Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

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From razor-sharp analysis of current events to the hottest debates in politics, science, philosophy and culture, Late Night Live puts you firmly in the big picture. This LNL podcast contains the stories in separate episodes.

Geologist and more: the multi-faceted genius who was loathed and revered in colonial Australia

Geologist and more: the multi-faceted genius who was loathed and revered in colonial Australia

Unearthing a mysterious figure from Australia's colonial times. Ferdinand von Sommer was Western Australia's first government geologist. He was also, in various parts of the world, a doctor, missionary, journalist, lecturer, naturalist and more. Was he a fraudster, or a genius? Guest: Professor Alexandra von Ludewig  Producer: Ann Arnold

Feb 24, • 18:42

The big money media training young right-wing voices

The big money media training young right-wing voices

In Britain, the US and the EU a fresh crop of young commentators are readily available for TV and radio interviews. They’re articulate, they’re polished and they’re clearly media trained. So who’s backing them? Answer: a talent agency backed by the ultra-conservative Koch think tank and the Atlas Network. GUEST: Olly Haynes, freelance journalist with the Byline Times and the GuardianPRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer

Feb 24, • 17:55

Laura Tingle's Canberra: how accurate are the polls?

Laura Tingle's Canberra: how accurate are the polls?

A new poll from AFR/Freshwater shows the Coalition has a 52-48 2PP lead, despite the recent interest rate cut. But other polls have a markedly different result. So which polls are reliable? And why doesn't Anthony Albanese seem too worried about them?GUEST: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30PRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer

Feb 24, • 14:55

Can the global insurance industry survive weather whiplash?

Can the global insurance industry survive weather whiplash?

Around the world last year, the cost of storms and cyclones alone was more than $400 billion US. In 2024 the planet was hit by 58 weather disasters with damages totalling more than a billion dollars. Not only are these events becoming more destructive and more expensive, they are increasingly happening back-to back in a phenomenon known as “weather whiplash”. And numerous insurance companies are either folding or limiting what they will insure. So who pays for the damage?GUEST: Paula Jarzabkowsk

Feb 20, • 26:01

The pushback against Welcome to Country ceremonies

The pushback against Welcome to Country ceremonies

Welcomes to Country have become commonplace at all sorts of cultural and ceremonial events around Australia. But where did the modern ceremony begin? And why are some politicians pushing back against the custom?GUEST: Rhoda Roberts AO, Australian theatre and arts director, Widjabul woman of the Bundjalung nation

Feb 20, • 25:24

The feminist publishing house that launched Australia's best writers

The feminist publishing house that launched Australia's best writers

In the early seventies two Melbourne feminists hatched an idea to set up their own publishing house. Diana Gribble was a socialite working in advertising and Hilary McPhee a novice editor. McPhee Gribble Publishing was born. And soon authors like Tim Winton, Dorothy Hewett and Helen Garner were knocking at their door.  But in 1989 it all came to an end when they were swallowed up by Penguin.  GUEST: Hilary McPhee, founder and former Publisher at McPhee Gribble and Chair of the Australia Council

Feb 19, • 28:12

An American bishop takes a stand against Trump’s immigration crackdown.

An American bishop takes a stand against Trump’s immigration crackdown.

A growing number of Catholic Church leaders have criticised US President, Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Bishop Mark Seitz in El Paso, Texas, says that many of the changes go against the tenets of his religionGUEST: Bishop Mark Seitz, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration. PRODUCER: Ali Benton

Feb 19, • 23:39

'A Masterpiece!' Farewell to the book blurb

'A Masterpiece!' Farewell to the book blurb

Are those written blurbs on the front of books more about an author's connections in the literary world than real praise? Simon and Schuster, a major publishing house have banned the practice claiming it's part of an " incestuous and unmeritocratic literary ecosystem".GUEST: Ross Wilson, Professor of History and Theory of Criticism, Faculty of English, University of CambridgePRODUCER: Ali Benton

Feb 18, • 18:08

Vanuatu still rattled by biggest earthquake in memory

Vanuatu still rattled by biggest earthquake in memory

The earthquake that hit Vanuatu the week before Christmas has taken the disaster-prone nation to a new level of despair and anxiety, with ongoing aftershocks and cyclones rattling people’s nerves. For the local Red Cross, the disaster hit in the middle of a post-cyclone celebratory Christmas lunch.Guests: Dickinson Tevi, Secretary General of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, Tess Newton Cain, Pacific analyst with the Pacific Hub at Griffith University, BrisbaneProducer: Ann Arnold

Feb 18, • 18:55

Bruce Shapiro's America: can Trump ignore the courts?

Bruce Shapiro's America: can Trump ignore the courts?

Donald Trump has posted ‘he who saves his country does not violate any laws’ on Truth Social. Meanwhile his administration is being challenged by numerous court rulings on USAID funding, the DOGE's access to Treasury files and other information with national security implications and members of Congress are wondering whether the President will simply ignore the courts and and precipitate a constitutional crisis. GUEST: Bruce Shapiro, Contributing Editor for The Nation; Executive Director of the

Feb 18, • 14:01

"Every man a mourner": The shipwreck of the SS Gothenburg, 150 years on

"Every man a mourner": The shipwreck of the SS Gothenburg, 150 years on

150 years ago, the SS Gothenburg - a sturdy coastal steamship - left the Port of Darwin in the Northern Territory on its final tragic voyage. When the ship hit Old Reef off Townsville in cyclonic conditions, over 100 people died. Just 22 survived. The disaster devastated the fledgling community of Darwin (then called Palmerston). Judges, doctors, bureaucrats, prisoners, women and children were all lost. It was said that every house in the northern colony lost a loved one. Guest: Toni Massey, Sen

Feb 17, • 19:01

Media freedom and EU membership at risk as USAID withdrawn from Georgia

Media freedom and EU membership at risk as USAID withdrawn from Georgia

The US has paused a significant amount of foreign assistance in the form of USAID to Georgia, putting media organisations and journalists critical of Russia at risk. Meanwhile mass protests in the capital Tbilisi continue as the ruling Georgian Dream party put talks of joining the European Union on ice.  GUEST: Ivane Chkhikvadze, European Union (EU) Integration Program manager at Open Society Foundation Georgia.PRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer

Feb 17, • 12:08

Laura Tingle's Canberra: what role would independents play in a Coalition minority government

Laura Tingle's Canberra: what role would independents play in a Coalition minority government

The latest polling shows the Coalition is best placed to form a government, though likely in minority, currently falling two seats short of a majority. Labor has teamed up with the Coalition to place caps on political spending, which cross-bench MPs and senators say is a "stitch up" to stifle competition.  So what role could the independents play in a Coalition minority government?GUEST: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30PRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer

Feb 17, • 15:08

Poet Francis Webb: an under-appreciated genius?

Poet Francis Webb: an under-appreciated genius?

Francis Webb is a relatively uncelebrated Australian poet, whose artistry was highly regarded by fellow poets. He was also the first significant poet in Australia to address mental health themes in his work. Guest: Toby Davidson, author of a tribute piece in the current Australian Book Review Producer: Ann Arnold

Feb 13, • 23:34

South Korea: A president's gamble

South Korea: A president's gamble

In the last six weeks, South Korea has seen a six hour declaration of martial law, protests on the streets and an impeachment of its president, Yoon Suk Yeol. What are the political repercussions of this recent unrest?GUEST: Kathleen Stephens, former US Ambassador to South Korea.PRODUCER: Ali Benton

Feb 13, • 28:37

How white nationalism infiltrated the wellness industry

How white nationalism infiltrated the wellness industry

A deep dive behind the scenes in the wellness industry in the United States and the UK has uncovered a strange connection between a number of soap, tea and other wellness products, and companies supporting white supremacy. The people behind them want to build a parallel economy, where white people support other white people to be pure, fit and strong.  GUEST: Mark Hay, freelance journalist covering extremism and niche subcultures. His investigation for Al Jazeera is called Soap to supremacy: The

Feb 12, • 24:40

Life in Predappio – Italy’s fascist Disneyland

Life in Predappio – Italy’s fascist Disneyland

Predappio in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region is the birthplace and burial site of former Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini. It’s also Italy’s premier neo-fascist tourist site, with hundreds of thousands of fascist sympathisers descending on the town annually. But what of the people who actually live there? What does “ordinary life” look like in the shadow of Mussolini’s grave? GUEST: Paolo Heywood, Associate Professor of Social Anthropology at Durham University (UK) and author of Burying Mus

Feb 12, • 25:30

Are the Oscars losing their relevance?

Are the Oscars losing their relevance?

The Oscars are nearly one hundred years old: in early March the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will host its 97th awards ceremony. But viewership has collapsed and the Academy has yet to find a way to grapple with the move to streaming over cinema releases. So how relevant are the awards? And does Hollywood have anything new to offer?   GUEST: Bill Wyman, journalist, arts editor, and columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald.  PRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer

Feb 11, • 17:57

Degrowth economics - future or fringe?

Degrowth economics - future or fringe?

The degrowth movement seeks to challenge a central plank of global economic policy — that more is always better. Instead, to avoid future crises, advocates of degrowth say it is time to embrace a model that prioritises quality of life and sustainability over economic expansion Guests:Alvaro Alvarez, documentary maker, "Less is more: Can degrowth save the world?"Anitra Nelson, Associate Professor and Honorary Principal Fellow, University of Melbourne and co author of Exploring Degrowth: A Critica

Feb 11, • 18:13

Ian Dunt's UK: Brexit, 5 years on

Ian Dunt's UK: Brexit, 5 years on

Ian Dunt gives his frank assessment of Britain after Brexit, five years since it became official. Plus calls to "stop the boats" have returned to British parliament, as thousands of migrants continue to attempt the dangerous English Channel crossing. GUEST: Ian Dunt, columnist with "i" news, co-host of the Origin Story podcast

Feb 11, • 13:08

Uncovering the artistry of Roman Britain - the mosaics that shaped an empire

Uncovering the artistry of Roman Britain - the mosaics that shaped an empire

Roman mosaics found in Britain are remarkable examples of ancient artistry, showcasing intricate designs and craftsmanship. A number of finds in the last fifty years have been described as the greatest archaeological discoveries in a century.Guest: Dr David Neal, former archaeologist with English Heritage and leading expert in Roman mosaics.

Feb 10, • 14:05

Is it time to decriminalise jaywalking?

Is it time to decriminalise jaywalking?

In recent years, a number of states and cities in the US have decriminalised 'jaywalking', relaxing laws that campaigners argue have been disproportionately enforced on black and Latino residents. Jaywalking first emerged as a traffic offence in the US a century ago, when radical new ordinances gave priority to high-speed vehicles on the roads. Australia followed suit. A campaign of public ridicule shamed pedestrians into following the rules, but are (jay)walkers now reclaiming the streets? Gues

Feb 10, • 21:47

Laura Tingle's Canberra: shutting down Mark Dreyfus

Laura Tingle's Canberra: shutting down Mark Dreyfus

Attorney-General and Jewish MP Mark Dreyfus has lashed out at the Opposition for politicising anti-Semitism, but there was outrage in parliament today when the Coalition's Manager of Opposition Business, Michael Sukkar, tried to shut him down while he was discussing his family history during the Holocaust. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Feb 10, • 12:47

Rethinking privacy

Rethinking privacy

The current preoccupations with privacy tend to focus on data and information, but this reduces us as human beings, political philosopher Lowry Pressly argues. True privacy is much deeper - and unknowable.Guest: Lowry Pressly, lecturer, Stanford University.'The right to oblivion: privacy and the good life’ (Harvard University Press, hardback August 2024)

Feb 6, • 27:39

The tumultuous and celebrated life of poet Dorothy Porter

The tumultuous and celebrated life of poet Dorothy Porter

The late Australian poet Dorothy Porter is best known for her verse novel The Monkey's Mask. Her early life at home, with violence and bullying at the hands of her well-known barrister father, Chester Porter, is laid bare in a memoir written by Dorothy's sister Josie McSkimming.Guest: Josie McSkimming, psychotherapist. Author of 'Gutsy Girls: Love, poetry and sisterhood' (UQP)

Feb 6, • 25:34

Brazil takes on Big Tech

Brazil takes on Big Tech

“Google and Microsoft are like salt. They are on every plate”. Cecilia Rikap is currently advising the Brazilian government on its strategy for digital sovereignty, which aims to equip the country with the tools to reduce its dependence on major tech corporations. Guest: Cecilia Rikap, Professor of Economics, University College London

Feb 5, • 16:24

Is it ethical to holiday in Antarctica?

Is it ethical to holiday in Antarctica?

One hundred and twenty five thousand people visited Antarctica last year. Can the region cope with an ever growing tourism industry?Guest: Anne Hardy,  Professor of Tourism & Society at the University of Tasmania

Feb 5, • 20:04

Trump lays claim to Gaza

Trump lays claim to Gaza

In an astonishing press conference, alongside Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump declared the US would 'take over' the Gaza Strip, and that Palestinians should be resettled elsewhere. The decades-old consensus on a two-state solution now appears to be out the window.

Feb 5, • 15:48

Cycling women- a moral panic

Cycling women- a moral panic

Women who rode bicycles in Victorian England challenged the ideals of femininity. It was thought that they would leave their husbands, neglect domestic chores and even be mistaken for a sex worker.Guest: Tamsin Johnson, Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University

Feb 4, • 23:01

Belarus’s secret role in funnelling migrants into the EU

Belarus’s secret role in funnelling migrants into the EU

Belarus’s President, Alexander Lukashenko, has just won another landside election in a result the EU is labelling a sham. The man known as Europe’s last dictator has been accused of trafficking Middle-Eastern migrants into neighbouring Poland and Lithuania, creating crises at the borders. Lukashenko has denied his government’s involvement, but an investigation by Politico has uncovered evidence which shows how the President has weaponised migration as a tool in his positioning between the EU and

Feb 4, • 17:48

Bruce Shapiro's America: Trump's tariff backtrack

Bruce Shapiro's America: Trump's tariff backtrack

US President Donald Trump has "paused' his announced 25% tariffs on Canadian and American imports, as America's neighbours pledge greater cooperation at the northern and southern borders.Guest: Bruce Shapiro, Contributing Editor at the Nation and Executive Director at the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University

Feb 4, • 16:05

Australia's love of cinema, indoors and outdoors

Australia's love of cinema, indoors and outdoors

Australia has a surprisingly long history of cinema enjoyment. It takes many forms, and pops up in a wide range of settings. Guest: Ruari Elkington, Senior Lecturer in Creative Industries,  QUT

Feb 3, • 16:17

What do Netanyahu and Trump have planned for the West Bank and Gaza?

What do Netanyahu and Trump have planned for the West Bank and Gaza?

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington to discuss phase two of the Gaza ceasefire deal. US President Donald Trump has suggested Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians from Gaza. Meanwhile Israel is running a major operation in the West Bank where at least 50 Palestinians have been killed in the last two weeks. So what will be on the table in these negotiations? Guest: David Hearst, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Middle East Eye. Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Feb 3, • 21:10

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Opposition hammers "weakness" message

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Opposition hammers "weakness" message

The Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has been giving more interviews, but not revealing much about his policies. And the politics of division and antisemitism. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Feb 3, • 16:04

The New Yorker's chief factchecker on the pursuit of truth

The New Yorker's chief factchecker on the pursuit of truth

Many claim we are living in a "post-truth" era, where facts and objective reality are increasingly inconsequential. Fergus McIntosh - chief fact-checker at The New Yorker disagrees.

Jan 30, • 25:29

America's last big migrant roundup: Japanese-Americans in WWII

America's last big migrant roundup: Japanese-Americans in WWII

President Donald Trump’s threatened deportation of up to 20 million immigrants brings back tough memories for Japanese Americans who were deported in WW2, including Tim Kudo’s family.

Jan 30, • 25:27

The disappearing langauges of Tibet

The disappearing langauges of Tibet

Tibet is one of the most linguistically diverse regions on the planet, but a number of minority languages are on shaky ground.

Jan 29, • 25:02

Has drug decriminalisation failed in Canada?

Has drug decriminalisation failed in Canada?

In 2023 Vancouver decriminalised the possession of small amounts of some illegal drugs for personal use.  It was to be a three-year trial, a template for other cities looking to turn addiction from a criminal issue to a health issue. But 2023 was a record year for drug deaths with 2511 people dying from overdoses, many associated with the synthetic drug fentanyl. Now politicians are walking back some of the changes. So has the drug trial failed?Guest: Dr. Kora DeBeck - Research Scientist with th

Jan 29, • 27:22

What do Greenlanders really think of Trump's offer to buy the icy island?

What do Greenlanders really think of Trump's offer to buy the icy island?

From Erik the Red, to the battle for independence. A professor of Arctic law explores the complicated and fascinating history of Greenland.Guest: Rachael Lorna Johnstone, Professor of Law at the University of Greenland.

Jan 28, • 29:20

Ian Dunt's UK: the fall-out between Elon Musk and Nigel Farage

Ian Dunt's UK: the fall-out between Elon Musk and Nigel Farage

Elon Musk and Brexiteer and Reform party leader Nigel Farage have a falling out over Musk's support for far-right activist Tommy Robinson, but what does Keir Starmer have to say about it? Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist for inews and co-host of the Origin Story podcast.

Jan 28, • 22:56

A no-frills history of the Australian beach shack

A no-frills history of the Australian beach shack

Along the coast of Australia are hundreds of humble shacks, often with interesting stories to tell.

Jan 27, • 23:02

What makes Australians tick in 2025?

What makes Australians tick in 2025?

What does the data say about who we are? Social researcher Dr Rebecca Huntley and CEO of the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute, Anthea Hancocks look at Australian attitudes via the numbers.

Jan 27, • 29:38

April Ashley - the life of a glamorous model, and trans pioneer

April Ashley - the life of a glamorous model, and trans pioneer

April Ashley led the high life in London's glamour set of the 1960's. She was a model, gorgeous, and went to all the best parties. But then her secret was revealed: April Ashley started her life as a man. Her story became a scandal, and her divorce set a precedent in case law in Britain and Australia that would set the cause of trans rights back thirty years. Guest: Jacqueline Kent, author of “Bonjour, Mademoiselle! April Ashley and the pursuit of a lovely life,” co-authored with Tom Roberts), p

Jan 23, • 22:31

Child soldiers as adults now

Child soldiers as adults now

In Sierra Leone in the 1990s thousands of children were captured by the Revolutionary United Front – the RUF.  The children were forced to endure violence and trauma of every kind.  Those children are now adults and many of them have children of their own. Professor Theresa Betancourt from Boston College has studied 500 of the former child soldiers. Book: 'Shadows into Light: a generation of child soldiers comes of age' (Harvard University Press, 2025)

Jan 23, • 30:11

How Coca-Cola shapes health policy in China

How Coca-Cola shapes health policy in China

In recent decades, as rates of obesity have soared around the world, beverage giant Coca-Cola and its industry peers have sought to insulate themselves from regulatory interventions by investing in corporate "product defence" science. This science contends that it is a lack of exercise - not sugary drinks and junk food - driving the problem. Whilst this science has been increasingly challenged and exposed in the United States, it continues to prevail in China, where obesity rates have skyrockete

Jan 22, • 18:10

Being Jewish after the destruction of Gaza

Being Jewish after the destruction of Gaza

While anti-Semitic attacks in Australia and America appear to be on the rise, Jewish journalism professor and author Peter Beinart argues that Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank have made Jews around the world a target.  Guest: Peter Beinart, author of, “Being Jewish after the destruction of Gaza” published by Atlantic Books. Peter is also Professor of journalism and political science at City University New York.

Jan 22, • 34:08

Return to Damascus

Return to Damascus

After more than a decade in exile, Syrian-Palestinian journalist Dima Khatib returns home to Damascus, where she says it would take a year to document the horrors of just one street. Dima revisits the places of her childhood, her grandmother's home and explores what a new Syria could look like, beyond the Assad regime.Guest: Dima Khatib, Syrian/Palestinian journalist, Managing Director of Al Jazeera Plus

Jan 21, • 26:45

Bruce Shapiro's America: Trump's inauguration

Bruce Shapiro's America: Trump's inauguration

In an extended segment, Bruce Shapiro dissects President Trump's Inauguration Day, his promise of a 'Golden Age', and some likely impacts of the Trump regime on global politics.

Jan 21, • 25:42

How gum trees went global

How gum trees went global

The eucalyptus tree - in particular the Southern Blue Gum - has been caught up in the blame game for Los Angeles' catastrophic fires, due to its oily combustible foliage. Scientists dispute these claims, but how did these Australian trees spread to California (and beyond) in the first place?

Jan 20, • 15:27

Game changer for exploited tuna fishermen in the Pacific

Game changer for exploited tuna fishermen in the Pacific

A new agreement sets minimum working conditions for underpaid and poorly treated Pacific fishing crews. The agreement is the first of its kind, in the world. Guest: Ed Cavanaugh, CEO, McKell Institute Pacific specialist

Jan 20, • 23:31

Laura Tingle's Canberra: the shadow election campaign is in full swing

Laura Tingle's Canberra: the shadow election campaign is in full swing

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have spent summer on the hustings as they prepare for the 2025 election campaign. So where are the major parties positioned for the year ahead? And who are the challengers? Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jan 20, • 14:18

LNL Summer: Stephen Fry on life, last words and the things he can't do

LNL Summer: Stephen Fry on life, last words and the things he can't do

Stephen Fry reflects on the power of story-telling, how to counter impostor syndrome and the things he absolutely can’t do. Guest: Stephen FryOriginally broadcast: 28 October 2024

Jan 16, • 54:05

The downfall of the Maharajas

The downfall of the Maharajas

When India gained its independence, the rulers of the princely states - the Maharajas - had to be convinced to give up control of their territories to create the nation of India. It was a difficult negotiation for Lord Mountbatten as each prince wanted something different in return for giving up land, power and armies.Guest: John Zubrzycki, former diplomat and author of Dethroned: the downfall of India's princely states (Hurst/NewSouth)This story originally aired on 03 October 2024.

Jan 15, • 29:48

LNL Summer: The great Australian art theft

LNL Summer: The great Australian art theft

Until the late 1980s Indigenous art was being ripped off left right and centre. It was open slather. First at the cheap end of the market on T-shirts and then on fancy carpets made in Vietnam. The rip-off merchants maintained black artists were just painting old patterns, so their work was for the taking. The lawyer who proved them wrong was Colin Golvan AM, and his new book shares historical stories of Indigenous copyright infringement and his experiences travelling around, often to remote comm

Jan 15, • 23:18

LNL Summer: New Zealand's ethical escort agency

LNL Summer: New Zealand's ethical escort agency

Upon discovering that sex work is decriminalised in New Zealand, Antonia Murphy decided to build her own business: an ethical escort agency called The Bach.

Jan 14, • 23:37

LNL Summer: Learning the language of birds

LNL Summer: Learning the language of birds

Learning how birds communicate could help us to better understand the health of our natural ecosystems. This story originally aired on 17 October 2024.

Jan 13, • 26:51

LNL Summer:The money and influence of Opus Dei

LNL Summer:The money and influence of Opus Dei

Journalist Gareth Gore investigates the finances and political influence of the conservative Catholic order, Opus Dei. This story originally aired on 17 October 2024.

Jan 13, • 27:59

LNL Summer: Wy the Dreyfus Affair still matters

LNL Summer: Wy the Dreyfus Affair still matters

Alfred Dreyfus was an officer in the French Army when he was arrested 130 years ago for treason, convicted and sent to Devils Island for 5 years in solitary confinement.  His battle for justice divided the population of France and fascinated people across the globe.

Jan 9, • 54:08

LNL Summer: The great absinthe con

LNL Summer: The great absinthe con

Journalist Evan Rail investigates the lucrative market for vintage "pre ban" bottles of absinthe, from before WWI. Most bottles are genuine, but some are fake. This story originally aired on 30 October 2024.

Jan 8, • 23:03

LNL Summer: The story of Australia's Black convicts

LNL Summer: The story of Australia's Black convicts

In 1788 there were at least fifteen convicts of African descent on board the First Fleet, and hundreds more followed.Who were they, and how were the Black convicts transported to Australia linked to the slave trade?Guest: Santilla Chingaipe, author of Black Convicts: How slavery shaped Australia.This story originally aired on 30 October 2024.

Jan 8, • 27:36

LNL Summer: Meeting Medieval women

LNL Summer: Meeting Medieval women

From requesting cross bows to fight invaders in Norfolk, to a southern Italian cosmetic recipe for removing hair dye: a British Library exhibition reveals the worlds of women in the Middle Ages.

Jan 7, • 15:18

LNL Summer: A biography of Madrid

LNL Summer: A biography of Madrid

Madrid, the Spanish capital in the centre of the country, has long lived under the shadow of coastal Barcelona, with its spectacular Gaudi architecture. But Australian author Luke Stegemann, who has lived in Madrid on and off for many years,  is passionate about the place and its significance.

Jan 7, • 40:55

LNL Summer: Houdini's Visit to Australia

LNL Summer: Houdini's Visit to Australia

‘To do a Houdini’ is still used to describe remarkable feats of escapes, yet the great escapologist Harry Houdini was born 150 years ago.In 1910, Houdini visited Australia for a 3 month sell-out tour. He also claimed the title of the first person to successfully fly a powered aircraft in Australia.GUEST: Leann Richards, author of 'Houdini's Tour of Australia'.This story originally aired on 24 September 2024.

Jan 6, • 18:51

LNL Summer: The power of passports

LNL Summer: The power of passports

The passport - if you can get one - gives freedom, but it also means state surveillance. This is one of the many passport paradoxes observed by author Patrick Bixby, in an account that ranges from indigenous passports to literary references to passport 'rankings'. Guest: Patrick Bixby, Professor of English at Arizona State UniversityAuthor of ‘License to Travel: A Cultural History of th Passport’ (University of California Press) This story originally aired on 18 July 2024.

Jan 6, • 32:09

LNL Summer: The race to save the world's islands - with stunning results

LNL Summer: The race to save the world's islands - with stunning results

Islands are the location of two extremes: they hold the greatest concentration on earth of both biodiversity and species extinctions.  The challenge to save them and their inhabitants from the triple threat threat of invasive species, sea level rises and global heating  seems immense, But the results when rescue teams are sent in are remarkably quick - a gecko thought be extinct reappears. Giant tortoises thriving in the wild once again. Now the not-for-profit organisation Island Conservation is

Jan 2, • 19:41

LNL Summer: The misadventures of John Lang - Australia’s trail-blazing first novelist

LNL Summer: The misadventures of John Lang - Australia’s trail-blazing first novelist

Author Henry Savery is credited with being Australia's first novelist, for his work 'Quintus Servinton', but author and historian Sean Doyle says in fact the first Autralian-born novelist was John Lang. Lang was born in a Parramatta pub in 1816 and his 1836 novel called 'Violet; Or, the Danseuse: A Portraiture of Human Passion and Character' was published anonymously in London. It was quite a feat for a twenty-year old. Lang went on to write twenty novels, a number of serials, a travelogue of In

Jan 2, • 34:19

The secret world of cattle

The secret world of cattle

A rookie farmer, who happens to be a neuroscientist who has specialised in studying dogs, gets a few cows to eat the grass down. He learns about their lives and personalities, and soon considers them friends. Guest Gregory Berns

Jan 1, • 15:22

LNL Summer: The mythic status of the night parrot

LNL Summer: The mythic status of the night parrot

The largest known population of the Australian night parrot was recently discovered in the Great Sandy Desert in WA. Ornithologist Dr Penny Olsen recounts our long fascination with this elusive nocturnal bird. Guest:  Dr Penny Olsen, ornithologist and Honorary Professor at ANU

Dec 31, 2024 • 15:26

LNL Summer: UK poet laureate Simon Armitage on the power of poems

LNL Summer: UK poet laureate Simon Armitage on the power of poems

Simon Armitage was a sleepy ten-year old kid in West Yorkshire when he was awakened by poetry.

Dec 31, 2024 • 36:56

LNL Summer: Who was Kosciuszko?

LNL Summer: Who was Kosciuszko?

With changing the name of Australia's highest peak still undecided, Mount Kosciuszko remains named after a Polish revolutionary. Who was this man, and why was he so revered — not only in his native Poland, but across continents?This story originally aired on 26 September 2024.

Dec 30, 2024 • 26:16

LNL Summer: A pilgrimage to Ambon

LNL Summer: A pilgrimage to Ambon

A war historian accompanies a group on a pilgrimage to the Indonesian island of Ambon, where hundreds of Australian soldiers died in WWll. Joan Beaumont ponders the meaning of memory, and connection to past war traumas. Guest: Joan Beaumont, Emerita Professor in the ANU's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre. Author of 'I never knew my uncle', an article in the July edition of Australian Book ReviewThis story originally aired on 17 July 2024.

