Ask A Genius 1556: Rick Rosner vs. Grigori Perelman: Charm, Genius, and Barroom Odds

Rick Rosner opens with a cheeky challenge: in a bar of sixty-year-old women, he claims he would leave with a date faster than Grigori Perelman. Scott Douglas Jacobsen grounds the banter with facts—Perelman proved the Poincaré conjecture, declined the Fields Medal and Clay prize, and lives reclusively. The duo calibrate odds, debating five-eighths versus nine-sixteenths while teasing variables—American versus Russian patrons, shared Jewish background, flirtation strategies, and Rosner’s past as a stripper. The exchange is a playful thought experiment about charm, fame, and probability, not a moral treatise, balancing irreverent humor with precise references to mathematics, awards, and cultural nuance.

Ask A Genius 1545: IQ, NASA Layoffs, and Global Economic Power Shifts

In this reflective conversation, Rick Rosner and Scott Douglas Jacobsen move from aging and personal focus to major global and political issues. Rosner contemplates stepping back from high-range IQ testing at age 65, emphasizing time’s finite nature. The dialogue pivots to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory layoffs, U.S. anti-science politics, and the decline of public enthusiasm for space exploration. Discussion then shifts to JPMorgan Chase’s $1.5 trillion investment pledge and the geopolitical competition between the U.S., China, and India. Rosner criticizes policy failures that stifle innovation and warns that anti-intellectualism threatens America’s scientific and economic competitiveness.

Ask A Genius 1538: 12,680 Days of Workouts, Trump’s Chaos, and Nobel Peace Prize Irony

In this candid exchange, Scott Douglas Jacobsen asks Rick Rosner about his extraordinary 12,680-day workout streak—over 34 years without missing a day. Rosner outlines his routine of push and pull days, daily leg work, and adaptations due to a semi-permanent rotator cuff injury. The conversation shifts to current affairs, where Rosner criticizes Trump’s chaotic style, dishonesty, and lack of accountability in the media. He highlights Trump’s controversial Nobel Peace Prize ambitions amid the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal and domestic militarization. Rosner draws contrasts with Obama’s early prize and reflects on the strangeness of today’s political climate.

Ask A Genius 1367: What are rising social awareness and global leadership changes?

Scott Douglas Jacobsen interviews Rick Rosner about the nature of therapy, particularly couples counseling. Rosner shares his extensive experience in therapy, noting the importance of unbiased therapists. He reflects on the complexity of discussing current events, like the Israel-Palestine conflict, within therapeutic environments, recognizing the emotional weight it carries for many, including American Jews. Rosner expresses frustration over politicization in counseling and stresses the need for impartiality. He relates this dynamic to personal communication challenges with his wife, emphasizing the role of therapy in fostering constructive dialogue about personal and external issues, including political tensions, without ideological bias.

Ask A Genius 1353: GPT-5, AI Consciousness, and Crossover Country

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: You have been listening to a country song designed for people who do not usually enjoy country music—not the traditional kind aimed at long-time fans, but rather a version that tries to appeal to outsiders. Rick Rosner: There is crossover country, of course. However, in Albuquerque, I could only find stations playing formulaic country …

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Ask A Genius 1352: Gumption and Talent: The Creative Drive of JD Mata and Lance Richlin

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What do you think are the best attributes of JD Mata and Lance Richlin? Rick Rosner: Yeah. I know it sounds like we’re talking behind their backs, but... I mean, they’re both talented. JD is a really good musician — performance-wise, vocally, as a composer. And they both have this level of …

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Ask A Genius 1351: Intercessory Prayer Studies Show No Evidence of Divine Intervention

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So, four studies often come up in the discussion on the inefficacy of intercessory prayer. In some cases, prayer not only fails to help, but even backfires. When people found out they were being prayed for, their stress levels went up — likely due to performance anxiety about recovery. That stress may …

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Ask A Genius 1350: Political Fear, Free Speech, and Satirical Resistance in the Trump Era

Rick Rosner: So, Carole doesn’t want me tweeting about Trump anymore. She doesn’t want me doing Lance versus Rick anymore either, because she saw a report today involving the U.S. Attorney General and the head of the FBI — Pam Bondi and Kash Patel — going after people. Now, the deal with the Attorney General …

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Ask A Genius 1349: Aging, Billy Connolly, and Misconceptions About Quantum Entanglement

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So, I tapped the bar. Rick Rosner: I said, “Go to okay.”  Jacobsen: You said, “Go to okay,” and the first thing that popped into my mind was Billy Connolly. I think this was even well before he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Basically, the joke was that, as you get older, …

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Ask A Genius 1348: Debunking Quantum Myths: Misused Science in Pop Culture

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: I've got an idea—we will discuss quantum mechanics misinterpretations. Rick Rosner: I'm down. I just cracked open the book again, and it was so dusty that it triggered a sneeze.  Jacobsen: And I'm not talking about mistakes professionals make—I'm talking about the New Age-y, crystal-alignment, "quantum healing" stuff. Rosner: Yeah. All right. Jacobsen: So what do you …

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