GoodFellows: Conversations from the Hoover Institution

Rage Against The Machine: The Good Fellows Discuss AI | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Is artificial intelligence a global killer or an emerging technology which, if properly harnessed, can improve mankind? And what’s the significance of a low-level National Guard member being able to expose US military secrets? Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H.R. McMaster, and John Cochrane discuss the promise and perils of ever-improving AI and what if any damage came from the so-called “Geeky Leaks” scandal, plus their views on marijuana legalization as the world braces for the annual “420 Day” celebration.

Viewer Mail, Part II: Empires, War Crimes, and Bad Facial Hair | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

In this second installment of audience questions, viewers and listeners from nearly three dozen nations spanning six continents ask Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster and John Cochrane about the durability of America’s “empire,” Putin’s war crimes, Henry Kissinger’s worldview, and the future of Western universities. Preceding all of that: an on-the-ground report from Cochrane in Tokyo, who is amazed that “it’s possible to run a city that is not a zombie apocalypse.”

Viewer Mail, Part 1: Banks, Tanks, Prizes, And A Singing Serpent | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

The first of two episodes devoted solely to questions from the audience—viewers and listeners from nearly three dozen nations spanning six continents—who ask Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane whether a protracted war favors Russia or Ukraine; what is China’s geopolitical interest in the conflict; what are financial risks associated with Silicon Valley Bank’s travails; plus each GoodFellow’s first act if they were elected president of the United States.

Three Good Fellows and Not Enough Babies: A Conversation with Demographer Nicolas Eberstadt | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

What do long-term demographic trends suggest about the world moving forward? American Enterprise Institute fellow Nicholas Eberstadt joins Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane for a conversation about shifting populations and societal behavior, followed by the three “GoodFellows” addressing the fallout from Silicon Valley Bank’s implosion and All Quiet on the Western Front’s strong showing at the 95th Academy Awards.

Weathering the Storms: Bjorn Lomborg on Climate Change, Global Priorities | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

While erratic weather and apocalyptic prophecies keep climate change in the headlines, a set of arguably more pressing global concerns goes less noticed. Bjorn Lomborg, a Hoover visiting fellow and president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, discusses what his cost-benefit analysis says about curbing HIV/AIDS, malaria, and hunger, and the role of free trade and economic development in improving living conditions in Africa and impoverished lands.

Super Bowl, Shmooper Bowl with Victor Davis Hanson | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

A Chinese “civilian airship” wafts across the US heartland. Vladimir Putin ramps up the saber-rattling as the one-year anniversary of his Ukraine invasion nears. And could a single platinum coin be America’s debt elixir? Victor Davis Hanson, the Hoover Institution’s Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow, joins Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane to discuss “eyes in the sky,” ground warfare, plus one soccer-and-rugby-loving fellow’s super disgust with the super-sized spectacle that is the Super Bowl.

Tanks for the Memories | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

GoodFellows celebrates its 100th episode with Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane reflecting on social, economic, and geopolitical lessons learned since their first conversation nearly three years ago. Also debated: the merits of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the spectacle of climate-change bloviation, plus the strategic implications of sending American heavy tanks to Ukraine (Lt. Gen. McMaster knowing a thing or two about the topic, having led armored cavalry regiments into combat).   

Sticks, Carrots...Baby Carrots: Rep. Mike Gallagher on the China Threat | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Is the United States in a new “cold war” with China, and if so, what steps should be taken to get the attention of the government in Beijing (a military buildup? banning TikTok in the US)? Wisconsin congressman Mike Gallagher, chair of the newly created House Select Committee on China, joins Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane for a look at US-Sino relations.

The Year In Review, The Year Ahead: Ukraine’s Dominance, AI’s Emergence, “NapolElon’s” Waterloo? | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

What did the GoodFellows learn in 2022, and what do they anticipate for 2023? Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane reflect on the war in Ukraine, cryptocurrency’s fall and inflation’s rise, ChatGPT’s upending of essay writing and other academic pursuits, plus whether Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter could prove to be his undoing—much like that of a 19th-century French emperor. 

The BYO Show: China’s Totalitarian Gridlock, A Woke “Mind Virus,” And Futbal Vs. Football | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

A post-holiday Goodfellows features the panelists bringing their own curiosities to the table. Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane discuss China’s COVID-restriction protests and restoring academic freedom of college campuses. Plus two “Goodfellows” weigh in with differing views on American “football” vs. the more global “futbal.”