Dec 30, 2024 • 33:46

LNL Summer: The divisive anchovy - a brief history

LNL Summer: The divisive anchovy - a brief history

It seems that people either love or hate the humble anchovy. But it has been flavouring our food for millennia although in many different forms - from the Roman sauce 'garum' to various pastes and preserved forms to the centrepiece of a pizza, tapas or caesar salad. Guest: Christopher Beckman, author of A Twist in the Tail – How the Humble Anchovy Flavoured Western Cuisine published by HurstThis story originally aired on 26 August 2024.

Dec 26, 2024 • 20:17

Beautiful paintings from a terrible year

Beautiful paintings from a terrible year

In 1870, Paris was surrounded by German troops, cut off from the world, and a bitter, ugly place of chaos. It's known as 'The Terrible Year', and the 'Siege of Paris'. Out of this arose the Impressionists, whose paintings shone with light and beauty. Guest: Sebastian Smee, art critic at The Washington Post and author of ‘Paris in Ruins: Love, war and the birth of Impressionism’ (Text Publishing) This story originally aired on 11 September 2024.

Dec 26, 2024 • 32:21

LNL Summer: Ern Malley, the greatest Australian poet who never lived

LNL Summer: Ern Malley, the greatest Australian poet who never lived

80 years ago, an exciting new poet by the name of Ern Malley burst onto the Australian literary scene. As it turned out, Ern was a hoax, concocted by two conservative poets intent on humiliating the country’s literary avante garde. This story originally aired on 20 August 2024.

Dec 25, 2024 • 20:57

LNL Summer: Frontline nurses in the AIDS crisis

LNL Summer: Frontline nurses in the AIDS crisis

In the early years of AIDS,  men and women with the HIV virus were widely seen as untouchables. The nurses who elected to care for them were stigmatised along with their patients.  But until now, their story has not been told.Guests:Geraldine Fela, author of ‘Critical care: Nurses on the frontline of Australia’s AIDS crisis’ (NewSouth), Historian, postdoctoral research fellow in Macquarie University’s Department of History and ArchaeologyMarilyn Beaumont, Federal Secretary of the Nurses Union th

Dec 25, 2024 • 31:08

Balkan food and nationalism

Balkan food and nationalism

A Macedonian-British food writer celebrates the foods from the region she was born in,  while also noting the misplaced nationalism attached to foods there - and everywhere.  Guest: Irina Janakievska, food writerThis story originally aired on 15 October 2024.

Dec 24, 2024 • 18:16

Seduction, intrigue and influence: the legacy of Pamela Churchill Harriman

Seduction, intrigue and influence: the legacy of Pamela Churchill Harriman

Writer Sonia Purnell reveals the astonishing life of Pamela Churchill Harriman, one of the most significant women in 20th century politics. From Winston Churchill to Bill Clinton, Mandela, Sinatra and the Kennedys, her power and influence spanned generations and continents. This story originally aired on 07 October 2024.

Dec 24, 2024 • 32:19

LNL Summer: How to honour those that lived and died at Wybalenna on Flinders Island

LNL Summer: How to honour those that lived and died at Wybalenna on Flinders Island

In 1831 British colonists offered the Tasmanian Aboriginal people protection and freedom if they agreed to temporarily go to a place they called Wybalenna on Flinders Island in Bass Strait. That promise was never kept and most perished, lying today in unmarked graves. Now a project is underway to tell the stories of the people who strived to maintain their culture in that isolated place. It’s a crucial part of a truth-telling process that Aboriginal people hope will culminate in a treaty, nearly

Dec 23, 2024 • 25:35

LNL Summer: The Guatemalan baby trade

LNL Summer: The Guatemalan baby trade

The small Central American country of Guatemala has the dubious record of sending nearly as many babies and children overseas as China was. The whole adoption 'industry' was privatised, with little government oversight.Guest: Rachel Nolan, Contributing Editor at Harper’s Magazine, Assistant Professor of International History at Boston University and author of ‘Until I find you: Disappeared Children and Coercive Adoptions in Guatemala’ (Harvard University Press) Originally broadcast on 8 August 2

Dec 23, 2024 • 25:45

LNL Summer: Searching for the soul

LNL Summer: Searching for the soul

What is the soul? Is it a substance, your conscience or simply a creation of the mind? Most societies and religions have some concept of the soul. Historian Paul Ham has looked at how the idea has changed through history and across cultures. Guest: Paul Ham, author of The Soul: A History of the Human Mind (Penguin Random House)Originally broadcast on 1 August 2024

Dec 19, 2024 • 54:06

How the humble notebook contributes to creativity

How the humble notebook contributes to creativity

Popularised by accountants in Renaissance Florence, the paper notebook has a rich cultural history. Prolific notebook users include master doodler Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Darwin, Agatha Christie and Bruce Chatwin who unwittingly inspired the Moleskine.  Guest: Roland Allen, author of ‘The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper’ (Profile Books)Originally broadcast on 25 July 2024.

Dec 18, 2024 • 19:36

Academic publishing is big business - but does it have to be?

Academic publishing is big business - but does it have to be?

Frustrated academics are finding new models for publishing academic research that bypasses the big academic publishers who are making millions from their research. And it is the universities that are paying for it - usually twice.Guest: Arash Abizadeh, professor of political science at McGill University and author of the article in the Guardian titled: Academic journals are a lucrative scam and we're determined to change thatOriginally broadcast on 25 July 2024

Dec 18, 2024 • 10:36

Des Ball's long history with Pine Gap

Des Ball's long history with Pine Gap

A new documentary looks at the important career of military analyst Des Ball who kept Australia informed for over 50 years about the changing role of the US military and intelligence facility at Pine Gap.Guests:John Hughes, director of the documentary Twilight Time: Des Ball the man who saved the world.Richard Tanter: Senior Research Associate, Nautilus Institute and former President of the Australian board of the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Originally broa

Dec 18, 2024 • 20:50

LNL Summer: The final days of Captain James Cook

LNL Summer: The final days of Captain James Cook

A new book suggests that Captain James Cook, while previously known as a man with a distinct knowledge of and respect for Indigenous peoples and with his crew, on his last voyage, misjudged and miscommunicated his way to his death at the hands of once friendly Hawaiians.GUEST: author and historian Hampton Sides author of The Wide Wide Sea - Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook. (Random House)Originally broadcast on 30 July 2024

Dec 17, 2024 • 23:43

LNL Summer: The US lobbyists of K-Street

LNL Summer: The US lobbyists of K-Street

The very lucrative practise of lobbying has moved beyond the corridors or Washington. Lobbyists now focus on shaping the opinion of constituents back home in their districts, cozying up to PR gurus, social media experts, pollsters, and grassroots organisers to further the interests of big US Corporations, and reshaping how both major political parties operate.  Guest: Brody Mullins, author of The Wolves of K Street: The Secret History of How Big Money Took Over Big Government (Simon and Schuster

Dec 17, 2024 • 28:14

LNL Summer: William Dalrymple on India's Golden Road

LNL Summer: William Dalrymple on India's Golden Road

For more than 1000 years, India was a trading powerhouse across the globe - not only of spices, wild animals and gemstones but also of language, philosophy, religion, mathematics and astronomy. But why is this part of India's history not so well known, and why did its dominance wane about 1200 AD?Guest: William Dalrymple, historian, podcaster and author of The Golden Road How Ancient India Transformed the World (Bloomsbury)Originally broadcast on 3 September 2024

Dec 16, 2024 • 54:05

2024 Year in Review

2024 Year in Review

Chas Licciardello, Sashi Perera and First Dog on the Moon - aka Andrew Marlton - join David Marr to survey the profound and the ridiculous from the year we've just had.

Dec 12, 2024 • 54:04

The beauty and strangeness of the deep sea

The beauty and strangeness of the deep sea

Journalist Susan Casey is one of a few souls on Earth who's ventured into the deepest reaches of the ocean, beyond 5000 metres below sea level.

Dec 11, 2024 • 25:02

A deeply personal history of Cyprus

A deeply personal history of Cyprus

Trying to trace the history of a place as old as Cyprus is like trying to write the history of human civilisation itself, from the primordial swamp and the frothy sea that spewed forth the mythic goddess Aphrodite to the epic battle between the Greeks and the Turks. For English-Cyprian writer Alex Christofi, the task of writing the history of the island was both epic and personal. Guest: Alex Christofi, author of “Cypria - A Journey to the Heart of the Mediterranean” published by Bloomsbury.

Dec 11, 2024 • 30:38

Humanity's long obsession with Mars

Humanity's long obsession with Mars

Mars captured humanity's imagination even when it was just a wandering red dot in the night sky. Over history it has been blamed for plagues, the home to invading Martians, and even a possible refuge when our own planet becomes uninhabitable. What can we still learn from the current explorations taking place there and with Trump and Musk in the Whitehouse, will humans set foot there one day soon?Guest: Dr Matthew Shindell, Curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and author of Fo

Dec 10, 2024 • 26:20

Syria after Assad

Syria after Assad

After half a century, the Assad regime in Syria is suddenly over, but what comes next for this complex nation, its disparate warring groups, and their regional allies - remains unclear. Guest: Nanar Hawach, Crisis Group Senior Analyst, Syria

Dec 10, 2024 • 11:00

Bruce Shapiro's America: what happens next?

Bruce Shapiro's America: what happens next?

Late Night Live's Bruce Shapiro reflects on a remarkable year in American politics, and looks ahead to a new year under a second Trump presidency. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, Contribution Editor with The Nation; Executive Director at the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University

Dec 10, 2024 • 18:01

The disappearing villages of Bulgaria

The disappearing villages of Bulgaria

As more and more people move from rural to urban areas, does there need to be more intervention in how nature is allowed to reclaim the villages of the world that have been abandoned? Research in Bulgaria indicates that sometimes humans helped maintain diversity.Guest: Tess McClure, Commissioning Editor, The Guardian

Dec 9, 2024 • 11:03

Belgium guilty of colonial crimes against humanity

Belgium guilty of colonial crimes against humanity

Until the 1960’s, children born of relationships between white fathers and black mothers in the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi were systematically kidnapped from their families, had their identities changed, and sent to live on Catholic missions. Many were sexually abused. Now in a landmark case, a Belgian court has agreed this was a crime against humanity. Guest: Nicolas Angelet, counsel for the Metis women at the Brussels Court of Appeal, attorney at the Brussels Bar, associate tenant of Doughty St

Dec 9, 2024 • 15:58

Laura Tingle and Niki Savva on the politics of 2024

Laura Tingle and Niki Savva on the politics of 2024

Laura Tingle and Niki Savva look back on the political highs and lows of 2024, and the ramifications for the election in 2025.  Guests: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30Niki Savva, author and columnist with the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.

Dec 9, 2024 • 29:00

Diarmaid MacCulloch's history of morality and sex

Diarmaid MacCulloch's history of morality and sex

Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch's traces the complex and contradictory origins of Christian moral attitudes to sex and sexuality, from 3000 years ago, to now. Guest: Diarmaid MacCulloch, Emeritus Professor of the history of the church at Oxford University, author of Lower than the Angels: A history of Sex and Christianity

Dec 5, 2024 • 29:48

From the Cold War to the culture wars: Robert Manne's fight for reason

From the Cold War to the culture wars: Robert Manne's fight for reason

The Australian public intellectual Robert Manne has always believed that in the clash of ideas, reason might triumph. He admits that may be naive, but decades on, the struggle continues. Guest: Robert Manne's new book is A Political Memoir: Intellectual Combat in the Cold War and the Culture Wars

Dec 5, 2024 • 20:36

The tree whisperer

The tree whisperer

Australia's ancient trees make England look quite young. Writer Dave Witty was amazed when he moved here from England and discovered the diversity of species and the age of our forests. Dave has written an evocative account of particular trees he encountered around Australia and the textured histories he found when he dug around their roots. Dave shares the stories gathered under and around these trees, and the role of different species and why they played these roles in our history. He writes t

Dec 4, 2024 • 26:10

James Fairfax and the dynasty's last hurrah

James Fairfax and the dynasty's last hurrah

Never a gung ho corporate player, James Fairfax nonetheless played a significant role in the fortunes of the Fairfax newspaper company, during a time of great turmoil. And so did his mother Betty, whose impact has not been revealed before. Guest: Alexander (Alex) Edward Gilly, biographer and nephew of James Fairfax

Dec 4, 2024 • 28:23

Who is God's influencer?

Who is God's influencer?

Carlo Acutis was a devout young man who tried to go to mass daily from the time he was seven years old. He died suddenly aged 15 from acute leukaemia. Now the Pope has announced he will be canonised next April. How did this young gamer and programmer meet the requirements for sainthood?Guest: Dr Liam Temple, Capuchin Fellow in the History of Catholicism in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University

Dec 3, 2024 • 16:32

Bob Hawke's role in the Balibo Five inquiry

Bob Hawke's role in the Balibo Five inquiry

Historian Shannon Smith has unveiled a new episode in the history of the Balibo Five: the role Bob Hawke in securing an inquiry into their deaths, not when he was Prime Minister, but when he was Secretary of the ACTU. Guest: Dr Shannon Smith - author of “No Bullshit!: Balibo 1976 and Bob Hawke’s Diplomatic Masterclass,”  the Australian Journal of Politics and History: 2024.

Dec 3, 2024 • 19:51

Ian Dunt's UK: Starmer's budget re-set, and the conservatives lead in Ireland's election

Ian Dunt's UK: Starmer's budget re-set, and the conservatives lead in Ireland's election

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer attempts a political re-set ahead of Christmas, and Ireland goes to the polls,  with the conservative centre-right party Fianna Fáil taking the lead. Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the 'i' news.

Dec 3, 2024 • 15:50

Poetry in popular culture

Poetry in popular culture

Poetry remains embedded in popular culture, from slam nights to music lyrics. And it is valuable whether it is 'elite', or not, our guest argues. Guest: poet and author Peter Kirkpatrick

Dec 2, 2024 • 18:41

North Korea and Russia's closening ties

North Korea and Russia's closening ties

North Korea and Russia are getting closer and closer - sharing troops, weapons, oil and other big ticket items. So what do both countries get out of this flourishing friendship? There are potentially a number of benefits but security is probably the most crucial for North Korea. For Russia it's about shoring up an ally and getting a bit of backup on the ground with its war with Ukraine, in the form of about 12000 North Korean troops.Meanwhile, South Korea is doing some of Ukraine's bidding, tryi

Dec 2, 2024 • 17:32

Laura Tingle's Canberra - the final week in Parliament

Laura Tingle's Canberra - the final week in Parliament

The Prime Minister had a mixed final week in Parliament, but his late decision not to push through Tanya Plibersek's nature positive laws has raised concerns about their working relationship. Meanwhile Peter Dutton is still reluctant to release the Coalition's election promises.Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Dec 2, 2024 • 14:05

Why writer Helen Garner spent a season on the sidelines of a suburban football oval

Why writer Helen Garner spent a season on the sidelines of a suburban football oval

Surpassing the age of 80, Australian literary icon Helen Garner felt she was just about done with writing. Then she started driving her teenage grandson to local football training, and sticking around on the sidelines to watch. Her new book The Season is a love letter to the game of Australian Rules Football, and a tender observation of young men coming of age.

Nov 28, 2024 • 23:42

Our never-ending desire to subjugate the earth

Our never-ending desire to subjugate the earth

Historian Phillip Blom argues that the human need to dominate and subdue the natural world can trace its origins to ancient Mesopotamia. This was perpetuated through the Judeo-Christian notion that God charged man to be fruitful, fill the earth and subdue it. The Enlightenment age reinforced the notion of human dominance over all creatures. Blom says this idea was relatively harmless until technology developed to the point where we are now destroying the planet. So we now need to urgently change

Nov 28, 2024 • 25:35

The Christmas creep

The Christmas creep

Over the past few decades, Christmas has come earlier and earlier. By November there are decorations and festive fare everywhere.How has the 'Christmas creep' evolved?Guest: Carole Cusack, Professor of religious studies at the University of Sydney

Nov 27, 2024 • 20:39

Whiteness, race and Australian culture

Whiteness, race and Australian culture

'White fragility' and definitions of 'whiteness' are tackled in a raw and challenging discussion about race and cultural assumptions. Guests: Esther Anatolitis, editor of  'Essays that changed Australia: Meanjin 1940 to today' (MUP) And Michael Mohammed Ahmad, contributor

Nov 27, 2024 • 34:51

Why Americans are increasingly fond of British English

Why Americans are increasingly fond of British English

Australians and Brits like to complain about the "Americanisation" of the English language, but Professor Ben Yagoda says that language has in fact been flowing more obviously the other way. In recent decades, Americans have adopted countless British (and Australian) expressions, from "gobsmacked" to "gone missing", and "dodgy" to "done and dusted".

Nov 26, 2024 • 15:56

The secret plan to unravel the French submarine deal

The secret plan to unravel the French submarine deal

The ink had barely dried on the deal for the French subs that then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had signed when a group of people behind the scenes started the campaign to get out of it. They had concerns that the subs would not meet the requirements that the Americans had for Australia in their role in the Indo-Pacific. Particularly in relation to China.

Nov 26, 2024 • 18:50

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro on Trump's legal triumphs and Cabinet nominees.

Nov 26, 2024 • 16:45

George Megalogenis on what a Labor minority government might look like

George Megalogenis on what a Labor minority government might look like

As the major parties continue to lose votes in Australia, political analyst George Megalogenis considers what a Labor minority government might look like in 2025 - and who the cross- benchers will be.George Megalogenis, journalist, writer and author of the Quarterly Essay Minority Report - The New Shape of Australian Politics

Nov 25, 2024 • 40:00

Laura Tingle's Canberra: The last sitting week of 2024

Laura Tingle's Canberra: The last sitting week of 2024

Prime Minister Albanese is facing the last sitting week with much of his hoped for legislation being shelved. How can he build momentum again in 2025?Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Nov 25, 2024 • 11:52

Pub bedrooms, one-liners and Christian fanatics: Lech Blaine's extraordinary childhood

Pub bedrooms, one-liners and Christian fanatics: Lech Blaine's extraordinary childhood

Australian writer Lech Blaine shares the stranger-than-fiction story of his childhood, growing up in a loving foster family in rural Queensland, haunted by two fanatical Christian kidnappers.

Nov 21, 2024 • 26:57

In a world of partisanship and populism, how can Australia achieve lasting policy reform?

In a world of partisanship and populism, how can Australia achieve lasting policy reform?

What does successful public policy look like in Australia in 2024? Can parliaments overcome petty partisanship, narrow self-interest and the populism of our times to serve Australians into the future? John Brumby AO and Cheryl Kernot discuss the pursuit of better government.

Nov 21, 2024 • 25:53

Sidney Nolan's forgotten African collection

Sidney Nolan's forgotten African collection

In 1962, Sidney Nolan made two journeys that had a huge impact on his life and work - to Auschwitz and Africa. The paintings from his trip to Africa invoke both his fears for humanity and the extinction of Africa's wildlife. The works were exhibited back in 1963, but a new book brings them all back together again.Guest: Andrew Turley, author of Nolan's Africa (Miegunyah Press)

Nov 20, 2024 • 29:43

Marcia Langton on the defeat of truth telling

Marcia Langton on the defeat of truth telling

Plans around the country for public truth-telling forums are falling away.  Professor Marcia Langton analyses what's going on.

Nov 20, 2024 • 25:14

How Barron Trump helped his father court the "bro vote" online

How Barron Trump helped his father court the "bro vote" online

In the recent US election, Donald Trump made significant gains amongst young male voters aged 18-29. Some 56% of this cohort voted for Trump, compared with 41% in 2020. Journalist Jamie Tahsin, who has spent years investigating a part of the Internet known as the "manosphere", believes Mr Trump's media appearances with various young male online influencers boosted his campaign. And his 18 year old son Barron may have been a useful advisor.

Nov 19, 2024 • 18:02

Ian Dunt's UK: is America a reliable security partner in Europe?

Ian Dunt's UK: is America a reliable security partner in Europe?

Ian Dunt fears for the security of Europe and the future of NATO as Donald Trump prepares to return to White House.

Nov 19, 2024 • 16:06

A dive into the long life of the Greenland shark

A dive into the long life of the Greenland shark

Scientists have been fascinated by the lifespan of the Greenland shark which can live for centuries.Now new research may have found the key to why it's the longest living vertebrate on Earth. Guest: Dr. Brynn Devine, Arctic Fisheries Scientist at Oceans North

Nov 19, 2024 • 15:58

Jon Ronson on why conspiracy theorists are now running America

Jon Ronson on why conspiracy theorists are now running America

Journalist, writer and podcaster Jon Ronson has spent years doing stories about psychopaths, conspiracy theorists and the behaviour of the mob, who love to indulge in a social media pile-on. He's a cultural critic of both the left and the right who questions the culture wars on both sides. He reflects on how conspiracy theorists have found their way into such positions of power, and why people love to follow them.Guest: Jon Ronson, writer, film-maker podcaster. He is touring Australia and New Ze

Nov 18, 2024 • 42:13

Laura Tingle's Canberra: the Greens' compromise

Laura Tingle's Canberra: the Greens' compromise

The Greens have dropped their demand for a climate trigger to be incorporated into the Federal Government's stalled environmental protection reforms, in the interests of getting the legislation through the Senate this year. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Nov 18, 2024 • 13:00

Meeting Medieval women

Meeting Medieval women

From requesting cross bows to fight invaders in Norfolk, to a southern Italian cosmetic recipe for removing hair dye: a British Library exhibition reveals the worlds of women in the Middle Ages.Guest: Professor Diane Watt

Nov 14, 2024 • 15:18

Writing Australia's military history

Writing Australia's military history

Over a thousand books have been written about Australian involvement in foreign and domestic wars.Military historian Peter Stanley delves into Australia's complicated relationship with conflict and memorialisation.Guest: Peter Stanley,  historian and author. His latest book is 'Beyond the Broken Years, Australian Military History in one thousand books'

Nov 14, 2024 • 37:16

Virginia Woolf's brilliant hoax that caught the world's attention

Virginia Woolf's brilliant hoax that caught the world's attention

In 1910 Virginia Woolf and her friends pulled off the 'hoax of the century' when they donned wigs, costumes and black face to successfully convince the British Navy to give them a guided tour of the pride of the fleet - HMS Dreadnought. They were decked out as Abyssinian Princes. But what were race relations like in Britain at the time and could the prank be seen as racist?Guest: Danell Jones, author of The Girl Prince: Virginia Woolf, race and the Dreadnought hoax (Hurst)

Nov 13, 2024 • 24:37

Why was the US Afghanistan withdrawal a history-changing moment for China?

Why was the US Afghanistan withdrawal a history-changing moment for China?

While the US is embroiled in wars in Ukraine and Gaza, China has been quietly getting on with the business of becoming the dominant global super-power. It’s belt and road initiative now has more than 150 sign-ups, and the BRICS-plus group is positioning itself to abandon any connection to the US dollar. China expert Geoff Raby says the US's withdrawal from Afghanistan was a pivotal moment for China, allowing it to establish its power in Central Asia and leaving it free to turn its attention to d

Nov 13, 2024 • 30:16

The Last Witch of England?

The Last Witch of England?

100 wordThe last woman executed for witchcraft in England in 1685 may have survived.New research shows Alice Molland, sentenced to death for bewitching her neighbours, could have misnamed in history due to a spelling mistake in a court ledger. Guest: Professor Mark Stoyle, Department of History, University of Southamptons plus Guests name & book

Nov 12, 2024 • 16:06

Why aren’t we reporting more from Asia?

Why aren’t we reporting more from Asia?

Al Jazeera investigative reporter Drew Ambrose says Australia is missing out on key major news stories happening across Asia because our newsrooms are disproportionately focused on the stories from the UK and the US. Studies of the Australian media landscape have found that awareness of issues in Asia seems to be almost non-existent in the minds of news executives, yet over a quarter of Australians were born overseas, predominantly in Asian countries. So why are we ignoring our nearest neighbour

Nov 12, 2024 • 19:10

Bruce Shapiro's America: why the Democrats lost

Bruce Shapiro's America: why the Democrats lost

Bruce Shapiro on the Democrats' struggle to drive turnout across the nation in last week's US presidential election. Plus, Trump begins appointing his White House staff.

Nov 12, 2024 • 15:10

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese: Gaza rendered unfit for human life

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese: Gaza rendered unfit for human life

The UN's Special Rapporteur for Palestinian Human Rights, Francesca Albanese, has released her latest report on the situation in Gaza, which she describes as "unfit for human life."  She has called on the international community to consider  suspending Israel as a member state of the United Nations and to ensure that Israel adheres to its obligations under the Genocide Convention, including immediately halting arms transfers to Israel. Guest: Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situati

Nov 11, 2024 • 21:07

Restoring faith in the NACC after robodebt backtrack

Restoring faith in the NACC after robodebt backtrack

Geoffrey Watson SC is concerned about public faith in the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), following a recent review of the NACC's decision not to investigate robodebt corruption referrals. The NACC is now reconsidering this decision.

Nov 11, 2024 • 15:11

Laura Tingle: What will the Trump Presidency mean for Australian politics

Laura Tingle: What will the Trump Presidency mean for Australian politics

Laura Tingle discusses the ways that the political discourse in Australia will likely change now that Donald Trump will be the 47th President of America. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Nov 11, 2024 • 15:35

Madrid: biography of a city

Madrid: biography of a city

Madrid, the Spanish capital in the centre of the country, has long lived under the shadow of coastal Barcelona, with its spectacular Gaudi architecture. But Australian author Luke Stegemann, who has lived in Madrid on and off for many years,  is passionate about the place and its significance.

Nov 7, 2024 • 41:38

Damaged cultural heritage in Gaza

Damaged cultural heritage in Gaza

Palestinian archaeologist Ayman Warasnah says Israeli strikes in Gaza have damaged or destroyed hundreds of heritage sites and monuments dating back millennia - as far back as Roman, Byzantine and Bronze Age times. Plans are in place to restore and protect the sites that remain. Guest: Ayman Warasnah -  Head of Department of Tourism and Antiquities Security, Al-Istiqlal University, Jericho

Nov 7, 2024 • 10:08

Trump has won the US election - so how did he do it?

Trump has won the US election - so how did he do it?

Late Night Live's team of experts bring you their analysis of the US election 2024. What went right for Donald Trump? What went wrong for Kamala Harris? And will Trump Make America Great Again?Guests: Bruce Shapiro - Contribution Editor with The Nation, Executive Director with the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at ColumbiaChas Licciardello - Co-host of Planet America on ABC TVClare Corbould - Associate Head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deakin UniversityJacob Heilbrunn

Nov 6, 2024 • 53:14

Searching for the Noble Fragments

Searching for the Noble Fragments

When journalist Michael Visontay was going through his parents papers during COVID, he found a document that sent him on a journey back to his parents homeland of Hungary and to the heady world of rare book selling in 1920s New York looking for the Noble Fragments - pages from the highly valuable Gutenberg bibles.Guest: Michael Visontay, journalist and author of Noble Fragments (Scribe)

Nov 5, 2024 • 27:04

What's behind Japan's gender gap

What's behind Japan's gender gap

After Japan's recent election, there are now 73 women in the lower house of parliament. While this is the highest number yet, it still is only 15%. Japan ranks 118 out of 146 countries when it comes to gender equality. Why do women in such a wealthy and highly educated country still struggle to get into positions of power in Japan?Guest: Freelance journalist and activist, Chie Matsumoto

Nov 5, 2024 • 16:46

Ian Dunt's UK: Who is Kemi Badenoch?

Ian Dunt's UK: Who is Kemi Badenoch?

The Conservative Party has elected its new leader, the combative 44 year old MP Kemi Badenoch. Meanwhile, the government's latest budget indicates a significant shift in approach to tax and revenue. Guest: Ian Dunt, Columnist for “i” news and co-host of the Origin Story podcast.

Nov 5, 2024 • 13:41

Shaun Micallef on writing, retirement and when comedy is no longer funny

Shaun Micallef on writing, retirement and when comedy is no longer funny

Since announcing his retirement in 2022 Shaun Micallef has made two new television series and written a new book of short stories and poetry. So when will he really retire? And when does he think comedy is no longer funny? Guest: Shaun Micallef, comedian and author of “Slivers, shards and skerricks – a one man anthology by Australia’s most intelligent and handsome renaissance man,” published by Affirm press.

Nov 4, 2024 • 37:43

Bernard Keane's Canberra - cutting student debt will make the housing issue worse

Bernard Keane's Canberra - cutting student debt will make the housing issue worse

As Labor heads into election campaigning mode Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced Labor will cut student debt, but Bernard Keane says unless we fix housing young people still face huge disadvantage in Australia. Guest: Bernard Keane, political editor, Crikey

Nov 4, 2024 • 15:40

Writing across the Cold War: Soviet and American women pen pals

Writing across the Cold War: Soviet and American women pen pals

A trove of letters discovered in Moscow shows that dialogue between warring populations, and even civil disagreement, are possible. Guest: historian Alexis Peri

Oct 31, 2024 • 30:01

New Zealand's ethical escort agency

New Zealand's ethical escort agency

Upon discovering that sex work is decriminalised in New Zealand, Antonia Murphy decided to build her own business: an ethical escort agency called The Bach.

