence (AGI). He co-founded the Future of Life Institute and the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, while making early foundational investments in frontier AI labs like DeepMind andAnthropic.
Chapter Markers:
00:00 Assessing Current AI Risk Levels
03:28 Inside Self-Sustaining AI Scenarios
09:10 The Global AI Race Dynamics
42:25 Explaining the Techno-Capital Flywheel
45:34 Insider Origins of AI Safety
56:06 Race Politics and Public Fear
01:23:12 Pop Culture, Movies, and Fame
01:30:15 Big Questions for Humanity's Future–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Dr. Alex Young, a statistical geneticist and assistant professor in the Human Genetics department at UCLA, joins Steve Hsu to discuss the cutting edge of genomic prediction. They cover his research on polygenic embryo screening in IVF (including the ImputePGTA method), family-based DNA analysis, missing heritability, and the implications of polygenic scores for traits like education and disease. Alex also discusses his recent battles with cancer.
https://x.com/AlexTISYoung
Chapter Markers:
(00:00) - Alex Young Bio(06:36) - Biobank Era Genetics(10:49) - Missing Heritability Debate(27:18) - Embryo Selection Controversy(50:32) - Embryo Selection Backlash(53:42) - Mexico City Admixture Study(01:00:13) - Censorship Via Data Access Control(01:05:02) - Battle With Cancer and Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA)–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Steve and Alf discuss the Iran War, emphasizing what it
reveals about modern missile and anti-missile technology, drones, and
the implications for a US-China conflict in the Western Pacific.
Links:
https://seekingtruthfromfacts.substack.com/Chapter Markers:
(00:00) - Missile War Reality Check(01:49) - How the War Started(04:46) - Iran Outperforms Expectations(06:22) - Why Missile Defense Fails(14:25) - Ceasefire and Hormuz Brinkmanship(19:52) - Nukes and the JCPOA Fallout(33:44) - US Politics and Israel Lobby Aftershocks–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Richard Ngo is an independent AI researcher and philosopher known for
his work on AGI safety and alignment. He recently resigned from
OpenAI, where he was a member of the Governance team focused on
forecasting the capabilities and risks of advanced AI systems. His
debut fiction collection is titled "The Gentle Romance: Stories of AI
and Humanity", published in December 2025. The book features 22
science fiction stories that explore the psychological and
sociological impacts of advanced artificial intelligence.
On X: @RichardMCNgo
(00:00) - Richard Ngo Origins(03:48) - DeepMind vs LLMs(09:24) - OpenAI Futurist and AGI Risk(39:17) - Machine God Tail Risk(45:20) - Weird Futures and Normies(51:28) - Alignment Research and Academia(01:16:25) - Doomers vs Skeptics(01:23:57) - Labs Governance Futures(01:39:37) - Doom Scenarios Society–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Matt Southey is an editor for an AI safety organization. He wrote his PhD dissertation on the philosophy of Nick Land. Matt's "A Brief History of Accelerationism" can be found here, and he recommends the second chapter of Crypto-Current as a good introduction to Land's usage of Kant. He and Steve discuss Accelerationism, AI, and Steve's recent meeting with Land in Shanghai.
Chapter Markers:
(00:00) - Introduction(02:07) - China Trip: Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai(03:16) - Tsinghua University: Talent(09:02) - Robotics and AI research(24:01) - Shanghai and Nick Land(35:46) - Land’s Esotericism(37:19) - Accelerationism and Orthogonality(43:01) - Simulation Metaphysics and Physics(54:36) - Dark Enlightenment and Inevitable Complexity–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Recorded live in Shenzhen with Taylor Ogan, the founder and CEO of
Snowbull Capital, which invests in Chinese technology companies.
Taylor on X:
https://x.com/TaylorOgan
Previous episodes with Taylor:
https://youtu.be/iehHON07UHI?si=h2c3po5AX9Z9ANaK
https://youtu.be/fmjR3me5s_Q?si=sPsMFOdKebEOZXQr
(00:00) - Shenzhen is the Technology Capital of the World, with Taylor Ogan(00:53) - Meeting in Shenzhen(02:40) - Greater Bay Area Explained(06:36) - Shenzhen Boom Stories(18:26) - China Tech Reality Check(36:49) - China Tech Leapfrogging(37:52) - Agentic AI on Phones(41:27) - Jobs Wealth and Governance(53:03) - Huawei Ownership and US Pushback
–Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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This is the second episode of our series based on interviews for the documentary film, Dreamers and Doomers, about the SF Bay Area in the last days before AGI.
