Episodes 65
Avg. Duration 44m
Activity Moderate
Apple Rating 4.8 (471)
Since Dec 2016
Latest Episode May 2026

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Open to Sponsors

Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Hosting
feeds.acast.com

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About This Podcast

Hi-Phi Nation is philosophy in story-form, integrating narrative journalism with big ideas. We look at stories from everyday life, law, science, popular culture, and strange corners of human experiences that raise thought-provoking questions about things like justice, knowledge, the self, morality, and existence. We then seek answers with the help of academics and philosophers. The show is produced and hosted by Barry Lam of UC Riverside.

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Recent Episodes

Announcing Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Gorsuch

May 13, 2026 11m

In the 11th season of Slow Burn, host Susan Matthews traces the rise of Neil Gorsuch, from his formative years as a young conservative through his nomination to a “stolen seat” on the U.S. Supreme…

S6E6 Rise of the Music Machines

May 16, 2023 50m

On this show we explore three different AI and machine-generated music technologies; vocal emulators that allow you to deep fake a singer or rapper’s voice, AI-generated compositions and…

S6E5 Effective Altruism and its Critics

May 09, 2023 58m

Curtis is setting aside a large chunk of money to donate to charity, and it is up to us to persuade him where he should donate it. Luckily, philosophers, economists, and the nonprofit world have been…

S6E4 The Problem with Gig Work

May 02, 2023 51m

Willy and Heidi were both gig workers for Shipt, the fast-delivery app for groceries or same-day shopping. In 2020, they both realised: the pay algorithm had changed. Now, they couldn’t tell what a…

S6E3 Love in the Time of Replika

Apr 25, 2023 50m

We explore the lives of people who are in love with their AI chatbots. Replika is a chatbot designed to adapt to the emotional needs of its users. It is a good enough surrogate for human interaction…

S6E2 Living in a Zoopolis

Apr 18, 2023 44m

A zoopolis is a future society that philosophers envision where wild, domesticated, and denizen animals have full political and legal rights. What would that look like? In this episode, we look at…

S6E1 The Digital Future of Grief

Apr 11, 2023 52m

When Justin’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, he knew he wanted to keep talking to her after she died. So together they made an AI version of her, training it on her speech patterns and memories. Now…

S6 Season 6 Trailer

Apr 04, 2023 1m Trailer

Coming April 11, 2023, Season 6 of Hi-Phi Nation will look at the future; of work, of love and sex, life and death, our relationship with animals, creativity in music, and philanthropy. Stories…

S5E10 Cannibals

Feb 12, 2022 32m

In our final episode on monsters, we investigate why people who eat people are the funkiest people in the afterlife. We talk to a man who has actually eaten parts of other people, many times, about…

S5E9 Zombies

Jan 22, 2022 32m

The second in a three-part series on monsters in philosophy. We trace the cultural history of zombies from voodoo folklore, George Romero films, and the zombies used in philosophical thought…

S5E8 Vampires

Jan 08, 2022 36m

The first in a three-part series on monsters in philosophy. We trace the cultural history of vampires from Eastern European folklore to Twilight, and even look at the practices of real vampires,…

S5E7 Memorials

Dec 18, 2021 48m

When tragedy strikes an individual, a nation, or an entire people, artists and architects are tasked with designing a public display that memorializes the event and its victims. But how do you do…

S5E6 Life, Edited

Dec 04, 2021 39m

The first two gene-edited species meant to be introduced into the wild are currently in their final stages of approval, with trials already underway for the Oxitec mosquito, and the ESF American…

S5 Hi-Phi Nation Presents: Decoder Ring, The Alberta Rat War

Nov 27, 2021 39m Bonus

Barry invites Willa Paskin of Slate's Decoder Ring podcast to talk about their recent episode, The Alberta Rat War, as a set up to next week's Hi-Phi Nation episode on genetic engineering. We then…

S5E5 The Selfless Kidney Donor

Nov 20, 2021 40m

Penny Lane gave up months of wages and weeks of her life to have her kidney cut out and given to someone she never knew, and who may never thank her. She is one of about 200 people in the US a year…

S5E4 The Man of Many Worlds IV

Nov 06, 2021 36m

David Lewis steps off a plane from Australia in 2000 and falls seriously ill. In the final year of his life, he decides to take on Christianity, but does not live long enough to write a paper,…

S5E3 The Man of Many Worlds III

Oct 30, 2021 45m

In 1968, David Lewis decides that one truth can unify every theory he's had about the nature of the universe. It is the truth that every possible world is equally real. Lewis not only argues for this…

S5E2 The Man of Many Worlds II

Oct 23, 2021 37m

What was David Lewis like as a person? The consensus is that he did not know how to converse. At Swarthmore, David Lewis discovers he has a knack for philosophy and none at all with women, leading to…

S5E1 The Man of Many Worlds I

Oct 16, 2021 40m

David Lewis was one of the greatest minds of the 20th century, who few outside of academia know much about. By the time of his death in 2001, he was the greatest systematic thinker in metaphysics…

S4 Hi-Phi Nation Presents: Into the Zone (When We Were Cyber)

Oct 21, 2020 44m

Barry updates listeners on what to expect in Season 5 of the show, currently in production. In the meantime, he introduces you to Into the Zone, a Pushkin podcast by writer Hari Kunzru. This episode…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Hi-Phi Nation have?

Hi-Phi Nation has published 65 episodes since December 2016.

Is Hi-Phi Nation still active?

Hi-Phi Nation is currently moderate with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 44m.

How do I contact Hi-Phi Nation for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Hi-Phi Nation, including email and social media links.

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