Oct 31, 2024 • 23:36

The great absinthe con

The great absinthe con

Journalist Evan Rail investigates the lucrative market for vintage "pre ban" bottles of absinthe, from before WWI. Most bottles are genuine, but some are fake.

Oct 30, 2024 • 23:50

The story of Australia's Black convicts

The story of Australia's Black convicts

In 1788 there were at least fifteen convicts of African descent on board the First Fleet, and hundreds more followed.Who were they, and how were the Black convicts transported to Australia linked to the slave trade?Guest: Santilla Chingaipe, author of Black Convicts: How slavery shaped Australia.

Oct 30, 2024 • 27:36

Painting in the dark

Painting in the dark

Why would some of our 'Old Stone Age' ancestors have climbed into deep, black caves in Northern Spain, about 18,000 years ago, and created art in the dark? Guest: Izzy (Isobel) Wisher, palaeolithic cave art researcher, Aarhus University, Copenhagen

Oct 29, 2024 • 17:36

Is a chatbot responsible for a boy’s suicide?

Is a chatbot responsible for a boy’s suicide?

A lawsuit has been filed in the US federal courts alleging negligence, wrongful death and deceptive trade practices by a tech company after a teenage boy committed suicide. The boy had developed an online relationship with a “chatbot” character he had created via an app called Character.AI.  His mother believes the company abused and preyed on her son, but the company’s founder says it is up to individuals to figure out what provides value for them – they just provide the products. Guests: Meeta

Oct 29, 2024 • 18:56

Bruce Shapiro's America: one week to go

Bruce Shapiro's America: one week to go

Bruce Shapiro previews the final week of the US presidential campaign.

Oct 29, 2024 • 16:36

Stephen Fry on life, last words and the things he can't do

Stephen Fry on life, last words and the things he can't do

Stephen Fry has had an extraordinary life. From being a teenage runaway, ending up in prison, to going to Cambridge and meeting Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson, discovering he was bi-polar and digging up his Jewish history. Throughout it all his love of language and writing have been his constants.  Stephen reflects on the power of story-telling, how to counter impostor syndrome and the things he absolutely can’t do. Guest: Stephen Fry. Stephen is touring Australia for his show "An evening with St

Oct 28, 2024 • 53:48

75 years since the Snowy Hydro - the scheme that changed Australia

75 years since the Snowy Hydro - the scheme that changed Australia

75 years ago, on 17 October 1949, Australia's Governor General Sir William McKell lit the first stick of dynamite for the Snowy Hyrdo scheme.

Oct 24, 2024 • 26:05

Tawakkol Karman, Yemen’s "mother of the revolution", on democracy and freedom.

Tawakkol Karman, Yemen’s "mother of the revolution", on democracy and freedom.

After nine years of war between an American and Saudi-backed government and the Houthis backed by Iran, Yemen is a disaster zone with twenty million people facing starvation. Tawakkol Karman is a Yemini journalist and human rights advocate who led hundreds of protests against Yemen’s dictatorial regime and whose work was recognised with a Nobel Peace Prize. She says Yemen must have self-determination, free of foreign interference. Guest: Tawakkol Karman, journalist and human rights advocate.

Oct 24, 2024 • 26:44

Bill Gates - from computer nerd to philanthropic billionaire

Bill Gates - from computer nerd to philanthropic billionaire

Bill Gates, the boy-genius who dropped out of Harvard to start a technology company, became the world’s richest man and is now the world’s most prominent philanthropist. What kind of man is he and what influence does he hold?Guest: Anupreeta Das, author of Billionaire, Nerd, Saviour, King, The Hidden Truth about Bill Gates and his Power to Shape our World

Oct 23, 2024 • 29:20

Nigel Biggar's moral reckoning with Empire

Nigel Biggar's moral reckoning with Empire

Oxford theologian Nigel Biggar reckons with the history and legacy of the British Empire, in Australia and around the world.

Oct 23, 2024 • 23:55

The Palestine Laboratory - how Israel exports the technology of occupation around the world

The Palestine Laboratory - how Israel exports the technology of occupation around the world

As the US sends its Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Middle East envoy, Amos Hochstein, to try to gain a ceasefire agreement, it seems Israel has no intentions of stopping the bombing of Northern Gaza and Southern Lebanon. Journalist Antony Loewenstein says Israel has a strong motivation for an endless war – it’s one of the world’s biggest arms manufacturers and dealers. And he says for those companies selling military weapons, Gaza and the West Bank are their proof of concept.Guest: Antony

Oct 22, 2024 • 32:36

The Swing States: Pennsylvania

The Swing States: Pennsylvania

Presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have spent much of the campaign in Pennsylvania - the most prized swing state of all.

Oct 22, 2024 • 15:58

Apocalypse now and then: a history of end-of-the-world thought

Apocalypse now and then: a history of end-of-the-world thought

Why has every generation from biblical times onwards thought it would be the one to witness the end of the world? Dorian Lynskey explores how apocalyptic thought has evolved through the ages, looking at how our obsession with Armageddon has played out in fiction and film. Guest: Dorian Lynskey, author, journalist and podcasterHis new book is ‘Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About The End of the World’ (Picador)

Oct 21, 2024 • 26:34

There are still refugees on Nauru. And they are struggling to eat.

There are still refugees on Nauru. And they are struggling to eat.

In June last Australia moved what was then the last refugee from offshore processing on Nauru. But since then Australia has been quietly sending people back, and they are struggling to put food in their mouths. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre says the people there are reliant on charity to survive, where the cost of fruit and vegetables is around four times the average cost in Australia, and drinking water costs $70 per fortnight.  Guest: Jana Favero, Deputy CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource C

Oct 21, 2024 • 14:45

Bernard Keane's Canberra: The Liberals have to work hard to win back Teal seats

Bernard Keane's Canberra: The Liberals have to work hard to win back Teal seats

Bernard Keane says the election of the first "teal" to the NSW state parliament shows the Liberal party has a lot of work to do to win these seats back at the federal level. Guest: Bernard Keane, political editor, Crikey

Oct 21, 2024 • 14:52

Learning the language of birds

Learning the language of birds

Learning how birds communicate could help us to better understand the health of our natural ecosystems.

Oct 17, 2024 • 26:51

The money and influence of Opus Dei

The money and influence of Opus Dei

Journalist Gareth Gore investigates the finances and political influence of the conservative Catholic order, Opus Dei.

Oct 17, 2024 • 27:59

The women who've been hounded for asking questions about gender identity

The women who've been hounded for asking questions about gender identity

In 2019 Scottish poet and feminist Jenny Lindsay spoke up on Twitter about a post that called for violence against women at a pride march in London. The tweet had been written by a trans activist and was directed at so-called “TERFS” (trans-exclusionary radical feminists). Lindsay says she, and other women who have raised questions about gender identity, have been hounded out of their jobs, and sometimes even out of their cities. But trans activists say their actions are causing harm to the tran

Oct 16, 2024 • 29:00

Why "strongman" leaders look to Russia's Constitution

Why "strongman" leaders look to Russia's Constitution

Why the Russian Constitution matters for the world's democracies.

Oct 16, 2024 • 27:54

Balkan food and nationalism

Balkan food and nationalism

A Macedonian-British food writer celebrates the foods from the region she was born in,  while also noting the misplaced nationalism attached to foods there - and everywhere.  Guest: Irina Janakievska, food writer

Oct 15, 2024 • 18:16

Māori Muslims

Māori Muslims

Since the Christchurch mosque terror attacks in 2019, conversion to Islam, especially among Maori, has skyrocketed. But Maori interest in Islam has been building for a few years. The Qur’an was translated into Te Reo Māori in 2008, the culmination of a long project.What connects Maori and Muslims, what's the attraction and what happens when Islam and Maori customs collide?  Guests: Ayca Arkilic – Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics at Victoria University of Wellington. Current research with

Oct 15, 2024 • 20:18

Ian Dunt's UK: the King's visit to Australia

Ian Dunt's UK: the King's visit to Australia

Columnist Ian Dunt on the King's imminent visit to Australia, and the Conservative Party's leadership race.

Oct 15, 2024 • 14:53

Jennifer Robinson on Julian Assange, Brittany Higgins and the state of Australian Justice

Jennifer Robinson on Julian Assange, Brittany Higgins and the state of Australian Justice

High profile lawyer of Julian Assange, Jennifer Robinson, reflects on Assange's recent testimony to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The Assembly criticised the role of both the US and the UK in Assange's imprisonment and called on member states to improve protections for whistleblowers and journalists. Robinson is also in Australia to discuss the release of the now uncensored and unredacted version of her book which discusses how defamation law is being used to silence women

Oct 14, 2024 • 33:53

Hurricanes shift US presidential campaigns in Florida

Hurricanes shift US presidential campaigns in Florida

Aside from the Obama years, the state of Florida has reliably voted for Republican presidential candidates this century, including for Donald Trump in 2020. How might recent hurricanes impact voter turnout in November? And will a vote on state abortion rights attract new voters to the polls?

Oct 14, 2024 • 17:43

Taiwan's kaleidoscopic story

Taiwan's kaleidoscopic story

Taiwan is much more than the debate about whether it's a province of China. Its past is a colourful one, full of visitors and invaders from multiple cultures. And that creates a complex identity today. Guest: Jonathan Clements, author of 'Rebel Island: the incredible history of Taiwan' (Scribe)

Oct 10, 2024 • 54:05

The Moulin Rouge has survived scandal, fires and Nazis, but did it make a Faustian pact?

The Moulin Rouge has survived scandal, fires and Nazis, but did it make a Faustian pact?

The Moulin Rouge was the heart of La Belle Époque in Paris, a place where eccentrics, artists and performers rubbed shoulders with aristocrats, socialites and working girls. In its 135 years it has survived multiple scandals, being burned to the ground and being occupied by Nazis and is now more popular than ever. But these days the spectacle is more Las Vegas than Paris, a polished performance for a conveyer belt of tourists from across the globe. So has the Paris icon lost its soul? Guest: Wil

Oct 9, 2024 • 14:21

Does the perception of Australia as egalitarian hide a society that is spiralling into inequality?

Does the perception of Australia as egalitarian hide a society that is spiralling into inequality?

Australia has always thought of itself as a country that prides itself on its egalitarian nature – stories from how prisoners of war treated each other as equals and shared resources regardless of rank. But does this perception of egalitarianism hide a society that is spiralling into inequality? Guest: Andrew Leigh, Labor Member for Fenner in the ACT, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities, Treasury and Employment and author of Battlers and Billionaires, published by Back Inc.

Oct 9, 2024 • 21:55

King Charles is on his way back to Australia - but will he release the Palace letters about the dismissal?

King Charles is on his way back to Australia - but will he release the Palace letters about the dismissal?

King Charles is set to visit Australia for his first tour as Sovereign. The visit throws into light the role of the monarchy in Australia and its representative, the Governor-General. King Charles may say he's not involved in politics, but why is Buckingham Palace still refusing to release the so-called “Palace letters” about the dismissal of Gough Whitlam in 1975? Guest: Jenny Hocking, biographer, Emeritus Professor of History at Monash Uni and author of The Dismissal Dossier: Everything you we

Oct 9, 2024 • 15:33

Why we need nature positive laws - urgently

Why we need nature positive laws - urgently

The Australian government is hosting the world’s inaugural nature positive summit where it is hoped the world will take a big step towards agreeing on how we can not just halt the alarmingly rapid loss of nature, but actively restore it and improve it. The goal is to have nature in a visibly and measurably better state by 2030 with the introduction of "nature positive laws". But there are concerns the Nature Positive bill currently being debated in the Australian senate won't meet the promises w

Oct 8, 2024 • 25:53

Bruce Shapiro's America: one month to go

Bruce Shapiro's America: one month to go

The "October surprises" keep coming, as another hurricane bears down on Florida. Meanwhile, Republican Liz Cheney has appeared alongside Democrat Kamala Harris on the campaign trail. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University

Oct 8, 2024 • 19:07

AI's threat to Wikipedia

AI's threat to Wikipedia

Just as Wikipedia replaced encyclopedias, it is feared that  AI will either replace, or weaken, Wikipedia’s content. Guest: writer Richard Cooke

Oct 7, 2024 • 12:15

Seduction, intrigue and influence: the legacy of Pamela Churchill Harriman

Seduction, intrigue and influence: the legacy of Pamela Churchill Harriman

Writer Sonia Purnell reveals the astonishing life of Pamela Churchill Harriman, one of the most significant women in 20th century politics. From Winston Churchill to Bill Clinton, Mandela, Sinatra and the Kennedys, her power and influence spanned generations and continents.

Oct 7, 2024 • 32:19

The Nobel family - the name behind the prizes

The Nobel family - the name behind the prizes

Renowned around the world, the name Nobel is inextricably linked to the annual prizes. But who was the family behind the name?Guest: Bengt Jangfelt, author of The Nobel Family, Swedish Geniuses in Tsarist Russia

Oct 7, 2024 • 17:46

The downfall of the Maharajas

The downfall of the Maharajas

When India gained its independence, the rulers of the princely states - the Maharajas - had to be convinced to give up control of their territories to create the nation of India. It was a difficult negotiation for Lord Mountbatten as each prince wanted something different in return for giving up land, power and armies.Guest: John Zubrzycki, former diplomat and author of Dethroned: the downfall of India's princely states (Hurst/NewSouth)

Oct 3, 2024 • 29:48

The great Australian art theft

The great Australian art theft

Until the late 1980s Indigenous art was being ripped off left right and centre. It was open slather. First at the cheap end of the market on T-shirts and then on fancy carpets made in Vietnam. The rip-off merchants maintained black artists were just painting old patterns, so their work was for the taking. The lawyer who proved them wrong was Colin Golvan AM, and his new book shares historical stories of Indigenous copyright infringement and his experiences travelling around, often to remote comm

Oct 3, 2024 • 23:18

Colombia's feral hippo problem

Colombia's feral hippo problem

When drug baron Pablo Escobar was killed in 1993, his hacienda near Medellin was ransacked for cash, drugs and money. Left behind though were some of the animals from his private zoo, including four hippos. They have multiplied since then and are now spreading down the Magdalena River. While there have been no deaths so far, it is only a matter of time.Guest: Joshua Hammer, contributing writer with the Smithsonian Magazine.

Oct 2, 2024 • 14:44

US conservatives have a long-held fascination with foreign dictators

US conservatives have a long-held fascination with foreign dictators

Jacob Heilbrunn says Donald Trump is not the first figure from the American Right to express admiration for foreign dictators. Guest: Jacob Heilbrunn, Columnist, The Atlantic, and author of the upcoming book America Last: The Right’s Century-Long Romance With Foreign Dictators.

Oct 2, 2024 • 22:50

Sri Lanka's surprising new President

Sri Lanka's surprising new President

The new President of Sri Lanka is not from one of the elites that have dominated party politics since independence, but rather from the left. The far-left according to some. How will Anura Kumara Dissanayake bring the country together to deal with the economic and political challenges facing Sri Lanka.Guest: Vidhura S Tennekoon - Assistant Professor of Economics at the Indiana University, Indianapolis

Oct 2, 2024 • 16:28

The mythic status of the night parrot

The mythic status of the night parrot

The largest known population of the Australian night parrot was recently discovered in the Great Sandy Desert in WA. Ornithologist Dr Penny Olsen recounts our long fascination with this elusive nocturnal bird. Guest:  Dr Penny Olsen, ornithologist and Honorary Professor at ANU

Oct 1, 2024 • 15:50

Freedom and discrimination in Australia's religious schools

Freedom and discrimination in Australia's religious schools

Successive prime ministers have tried and failed to progress religious discrimination reforms in Australia. Section 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act remains a sticking point - an existing exemption in the law which permits religious schools to discriminate against staff and students based on their sexuality and gender identity. The Australian Law Reform Commission has recommended its repeal - a proposition many religious leaders do not support.

Oct 1, 2024 • 19:00

The battle for votes in hurricane-ravaged Georgia, USA

The battle for votes in hurricane-ravaged Georgia, USA

Joe Biden won the US state of Georgia in 2020 by the slimmest of margins, and the 2024 race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will be close again. Shifting demographics may prove decisive, but for now, the state's most urgent priority is its response to the deadly Hurricane Helene.

Oct 1, 2024 • 16:34

Is the space race boring now?

Is the space race boring now?

The world’s richest men – Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos - might still be trying to outdo each other in space travel. But do the rest of us care anymore? Guest: Jonn Elledge, columnist with The New Statesman and The Guardian.

Sep 30, 2024 • 15:19

Will Hezbollah crumble without Nasrallah?

Will Hezbollah crumble without Nasrallah?

Israel has killed the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, in a targeted bombing attack on Beirut. Many of Hezbollah's weapons caches have also been destroyed. An estimated 1000 people have been killed over the past two weeks and up to one million people may be internally displaced across Lebanon. Will this coordinated attack finally mean the end of Hezbollah?

Sep 30, 2024 • 17:24

Laura Tingle's Canberra: the housing challenge

Laura Tingle's Canberra: the housing challenge

Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Sep 30, 2024 • 18:18

Who was Kosciuszko?

Who was Kosciuszko?

With changing the name of Australia's highest peak still undecided, Mount Kosciuszko remains named after a Polish revolutionary.Who was this man, and why was he so revered - not only in his native Poland, but across continents?GUEST: Anthony Sharwood, author of  ‘Kosciuszko, The Incredible Life of the Man behind the Mountain’.To hear our earlier interview on renaming Mount Kosciuszko click here.

Sep 26, 2024 • 26:16

Artificial intelligence is policing the US-Mexico border - and it's big business

Artificial intelligence is policing the US-Mexico border - and it's big business

As the US election looms, Donald Trump is pushing his message around stopping what he calls the "migration invasion" of America across the Mexican border. In the Arizona desert, robot dogs, mobile surveillance towers and drones with tasers already make the crossing a living nightmare. Now artificial intelligence is being combined with the collection of people's photographs and biometric data to make what lawyers and human rights experts say are arbitrary and often unchallengeable decisions about

Sep 26, 2024 • 26:32

Fintan O'Toole on why politics is becoming more tribal

Fintan O'Toole on why politics is becoming more tribal

Veteran Irish journalist Fintan O'Toole asks why democratic systems and values that had been taken for granted are now in such peril.

Sep 25, 2024 • 37:03

Ian Dunt's UK - Keir Starmer's promises to the people

Ian Dunt's UK - Keir Starmer's promises to the people

Keir Starmer has laid out his hopes for Britain in his first speech to the Labor Party Conference since his election in July this year. He promised 'national renewal' and 'a Britain that belongs to you'. He also warned that sacrifices would have to be made in order to make the changes that they believe are critical for the future of Britain. Did he make a convincing case?Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the "I" and co-host of the Origin Story podcast.

Sep 25, 2024 • 16:07

Houdini's Visit to Australia

Houdini's Visit to Australia

‘To do a Houdini’ is still used to describe remarkable feats of escapes, yet the great escapologist Harry Houdini was born 150 years ago.In 1910, Houdini visited Australia for a 3 month sell-out tour. He also claimed the title of the first person to successfully fly a powered aircraft in Australia.GUEST: Leann Richards, author of 'Houdini's Tour of Australia'.

Sep 24, 2024 • 18:47

Silence and suppression in Hong Kong

Silence and suppression in Hong Kong

A 27-year old man who wore a protest T-shirt has become the first person convicted and sentenced under Hong Kong's new national security laws, passed in March this year. Journalists have also been charged with sedition. Meanwhile, pressure mounts on Australian judges serving in Hong Kong to resign their posts.

Sep 24, 2024 • 16:24

Bruce Shapiro's America: winning the ground game

Bruce Shapiro's America: winning the ground game

In an extremely close US election race, getting people to the polls - either on November 5th or via early voting - will prove the difference. The ground game is less about ideology and more about campaign strategy and party machinery. So how are the Democrats and Republicans tackling this challenge in the key swing states?

Sep 24, 2024 • 15:11

Plants have feelings too. Or do they?

Plants have feelings too. Or do they?

Have we been underestimating plants? A controversial field of science champions the sentience and intelligence of plants. Acclaimed New Yorker journalist Elizabeth Kolbert has been looking at some recent books on this topic for the October edition of the New York Review of Books.

Sep 23, 2024 • 19:57

How will the new Prime Minister of Japan be chosen?

How will the new Prime Minister of Japan be chosen?

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that he was stepping down and there are nine candidates now running for the leadership position of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party. The leader of the party will automatically become the next Prime Minister of Japan. Commentator on Japan Roger Pulvers explains how the election will play out. Guest: Roger Pulvers, author, playwright and commentator on Japan

Sep 23, 2024 • 18:20

Karen Middleton's Canberra: Peter Dutton determined to push nuclear

Karen Middleton's Canberra: Peter Dutton determined to push nuclear

Peter Dutton has given a speech to the Committee for Economic Development Australia to push his nuclear policy, saying nowhere in the world has a renewables-only policy worked. And is the Greens focus on housing a populist move? Guest: Karen Middleton, political editor, Guardian Australia

Sep 23, 2024 • 11:22

Nazis, the CIA and the hunt for a psychedelic truth serum

Nazis, the CIA and the hunt for a psychedelic truth serum

After WWII, the CIA undertook experiments with psychedelic compounds like LSD, in the hope of discovering pharmacological weapons. The holy grail was a "truth serum" that might be used to extract secrets from the enemy. But the CIA wasn't the first to meddle with psychedelics in this way - in fact these experiments were first initiated in Nazi Germany.

Sep 19, 2024 • 21:43

How can we change the culture of the military?

How can we change the culture of the military?

Despite numerous reviews, investigations and now a Royal Commission, the culture of abuse in the military remains resistant to change. It is not just physical and sexual abuse, but also administrative abuse which results in members and veterans of the Australian Defence Force suffering lifelong trauma which in many cases leads to suicide. What needs to happen for the culture of the military to change?Guests: Ben Wadham, professor in Sociology in Defence and Veteran Studies at Flinders University

Sep 19, 2024 • 29:43

Why is public transport in North America so bad?

Why is public transport in North America so bad?

North America is the land of the car - but it hasn't always been this way. Many cities were once home to large public transport systems, or came close to building them. What happened? And could these networks ever return?

Sep 18, 2024 • 20:32

Hydrogen's future in Australia

Hydrogen's future in Australia

The Federal Government's revised hydrogen strategy prioritises the development of ‘green hydrogen’, but there are still some unclear areas, says Alison Reeve, who helped lead the original Hydrogen Strategy in 2019.

Sep 18, 2024 • 17:02

Divided Wisconsin voters

Divided Wisconsin voters

Wisconsin had been democratic since 1988. And then Donald Trump beat Hilary Clinton by just 0.7 per cent in 2016. Four years later Biden beat Trump by 20,000 votes or just 0.6 per cent. The mid-western state has a history of division. It’s divided fairly evenly into Democrat and Republican supporters, leaving a narrow margin of swing voters for the candidates to court.  But it’s also about motivating supporters to actually vote – a lot will come down to turn-out on the day. In 2020 turn-out in W

Sep 18, 2024 • 15:18

Tea, coffee and opium in Iran

Tea, coffee and opium in Iran

The world drank coffee before it drank tea. 'The world' here meaning the Middle East, Russia and Europe. One battlefront in this great transition was Iran. And this commercial battle was waged ferociously from the 18th into the 19th centuries. Opium has a key role in this story. So does the Samovar.  And so does politics. Coffee houses from London to Tehran made governments uneasy – citizens met and talked and plotted there – but tea houses frightened governments even more. The story of the hist

Sep 17, 2024 • 22:18

Robodebt scheme was ‘a failure of government’ – but who paid the price?

Robodebt scheme was ‘a failure of government’ – but who paid the price?

A report by the Australian Public Service Commission has found twelve public servants, including two former departmental secretaries, Kathryn Campbell and Renée Leon, breached the Public Service Code of Conduct in their handling of Robodebt. Commissioner Dr Gordon de Brouwer said the inquiry confirmed "a sad and shameful succession of public servants failing to demonstrate the behaviour expected of public service."Guest:  Rick Morton, journalist, The Saturday Paper.

Sep 17, 2024 • 30:36

Is Australia's opal industry on shaky ground?

Is Australia's opal industry on shaky ground?

Hopeful prospectors have been mining for opals in the Australian outback for well over a century, but a regulatory review in New South Wales has some concerned about the future.

Sep 16, 2024 • 16:30

Revolt Against Theocracy: how the Mahsa Movement challenged the Shia rule in Iran

Revolt Against Theocracy: how the Mahsa Movement challenged the Shia rule in Iran

On September 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini was arrested in Tehran and beaten to death by Iran’s morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly. Her killing caused outrage around the world and inside Iran the “Women. Life. Freedom.”  movement erupted in a way which had no precedent in the Muslim world. It was wholly led by women, supported by men, and was a clear repudiation of Islamic rule in the theocratic state.  Guest: Farhad Khosrokhavar, retired professor at the Higher School of Social Studies

Sep 16, 2024 • 26:17

Niki Savva's Canberra: the culture wars eroding trust in our political parties

Niki Savva's Canberra: the culture wars eroding trust in our political parties

Political analyst Niki Savva has just handed down the 2024 Milton Dick Speaker’s lecture. Called Survival in the age of mistrust, challenges for politicians and journalists, it’s an exploration of how trust in politics is being eroded by culture wars, and how the battlelines are being set as we head towards another federal election. In a dire warning, she says if both major political parties don't change tactics, they might both fracture their respective parties. Guest: Niki Savva, author and co

Sep 16, 2024 • 12:57

Honouring Indigenous people who lived and died at Wybalenna on Flinders Island

Honouring Indigenous people who lived and died at Wybalenna on Flinders Island

In 1831 British colonists offered the Tasmanian Aboriginal people protection and freedom if they agreed to temporarily go to a place they called Wybalenna on Flinders Island in Bass Strait. That promise was never kept and most perished, lying today in unmarked graves. Now a project is underway to tell the stories of the people who strived to maintain their culture in that isolated place. It’s a crucial part of a truth-telling process that Aboriginal people hope will culminate in a treaty, nearly

Sep 12, 2024 • 25:34

Media moguls from Hearst to Murdoch

Media moguls from Hearst to Murdoch

As Rupert Murdoch battles to keep his empire in the hands of his favoured son Lachlan, the world watches this powerful media dynasty struggle with succession plans. But the Murdochs are just the latest media dynasty who have struggled to keep their empire in the family. Eric Beecher has first hand experience of working for the Murdochs, but now has his own mini-empire Private Media which owns several news websites including Crikey.Guest: Eric Beecher, Chair Private Media and author of The Men Wh

Sep 12, 2024 • 28:16

Beautiful paintings from a terrible year

Beautiful paintings from a terrible year

In 1870, Paris was surrounded by German troops, cut off from the world, and a bitter, ugly place of chaos. It's known as 'The Terrible Year', and the 'Siege of Paris'. Out of this arose the Impressionists, whose paintings shone with light and beauty. Guest: Sebastian Smee, art critic at The Washington Post and author of ‘Paris in Ruins: Love, war and the birth of Impressionism’ (Text Publishing)

Sep 11, 2024 • 32:21

Bruce Shapiro on the Trump v Harris debate

Bruce Shapiro on the Trump v Harris debate

Bruce Shapiro - contributing editor with The Nation magazine - on who "won" the Trump Harris presidential debate, and whether it will make a difference at the ballot box come November.

Sep 11, 2024 • 19:52

Manuscripts, knitting patterns and a tractor manual -  the Centenary of Janet Frame

Manuscripts, knitting patterns and a tractor manual - the Centenary of Janet Frame

The great Janet Frame was born a century ago – a rare talent, a unique literary force. Writing saved her, she became a great figure in New Zealand and beyond but it was a film that made Frame famous - Jane Campion’s 1990 An Angel at My Table, based on Frame's autobiography.In the 1970s Janet Frame dropped off some of her literary drafts and a sealed suitcase of papers for safekeeping to the University of Otago in New Zealand. That was the start of a collection that's now expanded and been turned

Sep 10, 2024 • 22:40

How the recent Ukraine/Russia escalation might end

How the recent Ukraine/Russia escalation might end

We assess what’s happening on the battlefield and the prospects of diplomatic efforts to reach a peace deal.Guest: Anatol Lieven, Director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftCopy caption here

Sep 10, 2024 • 18:23

Ian Dunt's UK: The Grenfell report and Tory leadership battle

Ian Dunt's UK: The Grenfell report and Tory leadership battle

The report into the Grenfell fire that took 72 lives in 2017 has been released and the deregulation under former Prime Minister Cameron was a major contributing factor. Meanwhile, the Conservatives have their new leader short list. Ian Dunt, columnist with the I newspaper and co-host of the Origin Story podcast.

Sep 10, 2024 • 9:31

The power and politics of portrait painting

The power and politics of portrait painting

Is portrait painting a political act?