Steve interviews Jesse Hoogland, co-founder and executive director of Timaeus, an AI safety research org working on applications of Singular Learning Theory (SLT) for AI safety. SLT establishes a connection between the geometry of the loss landscape and internal structure in models. This connection is used to develop scalable, rigorous tools for evaluating, interpreting, and aligning neural networks. Jesse is one of the leading young minds in the new generation of AI safety researchers.
https://www.jessehoogland.com/
(00:00) - Jesse interview at FAR Labs, Berkeley(00:54) - Introduction (01:50) - From Physics to AI Safety(08:36) - AI Is Dangerous(26:08) - Funding, P(Doom), and Futures(56:21) - Trauma and Safety Vibes(01:00:39) - Asymptotic Guarantees Debate(01:03:54) - Mapping the Safety Tribes(01:26:09) - Timelines, AI Pause, and Failure Modes–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Jeremy Nixon is a prominent AI researcher, entrepreneur, and the co-founder of AGI House, a leading "hacker house" community for artificial intelligence developers in Silicon Valley. He studied Applied Math, Computer Science, and Economics at Harvard and was previously a researcher at Google Brain.
This footage was shot for a documentary project, "Dreamers and Doomers," about the SF Bay Area and the dawn of AGI.
(00:00) - Dreamers and Doomers: Jeremy Nixon at AGI House – #105(01:47) - Introduction and Welcome(05:56) - Jeremy Nixon's biography(08:48) - AGI House and collectives(43:59) - AI and Scientific Research(45:52) - Existential Risks and Doom(54:14) - AI and Human Progress(01:26:42) - Job Automation and Society(01:31:35) - Future of AI and Technology–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Links:
Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future
https://www.amazon.com/Breakneck-Chinas-Quest-Engineer-Future/dp/1324106034
Dan's 2025 annual letter
https://danwang.co/2025-letter/
Related episodes:
Jian Lian on Industrial Maximalism, Manifold Episode #99
https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/jian-lian-on-chinas-industrial-policy-and-global-strategy-99
(00:00) - Introduction and Welcome(02:14) - Breakneck - Dan's huge book(05:00) - China's Technological and Political Landscape(21:07) - Industrial Maximalism and its Discontents (47:59) - Chinese Researchers in Silicon Valley and Tsinghua(51:09) - Excerpts from Dan's 2025 annual letter (52:56) - China's Market Competition and Innovation(56:34) - AI, Automation, and Future Risks–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Steve and Alf discuss geopolitical events of 2025 and what they expect in 2026.
Links:
Manifold episode with Han Feizi, Letter From Beijing
https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/letter-from-beijing-with-han-feizi-72
Previous crossover episodes:
Weeks Where Decades Happen
https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/seeking-truth-from-facts-weeks-where-decades-happen
AI, China, Tariffs, Geopolitics
https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/seeking-truth-from-facts-ai-china-tariffs-geopolitics-84
(00:00) - Geopolitics 2026, crossover with Seeking Truth From Facts podcast – #103(02:10) - US-China Economic Tensions(05:45) - Technology and Strategic Shifts(08:48) - Trump's Geopolitical Strategy(17:43) - Middle East Developments(28:41) - US-China Competition and Taiwan(33:44) - Venezuela and International Law–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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This is a two-part episode. The first ~30m covers the most important 2025 breakthroughs in polygenic embryo screening, while the second 30m focuses specifically on AI capabilities at the frontier of human knowledge. Both segments make predictions for 2026 and beyond.
Links:
Chinese billionaires, Philo-semitism, and the Chosen embryos:
https://x.com/hsu_steve/status/2000206116823675078
My talk from Reproductive Frontiers 2025 in Berkeley:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n64rrRPtCa8
Previous episodes on frontier AI capabilities in math and theoretical physics
https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/theoretical-physics-with-generative-ai-101
https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/ais-win-math-olympiad-gold-prof-lin-yang-ucla-97
Chapter Markers:
(00:00) - Introduction(02:22) - Advancements in Polygenic Prediction of Human Traits(03:20) - Polygenic Risk Scores in Healthcare(08:15) - Embryo Selection and IVF(20:37) - Public Perceptions: billionaires and FOMO(31:40) - AI advances in 2025: High end capabilities and use of AI at the frontier of human knowledge(55:33) - Conclusion and predictions for 2026–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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All but the last 20 minutes of this episode should be comprehensible to non-physicists.
