154. Can Robots Get a Grip?

Ken Goldberg is at the forefront of robotics — which means he tries to teach machines to do things humans find trivial.

SOURCES:Ken Goldberg, professor of industrial engineering and operations research at U.C. Berkeley.RESOURCES:"The Bitter Lesson," by Rich Sutton (UT Austin, 2019).R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots): A Fantastic Melodrama in Three Acts and an Epilogue, by Karel Capek (2019)."The Robot in the Cloud: A Conversation With Ken Goldberg," by Quentin Hardy (New York Times, 2014).Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence, by Hans Moravec (1990)."Stochastic Plans for Robotic Manipulation," by Ken Goldberg (Carnegie Mellon University, 1990)."The Two Cultures And The Scientific Revolution," by C. P. Snow (Cambridge University Press, 1959).Dex-NetAncient Wisdom for a Future Ecology: Trees, Time, and Technology.Ambi Robotics."The Telegarden."EXTRAS:"Feeling Sound and Hearing Color," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).“My God, This Is a Transformative Power,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Drawing from Life (and Death)" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt tracks down other high achievers for surprising, revealing conversations about their lives and obsessions. Join Levitt as he goes through the most interesting midlife crisis you’ve ever heard — and learn how a renegade sheriff is transforming Chicago's jail, how a biologist is finding the secrets of evolution in the Arctic tundra, and how a trivia champion memorized 160,000 flashcards.

To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

• No. of episodes: 190
• Latest episode: 2025-06-28
• Society & Culture

Where can you listen?