Sep 9, 2024 • 18:16

Financial crimes in the Vatican remain unpunished

Financial crimes in the Vatican remain unpunished

In December 2023, the first cardinal ever to face a criminal trial in the Vatican was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to a hefty term in prison. Nine other officials were found guilty of a smorgasbord of financial crimes after investigations revealed infighting, intrigue and theft on an enormous scale. But no one is yet behind bars.

Sep 9, 2024 • 20:15

Laura Tingle's Canberra: slowest economic growth since the 90s

Laura Tingle's Canberra: slowest economic growth since the 90s

The economy is slowing, which should, in theory, take pressure off interest rates, but all indicators still point to little relief for those struggling with the cost of living. So how will the government shape the economic debate in the lead-up to the next election, and what is the opposition's game-plan? Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Sep 9, 2024 • 13:54

Why did the Alfred Dreyfus affair capture the world's attention?

Why did the Alfred Dreyfus affair capture the world's attention?

Alfred Dreyfus was an officer in the French Army when he was arrested 130 years ago for treason, convicted and sent to Devils Island for 5 years in solitary confinement.  His battle for justice divided the population of France and fascinated people across the globe.  How much of his persecution can be put down to antisemitism and why is this case still so relevant?Guest: Maurice Samuels, author of Alfred Dreyfus: The man at the centre of the affair (Yale University Press)

Sep 5, 2024 • 54:05

The Australian women who fell in love with America - 100 years ago

The Australian women who fell in love with America - 100 years ago

Early last century, America was little known by Australians, but it offered restless, aspirational women an alternative to the well worn path to England.It was more free, and more bold. Guest: historian Yves Rees

Sep 4, 2024 • 22:53

Netanyahu faces mass protests in Israel, but support for the war remains high

Netanyahu faces mass protests in Israel, but support for the war remains high

Israel has erupted in protests following the execution of six more of the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The US is urgently trying to come up with a ceasefire plan, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making no sign of changing course. While the protests indicate a clear dissatisfaction with the Israeli leader over his handling of the hostage situation, they don’t necessarily mean there is less support for the war on Gaza. Dr Dahlia Scheindlin - public opinion researche

Sep 4, 2024 • 33:24

Historian William Dalrymple on India's Golden Road

Historian William Dalrymple on India's Golden Road

For more than 1000 years, India was a trading powerhouse across the globe - not only of spices, wild animals and gemstones but also of language, philosophy, religion, mathematics and astronomy. But why is this part of India's history not so well known, and why did its dominance wane about 1200 AD.Guest: William Dalrymple, historian, podcaster and author of The Golden Road How Ancient India Transformed the World (Bloomsbury)

Sep 3, 2024 • 54:06

Tim Bowden: a life in broadcasting

Tim Bowden: a life in broadcasting

Sadly former ABC broadcaster Tim Bowden has died aged 87. Tim Bowden enjoyed an impressive career in broadcasting, from This Day Tonight to radio documentaries and hosting BackChat. Tim also has 14 books to his name, and he spoke to Phillip Adams about his life and work back in 2013.

Sep 3, 2024 • 53:20

Australia's "invincible" ant problem

Australia's "invincible" ant problem

Is eradicating the fire ant in Australia still possible?

Sep 2, 2024 • 19:22

The battle for Myanmar’s Rakhine State

The battle for Myanmar’s Rakhine State

The military coup in Myanmar that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi a few years ago remains a work in progress. The army has never controlled the whole country, as local militia fight to seize territory from the regime. The most fierce of these little wars at the moment is being fought by the Arakan Army in the coastal Rakhine State. It's primarily Buddhist in the south and Rohingya Muslim in the north, where it borders Bangladesh.Guest:Thomas Kean - consultant on Myanmar and Bangladesh at the Internation

Sep 2, 2024 • 18:01

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Why is Labor afraid of culture wars?

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Why is Labor afraid of culture wars?

This week, the Labor government decided that putting in questions about people's sexuality and gender was too hard, only to reverse that decision later in the week. Why is the government finding these decisions on culture issues so difficult?Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Sep 2, 2024 • 14:05

Renaming Kosciuszko

Renaming Kosciuszko

There has been a long and complex conversation about the name of our highest mountain. Named after a Polish noble in 1843, the move towards a meaningful and accurate Indigenous name, to replace or co-exist alongside, continues. GUESTS: Richard Swain High Country, river guide, Assoc Professor, Fenner School ANU, and Dr Harold Koch specialist in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, and co-editor of "Aboriginal placenames : naming and re-naming the Australian landscape" 2009 ANU Press

Aug 29, 2024 • 19:54

What's to be done about murdered and 'disappeared' Indigenous women?

What's to be done about murdered and 'disappeared' Indigenous women?

A landmark Senate inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women found there has been little, if any, justice for those women and their loved ones, and in too many instances, the suspected perpetrator has never been held to account.  Now, fed up with the slow wheels of government, a group of over seventy specialist domestic, family, and sexual violence organisations has formed a new national grassroots network with a mission to reducing all forms of violence. Guests: Kerry Staines - CEO,

Aug 29, 2024 • 35:10

The secret world of cattle

The secret world of cattle

A rookie farmer, who happens to be a neuroscientist who has specialised in studying dogs, gets a few cows to eat the grass down. He learns about their lives and personalities, and soon considers them friends. Guest Gregory Berns

Aug 28, 2024 • 17:22

Who manages Australia's charitable trusts?

Who manages Australia's charitable trusts?

Managing charitable trusts in Australia has become big business.

Aug 28, 2024 • 16:34

Investigating Ukraine's attack on the Nord Stream pipeline

Investigating Ukraine's attack on the Nord Stream pipeline

It’s been labelled the most consequential act of sabotage in modern times, and one of the most destructive environmental catastrophes the world has seen. The 2022 attack on the Nord Stream pipeline cut Germany’s reliance on gas from Russia. So who stood to gain from this and why has the mystery not been fully solved yet? This has been treated like a proper detective story in Germany. And top investigative reporters from across German media have teamed up to investigate. The journalists have unco

Aug 28, 2024 • 23:04

"Like portals to other worlds": UK poet laureate Simon Armitage on the power of poems

"Like portals to other worlds": UK poet laureate Simon Armitage on the power of poems

Simon Armitage was a sleepy ten-year old kid in West Yorkshire when he was awakened by poetry.

Aug 27, 2024 • 40:07

Arab Americans in Swinging Michigan

Arab Americans in Swinging Michigan

What role is the Arab American vote playing in the US Presidential election so far, particularly in the swing state of Michigan? There’s been strong discontent over the US funding Israel’s war on Gaza. Now Vice President and Presidential candidate Kamala Harris is beginning to court the Arab American voters in Michigan. How much influence will they have over US foreign policy? And what’s the history behind the city of Dearborn’s predominantly Arab American population? Guest: Sally Howell - Profe

Aug 27, 2024 • 14:27

The divisive anchovy - a brief history

The divisive anchovy - a brief history

It seems that people either love or hate the humble anchovy. But ut has been flavouring our food for millenia although in many different forms - from the Roman sauce 'garum' to various pastes and preserved forms to the centrepiece of a pizza, tapas or caesar salad. Guest: Christopher Beckman, author of A Twist in the Tail – How the Humble Anchovy Flavoured Western Cuisine published by Hurst

Aug 26, 2024 • 20:17

Malaysia's foreign policy under Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia's foreign policy under Anwar Ibrahim

Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, is now radically changing his international strategy and foreign policy by applying to join the BRICS group of non-aligned nations.

Aug 26, 2024 • 20:15

Laura Tingle's Canberra: changes to NDIS, aged care and the CFMEU

Laura Tingle's Canberra: changes to NDIS, aged care and the CFMEU

While the opposition has been trying to keep the focus on Gaza the government has pushed a number of key bills through the Senate -  on aged care, changes to the NDIS and putting the CFMEU into administration.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Aug 26, 2024 • 12:52

The race to save the world's islands - with stunning results

The race to save the world's islands - with stunning results

Islands are the location of two extremes: they hold the greatest concentration on earth of both biodiversity and species extinctions.  The challenge to save them and their inhabitants from the triple threat threat of invasive species, sea level rises and global heating  seems immense, But the results when rescue teams are sent in are remarkably quick - a gecko thought be extinct reappears. Giant tortoises thriving in the wild once again. Now the not-for-profit organisation Island Conservation is

Aug 22, 2024 • 19:41

David Runciman has a dangerous idea...

David Runciman has a dangerous idea...

Political philosopher David Runciman sits down with David Marr to discuss why democracy is in such a state of disrepair, and the scintillating idea he has to give our tired old systems a jolt of adrenaline.

Aug 22, 2024 • 32:40

Should artists have the right to freedom of political expression?

Should artists have the right to freedom of political expression?

Since the war in Gaza broke out there has been a crisis of censorship in the arts sector around the world, in what the not-for-profit group Freemuse is calling a most alarming moment for freedom of expression. Here in Australia pianist Jayson Gillham had his concerts cancelled after speaking about the killing of journalists in Gaza, and arts organisations have lost millions in funding from donors. So what rights do artists have to express political views? And what should the consequences be? Gue

Aug 21, 2024 • 53:27

Ern Malley, the greatest Australian poet who never lived

Ern Malley, the greatest Australian poet who never lived

80 years ago, an exciting new poet by the name of Ern Malley burst onto the Australian literary scene. As it turned out, Ern was a hoax, concocted by two conservative poets intent on humiliating the country’s literary avante garde.

Aug 20, 2024 • 20:57

Who’s fueling the atrocities in Sudan?

Who’s fueling the atrocities in Sudan?

In Sudan nearly 26 million people are facing starvation and more than 11 million people have been internally displaced in a war which has seen atrocities committed by both sides. A report from Amnesty International shows hundreds of thousands of weapons are being brought into Sudan from countries including China, Russia, Serbia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen, in violation of a UN arms embargo in Darfur. But who is backing which side, and why? Guests: Abdullahi Hassan, Researc

Aug 20, 2024 • 20:36

Bruce Shapiro's America - The Democratic Convention

Bruce Shapiro's America - The Democratic Convention

Joe Biden has made a passionate speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in support of Kamala Harris and their agenda. There was a lot of love in the room for Joe Biden, but will his final legacy be handing over the nomination to Kamala Harris?Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with the Nation Magazine and Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism at Columbia University

Aug 20, 2024 • 18:42

Italy's attempts to lure you to live in its regions

Italy's attempts to lure you to live in its regions

Crumbling but charming village houses for sale for one euro. Free accommodation for digital nomads. Shepherd training for foreigners. These are just some of the ways Italy's regions are trying to replenish their populations. James Imam reports on where it's working.

Aug 19, 2024 • 18:27

The betrayals behind the Voice Referendum loss

The betrayals behind the Voice Referendum loss

The Voice Referendum began as a conservative project. Its ultimate failure was due to lies, betrayals and mistakes, according to lawyer Shireen Morris, who worked on the proposal for many years.

Aug 19, 2024 • 21:11

Laura Tingle's Canberra: tussle over Gaza visas

Laura Tingle's Canberra: tussle over Gaza visas

The Albanese Government's progress on its legislative agenda has slowed to a snail's pace since Parliament returned. But what has now escalated is Labor's political return of fire to the very political attack by Peter Dutton over visas granted to people fleeing to Gaza. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent 7.30

Aug 19, 2024 • 14:30

The misadventures of John Lang - Australia’s trail-blazing first novelist

The misadventures of John Lang - Australia’s trail-blazing first novelist

Author Henry Savery is credited with being Australia's first novelist, for his work 'Quintus Servinton', but author and historian Sean Doyle says in fact the first Autralian-born novelist was John Lang. Lang was born in a Parramatta pub in 1816 and his 1836 novel called 'Violet; Or, the Danseuse: A Portraiture of Human Passion and Character' was published anonymously in London. It was quite a feat for a twenty-year old. Lang went on to write twenty novels, a number of serials, a travelogue of In

Aug 15, 2024 • 34:19

Is Cuba still a state supporting terrorism?

Is Cuba still a state supporting terrorism?

Cuba is still on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. Are the reasons for Cuba remaining on this list mostly political and what is the effect of the US sanctions on their economy?Guest: Jason Blazakis, Director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies

Aug 15, 2024 • 19:15

Martial law and the Wiradjuri

Martial law and the Wiradjuri

It is 200 years since a pivotal, but not well known, moment in Australian colonial history - when NSW Governor Thomas Brisbane proclaimed martial law against the Wiradjuri people of the Bathurst region.Guests: Yanhadarrambul Uncle Jade Flynn,  Public officer for the Wiradyuri Traditional Owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation Stephen Gapps, Historian who has written two books on the frontier wars – ‘The Sydney Wars’, and ‘Gudyarra: The first Wiradyuri war of resistance’ (Both from NewSouth)

Aug 14, 2024 • 26:58

Roxane Gay on injustice, anger and the importance of dissent

Roxane Gay on injustice, anger and the importance of dissent

Author and cultural critic Roxane Gay and David Marr reflect on dissent, the role of hope and anger, the importance and the consequences of speaking up, and why despair is a luxury. Guest: Roxane Gay, writer, cultural critic and the Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair in Media, Culture and Feminist Studies at Rutgers University - New Brunswick. Roxane Gay is speaking at Now or Never in Melbourne on Tues 27 August 2024, and at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney on Sat 24 August 2024, on the topic

Aug 14, 2024 • 26:19

Inside Guantánamo Bay - the War on Terror prison the world forgot

Inside Guantánamo Bay - the War on Terror prison the world forgot

Just when it looked like justice might be served for three of the men behind 9/11, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin intervened. So where does that leave the effort to close Guantánamo Bay?Guest: Carol Rosenberg, senior journalist at The New York Times where she covers the wartime prison and court at Guantánamo Bay.

Aug 13, 2024 • 21:04

The many levels of censorship in Israel

The many levels of censorship in Israel

There have been more than 100 Palestinian journalists killed over the last ten months of the war in Gaza making it very difficult for the journalists left to get stories of the war reported in the international media. All media outlets in Israel must submit their reporting on security matters to the military censor. But is this the reason there is limited reporting of the casualty count in Gaza, or are there other considerations at play?Guest: Haggai Matar, executive director of +972 Magazine

Aug 13, 2024 • 20:32

The wonderful world of weird

The wonderful world of weird

When the Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz called Donald Trump weird, it caught on. Suddenly everyone was calling him weird. But what does weird mean in 2024, because over the centuries of its use, its meaning has changed several times. Guest: Michael Adams, Professor of English, Indiana University Bloomington

Aug 12, 2024 • 12:02

First Nations language celebration

First Nations language celebration

Ancient First Nations languages are being re-learnt and adapted for current times. A new book captures some of the variety, and significance, of the varied language landscape of the Australian continent. With Felicity Meakins and Gari Tudor-Smith

Aug 12, 2024 • 38:19

Laura Tingle's Canberra: AUKUS deal - the devil's in the detail

Laura Tingle's Canberra: AUKUS deal - the devil's in the detail

New documents signed as part of the $368 billion AUKUS treaty have been tabled in parliament which show Australia agreed to indemnify the UK and the US against costs or damage arising from nuclear safety risks. The documents also reveal exit clauses which would allow both the US and UK to withdraw from the deal with little notice and no compensation.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Aug 12, 2024 • 14:38

The Guatemalan baby trade

The Guatemalan baby trade

The small Central American country of Guatemala has the dubious record of sending nearly as many babies and children overseas as China was. The whole adoption 'industry' was privatised, with little government oversight.

Aug 8, 2024 • 25:38

Rolling back Maori rights

Rolling back Maori rights

New Zealand's coalition government are in the midst of rolling back Māori rights, including the relatively established use of Te Reo Maori language in the public sector. There are also serious moves to change the way the Treaty of Waitangi is applied in law and policy, by overhauling the guiding principles. The rhetoric is divisive but it’s sparking protests, court cases and galvanising Māori to unite and push back. Guests: Carwyn Jones - Honorary adjunct Professor at the School of Māori Studies

Aug 8, 2024 • 29:20

Fixing up Australia's written history

Fixing up Australia's written history

History is always subjective but in Australia we have a history of not just sanitising the past and its characters but censoring or at least covering up. However, we can right the wrongs of the past and one significant project to do this is underway at the Australian National University, to revise the National Dictionary of Biography, especially the role of Indigenous people and women in Australia. But decolonising twenty heavy tomes, nine million words, and almost 14,000 biographies can’t be do

Aug 7, 2024 • 20:13

Why the fate of the Murdoch empire rests in a Nevada court

Why the fate of the Murdoch empire rests in a Nevada court

It's like an episode of Succession - Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch are siding against the remaining Murdoch children in an epic family battle to determine who will control the empire after Rupert's death. And a Nevada probate court will decide the outcome, which all revolves around an irrevocable trust.  Guest: Naomi R. Cahn – Professor of law at the University of Virginia & an expert in family law, trusts and estates; co-authored an article in The Conversation with Reid Kress Weisbord: Rupert Murd

Aug 7, 2024 • 16:24

Bruce Shapiro's America: who is Tim Walz?

Bruce Shapiro's America: who is Tim Walz?

Kamala Harris has chosen her running mate in the race for the Whitehouse. Tim Walz is the Governor of Minnesota, a former geography teacher and football coach as well as a hunter and former National Guard. Has he got the capacity to pull the centre to the left?Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with the Nation Magazine and Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism at Columbia University

Aug 7, 2024 • 16:29

Ian Dunt's UK: they weren't riots, they were pogroms

Ian Dunt's UK: they weren't riots, they were pogroms

Much of the media have described marches led by far-right activists in the UK which led to out of control riots and looting as 'anti-immigration protests', but Ian Dunt says the term 'anti-immigration' is woefully insufficient. He says what occurred was not a demonstration, not just a riot and more than just violent disorder. What occurred was a pogrom - an attempt to attack and in some cases murder people, targeting  those with black and brown skin.  Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist, the I newspaper.

Aug 6, 2024 • 17:02

High suicide rates in US soldiers linked to brain injuries caused by blast exposure

High suicide rates in US soldiers linked to brain injuries caused by blast exposure

The US military just released a report revealing soldiers who regularly work with blasts have the highest suicide rates.The brain damage sustained is devastating and completely different to PTSD or CTE, sustained during football injuries. Defense Department studies suggest most blast exposure happens in training, not combat operations. Bomb disposal experts and those who train and work regularly around large blasts were most affected, with 34 deaths per 100,000, compared to less than half that r

Aug 6, 2024 • 21:10

Sugar: the political history of sweetness

Sugar: the political history of sweetness

Sugar plantations accounted for two thirds of all enslaved workers. But the origins of sugar are not in the Caribbean or Brazil or Cuba. They are in India and China - without slaves. Guest: Ulbe Bosma

Aug 5, 2024 • 25:28

Richard Ackland on the implications of Senator Linda Reynolds' defamation case against Brittany Higgins

Richard Ackland on the implications of Senator Linda Reynolds' defamation case against Brittany Higgins

WA Senator Linda Reynolds gave evidence today in her defamation case against former employee, Brittany Higgins. So what is there to gain from this case? And would an awarding of damages against Higgins remedy the distress she says she has suffered? Guest: Richard Ackland, publisher and editor of the law journals, Justinian and the Gazette of Law & Journalism.

Aug 5, 2024 • 12:53

Laura Tingle's Canberra: has Albanese squibbed on the Makarrata Commission?

Laura Tingle's Canberra: has Albanese squibbed on the Makarrata Commission?

At the Garma festival on the weekend Prime Minister Anthony Albanese failed to commit to a Makarrata Commission, as requested by Aboriginal people in the Uluru statement to heart. The move seemed to deny Opposition Leader Peter Dutton a key point of attack, but where does it leave the truth-telling process, and the government's relationship with first nations people in Australia?  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Aug 5, 2024 • 12:27

Searching for the soul

Searching for the soul

What is the soul? Is it a substance, your conscience or simply a creation of the mind? Most societies and religions have some concept of the soul. Historian Paul Ham has looked at how the idea has changed through history and across cultures. Guest: Paul Ham, author of The Soul: A History of the Human Mind (Penguin Random House)

Aug 1, 2024 • 54:04

James Baldwin's contemporary relevance

James Baldwin's contemporary relevance

100 years since his birth, the novelist and essayist James Baldwin's writings on politics, Black America and sexuality remain pertinent to today's world. With poet and scholar Paul Kane

Jul 31, 2024 • 21:54

Gaslit - what the gas industry knew about fossil fuels and global warming in Australia

Gaslit - what the gas industry knew about fossil fuels and global warming in Australia

When the federal government released its gas strategy in May 2024, it said LNG – liquefied natural gas – would remain a key export market for Australia, with plans to expand the amount of gas Australia sells overseas. That was despite expert advice from the Grattan Institute that Australia will not hit its 2050 net-zero emissions target unless it transitions quickly away from the methane-producing fossil fuel. Author Royce Kurmelovs argues that this decision is just one of a lo

Jul 31, 2024 • 21:57

Questionable Venezuealan election results cause huge protests

Questionable Venezuealan election results cause huge protests

Thousands have Venezuelans have taken to the streets in violent protests after the current President Nicolas Maduro announced he had won the election. All the polls prior and informal counting on the day indicated that the opposition had won the election. Could internal and international pressure combine to force him out?Guest: Alejandro Velasco, Associate Professor in Latin American History at New York University

Jul 31, 2024 • 11:15

US lobbyists have changed how America's political process works

US lobbyists have changed how America's political process works

The very lucrative practise of lobbying has seen corporate profits soar and transformed America's economy and the political process itself. A glaring example of lobbyist's power must be the failure of President Clinton to win passage of much anticipated health care reform during the 1990s.Once a business using personal connections and access to lawmakers in Washington, lobbyists now focus on shaping the opinion of constituents back home in their districts, cozying up to PR guru

Jul 30, 2024 • 29:55

The final days of Captain James Cook

The final days of Captain James Cook

A new book suggests that Captain James Cook, while previously known as a man with a distinct knowledge of and respect for Indigenous peoples and with his crew, on his last voyage, misjudged and miscommunicated his way to his death at the hands of once friendly Hawaiians.GUEST: author and historian Hampton SidesBook: The Wide Wide Sea - Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook. (Random House)

Jul 30, 2024 • 27:33

The final days of Captain James Cook

The final days of Captain James Cook

A new book suggests that Captain James Cook, while previously known as a man with a distinct knowledge of and respect for Indigenous peoples and with his crew, on his last voyage, misjudged and miscommunicated his way to his death at the hands of once friendly Hawaiians.GUEST: author and historian Hampton SidesBook: The Wide Wide Sea - Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook. (Random House)

Jul 30, 2024 • 29:55

Olympic sized myths and misconceptions

Olympic sized myths and misconceptions

Is a butcher allowed to make Olympic rings out of sausages? Was the champion Spartan chariot racer Kyniska the feminist trailblazer she is held up to be? Internationally acclaimed sports historian Wray Vamplew puts the spotlight on the myths and misconceptions about the Olympics past and present.Guest: Wray Vamplew, Emeritus professor of Sports History at the University of Stirling and author of ‘Games people played: a global history of sport’ (Reaktion Books, 2022, paperback 2

Jul 29, 2024 • 15:39

Nelofer Pazira-Fisk on Robert Fisk's final work and the betrayal of the Middle East

Nelofer Pazira-Fisk on Robert Fisk's final work and the betrayal of the Middle East

Renowned war correspondent Robert Fisk was a strong critic of the West’s interference in the Middle East, but he was equally critical of the Western media and the way in which it reported those events. Now his final work has been published by his widow, Nelofer Pazira-Fisk, which she says is a warning about ongoing war. Guest: Nelofer Pazira-Fisk, journalist, documentary filmmaker and widow of Robert Fisk. 'Night of Power - the betrayal of the Middle East’ is published by  Harp

Jul 29, 2024 • 27:10

Laura Tingle's Canberra: should Home Affairs be broken up?

Laura Tingle's Canberra: should Home Affairs be broken up?

Clare O'Neil and Andrew Giles have been moved from the home affairs and immigration portfolios in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's first major Cabinet re-shuffle. But questions remain about the whether the unwieldy portfolio itself should be broken up. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jul 29, 2024 • 10:53

How the humble notebook changed the world

How the humble notebook changed the world

Popularised by accountants in Renaissance Florence, the paper notebook has a rich cultural history. Prolific notebook users include master doodler Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Darwin, Agatha Christie and Bruce Chatwin who unwittingly inspired the Moleskine.  Guest: Roland Allen, authorRoland’s new book is ‘The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper’ (Profile Books)

Jul 25, 2024 • 21:48

The big business of academic publishing

The big business of academic publishing

Frustrated academics are finding new models for publishing academic research that bypasses the big academic publishers who are making millions from their research. And it is the universities that are paying for it - usually twice.Guest: Arash Abizadeh, professor of political science at McGill University and author of the article in the Guardian titled: Academic journals are a lucrative scam and we're determined to change that

Jul 25, 2024 • 11:32

Des Ball and his long history with Pine Gap

Des Ball and his long history with Pine Gap

A new documentary looks at the important career of military analyst Des Ball who kept Australia informed for over 50 years about the changing role of the US military and intelligence facility at Pine Gap.Guests:John Hughes, director of the documentary Twilight Time: Des Ball the man who saved the world which is appearing at the Melbourne International Film FestivalRichard Tanter: Senior Research Associate, Nautilus Institute and former President of the Australian board of the International Campa

Jul 25, 2024 • 20:53

Was Shakespeare gay?

Was Shakespeare gay?

A new biography of William Shakespeare looks at the world’s greatest playwright through a queer lens. According to author Will Tosh, “Same-sex desire was particularly evident in Shakespeare’s sonnets and the Elizabethan society he moved in as a young man was much queerer than you might think."Guest: Will Tosh, Head of Research at Shakespeare’s Globe, LondonWill is the author of ‘Straight Acting: The Many Queer Lives of William Shakespeare’ (Sceptre)

Jul 24, 2024 • 25:09

Saree Makdisi on Israel and the culture of denial

Saree Makdisi on Israel and the culture of denial

Saree Makdisi argues Israel has long presented itself as a bastion of tolerance and democracy in the heart of the Middle East. But he says the war in Gaza is seeing support among progressive voters, particularly in the United States, collapse, and that the Netanyahu regime is lifting the veil of denial over a story of cultural and ethnic dispossession. Guest: Saree Makdisi, professor of English and Comparative Literature at UCLA. His most recent book is ‘Tolerance is a Wastelan

Jul 24, 2024 • 30:38

A river walk

A river walk

A month-long walk from the source of the Brisbane River, eastward to Moreton Bay, leads writer and barrister Simon Cleary to new appreciations of what the river means to people,  and how it changes along its course. Guest: Simon Cleary, author of ‘Everything is water’, a non-fiction account of walking the length of the Brisbane River. Published by UQP

Jul 23, 2024 • 16:53

Paul Davies on the positive sides of artificial intelligence

Paul Davies on the positive sides of artificial intelligence

There have been many scary stories about what could happen if artificial intelligence is allowed free rein, including ultimately the destruction of the human race,  but theoretical physicist Paul Davies says there's much to be welcomed about developments in AI, including significant improvements in cancer diagnosis and treatment, and improvements to important brain functions such as memory.  Guest: Paul Davies, Regents’ Professor of Physics, and Director of the Beyond Center fo

Jul 23, 2024 • 19:26

Bruce Shapiro's America: Biden steps down

Bruce Shapiro's America: Biden steps down

President Biden has pulled out of the race for the Presidency and put his support and his donations behind Kamala Harris. But has he left it too late?Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Jul 23, 2024 • 18:16

Antoni Gaudi: Eccentric, misunderstood genius or patron saint?

Antoni Gaudi: Eccentric, misunderstood genius or patron saint?

Antoni Gaudi, already known as ‘God’s architect’, could soon be beatified by Pope Francis, making him the patron saint of architects. In a new biography, Michael Eaude says the Catalan architect did not always display saintly behaviour. According to Eaude, Gaudi was more of a bad-tempered genius with a wry sense of humour. Guest: Michael Eaude, journalist and authorMichael’s new book is ‘Antoni Gaudi’ (Reaktion Books)

Jul 22, 2024 • 21:23

Reynolds V Higgins defamation case

Reynolds V Higgins defamation case

Should politicians be claiming defamation for comments made on social media? Senator Linda Reynolds will be in the WA Supreme Court next week making her case that Brittany Higgins defamed her on Twitter and Instagram.Guest: Richard Ackland, editor of Justinian and the newsletter 500 words or thereabouts

Jul 22, 2024 • 16:19

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Dutton's game to win the working class

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Dutton's game to win the working class

Laura Tingle on how the Opposition is re-jigging its strategy to focus on outer-suburban, regional and rural electorates, and how the CFMEU issue plays nicely into their hands. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jul 22, 2024 • 14:28

The power of passports

The power of passports

The passport - if you can get one - gives freedom, but it also means state surveillance. This is one of the many passport paradoxes observed by author Patrick Bixby, in an account that ranges from indigenous passports to literary references to passport 'rankings'. Guest: Patrick Bixby, Professor of English at Arizona State UniversityAuthor of ‘License to Travel: A Cultural History of th Passport’ (University of California Press)

Jul 18, 2024 • 32:12

How will Iran's new President engage with the West?