Steve explains where frontier AI models are in understanding frontier theoretical physics. The best analogy is to a “brilliant but unreliable genius colleague”!
He describes a specific example: the use of AI in recent research in quantum field theory (Tomonaga-Schwinger integrability conditions applied to state-dependent modifications of quantum mechanics), work now accepted for publication in Physics Letters B after peer review. Remarkably, the main idea in the paper originated de novo from GPT-5.
Links:
X discussion - https://x.com/hsu_steve/status/1996034522308026435Companion paper: Theoretical Physics With Generative AI - https://drive.google.com/file/d/16sxJuwsHoi-fvTFbri9Bu8B9bqA6lr1H/viewPhysics paper - https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.15935 | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269325008111Related discussion of AI and theoretical physics with Prof. Nirmalya Kajuri (IIT) and Prof. Jonathan Oppenheim (UCL) - https://youtu.be/BRuDd3l0e3kRelated video: AIs Win Math Olympiad Gold: Prof. Lin Yang (UCLA) – Manifold #97 - https://youtu.be/8JeRCqNg7Rc
(00:00) - Intro: AI discussion with specialized physics at the end(03:40) - The current AI landscape for science: frontier models, Co-Scientist, and recent math breakthroughs(11:01) - Why models help and why they fail: errors, deep confabulation, and the research risk(15:54) - The Generator–Verifier workflow: how chaining model inference suppresses mistakes(23:30) - Project origin: testing models on Hsu’s older nonlinear QM/QFT work(30:35) - The “GPT-5 moment”: Tomonaga–Schwinger angle appears and produces the key equation(40:35) - Wild goose chases & a practical heuristic: axiomatic QFT detour; Generator-Verifier convergence(51:44) - Referee-driven test case: Kaplan–Rajendran model, past-lightcone geometry, and verification(55:55) - Tooling & outlook: automation prototype, chaining into “supermodels,” where this is headed(59:39) - Physics slides (advanced): TS integrability, microcausality, and why nonlinearity threatens locality
Chapter markers:–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Murtaza Hussain is a reporter for Drop Site News, which has broken
important stories based on recently obtained Epstein emails. Hussain
reports that Epstein had an “extensive relationship with Israeli
intelligence, U.S. intelligence and the intelligence agencies of other
countries, as well... He was a dealmaker and a fixer at a very, very
elite level.”
Links:
Drop Site News series on Epstein and Israel
https://www.dropsitenews.com/s/epstein-and-israel
Former Israeli spy Ari Ben Menashe on Jeffrey Epstein
https://x.com/hsu_steve/status/1994046737040712144
(01:08) - Introduction (02:20) - The Mission of Drop Site News(06:00) - Epstein Emails(15:28) - Epstein connections and elite power(35:48) - Epstein and intel agencies(39:54) - Ari Ben Menashe and the Iran Contra Affair(42:21) - Media Censorship and Political Implications(47:33) - The Future of Epstein Investigations–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Jian Lian is an expert on China's political economy, industrial development, and technological development. He graduated from Peking University with a bachelor's and master's degree in economics. Starting out as an industry analyst at a Chinese investment bank, he participated in the "Made in China 2025" initiative as a Chinese venture capitalist, working for a state-owned fund. He is the author of "The Truth About Capital" 资本的真相 (2016), which contains major predictions about technology, economy, and society in China, most of which have since come true.
Jian and Steve discuss the origins of the industrial party movement (discussed in an earlier episode with Kyle Chan), which culminated in the "industrial maximalism" view of development adopted by the PRC government. They also discuss the development of supply chains in China, and the role that US sanctions had in accelerating the Chinese semiconductor industry.
Kyle Chan episode:
https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/kyle-chan-on-the-future-of-us-china-competition-94
Chinese industrial maximalism:
https://www.high-capacity.com/p/chinese-industrial-maximalism
(00:00) - Introduction(00:49) - Jian Gaokao score was 23rd in all of Fujian = Econ at Beida, not Genomics!(05:21) - China's Industrial Policy and Innovation(24:19) - Domestic supply chain strategy; How Huawei became a national champion due to US sanctions(34:13) - Venture Capital in China(36:13) - Hard Tech Investments(37:40) - Regulations of Tech Giants(44:28) - Future of China Technological Development–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Scott Horton is the author of Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine. Horton is a libertarian and anti-war activist. He and Steve discuss the Russia Hoax and its connection to American foreign policy, in light of new evidence that has emerged since the first Trump term.