How will Iran's new President engage with the West?

Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian is touted as being a reformist, with a more conciliatory approach to a broad range of issues, from the women’s movement, to nuclear co-operation and relations with Western countries. But ultimately the country is still ruled by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini and the ultraconservative Guardian Council. So how much difference can he really make? And what role will Iran still play in supporting Hezbollah and other militias in a proxy w

Jul 18, 2024 • 20:42

War and memory

War and memory

A war historian accompanies a group on a pilgrimage to the Indonesian island of Ambon, where hundreds of Australian soldiers died in WWll. Joan Beaumont ponders the meaning of memory, and connection to past war traumas. Guest: Joan Beaumont, Emerita Professor in the ANU's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre. Author of 'I never knew my uncle', an article in the July edition of Australian Book Review

Jul 17, 2024 • 33:46

Macron's gamble leaves France in political limbo

Macron's gamble leaves France in political limbo

All eyes are on France with only a week or so to go before the Olympics. But the greatest spectator sport to watch in the country right now is politics. The fall-out from President Macron’s shock decision to call a snap election last month has left France without a government and Macron himself seriously weakened at home and abroad.Guest: Rachel Donadio, contributing writer for The Atlantic

Jul 17, 2024 • 19:06

Frontline nurses in the AIDS crisis

Frontline nurses in the AIDS crisis

In the early years of AIDS,  men and women with the HIV virus were widely seen as untouchables. The nurses who elected to care for them were stigmatised along with their patients.  But until now, their story has not been told.Guests:Geraldine Fela, author of ‘Critical care: Nurses on the frontline of Australia’s AIDS crisis’ (NewSouth), Historian, postdoctoral research fellow in Macquarie University’s Department of History and ArchaeologyMarilyn Beaumont, Federal Secretary of t

Jul 16, 2024 • 31:09

Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor on the task ahead for Keir Starmer's Labour government

Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor on the task ahead for Keir Starmer's Labour government

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer may have won an historic victory for Labour in the UK, but remarkably low voter turn-out suggests he has a large task ahead of him in restoring voter trust in politics, in addition to the task he set himself to restore economic stability and rebuild the health system. Guests: Ian Dunt, columnist with the 'I' newspaper. Ros Taylor, author of The Future of Trust, published by Melville House. She’s also co-host of the Oh God What Now, The Bunker and

Jul 16, 2024 • 21:53

The secret plan to unravel the French submarine deal

The secret plan to unravel the French submarine deal

The ink had barely dried on the deal for the French subs that then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had signed when a group of people behind the scenes started the campaign to get out of it. They had concerns that the subs would not meet the requirements that the Americans had for Australia in their role in the Indo-Pacific. Particularly in relation to China.Guest: Andrew Fowler, author of Nuked: The Submarine Fiasco that Sank Australia’s Sovereignty (Melbourne University Press)

Jul 15, 2024 • 19:21

Bruce Shapiro on the Trump assassination attempt

Bruce Shapiro on the Trump assassination attempt

As the world reels from the assassination attempt on former President Trump, Bruce Shapiro put the events into context of America's history of violence and the current Presidential election campaign.Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Jul 15, 2024 • 17:04

Laura Tingle's Canberra: legislative holdups

Laura Tingle's Canberra: legislative holdups

Laura Tingle reflects on the legislation the Albanese government has yet to get through parliament, including changes to the Religious Discrimination Act and electoral reform.Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jul 15, 2024 • 15:43

The young leftie Rupert Murdoch

The young leftie Rupert Murdoch

The young Rupert Murdoch was a radical who espoused socialism, kept a bust of Lenin in his uni accommodation and then went on to build his empire from 1950s Adelaide. Walter Marsh is a journalist and author of Young Rupert - the making of the Murdoch empire,  published by Scribe.

Jul 11, 2024 • 54:10

The power of reading dangerously

The power of reading dangerously

Azar Nafisi, Iranian-American writer and professor of English literature believes we need to read dangerously in order to resist the populist and polarising impulses of contemporary politics. Her book is called Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times.

Jul 10, 2024 • 21:35

Lara Marlowe reflects on the life of Robert Fisk

Lara Marlowe reflects on the life of Robert Fisk

Journalist and author Lara Marlowe reflects on the life and work of her late partner, the great English writer and journalist Robert Fisk in her memoir Love In A Time Of War: My Years with Robert Fisk.

Jul 10, 2024 • 32:45

Classic LNL: composer Elena Kats-Chernin AO

Classic LNL: composer Elena Kats-Chernin AO

The brilliance of Elena Kats-Chernin was first discovered when she was only four years old and from that moment she has been unable to imagine a life without composing music. She's since forged an international career as a composer across a huge range of genres. Elena even scored our LNL opening theme! In 2019 she was awarded an Order of Australia for her distinguished service to music as a composer.First broadcast in 2019.

Jul 9, 2024 • 55:49

Classic LNL: Magda Szubanski

Classic LNL: Magda Szubanski

One of Australia's most beloved performers, Magda Szubanski, star of Kath & Kim, Fast Forward and films including Babe and Goddess, talks to Phillip about her life and her extraordinary 'mongrel family history', which includes Irish, Polish, Italian and Scottish backgrounds. This was first broadcast in 2013.

Jul 8, 2024 • 54:09

Classic LNL: Paul Keating on the first dismissal

Classic LNL: Paul Keating on the first dismissal

'The Big Fella', Jack Lang, twice premier of NSW, was one of Australia's most controversial politicians and loved and hated with a visceral intensity. During the Great Depression he was dismissed from office by the NSW Governor for refusing to repay interest on Commonwealth loans. He was expelled from the Labor party in 1942 and re-admitted in 1971 with the support of his young protégé, Paul Keating. Paul Keating, former Labor prime minister, and Frank Cain, historian.First bro

Jul 4, 2024 • 54:11

Classic LNL: The revolutionary women of the Whitlam era

Classic LNL: The revolutionary women of the Whitlam era

The Whitlam era saw a great leap forward for women's rights in Australia, driven by Women’s Adviser Elizabeth Reid and a host of female activists, backed by a grass roots movement across the country. Their work is recognised in a book released to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of Reid’s appointment. Guests:- Dr Elizabeth Reid, former Women's Adviser to Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, feminist development worker, academic and writer.- Michelle Arrow, Professor in Modern Hi

Jul 3, 2024 • 54:11

Classic LNL: Finding Fibonacci

Classic LNL: Finding Fibonacci

Keith Devlin from Stanford University argues in his book Finding Fibonacci that the 13thC mathematician made a far greater contribution to Western civilisation than his eponymous sequence. He's been on a crusade to get the world to recognise Fibonacci as the man who introduced Hindu-Arabic numbers to the West.Originally broadcast in 2017.

Jul 2, 2024 • 27:20

Isabel Allende and her feminist life

Isabel Allende and her feminist life

In her memoir The Soul of A Woman, the best-selling Chilean author Isabel Allende explores how feminism has shaped her life over the past seven decades. At a very young age, as she raged against her patriarchal, Catholic, conservative family, her mother believed her rebelliousness was caused by a medical condition.First broadcast in 2021.

Jul 2, 2024 • 26:01

Classic LNL: The life of Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon

Classic LNL: The life of Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon

Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon AO talks to Phillip about composing Australia's first Indigenous opera, Pecan Summer, founding her Short Black Opera Company and her work encouraging Indigenous kids to get more involved in singing and the arts.

Jul 1, 2024 • 53:00

Phillip Adams farewells Late Night Live

Phillip Adams farewells Late Night Live

In Phillip Adams' last Late Night Live, Laura Tingle turns the tables and interviews Phillip. They discuss how the political conversations and media landscape has changed since Phillip started at the ABC back in 1991, and what his hopes are for Australia.You can also watch this interview on I-View by clicking here.Host: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30Guest: Phillip Adams, host of Late Night Live

Jun 27, 2024 • 57:27

The reflections of Peter Singer

The reflections of Peter Singer

Phillip Adams and philosopher Peter Singer sit down for a broad-ranging chat, contemplating everything from how far the animal liberation movement has come since the 1970's, to why public debate has become so challenging, and the ethical conundrums posed by AI.

Jun 26, 2024 • 24:36

Naomi Klein on doppelgangers, conspiracy theorists and the rise of the right

Naomi Klein on doppelgangers, conspiracy theorists and the rise of the right

Naomi Klein’s investigation into why she is constantly mistaken for author of The Beauty Myth and anti-vax campaigner Naomi Wolf, leads her to the world of doppelgangers, conspiracy theories, mis-and-dis-information, how this is playing out in Israel’s attacks on Gaza and why voices on the left have failed to make progress on the key challenge of our time, climate change. Guest: Naomi Klein, author of Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World, published by Penguin, and Profess

Jun 26, 2024 • 39:38

Phillip's swansong with Laura Tingle, Bruce Shapiro and Ian Dunt

Phillip's swansong with Laura Tingle, Bruce Shapiro and Ian Dunt

In Phillip's last show with his regular contributors, Laura Tingle, Bruce Shapiro and Ian Dunt look at the release of Julian Assange,  the importance of the AUKUS alliance, and the big stories they have covered over their many years on the little wireless program. Guests: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia UniversityIan Dunt, Col

Jun 25, 2024 • 54:05

Left for dead? The Australian left, then and now

Left for dead? The Australian left, then and now

Phillip Adams is joined by comrades Frank Bongiorno, Jon Piccini and Meredith Burgmann for a romp through the history of the political left in Australia and an assessment of what's left of the left today.

Jun 24, 2024 • 1:20

The adventures of Simon Winchester

The adventures of Simon Winchester

Simon Winchester has appeared on Late Night Live many times over the years to discuss his bestselling books. Now he and Phillip discuss Simon's own phenomenal life - from entering boarding school in England at the age of 4 to having his beehives in Massachusetts raided by bears.

Jun 20, 2024 • 54:09

Da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi' and its costly veneer of controversy

Da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi' and its costly veneer of controversy

When the hammer thwacked down at Christie’s New York in November 2017, the ‘Salvator Mundi’ attributed to Leonardo da Vinci went for $450 million, making it the world’s most expensive artwork ever sold. But who bought it, who actually painted it and where is it now? Guest: Ben Lewis, art historian and documentary-makerBen's book is 'The Last Leonardo: The Secret Lives of the World's Most Expensive Painting' (Penguin Random House)

Jun 19, 2024 • 26:20

John Connell and the Zen of sheep farming

John Connell and the Zen of sheep farming

In the hard work of livestock rearing, in the long nights in the shed helping the sheep to lamb, Irish author John Connell can reflect on what life truly means. His new book is Twelve Sheep: Life lessons from a lambing season and is published by Allen and Unwin.

Jun 19, 2024 • 27:15

Wade Davis on what we can learn from Anthropology

Wade Davis on what we can learn from Anthropology

It was largely the work of anthropology that altered our world views on race and culture – now backed thoroughly by genomics.   So what can anthropology offer us today, to deal with the many problems we face as a human species?Guest: Wade Davis, Professor of Anthropology and the BC Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk at the University of British Columbia.  He’s also the former Explorer-in-Residence at National Geographic Magazine, photographer, film-maker and au

Jun 18, 2024 • 38:01

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

With the UK election just a few weeks away, Ian Dunt offers his assessment of the campaign so far; including the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform party. It's  no longer just nipping at the Tories' heels – instead it’s looking like it could take a big chunk out of the conservatives rear end.  Ian Dunt: LNL’s regular commentator on UK politics and Columnist for iNews.

Jun 18, 2024 • 14:26

Linda Burney on the future for reconciliation

Linda Burney on the future for reconciliation

"The hardest thing I've ever done in public life was appearing with the Prime Minister to give that press conference." Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, is known for remaining determinedly positive, despite facing very difficult circumstances in her personal life and enduring the devastating result of the referendum on constitutional recognition and a Voice to parliament in 2023.  But she says she's determined to focus on the six million Australians who voted y

Jun 17, 2024 • 28:28

Laura Tingle's Canberra: China visit critical to minerals, Climate 200 target more seats plus special guest David Marr

Laura Tingle's Canberra: China visit critical to minerals, Climate 200 target more seats plus special guest David Marr

China has its eye on Australia's critical minerals which will be a key focus of Premier Li's visit to Australia. Both countries are choosing not to emphasise issues that could strain the relationship, in favour of advancing their respective economic interests.  Meanwhile the Teals are in focus as a redistribution means Kylea Tink will lose her seat, while Climate 200 announce their intention to target nine other Coalition seats at the next election. And Phillip talks to David M

Jun 17, 2024 • 21:34

George Monbiot on the invisible forces behind neoliberalism

George Monbiot on the invisible forces behind neoliberalism

In his new book, George Monbiot says the trend towards neoliberalism began in the 1930s, and has so dominated the political narrative that its now seen as the natural way of things. So as the far-right once again marches to power, is this moment a political tipping point in the direction of fascism? And can this be reversed before the planet reaches its own ecological tipping point? Guardian columnist and author, George Monbiot. His new book The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret H

Jun 13, 2024 • 52:17

Perspectives of Paul Gauguin's life and art in Polynesia

Perspectives of Paul Gauguin's life and art in Polynesia

How should we consider the the work of celebrated French artist Paul Gauguin in 2024, in the light of accusations of sexual predation of young women and colonial exploitation and appropriation. A new book attempts to "rescue Gauguin's art from the artist himself".Guest: Anthropologist Nicholas Thomas, author of Gauguin in Polynesia (Bloomsbury)

Jun 12, 2024 • 26:16

Geoffrey Watson: the NACC has failed its first test

Geoffrey Watson: the NACC has failed its first test

Geoffrey Watson SC had high hopes for the National Anti-Corruption Commission, but when their first decision was not to proceed with an investigation into possible corruption in relation to the Robodebt disaster, he was more than just disappointed.Guest: Geoffrey Watson SC, Director of The Centre for Public Integrity and barrister at New Chambers

Jun 12, 2024 • 26:15

 John S. Jacobs: a first-hand account of a fugitive slave.

John S. Jacobs: a first-hand account of a fugitive slave.

Literary historian Jonathan Schroeder has unearthed a rare and remarkable story written in 1855 by John S. Jacobs about his fight for freedom from slavery and his fierce denunciation of the American laws that allowed it.

Jun 11, 2024 • 29:20

Bruce Shapiro's America - the last Shapirouette

Bruce Shapiro's America - the last Shapirouette

President Biden has got the approval from the UN Security Council for a three stage peace deal, but can he get Israel and Hamas on board? Bruce Shapiro on the latest from America.Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Jun 11, 2024 • 21:08

The trailblazing broadcaster and educator Kay Kinane

The trailblazing broadcaster and educator Kay Kinane

Kay Kinane was a school-teacher from Perth born in 1912 who went on to become Deputy Director of the ABC’s Education Department in the 1960s – the first woman to hold such a position.  Her story is little known, but these historians want to make sure Kay’s incredible contribution - and indeed the contributions of other trailblazing Australian women – take their rightful place in our history books.

Jun 10, 2024 • 52:18

Kay Kinane: trailblazing broadcaster and educator

Kay Kinane: trailblazing broadcaster and educator

Kay Kinane was a school-teacher from Perth who went on to become Deputy Director of the ABC’s Education Department in the 1960s – the first woman to hold such a position. And she did it with cheek, determination, and a remarkable eye on the future of broadcasting.

Jun 10, 2024 • 54:30

Hope for the climate and for restoring the atmosphere

Hope for the climate and for restoring the atmosphere

Climate scientist Rob Jackson travelled the world in search of climate solutions and explains what he found and how we can feasibly return the atmosphere to pre-industrial times.   Guests; Rob Jackson: Prof. of Earth Sciences Stanford University and author of Into the clear blue sky: the path to restoring our atmosphere. Pep Canadell: Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Environment

Jun 6, 2024 • 25:36

The lost history of Iranian Jews could explain Iran's restraint over Gaza

The lost history of Iranian Jews could explain Iran's restraint over Gaza

Besides launching rockets at Israel after Israel attacked its embassy in Damascus, Iran has shown remarkable restraint when it comes to intervening in the war on Gaza. Ali Ansari argues that apart from some notable - and extreme - exceptions, Iran has a long history of support for the state of Israel and has historically hosted a large community of Jews. Ali Ansari, Professor of Iranian History at the University of St. Andrews. He is the author of ‘Modern Iran Since 1797: Refor

Jun 6, 2024 • 27:55

Why so many women philosophers are forgotten and what to do about it

Why so many women philosophers are forgotten and what to do about it

Phillip Adams takes a look back through the history of philosophy to understand why it’s become one of the most male dominated areas of the humanities. Guest: Regan Penaluna is the Brooklyn-based author of How to Think Like a Woman: Four Women Philosophers Who Taught Me How to Love the Life of the Mind, published in Australia by Allen and Unwin.

Jun 5, 2024 • 27:05

Who is Amit Shah? Modi's right-hand man

Who is Amit Shah? Modi's right-hand man

For 40 years, Amit Shah has been Narendra Modi’s right-hand man. Today, Amit Shah is India’s second-most powerful figure, so why don’t we know anything about him? Guest: Atul Dev - fellow at Columbia Journalism School in New York who wrote this profile of Amit Shah for The Guardian.

Jun 5, 2024 • 25:18

How the Wollemi pine is faring thirty years after its discovery

How the Wollemi pine is faring thirty years after its discovery

It thrived in the age of the dinosaur but today only a small isolated colony exists. How is the Wollemi Pine coping with its exposure to modernity and what is the future for this ancient species?Berin Mackenzie: Research Scientist, NSW Dept. of Planning Industry and Environment.

Jun 4, 2024 • 18:07

Mexico's got a new President: Claudia Sheinbaum

Mexico's got a new President: Claudia Sheinbaum

Mexico elected climate scientist and left wing Claudia Sheinbaum in a landslide victory to become the first female President. Professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera is a Mexican political analyst at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia.

Jun 4, 2024 • 19:44

Ian Dunt on the UK election

Ian Dunt on the UK election

Could the Tories pull off a 5th successive election win or will they be given the boot? Meanwhile a revamped Labour party is quietly confident it will form government for the first time in 14 years. Ian Dunt assesses the first 2 weeks of the election campaign  Ian Dunt: LNL’s regular commentator on UK politics and iNews columnist.

Jun 4, 2024 • 13:35

The personal is still political in 2024

The personal is still political in 2024

The history of 50 years of activism, from marriage reform and women's refuges, to AIDS and HIV funding, and even the Mens Shed movement is the subject of a new book: Personal Politics: Sexuality, Gender and the Remaking of Citizenship in Australia.Co-authors and guests: Leigh Boucher and Michelle ArrowCo-Authors:Barbara BairdRobert Reynolds

Jun 3, 2024 • 39:14

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Andrew Giles and the drones, and to Josh or not to Josh

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Andrew Giles and the drones, and to Josh or not to Josh

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles is under further pressure after having to admit the government is not in fact using drones to surveil former detainees. A proposed seat distribution in Victoria had some Liberals hoping Josh Frydenburg would run again, while others (including Frydenburg himself) were not so keen. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jun 3, 2024 • 12:05

The Greek communists who were shipped to Uzbekistan by Stalin.

The Greek communists who were shipped to Uzbekistan by Stalin.

At the end of the Greek civil war 12,000 communists were secretly evacuated from Albania to the USSR and resettled in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Stalin orchestrated the move to hide them in freighters where they were forbidden from coming up for air until they reached the Black Sea. The combatants were resettled in former POW camps and many were not allowed to return to Greece until an amnesty in 1982. Among them was Helen's Vatsikopoulos's aunt.Guest: Helen Vatsikopoulos, journalis

May 30, 2024 • 25:50

The new propaganda war

The new propaganda war

Anne Applebaum makes the argument that there is a global campaign by autocratic countries like Russia and China to discredit democracy and liberalism. MAGA supporters are also being influenced by propaganda campaigns on issues like Ukraine and COVID and are also starting to believe that democracy and human rights are not worth fighting for.Guest: Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the soon to be released Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want To Run The

May 30, 2024 • 26:33

Bob Rogers - A Life in Radio

Bob Rogers - A Life in Radio

Bob Rogers landed his first job in radio as a panel operator in Melbourne in 1942. He became an announcer at 7HO in Hobart in 1949 and he's still behind the microphone in 2012, now as the morning presenter on Sydney radio station 2CH. He talks about the history of commercial radio in Australia and his part in it.

May 29, 2024 • 54:06

Jane Goodall's reasons for hope

Jane Goodall's reasons for hope

In the 1960's Jane Goodall became a household name for her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees in Tanzania. Now, at 90 years old, she has travelled to Australia to inspire people to take action to slow down climate change. Guest: Dr Jane Goodall - primatologist and anthropologist; UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute. She is currently in Australia for her Reasons for Hope tour. Listen to Phillip and Jane doing an extended interview back in 1997 here.

May 29, 2024 • 23:46

Why does the west support Rwanda's leader Paul Kagame?

Why does the west support Rwanda's leader Paul Kagame?

It's now 30 years since the Rwandan genocide that saw almost one million citizens die in just 100 days in likely the fastest genocide in history.  Soon Rwandans return to the polls where it's almost guaranteed that President Paul Kagame, the leader now for 20 years, will be re-elected. Despite a dire human rights record and the assassination of perceived critics and enemies, at home and abroad, Kagame remains the "global elite's favourite strongman" and continues to be economic

May 29, 2024 • 27:40

Navigating the maze of the Myanmar rebellion

Navigating the maze of the Myanmar rebellion

Author and pro-democracy activist Ma Thida was imprisoned by the military junta in Myanmar for daring to oppose the regime. Her latest book is a rare glimpse inside the murky world of a country where the internet is frequently cut off and dissidents murdered in cold blood.Guest: Ma Thida, activist and author of ‘A-maze: Myanmar’s Struggle for Democracy, 2011-2023’, published by Balestier press. Ma is Chair of the Writer in Prison Committee of PEN International.

May 28, 2024 • 37:53

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

A US Supreme Court judge had the American flag flying upside down outside his house. What does this signify and does it threaten the integrity of the Supreme Court?Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

May 28, 2024 • 14:15

Check your privilege: Clive Hamilton on why Australia accepts the class divide

Check your privilege: Clive Hamilton on why Australia accepts the class divide

Clive Hamilton says the privileges enjoyed by the rich and powerful in Australia are not only unfair but cause widespread harm, from the everyday slights and humiliations visited on those lower down the scale to distortions in the labour market when elites use their networks to secure plum jobs.Guest: Clive Hamilton, academic and co-author of ‘The Privileged Few’, published by Polity Press.The Privileged Few is co-authored with Associate Professor Myra Hamilton, Principal Resea

May 27, 2024 • 39:00

Bernard Keane's Canberra: reconciliation, hate speech and the two state solution

Bernard Keane's Canberra: reconciliation, hate speech and the two state solution

In the first reconciliation week since the failure of the referendum, the government needs to re-build trust with the Aboriginal community and manage those Australians who didn't vote for recognition. Attorney-General Mary Dreyfus will present a bill on hate speech to try and tackle anti-Semitic and Islamophobic attacks while the Greens will push Labor to recognise the Palestinian state.Guest: Bernard Keane, political editor, Crikey

May 27, 2024 • 13:35

Why mining on the moon could lead to conflict on Earth

Why mining on the moon could lead to conflict on Earth

Philosopher A.C. Grayling joined Phillip in the studio to explain why he's turned his gaze to the moon. In his 32nd book - Who Owns the Moon: In Defence of Humanity’s Common Interests in Space - Grayling urges us to think of the new space race not as some pie-in-the-sky futuristic notion but instead a reality that is unfolding now.  Guest: A.C. Grayling is Principal of Northeastern University London and the author of more than 30 books.

May 23, 2024 • 25:07

Jordan in uproar over treatment of Palestinians

Jordan in uproar over treatment of Palestinians

Millions of Palestinians live in Jordan, where rage about the suffering in Gaza has reached a boiling point.Guest: Lebanese/Australian journalist Rania Abouzeid reports on the unrest in the Middle East from Beirut, Lebanon.

May 23, 2024 • 27:28

How the world got connected

How the world got connected

Aaron Bateman traces the development and vulnerabilities of the technologies that connect us, from undersea cables first laid in 1858 to shortwave radio and then to a new generation of satellites in the 21st century.

May 22, 2024 • 21:01

Snapshots of life in a warzone

Snapshots of life in a warzone

Since 2018, journalist Alisa Sopova and photographer Anastasia Taylor-Lind have documented everyday life near the conflict zone in Ukraine, capturing the lives lost or interrupted as the war escalates. They join Phillip in person to talk about their collaborative project 5k From the Frontline, their own stories of trauma and survival, and share a poem or two as well.

May 22, 2024 • 33:05

Julian Assange's court win

Julian Assange's court win

Two UK high court judges have granted Julian Assange the right to a fresh appeal against the decision to extradite him to the USA to face 17 charges of espionage. The judges were not convinced by the assurances lawyers for the US government gave that Julian would be able to rely on first amendments rights to free speech for journalists. Stella Assange explains what needs to happen next. Guest: Stella Assange, wife of Julian Assange

May 21, 2024 • 11:06

France: Mending a broken republic

France: Mending a broken republic

French/Algerian journalist Nabila Ramdani analyses why France is in turmoil in 2024, and how it could remedy its current problems, in her new book “Fixing France: How to Repair a Broken Republic” published by Hurst.

May 21, 2024 • 30:20

Ian Dunt’s UK

Ian Dunt’s UK

Britain is well and truly in election mode with major speeches and events from both the government and opposition . Ian Dunt offers his assessment.  Ian Dunt: iNews columnist and regular LNL commentator

May 21, 2024 • 11:12

Re-joining Paul Salopek on his walk across the world

Re-joining Paul Salopek on his walk across the world

Back in 2020, we met Paul Salopek, a journalist who was retracing the steps of human migration out of Africa – a 24,000 mile journey across the world. Originally projected to take 7 years, it's now been over a decade and he is still walking…When we last caught up with Paul he was in Myanmar; Now, he's back in Georgia after walking the span of China. We find out how he's going and what still lies ahead.

May 20, 2024 • 28:22

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Can Peter Dutton solve the housing crisis by lowering immigration?

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Can Peter Dutton solve the housing crisis by lowering immigration?

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he wants to get Australians back into the housing market by reducing immigration. It was the key announcement in his budget reply speech which focused on the increasing pressures on Australian households, such as access to healthcare, childcare and congestion on our roads. But immigration and housing experts are saying the proposed reduction in numbers will have a minimal impact on the complex factors playing into the housing shortage.  Guest

May 20, 2024 • 9:54

How chance and luck profoundly shape our lives

How chance and luck profoundly shape our lives

Social class, gender and race are well known as key drivers of life outcomes. But there are also countless ‘ripples of randomness’ that can inexplicably change our direction and shift life’s flow.Mark Rank: Professor of Social Welfare at Washington University in St. Louis. Author of The Random factor: How chance and luck profoundly shape our lives and the world around us  (University of California Press; April 2024),

May 16, 2024 • 25:26

This is what nuclear war in 2024 would look like

This is what nuclear war in 2024 would look like

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev cautioned the world “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”. Decades later, we're closer to nuclear Armageddon than ever before, and investigative journalist Annie Jacobsen paints a devastating picture of exactly what that would look like.

May 16, 2024 • 29:37

Boyan Slat on ambition, obsession and striving for the impossible

Boyan Slat on ambition, obsession and striving for the impossible

Eleven years after launching an ambitious plan to rid the world's ocean of plastics, Dutch inventor and entrepreneur Boyan Slat talks to Phillip Adams about his mission, the challenges and the wins. Guest: Boyan Slat is the founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organisation developing and scaling technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic.

May 15, 2024 • 14:44

Geoffrey Robertson on Putin, Netanyahu and Julian Assange

Geoffrey Robertson on Putin, Netanyahu and Julian Assange

Pre-eminent human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson looks at whether international law is capable of appropriately handling the trial of a head of state like Vladimir Putin, should he ever be charged with the crime of aggression for the war against Ukraine. So far, the international community has been powerless to stop the bloodshed, and in other cases like the war on Gaza, the state of Israel has simply ignored order from the International Court of Justice. So what is the role

May 15, 2024 • 43:52

Putin's water problem

Putin's water problem

Russia’s decaying Soviet era infrastructure and present day neglect are causing huge environmental problems. Citizens in regional areas not only have to live with the devastation caused by frequent flooding they also endure substandard and unhealthy drinking water.  Paul Josephson: – Emeritus Professor, Colby College in Maine. Currently at the Barcelona Institute of International Studies. Author of Hero Projects; the Russian Empire and  Big technology from Lennin to Putin.( Oxf

May 14, 2024 • 23:39

Policies for a Trump 2025 Presidency

Policies for a Trump 2025 Presidency

The conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation has laid down their policy manifesto for a possible conservative Presidency in 2025. Do the policies align with what Trump has been proposing for his next term? And should we take them seriously?Guests: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia UniversityEmma Shortis, Senior Research Fellow at the International Security Affairs Progr

May 14, 2024 • 28:29

The shadowy figures that connect Israel, India and Mexico

The shadowy figures that connect Israel, India and Mexico

Coups, assassinations, detentions and disinformation are just some of the tactics that have been used to undermine democracies. But who is behind them? A new research consortium is delving into the connections between politicians, think-tanks and private IT companies who they say are propping up reactionary forces around the world. And their work has drawn links between Israel, India and Mexico. Guest: David Adler, Co-General Coordinator of Progressive International and founder

May 13, 2024 • 49:34

Laura Tingle's budget preview: can Labor address inflation, while helping cost of living?

Laura Tingle's budget preview: can Labor address inflation, while helping cost of living?

Treasurer Jim Chalmers is about to hand down his third budget - the likely last before the next election. The government needs to sell a message of being fiscally responsible and staving off inflation while addressing increasing demands to address the cost of living and housing crises. Can they do it?Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

May 13, 2024 • 11:32

Hugh Mackay has been watching us for 60 years

Hugh Mackay has been watching us for 60 years

Hugh Mackay is one of Australia's leading social psychologist who examines our society today and asks timely and urgent questions about its future in his new book The Way We Are : Lessons from a lifetime of listening - published by Allen and Unwin.

May 9, 2024 • 31:24

Gender quotas and women's participation in Pacific politics

Gender quotas and women's participation in Pacific politics

The Pacific has the world’s lowest rate of women’s representation in Parliament. What can be done to solve this deeply entrenched problem and how might gender quotas play a role? Guests:Pionie Boso is the program manager at the Women’s Rights Action Movement in the Solomon Islands. In 2011, she was awarded an International Women of Courage Award for her work in tackling domestic violence.  Dr Theresa Meki is a Pacific Research Fellow with the ANU’s Coral Bell School of Asia Pac

May 9, 2024 • 21:15

Why degrowth communism could save the planet

Why degrowth communism could save the planet

How did an unknown Marxist scholar sell half a million copies of a book about degrowth communism in his homeland of Japan? And why is a complete transformation of our economic life necessary to save the planet?  Guest: Kohei Saito is an associate professor at the University of Tokyo, and the youngest-ever winner of the Deutscher Memorial Prize for scholarship in the Marxist tradition. His book is Slow Down: How degrowth communism can save the earth (Hachette Australia).

May 8, 2024 • 28:40

Should Australia and Japan be best friends?

Should Australia and Japan be best friends?

At a time when US security feels less assured, should Japan and Australia be forging stronger ties? Japanese author, playwright and translator Roger Pulvers says that while defence is an important arm of our relationship, we should also lean into our shared cultural and commercial interests.

May 7, 2024 • 31:32

Robyn Davidson's new memoir: Unfinished Woman

Robyn Davidson's new memoir: Unfinished Woman

Adventurer Robyn Davidson's new memoir brings us the story of her nomadic life of constant travel and reveals an unquenchable curiosity about different ways of seeing the world.Unfinished Woman is published by Bloomsbury

May 7, 2024 • 27:03

The use and abuse of diplomatic asylum in Latin America

The use and abuse of diplomatic asylum in Latin America

Mexico has filed a case against Ecuador in the International Court of Justice, accusing it of violating diplomatic rights after it raided their embassy to arrest former Vice-President, Jorge Glas. Ecuador has filed a counter-claim saying Mexico is interfering in Ecuadorian sovereignty. So what rights does a nation state have to prosecute people accused of corruption and abuses of power? Is diplomatic asylum being abused in order to avoid being held to account? And when are corr

May 7, 2024 • 18:10

Ian Dunt's UK - What can we learn from the local councils election results

Ian Dunt's UK - What can we learn from the local councils election results

Ian Dunt provides his analysis of the disastrous local council elections for the Conservative Party which will likely push back the General Election to late in the year.Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the "i".

May 7, 2024 • 9:06

Meet the seven mega-rich families running our food systems

Meet the seven mega-rich families running our food systems

The average farmer in America is no longer someone in gumboots mending fences and riding tractors. Barons is the story of seven corporate titans who now dominate the American food system. Many of them are still family-run companies worth billions. Austin Frerick says there are similar approaches to the industrialised food system that include political donations, cases of animal cruelty, worker abuses, corrupted academic research and the use of trade associations and shell compa

May 6, 2024 • 41:48

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Gaza ground invasion, budget measures target students and Andrew Giles under pressure

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Gaza ground invasion, budget measures target students and Andrew Giles under pressure

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has weighed in to the use of slogans at pro-Palestinian university campus rallies as a Rafah ground invasion grows closer. The Treasurer targets students in the latest cost of living measures announced ahead of next week's budget, but no sign of increases to Job Seeker, and the Opposition maintains pressure on Immigration Minister Andrew Giles after the bashing of a Perth woman allegedly involved a former detainee. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Poli

May 6, 2024 • 13:33

Letter writing with Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower

Letter writing with Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower

What can two of Australia's literary greats teach us about letter writing? Brigitta Olubas and Susan Wyndham joined Phillip Adams in the studio to discuss an extraordinary new book of letters penned over forty years by novelists Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower. Hazzard and Harrower: The Letters is published by NewSouth Books.

May 2, 2024 • 28:23

Lorraine and Shaan Peeters on healing the Stolen Generation

Lorraine and Shaan Peeters on healing the Stolen Generation

Lorraine Peeters, herself a stolen child and survivor of Cootamundra Home for Girls, has spent her life healing herself and others, creating the organisation Marumali which provides culturally powerful training to service providers. Her daughter, Shaan Peeters, is now taking over the reins as director.

May 2, 2024 • 27:03

Indigenous claims to Murray-Darling water rights

Indigenous claims to Murray-Darling water rights

Water rights were promised to Indigenous communities in the Murray Darling Basin a year ago. What has happened to those commitments from the Federal Government?Guest: Uncle Brendan Kennedy is a Wadi Wadi and Tati Tati traditional owner from Robinvale in Victoria

May 1, 2024 • 12:28

Johann Hari and the magic weight loss drugs

Johann Hari and the magic weight loss drugs

Johann Hari discusses the health risks and rewards of the new weight loss drugs. What does the huge demand for these drugs say about our troubled relationship with food?Guest: Johann Hari, author of Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight Loss Drugs (Bloomsbury)

May 1, 2024 • 38:58

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro has been watching the protests taking place at Columbia University over the last ten days from his office window. 100 students were arrested at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment which has triggered similar protests at campuses across America.Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with the Nation Magazine and Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Apr 30, 2024 • 16:55

Wild Quests: Journeys into Ecotourism and the Future for Animals

Wild Quests: Journeys into Ecotourism and the Future for Animals

Over the last thirty years, watching wildlife in nature became Satyajit Das' gravitational centre. His new book Wild Quests is a literal and metaphorical record of these travels.

Apr 30, 2024 • 40:48

Exploring the world through the ocean with James Bradley

Exploring the world through the ocean with James Bradley

Could the ocean offer us a way to make ethical and emotional sense of the past, and help us re-imagine our relationship to the world? Australian writer James Bradley thinks so.James joined Phillip Adams to talk about his new book Deep Water: The World in the Ocean, which explores the deepest recesses of the natural world and weaves together science, history and personal experience.

Apr 29, 2024 • 38:02

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Albanese's attendance at women's march backfires

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Albanese's attendance at women's march backfires

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's attendance at a rally against gendered violence has backfired as one of the rally organisers claimed he lied about not being asked to speak at the event. Sarah Williams, founder of the 'What Were You Wearing’ organisation has called for an apology from the Prime Minister and a women's strike on May 20. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Apr 29, 2024 • 13:53

Melanie Oppenheimer on the commemoration of Australian women in war

Melanie Oppenheimer on the commemoration of Australian women in war

The tradition of the ANZAC is almost always gendered male (and white). But what about women? They served and died for their country. Historian Melanie Oppenheimer believes they are yet to receive the commemorations they are due.Author of: The Power of Humanity: 100 Years of Australian Red Cross100 words plus Guests name & book

Apr 25, 2024 • 22:42

Ross McMullin's 'Life so full of promise'

Ross McMullin's 'Life so full of promise'

In his latest book, Life so Full of Promise: further biographies of Australia lost generation , Historian Ross McMullin documents and remembers the lives of three outstanding young Australians who served and lost their lives in World War 1.

Apr 25, 2024 • 30:39

A little Greek island had a very big role in the Anzac story

A little Greek island had a very big role in the Anzac story

A new documentary reveals the little-known role of the Greek Island of Lemnos in the Anzac story, and the multicultural mateship that developed between the Indian, Sikh and Gurkha forces who fought alongside Australia and New Zealand's diggers.Guest: Elizabeth Kaydos, Producer/Researcher of 'Anzac. Lemnos. 1915' - a new documentary screening here on SBS On Demand.

Apr 24, 2024 • 13:53

Is there any hope for a two-state solution?

Is there any hope for a two-state solution?

Palestinian lawyer Hiba Husseini and Israeli politician Yossi Beilin have spent decades working towards a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They share why they remain hopeful that peace can be achieved and what it might realistically take to get there. GUESTS: Dr Hiba Husseini, the head of Husseini & Husseini, a law firm in Ramallah and a legal advisor to Palestinian delegations in negotiations with IsraelThis interview has been edited for accuracy. In

Apr 24, 2024 • 40:40

Reclaiming the Greek godesses with Natalie Haynes

Reclaiming the Greek godesses with Natalie Haynes

Natalie Haynes has been called a ‘very modern classicist’ for her work bringing the Greek myths to a wide audience through fiction, non-fiction and even comedy. In her new book Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth, Natalie reclaims and re-imagines the stories of deities who have been reduced to stereotypes and bit parts.  Guest: Natalie Haynes author of Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth. (Pan Macmillan). Natalie will be a guest of the Sydney Writers’ Festival in May.

Apr 23, 2024 • 35:24

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

PM Rishi Sunak's looks like he has finally got his Rwanda bill through, but will it remain in place if there is a change of government?

Apr 23, 2024 • 15:18

Out of the Darkness: The Germans, 1942 - 2022

Out of the Darkness: The Germans, 1942 - 2022

How did Germany transform itself from a fascist dictatorship and European pariah post World War 2 to a democratic and economic powerhouse? Author Frank Trentmann joins LNL for a look at this gripping history and the role of contemporary Germany in Europe.Out of the Darkness is published by Penguin Australia

Apr 22, 2024 • 42:22

Laura Tingle's Canberra: PM heads to Kokoda, and the government vs Elon Musk

Laura Tingle's Canberra: PM heads to Kokoda, and the government vs Elon Musk

In the tradition of Prime Ministers past, Anthony Albanese heads off to walk the Kokoda trail and shore up relations with PNG. The Treasurer hints at hits to our economic growth forecasts ahead of the budget, and the Opposition changes its tune over the proposed new misinformation bill and aligns itself with government's demand that Elon Musk remove graphic violent content from Platform X. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Apr 22, 2024 • 13:46

From the LNL Archive: Andrew O'Hagan and Karl Miller

From the LNL Archive: Andrew O'Hagan and Karl Miller

Two of the most impressive Scottish writers and thinkers are also great friends. Andrew O'Hagan and Professor Karl Miller discuss the power of landscape and history in shaping Scottish imagination and writing, and why Scotland's consistently punched above its weight in these terms.This interview was originally broadcast on 6th September 2012.Guests: Karl Miller died in 2014. Andrew O'Hagan will be at the Melbourne Writers Festival in May 2024.

Apr 18, 2024 • 24:23

Tony Birch on First Nations writing

Tony Birch on First Nations writing

Long before the satirical film American Fiction made it to our screens, writers and publishers have grappled with the idea of the ‘race novel’. And just as the Black American characters in the film confronted race and class expectations, First Nation writers in Australia find themselves at the mercy of similar prejudices. Writer Tony Birch joins Phillip Adams to discuss First Nations writing in Australia today.

Apr 18, 2024 • 27:32

The world's most expensive spice threatened by climate change

The world's most expensive spice threatened by climate change

The world’s most expensive spice appears in the written record as early as 2300 BCE, and is revered by cultures around the globe. It takes between 70,000 and 200,000 flowers to produce just one kilogram of dried saffron threads. But the precious and sacred plant is under serious threat from climate change.Guest: Nina Elkadi, Plant Humanities Fellow at Dumbarton Oaks, Harvard

Apr 17, 2024 • 23:47

Could the ANC lose power in South Africa?

Could the ANC lose power in South Africa?

South Africa goes to the polls on May 29 and the ANC - the party of Nelson Mandela - which has ruled South Africa unchallenged for thirty years, is in trouble electorally. Guest: John Matisonn, journalist and author of God, Spies And Lies: finding South Africa's future through its past, published by Ideas for Africa.

Apr 17, 2024 • 25:40

Meet China's underground historians

Meet China's underground historians

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ian Johnson introduces us to the brave people inside China that are challenging the Chinese Communist Party on its most sensitive ground: its control of history.

Apr 16, 2024 • 38:04

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Donald Trump spent his first day in the dock as a criminal defendant. Bruce Shapiro talks us through the day, including the reported snooze from the former President.Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Apr 16, 2024 • 14:12

Is free will an illusion?

Is free will an illusion?

Our lives are full of choices, but what if they aren't really an exercise in free will? Neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky argues that we are slaves to our biology and wrestles with what this might mean for how we govern ourselves and others.

Apr 15, 2024 • 41:59

Laura Tingle's Canberra: media misbehaviour, and Labor losing votes over Gaza

Laura Tingle's Canberra: media misbehaviour, and Labor losing votes over Gaza

Laura Tingle on how the media found itself in hot water over its reporting on the Bondi Junction killings and its involvement in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial. Plus why Labor is fast losing support in key seats over its handling of Israel's attacks on Gaza. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Apr 15, 2024 • 12:19

The evolution of the chapter

The evolution of the chapter

Have you ever paused to think how and when books and text became divided into chapters? Nicholas Dames has.Nicholas Dames: Professor of Humanities at Columbia University. Author of The Chapter; a segmented history from antiquity to the 21st century ( Princeton University press)

Apr 11, 2024 • 23:38

What really happened to John and Jane Franklin and why was indigenous knowledge overlooked?

What really happened to John and Jane Franklin and why was indigenous knowledge overlooked?

In 2014 and 2016, two shipwrecks were found which answered a lengthy mystery – what happened to Sir John Franklin’s North-West Passage expedition, which had been missing since 1845? The wrecks were found thanks to Inuit testimony, and now people are wondering why it took so long for that local knowledge to be trusted. Guest: Annaliese Jacobs Claydon, author of “Arctic Circles and Imperial Knowledge - The Franklin Family, Indigenous Intermediaries, and the Politics of Truth” pub

Apr 11, 2024 • 36:21

Anne Manne on sex abuse of children in the Newcastle Anglican Church

Anne Manne on sex abuse of children in the Newcastle Anglican Church

The Anglican Church systematically buried complaints about sex abusers in Newcastle during the 1970’s onwards.  Author and social philosopher Anne Mann's new book looks at this infamous era in the Anglican Church.  Author of: Crimes of the Cross: The Anglican Paedophile Network of Newcastle, Its Protectors and the Man Who Fought for Justice

Apr 10, 2024 • 30:44

Tim Faulkner's wild vision for our national parks

Tim Faulkner's wild vision for our national parks

Tim Faulkner dreams of a day when national parks across mainland Australia are free of feral predators, and where now-extinct mammals like the eastern quoll or Tassie devil roam freely. That dream may soon come one step closer to reality when a small number of eastern quolls are released in New South Wales, more than half a century after they became extinct on the mainland.  Guest: Tim Faulkner is managing director of not-for-profit Aussie Ark.

Apr 10, 2024 • 20:11

Remembering the Spanish Civil war

Remembering the Spanish Civil war

The Spanish Civil War (1936-39) is remembered as a dress rehearsal for World War 2, a class struggle, a religious struggle, a battle between left and right, between fascism and communism. While the conflict left deep scars on Spanish society, the impact of the war went far beyond its borders. To document and discuss the conflict and the international response, a new  Virtual Museum of the Spanish Civil war is being created by historians from some 30 countries.Judith Keene: Asso

Apr 9, 2024 • 32:21

Are koalas being traded for carbon credits?

Are koalas being traded for carbon credits?

The NSW Labor government promised to establish a huge koala sanctuary on the mid North Coast to be known as the Great Koala National Park. A desperately needed habitat to shore up rapidly dwindling koala numbers. Now a year into office, the park is still not established and the reasons are to do with carbon credits.Guest: Stephen Long, Senior Fellow and Contributing Editor at The Australia Institute

Apr 9, 2024 • 13:38

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

The debate over British arms sales to Israel, Tory MP William Wragg resigns after a honey trap blackmail scandal. Rishi Sunak's inappropriate laugh. Keir Starmer marks 4th year as opposition leader.Ian Dunt: Regular LNL commentator and iNews columnist.

Apr 9, 2024 • 12:53

David Williamson laments the great divide which sees many Australians unable to afford a home

David Williamson laments the great divide which sees many Australians unable to afford a home

Playwright David Williamson has come out of retirement to write a new play about the housing crisis and the increasing divide between the haves and have-nots in Australia. He says neoliberal ideology, which has been embraced by both major parties, has made the wealthy ever richer and seen many Australians lose hope of ever affording their own home.Guest: Playwright David Williamson

Apr 8, 2024 • 33:28

Bernard Keane's Canberra: IDF review unsatisfactory, Israeli military contracts and supermarket powers

Bernard Keane's Canberra: IDF review unsatisfactory, Israeli military contracts and supermarket powers

The Prime Minister has responded to the Israeli Defence Force inquiry into the death of aid worker Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues, saying their explanations are unsatisfactory. Meanwhile former Labor Minister Craig Emerson recommends multi-million dollar fines for the supermarket duopoly if they step out of line. Guest: Bernard Keane, political editor, Crikey

Apr 8, 2024 • 19:58

Vandana Shiva on ecocide, ecological apartheid and food as a tool of war

Vandana Shiva on ecocide, ecological apartheid and food as a tool of war

Eco-feminist and food sovereignty activist Dr Vandana Shiva welcomes the news that the International Criminal Court will this year consider whether it can add ecocide as a prosecutable crime under international law. She says ecocide is a form of genocide and ecological apartheid has been occurring in many places around the world, including Gaza, to separate people from their land.Guest: Dr Vandana Shiva, environmental activist, physicist, and author. Co-Founder of Navdanya, the

Apr 4, 2024 • 29:25

The problems with parking

The problems with parking

Finding a car park can sometimes seem a challenge, particularly in big cities, but could there actually be too many car parks in the world? Henry Grabar argues that there are many unintended costs and impacts of parking your car including making housing more expensive and having a negative impact on the environment.Henry Grabar: a staff writer at Slate who writes about housing, transportation, and urban policy. A 2024 Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.Author

Apr 3, 2024 • 24:12

Educable: a new theory of human uniqueness

Educable: a new theory of human uniqueness

It sets our species apart and has enabled us to create great civilisations but if our most defining characteristic is our intelligence and capacity to learn - should we keep it for ourselves or should we develop, program and teach it to  machines and computers?Guest: Leslie Valiant: Professor of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at Harvard University.Author of The Importance of Being Educable

Apr 3, 2024 • 17:19

A man of two faces

A man of two faces

We last spoke with Professor Viet Thanh Nguyen nine years ago about his debut novel The Sympathizer, which went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.His new memoir covers his family's journey from Vietnam in the 1970's fleeing war, to life as a refugee in America.The memoir is called A Man of Two Faces, published by Grove Press. You can hear Viet speaking at the upcoming Sydney and Melbourne Writers Festivals.

Apr 3, 2024 • 36:06

Anna Funder's 'intervention in history' wins her more acclaim

Anna Funder's 'intervention in history' wins her more acclaim

Anna Funder's interventions in history have seen her notch up numerous literary accolades - a Miles Franklin, the Samuel Johnson Prize, and now a long-listing for the inaugural Women's Prize for Non-fiction. Anna Funder is the author of Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life. Funder spent six years meticulously untangling the threads of history to uncover the extraordinary life of Eileen O’Shaughnessy, wife of George Orwell.Guest: Anna Funder. Her earlier books are Stasiland and

Apr 2, 2024 • 38:35

Bruce Shapiro's America - the Comstock Act

Bruce Shapiro's America - the Comstock Act

Bruce Shapiro explains the significance of the Comstock Act from 1871 and how it is being used in arguments about contraception and abortion in 2024. And Robert F Kennedy chooses a running mate.Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Apr 2, 2024 • 16:27

Jack Thompson on his films, poetry, activism and life on dialysis

Jack Thompson on his films, poetry, activism and life on dialysis

Jack Thompson, actor, activist, poetry aficionado, Bob Dylan fan, sits down with Phillip to talk about family and films and living with dialysis.This program was originally broadcast on 1 October 2018.

Apr 1, 2024 • 54:07

Why Rupert Read says Extinction Rebellion is not enough and we need a 'Climate Majority'

Why Rupert Read says Extinction Rebellion is not enough and we need a 'Climate Majority'

The man who helped launch Extinction Rebellion, Rupert Read, says for too long the choices on climate action have been limited to either consumer choices or radical protests. He says there needs to be a space for action between these two alternatives. So Read has started The Climate Majority Project – a new approach to gain broad-based consensus on how to meaningfully respond to the crisis. And he plans to take it to the world.Guest: Emeritus Professor Rupert Read, co-author an

Mar 28, 2024 • 33:15

Cubes, bergs and blocks: how ice changed the world

Cubes, bergs and blocks: how ice changed the world

Ice, ice baby... Max Leonard explores how we have interacted with ice through the ages.

Mar 28, 2024 • 29:27

Surrealism turns 100: moving beyond lobsters and melting clocks

Surrealism turns 100: moving beyond lobsters and melting clocks

Surrealism, the movement that gave us disembodied eyeballs, melting clocks and lobster phones, turns 100 this year. Mark Polizzotti, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, argues that Surrealism was much more than an artistic or literary phenomenon. The Surrealists also delved into Marx and Freud and remain relevant today. Guest: Mark Polizzotti, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His new book is ‘Why Surrealism Matters’ (Yale University Press)

Mar 27, 2024 • 30:44

Why the border crisis could determine the next US president

Why the border crisis could determine the next US president

With more and more migrants and asylum seekers showing up at the US-Mexico border everyday and no solution to America's broken immigration system in sight, this could be the single most important issue in the US presidential race. Guest: Dara Lind - Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council.

Mar 27, 2024 • 20:37

Dick and Dara – Indonesia’s first 60’s girl band and their legendary producer and gold-smuggling pilot

Dick and Dara – Indonesia’s first 60’s girl band and their legendary producer and gold-smuggling pilot

Dick Tamimi was an Indonesian pilot who was caught for smuggling gold into Thailand to buy the fledgling Indonesian government’s first plane in the 1950s. He went on to become a legendary record producer in Jakarta in the 1960s, producing Indonesia’s first all-girl rock band ‘Dara Puspita’. They were likened to Indonesia’s Beatles, and now their story is being turned into a musical.Guest: Julien Poulson, musician, arts producer and founder of the Cambodian Space Project.

Mar 26, 2024 • 37:18

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

After a string of losses there's yet another by- election for PM Rishi Sunak. Labour's Keir Starmer is poised for victory in the next UK election. What is he offering voters and who is he hoping will be his new MPs? Ian Dunt: columnist iNews and regular LNL commentator on UK politics

Mar 26, 2024 • 14:52

From resistance to a life of service: Timor-Leste then and now

From resistance to a life of service: Timor-Leste then and now

Dr Kirsty Sword Gusmao’s life has been marked by the most astonishing, cinematic twists and turns. From a quiet childhood in regional Victoria to clandestine work smuggling East Timorese men to safety, from falling in love with an imprisoned resistance fighter to First Lady of Timor-Leste. Now settled back in Australia, Kirsty joins Phillip Adams to reflect on an incredible thirty years of service to her adopted nation.  Dr Kirsty Sword Gusmao (AO) is the founder of the Alola F

Mar 25, 2024 • 40:31

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Gas stoushes and the state elections

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Gas stoushes and the state elections

Laura Tingle analyses state election results in Tasmania and South Australia, and what they might mean for the major parties.Plus Labor conflict over gas project permissions legislation. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Mar 25, 2024 • 11:19

Historic volcano chasers: the enduring draw of Vesuvius

Historic volcano chasers: the enduring draw of Vesuvius

Vesuvius has attracted many visitors over the years, from Goethe, Mozart and Lord Byron to a host of lesser-known lava-chasers who trooped to the summit, scorching their shoes and quaffing the local wine. Guest: John Brewer, Emeritus Professor at the California Institute of TechnologyHis new book is ‘Volcanic: Vesuvius in the Age of Revolutions’ (Yale University Press)

Mar 21, 2024 • 26:49

Bad Cop: Lech Blaine's take on Peter Dutton’s strongman politics

Bad Cop: Lech Blaine's take on Peter Dutton’s strongman politics

In his new Quarterly Essay, journalist Lech Blaine delves into Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's family history, his work as a Queensland police officer, his life as a property developer and politician, and how these experiences have shaped him as a political leader.

Mar 21, 2024 • 30:06

Women undercover: the secret history of female sleuths

Women undercover: the secret history of female sleuths

The female investigator has been a staple of popular culture for over 150 years, from Victorian lady detectives to plucky Miss Marple and tattooed hacker Lisbeth Salander. But what about the real-life women behind these fictional tales? Caitlin Davies traces the history of female private eyes who investigated everything from fraud and shoplifting to international espionage.Guest: Caitlin Davies, journalist and author of 'Private Inquiries: the Secret History of Female Sleuths’

Mar 20, 2024 • 27:53

Finding the mole in ASIO

Finding the mole in ASIO

Investigative journalist Joey Watson has spent the last three years trying to work out who the KGB mole in ASIO was - only to find out that there was likely a nest of traitors operating in ASIO during the cold war. Guest: Joey Watson, producer of the podcast series Secrets we Keep: Nest of Traitors

Mar 20, 2024 • 26:16

Clive of Indonesia: President Soeharto's best mate - from Geelong

Clive of Indonesia: President Soeharto's best mate - from Geelong

One of ‘the most intriguing and least known footnotes in Australia-Indonesia relations’ is the relationship between President Soeharto and a man whose name has been kept secret from the public for more than fifty years. But a new reveals the story of the Aussie bloke from Geelong who became Soeharto’s closest adviser and confidante, and what he knew about corruption, power, East Timor and the Balibo Five.Guest: Dr Shannon Smith, author of ‘Occidental Preacher, Accidental Teache

Mar 19, 2024 • 40:46

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

There are divisions on both sides of politics in America with the young voters critical of Biden's response to the war in Gaza. And on the right, questions of censorship, the 1st Amendment and social media have been dividing conservative voices both on and off the Supreme Court.Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Mar 19, 2024 • 13:54

How Joseph Conrad's visits to Australia influenced his writing

How Joseph Conrad's visits to Australia influenced his writing

In the late 19th century, Joseph Conrad made a number of visits to Australia whilst working as a merchant seafarer. In his book Marlow’s Dream, Martin Edmond recounts these voyages and explores the origins of Conrad’s stories.

Mar 18, 2024 • 23:10

What do the 'missing papers' reveal about why Australian troops were sent to Iraq?

What do the 'missing papers' reveal about why Australian troops were sent to Iraq?

Surprisingly little is known about how Australian troops were sent to fight in the Iraq War. Thanks to Dr David Lee, ‘missing papers’ have now been released that help reveal what really happened in 2003.