(00:00) - Scott Horton on the Russia Hoax and Ukraine War – #98(01:49) - Scott Horton's Political Journey(04:55) - The State of Public Awareness and Media(11:42) - Russiagate and the Indictment of James Comey(43:13) - Perjury and Obstruction Charges: The Virginia Trial Dilemma(43:51) - The Durham Investigation: Unveiling Corruption(46:28) - Post-Durham Report Revelations(59:04) - Ukraine Conflict: Provoked or Unprovoked?
Scott’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Provoked-Washington-Started-Catastrophe-Ukraine/dp/1733647376
X handle: @scotthortonshow–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Lin Yang is a professor of computer science at UCLA. Recently, he and his collaborator built an AI pipeline using commercial models such as Gemini, ChatGPT, and Grok that performed at the gold medal level on International Mathematics Olympiad problems. Steve and Lin discuss this research, which relies on "verifier-refiner" LLM instances and large token budgets to reliably solve difficult problems. They discuss how these methods can be used to advance AI for scientific research, legal analysis, and complex document processing.
https://github.com/lyang36/IMO25/blob/main/IMO25.pdf
https://x.com/hsu_steve/status/1948189075707469942
Chapter markers:
(00:00) - AIs Win Math Olympiad Gold: Prof. Lin Yang (UCLA) – #97(00:57) - Prof. Lin Yang, UCLA(04:27) - Journey from Physics to Computer Science: 2 PhDs(11:15) - Transition to AI from Theoretical CS(13:16) - AI Pipeline Math Olympiad: Gold Medal!(28:23) - Probability Amplification(29:00) - Applications in Industry and Legal Analysis(29:58) - Challenges in Model Reasoning and Verification(33:23) - Future of AI in Scientific Research and AGI Speculations–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Zixuan Li is Director of Product and genAI Strategy at Z.ai. He was educated at Renmin and Tsinghua University in China, and at MIT and Carnegie Mellon. Z.ai has released frontier open source LLMs but is largely unknown in the West except among AI experts. Steve and Zixuan discuss the AI race from the perspective of a startup in Beijing.
https://chat.z.ai/
Follow Z.AI on X: @Zai_org
(00:00) - Introduction and Guest Background (05:14) - Z.ai's Evolution and Challenges(10:37) - AI Model Comparison and Industry Insights(34:04) - Pragmatic Views on AGI in China (35:51) - Specialized Models and Scientific Contributions(39:02) - AI Chips and Model Training in PRC(50:54) - Open Source AI and Future Predictions
Chapter markers:–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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This episode is a co-release with the Seeking Truth From Facts podcast: https://substack.com/@seekingtruthfromfacts
The theme of this episode derives from Lenin:
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen.” ― Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
Steve and Alf discuss:
(00:00) - Introduction(01:32) - China Victory Day Parade and new military technology(12:27) - The SCO summit and its implications(20:24) - Modi's presence and the prospect of a Sino-Indian rapprochement(25:00) - Trump's South Asian blunder?(32:14) - The Alaska Summit and the chances of peace(40:01) - Israel's loss of popular support on both the left and the right(46:12) - Bipolarity or multipolarity?–
Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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Kyle Chan is a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Lecturer in Sociology at Princeton University. His research focuses on industrial policy, clean technology, and infrastructure with a regional focus on China and India. He is currently working on a book on Chinese industrial policy that aims to explain how China came to dominate certain industries today that had originally been led by the US, Japan, and other industrialized nations. These industries include electric vehicles, solar, high-speed rail, and consumer electronics. The book will describe the wide range of industrial policy tools used in China and their ongoing efforts in other industries, such as semiconductors and biotechnology.
Kyle Chan writes a popular newsletter called High Capacity on industrial policy, clean technology, and infrastructure, particularly in China and India.
Personal website: https://www.kyleichan.com/
NYT op-ed: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/opinion/china-us-trade-tariffs.html
Lu Feng interview: https://www.high-capacity.com/p/chinese-industrial-maximalism
Chapter Markers:
(00:00) - Introduction(00:50) - Kyle's Background and Research Interests(05:51) - China vs. India: A Comparative Study of Railway Development(12:38) - The Broader Implications of Industrial Policy(37:48) - Introduction to Industrial Maximalism(38:54) - China's Manufacturing Strategy(41:33) - US-China Technological Competition(59:45) - Global Collaboration and Future OutlookMusic used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.
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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to [email protected] or Steve on X @hsu_steve.
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