Mar 18, 2024 • 13:54

Rachel Wither's Canberra: Palestinian refugees get their visas back and Tasmania heads to the polls

Rachel Wither's Canberra: Palestinian refugees get their visas back and Tasmania heads to the polls

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong will meet her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Canberra this week,  the Liberals push their message on border control while confusion reigns over Palestinian visas and Tasmania heads to the polls. Guest: Rachel Withers, Editor-in Chief, The Politics

Mar 18, 2024 • 12:37

The Easey Street Murders

The Easey Street Murders

Back in 1977, the double murder of two young women in their homes in Easey Street in suburban Collingwood shocked the people of Melbourne. No-one has ever been charged over their deaths. Journalist Helen Thomas has been investigating the murders and believes there is enough new evidence for a new coronial inquest.Guest: Helen Thomas, producer of the podcast series The Easey Street Murders

Mar 14, 2024 • 19:25

Unshackled: true convict stories

Unshackled: true convict stories

Historians Tony Moore and Hamish Maxwell-Stewart guide us through Unshackled: a multi media touring exhibition that tells a new and different story about convicts, transportation and colonial Australia.A/Prof Tony Moore: Head of Communications and Media studies, Monash University. Lead Chief Investigator, ARC Linkage Project 'Conviction Politics: the convict routes of Australian democracy'Hamish Maxwell-Stewart: Professor of Heritage and Digital History, University of New Engla

Mar 14, 2024 • 32:49

Micro history and the Edwin Fox

Micro history and the Edwin Fox

What is micro history and what can an unremarkable cargo ship from the 19th century tell us about the foundations of our modern age.Boyd Cothran: Associate professor of History, York University, Toronto.Co- author of The Edwin Fox: How an Ordinary Sailing Ship Connected the World in the Age of Globalization, 1850-1914

Mar 13, 2024 • 24:07

The art of ghost writing best sellers

The art of ghost writing best sellers

Liam Pieper took up ghost writing after he became unemployable following the release of his first book in 2014. The book was a memoir about growing up with bohemian dope smoking parents and his early life as a drug user and petty criminal. 10 years on he has ghost written several global best sellers as well 4 more books in his own right. Guest: Liam Pieper, whose latest book is called Appreciation

Mar 13, 2024 • 27:50

Gideon Levy hopes other Israelis will 'wake up soon'

Gideon Levy hopes other Israelis will 'wake up soon'

Prominent Israeli journalist Gideon Levy has received death threats and been shunned by some of his best friends for his coverage of Israel’s operations in Gaza. Yet he continues to strive to report fearlessly on the war and the toll it’s taking on both Gaza and Israel.

Mar 12, 2024 • 35:31

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

An underwhelming budget, Ex Senior Tory Lee Anderson joins Reform party and former PM Theresa May to leave parliament.

Mar 12, 2024 • 15:12

Yanis Varoufakis on Australia, Greece and a changing world

Yanis Varoufakis on Australia, Greece and a changing world

Former Finance Minister of Greece, Yanis Varoufakis discusses his long relationship with Australia, the latest from Greece and Europe as well as the ongoing influence of America on our foreign policy, on Europe and on the Middle East.Guest: Yanis Varoufakis, economist, author and founder of Diem25

Mar 11, 2024 • 42:53

Amy Remeikis's Canberra

Amy Remeikis's Canberra

Amy Remeikis brings the latest issues from Canberra which in an effort to be green, are recycled. Nuclear energy, the demise of the ute and the Liberal Party's ongoing women problem. Guest: Amy Remeikis, Political Reporter, The Guardian

Mar 11, 2024 • 12:32

The great trade union women of Australian history

The great trade union women of Australian history

This International Women's Day while debate rages about the latest gender pay gap figures, LNL looks back at the women of Australia's history who led the fight for better wages and conditions, writing letters, leading protests and strikes, taking on male-dominated jobs and challenging our governments and our biggest employers to do better. Guests: Sally McManus, Secretary of the ACTUWil Stracke, Assistant Secretary at the Victorian Trades Hall Council and Tik Tok starRobynne Mu

Mar 7, 2024 • 55:57

Peter Goldsworthy reflects on what cancer has taught him

Peter Goldsworthy reflects on what cancer has taught him

Do doctors really make the worst patients? Beloved Australian writer Peter Goldworthy was forced to reflect on this, and a lot else besides, when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma - a cancer of the bone marrow - in 2018.

Mar 6, 2024 • 37:39

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

The march to the 2024 Presidential elections continues apace with the Super Tuesday primaries and Supreme Court deliberations. Bruce Shapiro unwraps all the latest from the USA.Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Mar 6, 2024 • 14:37

Bob Brown on forests, independents, East Timor, Tibet and Amy Sherwin

Bob Brown on forests, independents, East Timor, Tibet and Amy Sherwin

As Bob Brown heads into his 80th year, he talks to Phillip about a life of activism on forests, fish farms and the role independents might have in the upcoming Tasmanian election. He also talks about his work in East Timor and Tibet, and why he wants a statue of forgotten Tasmanian opera singer, Amy Sherwin. Guest: Former Greens Leader and Senator Bob Brown

Mar 5, 2024 • 58:11

Matt Noffs on breaking cycles of youth crime

Matt Noffs on breaking cycles of youth crime

Youth crime is once again on the political agenda in several Australian states and territories in the lead up to elections. Matt Noffs - grandson of the trailblazing Reverend Ted Noffs and CEO of the Ted Noffs Foundation challenges prevailing narratives on youth crime, punishment and drug use and considers how to break these cycles - for the good of young people and the community. Guest: Matt Noffs, CEO Ted Noffs Foundation

Mar 4, 2024 • 39:05

Laura Tingle's Canberra: ASEAN talks maritime security plus the message from Dunkley

Laura Tingle's Canberra: ASEAN talks maritime security plus the message from Dunkley

Maritime security and responding to the climate and energy challenge shape up as the key issues of the ASEAN leaders summit, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong warning of the most confronting set of circumstances in decades. Plus why the Dunkley by-election got so nasty, and what it says about campaign tactics.Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Mar 4, 2024 • 14:42

When privilege meets social conscience

When privilege meets social conscience

Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee has often been described as an outspoken darling of the Left. She describes herself and her famous family as posh left-wingers. Her latest book, part memoir, part social history traces her family's high profile links to social justice and other left-wing causes while exploring the guilt of coming from privilege. Guest: Polly Toynbee, journalist, author.Polly Toynbee will be appearing at the Adelaide Writer's Week, to talk about, An Uneasy Inheri

Feb 29, 2024 • 26:36

Up close and personal with Peter Frankopan

Up close and personal with Peter Frankopan

Oxford historian Peter Frankopan sits down in the studio with Phillip Adams to discuss his life, why we need to shift our Western-centric way of thinking and how history informs the moment of global chaos we find ourselves in.

Feb 29, 2024 • 29:15

Is Marwan Barghouti the Palestinian Mandela?

Is Marwan Barghouti the Palestinian Mandela?

Marwan Barghouti is the most popular Palestinian leader alive and has been hailed as their version of Nelson Mandela. Barghouti is seen as the only person who could bring the two factions of Fatah and Hamas together, to create a sustainable governing structure. But Barghouti has been in prison in Israel for murder for the last twenty-two years.Guests: Sophia Scott – Co-director, Tomorrow's FreedomSawsan Asfari – Producer, Tomorrow's FreedomTomorrow's Freedom is screening at the

Feb 28, 2024 • 28:41

An account of daily life in the West Bank

An account of daily life in the West Bank

In 2012, a school bus crashed on a neglected road in the West Bank killing six children and one teacher. One of the children was five year old Milad Salama. Journalist and author Nathan Thrall spoke to his father Abed, and through his story he reveals the difficulties and dangers of daily life for Palestinians in the West Bank.Guest: Nathan Thrall, author of A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy (Hachette)For more information on Nathan Thrall's appear

Feb 28, 2024 • 26:08

Amitav Ghosh on the global history of opium

Amitav Ghosh on the global history of opium

Opium had long been used sparingly in India and China as a valuable and useful medicine. When Britain's dependency on Chinese tea created a balance of trade problem, the East India company turbo-charged the opium industry and found an infinitely expanding market for opium in China.Guest: Amitav Ghosh, author of Smoke and Ashes: Opiums Hidden Histories (Hachette)

Feb 27, 2024 • 38:52

Naomi Smith's UK

Naomi Smith's UK

More headaches for Rishi Sunak after by-election loses and Tory MP Lee Anderson suspended. Also, chaos and the Gaza motion in the House of Commons last week. Naomi Smith: CEO, Best for Britain

Feb 27, 2024 • 13:47

Male belly dancers - the new trend

Male belly dancers - the new trend

Belly or oriental dancing can be traced back to the Ottoman empire, when it was performed by both women and men.Even now, it’s not uncommon to see men wiggling their hips in private, at weddings or other family functions. However, public performances have really been the domain of women until recently. Now male belly dancing is enjoying a comeback.Guests:Rachid AlexanderChris of Melbourne

Feb 26, 2024 • 13:10

Margo Kingston on how Pauline Hanson's One Nation led to the rise of the Teals

Margo Kingston on how Pauline Hanson's One Nation led to the rise of the Teals

Journalist and former LNL correspondent Margo Kingston returns to reflect on how the rise of Pauline Hanson's One Nation in the late 1990's ultimately led to the split in the Coalition which has now manifested as the number of Teals and other independents in the Australian parliament. She also looks at the poltical influence of "Advance" and what effect they may have on the Dunkley by-election. Guest: Margo Kingston, journalist and author.

Feb 26, 2024 • 31:42

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Twiggy's renewables gauntlet, education reforms and Dunkley looms

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Twiggy's renewables gauntlet, education reforms and Dunkley looms

Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest has challenged political parties to step up their action on renewables, telling them to stop "bickering", but what's in it for him? How much will it cost to bring in the necessary reforms to higher education? And why cost-of-living is the only issue that counts in the Dunkley by-election, despite Advances attempts persuade voters otherwise.Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Feb 26, 2024 • 12:13

From Medici to Musk: a history of the super-rich in the West

From Medici to Musk: a history of the super-rich in the West

In the Middle Ages, the rich were expected to use their fortunes as ‘private barns of money’, helping local communities through plague, famine or war. Economic historian Guido Alfani asks whether 21st-century billionaires have a moral duty to contribute to the common good.

Feb 22, 2024 • 23:05

To the Moon and back: how our cosmic neighbour made us who we are

To the Moon and back: how our cosmic neighbour made us who we are

The Moon, our closest celestial neighbour, is almost 400,000 kilometres away and only twelve people have walked on its surface to date. Yet, Rebecca Boyle believes the Moon is responsible for every giant leap humankind has ever made.

Feb 22, 2024 • 29:34

Damage: a story of refugees and refuge

Damage: a story of refugees and refuge

The new film Damage is the story of an Iraqi taxi driver Ali, and his elderly passenger Esther. Initially suspicious of each other they eventually form a bond. Filmmaker Madeleine Blackwell cast Ali Al Jenabi as the taxi driver after seeing him at a writers festival.Guests: Damage director Madeleine Blackwell and actor Ali Al Jenabi

Feb 21, 2024 • 27:39

Reshaping  Poland

Reshaping Poland

The populist Law and Justice party (PiS) was voted out in October 2023. What is the legacy of their 8 years in office and what lies ahead for Poland?Radoslaw Markowski: Professor of Political Science, Center for the Study of Democracy (Director), University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw.

Feb 21, 2024 • 25:12

Indian film-maker Anand Patwardhan reflects on the India his family fought for and how it's turned out

Indian film-maker Anand Patwardhan reflects on the India his family fought for and how it's turned out

Anand Patwardhan is an Indian documentary filmmaker whose films have explored the rise of religious fundamentalism, sectarianism and casteism in India. Others have been banned for investigating nuclear nationalism and unsustainable development. His most recent film reflects on his family’s role in fighting for freedom from Britain, and how Modi’s India is not the country his pro-unification family fought for.  Guest: Anand Patwardhan, Indian documentary filmmaker. His work can

Feb 20, 2024 • 34:39

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro unravels the possible consequences of the $355 million fine imposed on Donald Trump for fraud and looks at what the Democrats can learn from winning back the seat in Long Islands from Republican fraudster George Santos.Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Feb 20, 2024 • 17:27

Kate McClymont on crime, corruption and courts

Kate McClymont on crime, corruption and courts

Someone who epitomises fearless reporting, is the Sydney Morning Herald’s chief investigative journalist Kate McClymont. Kate has been a journalist for nearly 40 years.  She’s exposed corruption at the highest levels of politics, she’s also lead investigations into financial conwoman Melissa Caddick, high profile neurosurgeon Charlie Teo, High Court Judge Dyson Heydon, and media personalities Don Burke and Alan Jones.  Kate is a winner of many writing awards, including the cove

Feb 19, 2024 • 40:06

Laura Tingle's Canberra: return of the boats and more warships on the horizon

Laura Tingle's Canberra: return of the boats and more warships on the horizon

The Opposition is claiming the government has lost control of its borders after the arrival of an asylum seeker boat in WA. Meanwhile a review of our naval ship capabilities is expected to recommend we increase the number of warships in our fleet. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Feb 19, 2024 • 14:39

Lorin Clarke : What my dad taught me about life and humour

Lorin Clarke : What my dad taught me about life and humour

John Clarke, was one of New Zealand and Australia’s comedic geniuses. He died of a fatal heart attack while bushwalking with his wife  in 2017.   John’s eldest daughter Lorin recently  wrote a memoir about her family’s life, titled,  Would that be funny? Growing Up with John Clarke Guest: Lorin Clarke, writer

Feb 15, 2024 • 54:07

From pulp to propaganda: how books have shaped war

From pulp to propaganda: how books have shaped war

We tend to think of books and war as being at opposite ends of the spectrum. Books rank among humanity’s greatest inventions; war amongst its most terrible. Yet literary historian Andrew Pettegree argues that throughout history books and conflict have been deeply intertwined.

Feb 14, 2024 • 30:47

Julian Assange's final appeal

Julian Assange's final appeal

Human Rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson has been representing Julian Assange for many years. Next week he is requesting leave to appeal against the decision to extradite him to the USA which was made over a year ago. If leave to appeal is denied he could face imminent extradition to a high security prison in the United States.Guest: Jennifer Robinson, human rights lawyer representing Julian Assange

Feb 14, 2024 • 21:32

The lost art of hitchhiking

The lost art of hitchhiking

These days, hitchhiking is discouraged by authorities and concerned parents alike, but in the 1930s it was seen as an opportunity for good manners, generosity and youthful adventure.

Feb 13, 2024 • 19:59

Sinn Fein's first First Minister

Sinn Fein's first First Minister

The appointment of Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neil as First Minister in Northern Ireland is an historical moment for the party which was once called a terrorist organisation unfit to lead. So what does this augur a new step for the reunification movement?Guest: Fintan O’Toole, author and columnist for the Irish Times

Feb 13, 2024 • 19:32

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

The politics of the U-turn as Labour ditches a by-election candidate and walks back from a 28 billion pound green fund pledge. Meanwhile it's a week from hell for PM Rishi Sunak's Tories.

Feb 13, 2024 • 13:49

How languages reveal differences in the way we see the world

How languages reveal differences in the way we see the world

At a time when thousands of languages are vanishing linguistics professor Caleb Everett explores how language shapes the way we think and feel about the world, as well as our perceptions of fundamental life experiences — and what linguistic diversity can tell us about human culture.Guest: Caleb Everett, Professor of Anthropology and Psychology at the University of Miami. Author of "A Myriad of Tongues — How Languages Reveal Differences in How We Think," published by Harvard Uni

Feb 12, 2024 • 40:19

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Home Affairs' dodgy contracts, Barnaby Joyce's drinking habits and failing to close the gap

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Home Affairs' dodgy contracts, Barnaby Joyce's drinking habits and failing to close the gap

Shocking revelations about Home Affairs awarding contracts to companies with suspected links to drugs, firearms and bribery. Do we have double standards when it comes to white men's drinking habits? And will the government make an announcement about closing the gap on the anniversary of the apology?Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Feb 12, 2024 • 12:44

George Cove's fantastic sun ray machine

George Cove's fantastic sun ray machine

Sugandha Srivastav recounts the story of the fantastic sun ray machine and how its creator George Cove was allegedly kidnapped, setting back the development of solar panels for decades.

Feb 8, 2024 • 24:53

The dirty business of mining for metals

The dirty business of mining for metals

As the world transitions to green energy and electric vehicles, demand for metals like lithium, copper and nickel is on the rise. Mining for these metals in the past has resulted in environmental degradation and in many cases human rights abuses. Can we do better in the future?Guest: Christopher Pollon, Award winning journalist and author of Pitfall: The Race to Mine the World’s Most Vulnerable Places (University of Queensland Press)

Feb 8, 2024 • 26:45

Sr Brigid Arthur on religion and refugees

Sr Brigid Arthur on religion and refugees

A name synonymous with social welfare particularly when it comes to asylum seekers and refugees is Sr Brigid Arthur.Sr Brigid is the co-founder of the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project which was set up in 2001 and has helped thousands of refugees since then.She’s been in court protecting the interests of indigenous children and teenage climate activistsSister Brigid recently received an Order of Australia, and at 89,  has no plans to retire. One might say she’s a rebel with a ca

Feb 7, 2024 • 22:05

The ICJ ruling on Israel's actions in Gaza - how should Australia respond?

The ICJ ruling on Israel's actions in Gaza - how should Australia respond?

The International Court of Justice found that there was a plausible risk that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. What should the global response be to the finding, and in particular what should Australia's response be? Could the defunding of UNRWA be seen as collective punishment?Guests: Regina Weiss, barrister and former prosecution trial lawyer at the International Criminal CourtBen Saul, Challis Chair of International Law, The University of Sydney, United Nations Specia

Feb 7, 2024 • 31:47

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro examines the arguments in the case brought by Colorado to the Supreme Court to have Donald Trump removed from the presidential primary ballot. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Feb 6, 2024 • 15:24

Peter Greste, Jodie Ginsberg and Jason Rezaian on the dire state of press freedom

Peter Greste, Jodie Ginsberg and Jason Rezaian on the dire state of press freedom

It's an incredibly dangerous time to be a journalist, whether you are reporting from one of the world's many conflict zones or from seemingly democratic countries. Three of the world's great press freedom advocates join Phillip Adams to discuss why this moment is so particularly challenging for journalists and how freedom of the press can be better protected.

Feb 5, 2024 • 40:53

Marcia Langton on the future of the Voice

Marcia Langton on the future of the Voice

Professor Marcia Langton pays tribute to Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG and talks openly to Phillip Adams about why she feels the Voice referendum failed and where the conversation needs to move now. Guest: Marcia Langton - Professor of Australian Indigenous studies at the University of Melbourne. She was a Co-chair of the Voice Co-Design Senior Advisory Group, along with Professor Tom Calma.

Feb 5, 2024 • 34:10

Laura Tingle's Canberra: the Turnbull years, Yang Hengjun's death sentence and stage three tax cuts

Laura Tingle's Canberra: the Turnbull years, Yang Hengjun's death sentence and stage three tax cuts

Laura Tingle looks at Nemesis - the Turnbull years, what Yang Hengjun's death sentence could mean for our relationship with China, and whether the Liberals will be snookered into supporting the stage three tax cuts legislation as parliament resumes.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Feb 5, 2024 • 18:27

How a Russian migrant became a Cold War ASIO spy

How a Russian migrant became a Cold War ASIO spy

Social historian Ebony Nilsson tells the remarkable life story of Vladimir Mishchenko who became Bill Marshall - an ASIO spy.

Feb 1, 2024 • 24:13

Satyajit Das on de-globalisation, détente, & de-coupling from the American dollar

Satyajit Das on de-globalisation, détente, & de-coupling from the American dollar

As prominent Australians call for a détente with China, former banker Satyajit Das looks at the history of de-globalisation and whether the so-called BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) could de-couple from the American dollar and create their own trade network. Guest: Satyajit Das, former banker and author of A Banquet of Consequences Reloaded and Fortunes Fool: Australia’s Choices.

Feb 1, 2024 • 35:42

Digital fatigue and the resurgence of magazines

Digital fatigue and the resurgence of magazines

Digital natives are discovering the different reading experience that magazines provide.

Jan 31, 2024 • 28:35

Deep neo-Nazi networks in Germany exposed

Deep neo-Nazi networks in Germany exposed

More than a million people marched in Germany after an investigation revealed the far right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) had secret meetings to discuss a “master plan” to “re-migrate” migrants to North Africa. Further revelations have shown how deep the Neo-Nazi networks are not just in the far right but also the mainstream parties of Germany.Guest: Ann-Katrin Müller, Political Editor, Der Spiegel

Jan 31, 2024 • 28:34

Meet stationery enthusiast, James Ward

Meet stationery enthusiast, James Ward

James Ward has been fascinated by the mundane for many years, and has written a book entirely about stationery, examining the stories behind the stuff we have littered across our desks and inside our pencil cases - from paperclips to post it notes and everything in between.Guest: James Ward, author of Adventures in Stationery – A journey through your pencil caseThis interview was originally broadcast on 5 May 2015.

Jan 30, 2024 • 14:46

 Psychedelics like MDMA in Australian psychiatrist’s tool kit

Psychedelics like MDMA in Australian psychiatrist’s tool kit

For the first time in 50 years, two Australian psychiatrists have been given permission to treat two of their patients with psychedelic drugs.This follows the TGA approving the use in a clinical setting of MDMA and psilocybin.Guests:Dr Eli Kolter, Psychiatrist, Medical Director, Malvern Private HospitalClaire, Client

Jan 30, 2024 • 25:53

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's battle with Tory rebels.The latest on his Rwanda Bill and his electoral prospects for 2024.Guest: Ian Dunt, Commentator and columnist for iNews

Jan 30, 2024 • 11:38

Buried treasure: how did medieval African coins end up in Arnhem Land?

Buried treasure: how did medieval African coins end up in Arnhem Land?

A  trip to the Wessel Islands in north-east Arnhem land has uncovered the location where ancient African coins from the island of Kilwa in Tanzania were found in the 1940's. Since the story went viral in 2014, many people have tried to solve the mystery of how they got there.Guests:Mike Owen, Historian and Co-founder, PastMasters.Michael Hermes, Archaeologist and consultant to PastMasters

Jan 29, 2024 • 36:04

Bernard Keane's Canberra

Bernard Keane's Canberra

Crikey's political editor Bernard Keane talks about the ABC's explosive new political docuseries 'Nemesis', what Scott Morrison's political legacy might be and whether the Stage 3 tax cut reforms represent a breach of voters' trust.

Jan 29, 2024 • 21:10

Why Henry Reynolds had to find out what really happened on the frontier

Why Henry Reynolds had to find out what really happened on the frontier

In an engaging address given at this year's Byron Writers Festival, pioneering historian Henry Reynolds covered living in Townsville in the 1960s, the importance of local history, the extraordinary racial gaps in Australia's early history telling, discovering the truths of frontier violence, his friendship with Eddie Mabo, and why the outcome of the Voice referendum will affect Australia's international standing. Archival audio from the ABC has been added to the recording of th

Jan 25, 2024 • 54:06

The 1907 'Peking to Paris': the race that accelerated the rise of the car

The 1907 'Peking to Paris': the race that accelerated the rise of the car

Early in 1907 the French newspaper ‘Le Matin’ announced plans for the most audacious motor race yet. It was to be an epic test, not only of human endurance but also the technological capacity of the newly-invented car.

Jan 24, 2024 • 26:05

From feast to famine: How Russia built an empire with a knife and fork

From feast to famine: How Russia built an empire with a knife and fork

From elaborate gastro-diplomacy to famines orchestrated by the state, this is the history of modern Russia as you’ve never heard it before – told through the lens of food.Guest: Witold Szabłowski - Polish journalist and author of What's Cooking in the Kremlin: From Rasputin to Putin, How Russia Built an Empire with a Knife and Fork published by Penguin Random House

Jan 24, 2024 • 26:01

Is now the time for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine?

Is now the time for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine?

The war in Ukraine is about to head into it's third year. With military supplies in Ukraine dwindling and the future flow of Western aid far from guaranteed, is now the time to start thinking about a negotiated agreement? Guests:Anatol Lieven - Director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftMichael Kimmage - Professor of History at the Catholic University of America and a Non-resident Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and Internatio

Jan 23, 2024 • 25:41

Bruce Shapiro's and James Fallows' America

Bruce Shapiro's and James Fallows' America

The Republican presidential primaries have begun, but as the list of candidates shrinks are they a waste of time? Is it inevitable that the race for the Presidency will be between Donald Trump and Joe Biden? How have both parties ended up with these candidates to offer to the US public?Guests: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University. James Fallows, journalist and author.

Jan 23, 2024 • 26:22

The long connection between politics and pubs

The long connection between politics and pubs

The relationship between politics and pubs started very early in Australia's colonial history as the pub provided a rare and welcoming place for workers to meet. This continued over the years as people continued to meet in pubs to discuss ideas and strategies to move Australia forward, including during the years of the Sydney Push.Guests: Alex Ettling, social historian and editor of Knocking the Top Off: A People's History of Alcohol in Australia (Interventions)Wendy Bacon, jou

Jan 22, 2024 • 36:23

Laura Tingle and Sean Kelly on the multiple crises facing the federal government

Laura Tingle and Sean Kelly on the multiple crises facing the federal government

The Prime Minister has called his MPs back to Canberra early to discuss a likely change to the promised stage three tax cuts as the government feels the pressure to address the cost of living crisis. But that's not the only crisis on its hands - there's a severe shortage of affordable housing, mortgage stress, the escalating cost of climate disasters and energy security risks thanks to global wars.Guests:Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30Sean Kelly, weekly column

Jan 22, 2024 • 17:22

LNL Summer: Tom Holland on how the Romans built an age of peace out of war

LNL Summer: Tom Holland on how the Romans built an age of peace out of war

In the year 68AD, the death of Emperor Nero precipitated a year of coups and civil war that saw four Caesars in succession rule the Roman Empire. But from the chaos emerged a 70-year era of unrivalled peace, power and prosperity known as the Pax Romana - when the Empire reached the heights of its predatory glory. Guest: Tom Holland, historian and author of Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age. Co-host of The Rest is History podcast. Originally broadcast 10th August, 2023

Jan 18, 2024 • 51:14

LNL Summer: Wendy Harmer on 'Lies My Mirror Told Me'

LNL Summer: Wendy Harmer on 'Lies My Mirror Told Me'

Wendy Harmer has lived a life full of 'firsts' - she was the first female news cadet in an all-male newsroom in Geelong, the first Australian female stand-up comedian and the first female co-host on a commercial radio breakfast program. But did Wendy herself ever feel like a trailblazer? Or was she always the little girl with the cleft palate, putting on a brave face? She reveals all in this broad-ranging interview with Phillip Adams. First broadcast 1 November 2023

Jan 17, 2024 • 54:05

LNL Summer: Simon Winchester on human knowledge and the rise of AI

LNL Summer: Simon Winchester on human knowledge and the rise of AI

Is there something innately human about a thirst for knowledge? Could the rise of 'smart' technology undermine our own ability to think? These are just some of the questions that award-winning writer Simon Winchester and Phillip Adams tackle in this conversation about Simon's new book Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic.Originally broadcast on 24 August 2023

Jan 16, 2024 • 54:06

LNL Summer: Is this the end of the exclamation mark!?

LNL Summer: Is this the end of the exclamation mark!?

Perhaps the most provocative of punctuation marks, ! has long elicited the love and hate of writers. It's now under threat from the more expressive emoji and teachers who strive to stamp out social media speak in the classroom. Can ! be resuscitated and redeemed? Guest:Dr Florence Hazrat, researcher, wordsmith, podcaster. Author of An Admirable Point: A Brief History of the Exclamation Mark! Published in Australia by Allen & Unwin Originally broadcast on 14 February 2023

Jan 15, 2024 • 19:54

LNL Summer: The surprising crowdsourcing behind the Oxford English Dictionary

LNL Summer: The surprising crowdsourcing behind the Oxford English Dictionary

When the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary decided to crowdsource for the words to be included in the dictionary they probably did not expect murderers, lunatics and pornographers to respond or such a significant number of women. Over 3000 people contributed words and now their identities have been revealed.Guest: Sarah Ogilvie, author of The Dictionary People: The unsung heroes who created the Oxford English DictionaryThis program was originally broadcast on 12 Septembe

Jan 15, 2024 • 43:02

LNL Summer: How Charles Dickens sparked a trend for literary tourism

LNL Summer: How Charles Dickens sparked a trend for literary tourism

Historian Lee Jackson explores the history of Dickens’s tourism, looking at the first visitors who made the literary pilgrimage to London and whether the sites they visited were authentic.Originally broadcast on 7 September 2023

Jan 11, 2024 • 19:45

LNL Summer: From Salem to the Satanic panic: Why Americans are obsessed with conspiracies

LNL Summer: From Salem to the Satanic panic: Why Americans are obsessed with conspiracies

Whether it's the JFK assassination or 9/11, Americans have a strange tendency to believe dark forces are at work in their country. According to Colin Dickey, the United States was a land born in paranoia, and the fear of secret societies and conspiracies has been a defining feature of American life ever since. Originally broadcast on 7 September 2023

Jan 11, 2024 • 28:44

LNL Summer: Investigative journalist Chris Masters on his career

LNL Summer: Investigative journalist Chris Masters on his career

As well earning him multiple Walkley and Logie awards, the work done by investigative journalist Chris Masters PSM has arguably changed Australia, for the better. He speaks to Phillip Adams about his distinguished career, which culminated in his latest book Flawed Hero: Truth, lies and war crimes. First broadcast 13 July 2023

Jan 10, 2024 • 52:18

Borders, nomads and diplomatic gifts

Borders, nomads and diplomatic gifts

When did humanity start drawing borders? Why have nomadic cultures been so maligned? And how do states wield "soft power" through diplomatic gifts? Guests: James Crawford, author, The Edge of the PlainAnthony Sattin, author, Nomads: The wanderers who shaped our worldPaul Brummell, author, Diplomatic gifts: a history in 50 presents

Jan 1, 2024 • 53:23

Taking the plunge

Taking the plunge

The ability to swim, or not, has always been a social divider and often an indicator of cultural power. But there have been periods and places where those who considered themselves superior chose not to swim. And, why it wasn't until the mid-20th century that body hair came to be viewed as unhealthy, even filthy.Guests: Karen Eva Carr,  Associate Professor (Emerita) in History, Portland State University, Oregon and author of ‘Shifting currents: a world history of swimming’.  (R

Jan 1, 2024 • 52:57

Ways with words: from puzzles to Wikipedia

Ways with words: from puzzles to Wikipedia

Did you know that every time you perform a Google search, you're using technology invented by a medieval polymath in Oxford? That's just one of the many interesting insights in Phillip Adams' conversations about how the index, the crossword and the encyclopedia were invented - and why they stuck.

Jan 1, 2024 • 53:30

What's behind the human need to count everything?

What's behind the human need to count everything?

The human urge to document and quantify has been long and varied. Multiple systems of measurement have been devised over thousands of years. But it’s a way to make sense of our world. So, too, is the desire to encapsulate what life is like at a given time, and store it safely somewhere for future populations to examine.  Keith Hoosten: author of Empire of the Sum: the rise and reign of the pocket calculatorJames Vincent: author of Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measureme

Jan 1, 2024 • 54:05

The stories that pockets, fabric and trenchcoats tell

The stories that pockets, fabric and trenchcoats tell

How did the trench coat morph from its practical military origins to fashion item and spy-wear? Delve into the humble pocket - and its contents - and you'll discover a wealth of social, cultural and political history. Fabrics are woven throughout human history, through Silk Road trading and the European lace wars to the hi-tech fibre of NASA spacesuits. Guests: Jane Tynan: author of Trench Coat Ariane Fennetauz  co-authored, with Barbara Burman, ‘The Artful pocket: a hidden his

Jan 1, 2024 • 53:08

Handshakes and smiles - why do we do it?

Handshakes and smiles - why do we do it?

What are the origins of the handshake? When did smiling become fashionable? And are we hard-wired to laugh? Guests: Ella Al-Shamahi, author of The Handshake: a gripping history (2021)Colin Jones, author of The Smile Revolution In Eighteenth Century Paris (2014)Jonathan Silvertown, author of The Comedy of Error (2020)

Jan 1, 2024 • 52:57

LNL Summer: Peter Wohlleben on the secret lives and superpowers of trees

LNL Summer: Peter Wohlleben on the secret lives and superpowers of trees

Peter Wohlleben opened our eyes to the hidden social lives of trees. Now he makes the case that trees could be our climate saviours, if we let them.  First broadcast 25 May 2023

Dec 28, 2023 • 23:11

LNL Summer: The Devil's Element

LNL Summer: The Devil's Element

Phosphorus supports all life on Earth, yet we're exhausting our reserves of this finite resource at an unsustainable rate, while we allow it to overflow and pollute our waterways. As we inch towards 'peak phosphorus', it turns out the key to our future food security could reside in our own bladders and bowels. Guest: First broadcast 18 May 2023

Dec 28, 2023 • 28:42

LNL Summer: The world's first aquarium

LNL Summer: The world's first aquarium

In May 1853, thousands of visitors flocked to London Zoo to enter the world's first aquarium or "Fish House". The aquarium was a complete novelty - an opportunity to observe the lives of fish up close. The development of the aquarium would forever change our relationship with the marine world. Guest: John Simons, historian and academic, author of "Goldfish in the Parlour: The Victorian Craze for Marine Life"Originally broadcast 1st February, 2023

Dec 27, 2023 • 21:14

LNL Summer: How authentic are our national dishes?

LNL Summer: How authentic are our national dishes?

While the national dish often associated with Australia is the humble meat pie, other countries have national fare dating back centuries, which has the symbolic power of an anthem or flag. But are the national dishes that we travel the world to taste as iconic as we're told? Guest: Anya von Bremzen, award-winning food writer and author of NATIONAL DISH: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home published by Penguin Random House.Originally broadcast, September 11th 2023

Dec 27, 2023 • 30:21

LNL Summer: Peter Frankopan on The Earth Transformed

LNL Summer: Peter Frankopan on The Earth Transformed

Oxford historian and bestselling author of The Silk Roads Peter Frankopan joins Phillip Adams for a revelatory chat about how climate has contributed to the rise and fall of empires - and what this means for our future on a rapidly warming planet. First broadcast 9 March 2023

Dec 26, 2023 • 54:06

LNL Summer: Sally Young on politics, power and the Australian press

LNL Summer: Sally Young on politics, power and the Australian press

In no other Western country has ownership and control of the media been concentrated in the hands of as few people as it has in Australia. Sally Young tells the remarkable story of the media monsters that conglomerated their power and strengthened their influence in the mid-twentieth century.  First broadcast 13 June 2023

Dec 25, 2023 • 54:06

LNL Summer: the doctors who got high for science

LNL Summer: the doctors who got high for science

We tend to think that the exploration of psychoactive drugs began in the 1960s. But over a century before the explosion of the hippie counterculture, pioneering scientists and thinkers were using substances such as cocaine, hashish and nitrous oxide to unlock the hidden recesses of the mind. Guest: Mike Jay, author and cultural historianHis new book is 'Psychonauts: Drugs and the Making of the Modern Mind' (Yale University Press)Originally broadcast, 4th of May 2023

Dec 21, 2023 • 22:21

LNL Summer: Andrey Kurkov's diary from Ukraine

LNL Summer: Andrey Kurkov's diary from Ukraine

For over 40 years author Andrey Kurkov has kept a personal journal. His entries from the period leading up to Russia’s invasion and over the first five months of the war provide a glimpse into a country and a culture fighting for survival, against the odds.    Guest: Andrey Kurkov – Author and president of PEN Ukraine. His latest book is Diary of an Invasion published by Mountain Leopard Press.Originally broadcast 4th of May, 2023

Dec 21, 2023 • 28:39

LNL Summer: How the patriarchy was invented (and how it can be dismantled)

LNL Summer: How the patriarchy was invented (and how it can be dismantled)

In a radical new book, award-winning journalist Angela Saini explores the roots of gendered oppression and finds that male supremacy is a construct - and a far more recent one than we might imagine. Guest: Angela Saini - British science journalist, broadcaster and author. Her latest book is The Patriarchs: How men came to rule published by Harper Collins. Originally broadcast, April 27th 2023

Dec 20, 2023 • 24:33

LNL Summer: the rise of Germany’s first female Chancellor

LNL Summer: the rise of Germany’s first female Chancellor

Once dubbed the most powerful woman in the world, questions are being asked about whether former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s pragmatic approach left Germany unprepared for dealing with energy transition and climate change.  But as a new documentary shows, her career was also marked by a politics of truth and integrity. ‘Merkel’ reveals how her life behind the wall in East Germany shaped her powerful stance on keeping Germany’s borders open to refugees and helped her stand

Dec 20, 2023 • 26:53

LNL Summer: The bootlegged x-ray records of the USSR

LNL Summer: The bootlegged x-ray records of the USSR

Stephen Coates reveals how a secret underground subculture of music lovers defied the censors in Cold War-era USSR, recording forbidden music onto old x-rays.Guest:Stephen Coates - composer, writer and music producer. Author of Bone Music (published by Strange Attractor / MIT Press) Check out the X-ray Audio Project hereMusic credits:St Louis Blues - Unknown (courtesy of Atila Csanyi)Emigre Tango - singer Serge Nikolsky (courtesy of Nikolai Rechetnik)All other tracks courtesy o

Dec 19, 2023 • 27:00

LNL Summer: Christopher de Hamel on manuscript addicts

LNL Summer: Christopher de Hamel on manuscript addicts

The illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages are among the greatest works of European art and literature, fetching phenomenal sums at auction.  So who were the people who spent their lives among illuminated manuscripts over the last thousand years? Guest: Christopher de Hamel, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and former Fellow Librarian of the Parker Library. 'The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club’ is published by Penguin. Originally broadcast on the 6th of

Dec 19, 2023 • 24:05

LNL Summer: the revolutionary women of the Whitlam era

LNL Summer: the revolutionary women of the Whitlam era

The Whitlam era saw a great leap forward for women's rights in Australia, driven by Women’s Adviser Elizabeth Reid and a host of female activists, backed by a grass roots movement across the country. Their work is being recognised in a book released to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of Reid’s appointment.Guests:- Dr Elizabeth Reid, former Women's Adviser to Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, feminist development worker, academic and writer.- Michelle Arrow, Professor in Mode

Dec 18, 2023 • 52:56

Best of LNL: Reflections of a diplomat – why Australia went to war in Iraq and our legacy in the Arab world

Best of LNL: Reflections of a diplomat – why Australia went to war in Iraq and our legacy in the Arab world

Former Middle East diplomat Bob Bowker reflects on Australia’s role in the Arab world ahead of the twentieth anniversary of the Iraq war. He looks at how the impact of that war has played out in Middle East relations, the intractable problems between Israel and Palestine and how China is seeking to play a larger role in brokering issues between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Guest: Bob Bowker, retired diplomat, former Australian Ambassador to Jordan and Egypt and author of “Tomorrow th

Dec 14, 2023 • 23:50

Best of LNL: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad reflects on the invasion of Iraq, 20 years on

Best of LNL: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad reflects on the invasion of Iraq, 20 years on

The 19th of March 2003 marked the beginning of the invasion of Iraq by the United States and the 'Coalition of the Willing'. 20 years on, award-winning Iraqi journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad reflects on how the invasion transformed his country, and it's people. Guest: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad – award-winning journalist for the Guardian and author of A Stranger in Your Own City: Travels in the Middle East’s Long War published by Penguin Random House.This story was originally broadcast on 0

Dec 14, 2023 • 28:46

Best of LNL: Meet young Rupert Murdoch - the radical lefty

Best of LNL: Meet young Rupert Murdoch - the radical lefty

Author Walter Marsh on the era that shaped young Rupert Murdoch - the radical who espoused socialism, kept a bust of Lenin in his uni accommodation and then went on to build his empire from 1950s Adelaide.  Guest: Walter Marsh, journalist and author of Young Rupert - the making of the Murdoch empire,  published by Scribe.This episode was originally broadcast on 03 August 2023.

Dec 13, 2023 • 53:39

Best of LNL: New York's unstoppable rats

Best of LNL: New York's unstoppable rats

New York has long had a problem with rat infestations, but rat numbers have recently reached historic highs. Can New York rid itself or rats, or is this an unwinnable war?Originally broadcast on 22nd March 2023Guest: Xochitl Gonzalez, staff writer for The Atlantic

Dec 12, 2023 • 19:07

Best of LNL: Jimmy Carter - unlucky president, lucky man

Best of LNL: Jimmy Carter - unlucky president, lucky man

James Fallows was the chief White House speechwriter for former president Jimmy Carter. He reflects on the life and legacy of this ‘disciplined, funny, enormously intelligent and deeply spiritual man’. Originally broadcast on the 1st of March, 2023.Guest: James Fallows - contributing writer at The Atlantic and author of the newsletter Breaking the News. You can read his piece in The Atlantic on Jimmy Carter here.

Dec 12, 2023 • 34:16

Best of LNL: Influencers- how Australia's political biographers impacted our prime ministers

Best of LNL: Influencers- how Australia's political biographers impacted our prime ministers

In 2011 political historian and journalist Chris Wallace walked away from a biography she was writing on then Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. Wallace felt that amidst the toxic atmosphere of attacks on Gillard releasing the biography risked it being unfairly used against her and she didn't want any part of it. In her new book Political Lives, Wallace investigates how political biographies throughout Australia's history have impacted on our leaders — for good and ill.Guest: Dr Ch

Dec 11, 2023 • 0:14

The Year in Review 2023: the black, the white and the downright colourful

The Year in Review 2023: the black, the white and the downright colourful

In a year when wars and the referendum on the voice all worked towards dividing us, there were moments of joy and unity. Our end of year panel digs deep to find them.AJ Lamarque, comedian, writer, producer and host of the Kweens of ComedyAlice Fraser, writer and podcast host of Tea with Alice and The Gargle.Carly Williams, national indigenous correspondent with the ABC and a Quandamooka woman from SE QueenslandJonathan Biggins, writer and performer in The Wharf Review currently showing at the Se

Dec 7, 2023 • 53:36

International Day of Disability: Selina Mills

International Day of Disability: Selina Mills

When award-winning writer and broadcaster Selina Mills started to lose her sight, she noticed that people started to treat her differently. It caused her to explore where the stigma around blindness originates and how it persists in Western culture to this day.

Dec 6, 2023 • 26:34

International Day of Disability: Andrew Leland

International Day of Disability: Andrew Leland

Writer Andrew Leland is gradually losing his sight as a result of a progressive eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa. He discusses what it's like to join - but not feel entirely a part of - the blind community and what it actually means to be blind.

Dec 6, 2023 • 28:50

Bee on her bonnet: the woman who challenged our social order

Bee on her bonnet: the woman who challenged our social order

‘It takes a man or woman of great moral courage…to dare the risk of being himself or herself all the time’ – so said Bee Miles, the Sydney woman who claimed she was not anti-social, but anti the social order of 1920’s Australia. Her refusal to conform saw the intellectual radical arrested more than 300 times and be locked up in at least seven psychiatric hospitals.Guests:Rose Ellis - author of ‘Bee Miles - Australia's famous bohemian rebel, and the untold story behind the legend’, published by A

Dec 5, 2023 • 39:39

Bruce Shapiro's America: what to expect in 2024

Bruce Shapiro's America: what to expect in 2024

Bruce Shapiro reflects on the year that was in American politics, and looks ahead to a fateful election year in 2024. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Dec 5, 2023 • 14:42

Celebrating 100 years of Radio National

Celebrating 100 years of Radio National

As we celebrate 100 years of radio in Australia, radio historians Dr Virginia Madsen and Professor Jock Given look back at the early days of wireless, how Radio National was born, and at the golden moments in the history of our favourite medium.

Dec 4, 2023 • 44:25

Laura Tingle and Niki Savva on the politics of 2023

Laura Tingle and Niki Savva on the politics of 2023

Laura Tingle and author and columnist Niki Sava look back on the key political events of 2023, including the Voice referendum loss, the cost of living crisis and scandals like Robodebt and PWC. Guests: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30Niki Savva, author and columnist.

Dec 4, 2023 • 20:50

Jerrie Cobb - aviation pioneer or CIA spy?

Jerrie Cobb - aviation pioneer or CIA spy?

Jerrie Cobb was the first woman selected to join Mercury 13, an elite  group of women pilots being trained as astronauts in 1960. When film maker Mary Haverstick decided to make a feature film about Jerrie, she soon discovered that Jerrie Cobb seemed to have another identity - June Cobb who was a CIA spy involved in assassination attempts in Cuba and the Congo. She may even have played a role in the assassination of JFK.Guest: Mary Haverstick, film maker and author of "A Woman I Know: female spi

Nov 30, 2023 • 25:03

How wild nature is bearing the brunt of climate change

How wild nature is bearing the brunt of climate change

Discussions of climate change tend to focus on the threats to human societies and economies. But in wild nature, countless species are already in rapid decline, ill-equipped to deal with their rapidly changing realities. Guest: Adam Welz, journalist and author, The End of Eden: Wild Nature in the Age of Climate Breakdown.

Nov 30, 2023 • 28:10

How true are the stories we know about Roman emperors?

How true are the stories we know about Roman emperors?

Marcus Aurelius the philosopher, the mad Caligula, the monster Nero. After a couple of thousand years, we still remember the names of many Roman emperors. But why have some been forgotten? And how accurate are the stories that survive?Guest: Mary Beard, author of ‘Emperors of Rome: ruling the ancient roman world’, published by Allen & Unwin.

Nov 29, 2023 • 27:34

The long campaign for Indigenous Rangers to care for country

The long campaign for Indigenous Rangers to care for country

The Gunditjmara people of Western Victoria have just been recognised with a UNESCO award for their work safeguarding and maintaining their country at Budj Bim cultural heritage site. It's the culmination of years of work campaigning for the right of Indigenous people to care for their own country and for funding the work of Indigenous Rangers. Budj Bim is now just one of around 80 Indigenous Protected Areas covering a vast amount of Australian land.Guests:  Denis Rose, Gunditjmara Traditional Ow

Nov 29, 2023 • 24:48

Zahra Hankir traces the history of eyeliner as a symbol of power and protest

Zahra Hankir traces the history of eyeliner as a symbol of power and protest

There is so much more to eyeliner, or 'kohl', than meets the eye. As journalist Zahra Hankir explains, for centuries its been a symbol of power and resistance, as well as female and male beauty.

Nov 28, 2023 • 19:35

COP28: What's in it for the Pacific?

COP28: What's in it for the Pacific?

COP28 kicks off in Dubai later this week, after a year of record-breaking extreme temperatures. Our Pacific neighbours are already bearing the brunt of the effects, and Australia is hoping to co-host COP31 with Pacific nations in 2036. So what are Pacific Islanders hoping to see the Australian government, and others, commit to at the UN climate talks?  Joseph Sikulu and Dr Wesley Morgan join us to discuss.

Nov 28, 2023 • 17:39

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt recaps an eventful year in UK politics. Meanwhile, the Sunak government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has been ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court. Plus, the latest economic figures show that Britons are enduring the worst cost of living crisis in decades.Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the "i" newspaper

Nov 28, 2023 • 14:29

The paintings of the State Library of NSW

The paintings of the State Library of NSW

Unlike the painting collections of art galleries, the State Library of NSW collection is based on the stories the pictures tell, rather than their aesthetic value. Guests: Richard Neville and Rachel Franks, both from the State Library, co-editors of 'Reading the Rooms: behind the paintings of the State Library of NSW’  (NewSouth)

Nov 27, 2023 • 40:18

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Pezzullo sacked, Plibersek's Murray-Darling deal and gas gets the go-ahead

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Pezzullo sacked, Plibersek's Murray-Darling deal and gas gets the go-ahead

Laura Tingle on whether sacked Home Affairs Secretary Mike Pezzullo might get his contract paid out, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek's Murray-Darling deal and the government's gas industry code gets the go-ahead.Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Nov 27, 2023 • 11:24

Raimond Gaita on love and hope for the world

Raimond Gaita on love and hope for the world

Moral philosopher Raimond Gaita believes that when we have love for the world there is still hope. He still believes we can find a shared sense of humanity, but we need to listen hard to each other and have conversations which we accept will have an unknown outcome.Guest: Philosopher and author of "Justice and Hope: Essays, Lectures and Other Writings” edited by Scott Stephens Melbourne University Press

Nov 23, 2023 • 35:00

Yascha Mounk on why identity politics is a zero sum game

Yascha Mounk on why identity politics is a zero sum game

In the United States segregating class rooms is being offered once again, but now it's called 'progressive separatism' - an ideology driven by notions of intersectionality and post-colonialism. But author Yascha Mounk argues that identity politics has become a zero-sum-game, making it harder to achieve a fairer society. Guest: Yascha Mounk, author of “The Identity Trap: a story of ideas and power in our times” published by Penguin.

Nov 23, 2023 • 19:04

How Charlie Chaplin became a victim of American paranoia

How Charlie Chaplin became a victim of American paranoia

At the height of his career, Charlie Chaplin was the most famous man in the world, but he was not impervious to the Red Scare. Biographer Scott Eyman revisits the life of Charlie Chaplin and how he became a victim of a particular brand of American paranoia.

Nov 22, 2023 • 49:43

Jim Haynes' true tales of transportation in colonial times

Jim Haynes' true tales of transportation in colonial times

The real life stories of a cast of characters all linked together by the experience of transportation to the penal colony of NSW.Jim Haynes:  author of Heroes, Rebels and Radicals of Convict Australia  (Allen&Unwin)

Nov 21, 2023 • 20:16

Is this the end of Netanyahu?

Is this the end of Netanyahu?

The Hamas terror attack on the 7th of October seemed to spell the simultaneous downfall of Israel’s right-wing president Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the possibility of a two-state solution. Tel Aviv-based political scientist Dr Dahlia Scheindlin reflects on what’s currently happening in Israeli politics and the possibility now of a comprehensive peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Nov 21, 2023 • 18:35

Bruce Shapiro's America: Remembering Rosalynn Carter

Bruce Shapiro's America: Remembering Rosalynn Carter

In this US update with Bruce Shapiro, we remember the 'Steel magnolia', former first lady Rosalynn Carter and her dedication to making life better for others. Plus, we look at why a spate of recent state and local elections bodes well for Biden, while the Israel-Gaza war does not.

Nov 21, 2023 • 13:25

Did the CIA have a hand in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba?

Did the CIA have a hand in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba?

It was the murder that shocked the world and, for decades, what happened to Congolese independence leader and prime minister Patrice Lumumba remained shrouded in mystery. Now, Stuart Reid has discovered that the CIA - and the United Nations - played a bigger role in events in the Congo than we've previously believed.

Nov 20, 2023 • 23:57

Can China broker peace in Gaza?

Can China broker peace in Gaza?

China has been talking up its intention to broker peace between Israel and Gaza in it role as President of the UN Security Council, but how much clout does it really have in the Middle-East? Guests: Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow of Taihe Institute.Julien Barnes-Dacey, MENA programme director at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Nov 20, 2023 • 17:21

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

A sonar incident in the South China Sea strains relations with China. Plus, the rush to push through laws after the High Court's ruling on indefinite detention.Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Nov 20, 2023 • 13:35

Richard Flanagan on why he is a child of the bomb

Richard Flanagan on why he is a child of the bomb

Richard Flanagan sits down with Phillip to talk about his new book Question Seven which explores the connections between HG Wells, Hiroshima, his father's experience as a prisoner of war and his own existence. He also reflects on the questions that both authors and readers should be asking.Guest: Richard Flanagan, author of Question Seven (Penguin Random House)

Nov 16, 2023 • 53:34

Islam Issa on the ancient wonders of Alexandria

Islam Issa on the ancient wonders of Alexandria

In the year 313 BC, on a stretch of arid Egyptian coast, Alexander the Great founded the city that still bears his name: Alexandria.  In the centuries that followed, the city emerged as a thriving multicultural centre of world trade, culture, literature and science.Guest: Professor Islam Issa, author, Alexandria: the city that changed the world.

Nov 15, 2023 • 25:54

Facial recognition: Could it mean the end of privacy?

Facial recognition: Could it mean the end of privacy?

Start with a photo of an unknown face, then run it through an algorithm linked to a massive data base with millions of facial images scraped from the internet and social media and you’d be concerned and surprised at just how much personal information the system can dig up.Kashmir Hill: Technology Reporter, the New York Times and author of Your face belongs to us: the secretive startup dismantling your privacy  (Simon & Schuster)

Nov 15, 2023 • 26:17

Meet John Ackah Blay-Miezah: The con-man who swindled the world - and got away with it

Meet John Ackah Blay-Miezah: The con-man who swindled the world - and got away with it

Yepoka Yeebo tells the jaw-dropping true story of John Ackah Blay-Miezah, an audacious Ghanaian con-man that pulled off one of the 20th century's longest-running and most spectacular frauds.

Nov 14, 2023 • 21:33

Francesca Albanese - UN Special Rapporteur

Francesca Albanese - UN Special Rapporteur

In her role as the Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese investigates human rights violations by both Israeli and Palestinian authorities in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. She questions whether Israel has the right defend itself against Hamas in the way that it has according to international law and argues passionately for the humanisation of all the victims of the conflict.Guest: Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinia

Nov 14, 2023 • 18:33

Ian Dunt's UK: Goodbye Braverman, Hello Cameron

Ian Dunt's UK: Goodbye Braverman, Hello Cameron

In a surprise turn of events, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak decided to clean house, announcing a big cabinet reshuffle in which Suella Braverman was replaced as home secretary and former prime minister David Cameron was welcomed back, as foreign secretary. Guest: Ian Dunt - Columnist with the “i” newspaper.

Nov 14, 2023 • 13:04

How Sean Turnell survived 650 days of detention in Myanmar

How Sean Turnell survived 650 days of detention in Myanmar

Sean Turnell was an academic whose expertise in the economy of Myanmar gained the attention of the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi while she was still in detention. When she was released she called on Sean to join her team to reform the economy of Myanmar. Six years later he was arrested and thrown in jail for 650 days. Now one year on since his release, he tells the story of his time in some of the most notorious jails in Myanmar.Guest: Sean Turnell, Author of An Unlikely Prisoner (Pengui

Nov 13, 2023 • 38:29

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is being criticised by both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel lobbyists for her comment that there should be 'steps towards' a ceasefire. With Laura Tingle

Nov 13, 2023 • 12:28

The day Britain’s empire was on the brink

The day Britain’s empire was on the brink

On September 29 1923, the British Empire reached its geographical zenith, covering a quarter of the world and nearly 500 million people. But in spite of Britain’s triumphalism, Matthew Parker discovers a ruling power be-set by debt and doubt, and on the ground, the sounds of shackles being shrugged off.Guest:  Matthew Parker, author of ‘One Fine Day – 29 September 1923 – Britain’s Empire on the Brink’, published by Abacus Books.

Nov 9, 2023 • 53:36

Meet Charlie and His Orchestra: Joseph Goebbels' swing band

Meet Charlie and His Orchestra: Joseph Goebbels' swing band

Despite decrying jazz and swing as 'degenerate music', Reich Minister for Propaganda Joseph Goebbels knew the power of music and radio to capture hearts and minds. He put together his own swing band, which re-wrote the lyrics of popular tunes as Nazi propaganda. Journalist Scott Simon tells the story.

Nov 8, 2023 • 38:47

Pacific leaders touch down in Rarotonga

Pacific leaders touch down in Rarotonga

The Pacific Islands Forum is meeting in Rarotonga this year, and there are more non-Pacific guests than ever before. The Pacific Leaders are trying to focus on Pacific issues like climate change and seabed mining rather than getting sidetracked by external issues like the war between Israel and Gaza.Guest: Tess Newton-Cain, Project Leader at the Pacific Hub at Griffith University in Queensland

Nov 8, 2023 • 13:09

The Australian who helped rescue JFK in WWII

The Australian who helped rescue JFK in WWII

In 1943 John F. Kennedy and crew are left for dead after their boat is rammed by a Japanese destroyer. Fortunately for them, Australian coast watcher Reg Evans was there to help. Brett Mason:  Author of  Saving Lieutenant Kennedy The heroic story of the Australian who helped rescue JFK

Nov 7, 2023 • 17:19

Why did the mass protests of the 2010s fail?

Why did the mass protests of the 2010s fail?

From 2010 to 2020, more people took part in protests than at any other point in human history. From the Arab Spring, to Hong Kong's student demonstrations - many of these movements failed to achieve their ends. Why has success been so elusive? Guest: Vincent Bevins, journalist and author, "If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution", Hachette

Nov 7, 2023 • 22:15

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken makes a desperate diplomatic mission to the Middle East. Meanwhile, Joe Biden is losing ground to Donald Trump in a new poll of swing states, one year out from the general election.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University

Nov 7, 2023 • 15:35

Whalers in the Antarctic

Whalers in the Antarctic

A vegan environmental scientist journeys to Antarctica, and finds herself surprisingly moved by the stories of the young Scottish whalers of the 20th century, even though they contributed to  the decimation of the whale population in the region.  Guest: Sandy Winterbottom, former environmental science academic. Author of 'The Two-Headed Whale: Life, Loss and the Tangled Legacy of Whaling in the Antarctic' (Greystone Books)

Nov 6, 2023 • 16:41

The battle to keep the Pacific a nuclear free zone

The battle to keep the Pacific a nuclear free zone

The Pacific region was a nuclear testing ground for more than 50 years until the last test by the French in 1996. But now thirty years on people are still suffering high rates of cancer and seeking reparations. And there are concerns that the region will again become a nuclear dumping ground. Guest: Nic Maclellan, correspondent for Islands Business and author of Grappling with the Bomb: a history of British nuclear testing in Kiribati.

Nov 6, 2023 • 21:23

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Albo in China, Sco-Mo in Israel

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Albo in China, Sco-Mo in Israel

Anthony Albanese meets with China President Xi Jinping, Scott Morrison heads to Israel and Treasurer Jim Chalmers says we're unlikely to reach our net-zero emissions target with a review of our industry policy.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Nov 6, 2023 • 14:16

The quirks and perks of love

The quirks and perks of love

Edward Brooke-Hitching, LNL’s special correspondent in oddities, ponders how love has been depicted through the ages. His new book is ‘Love: A Curious History in 50 Objects’ (published by Simon & Schuster)

Nov 2, 2023 • 27:34

Adelaide Ironside: The first Australian artist to astonish the world

Adelaide Ironside: The first Australian artist to astonish the world

In a speculative biography, Kiera Lindsey brings to life the story of Adelaide Ironside - an outstanding yet largely forgotten colonial artist. Kiera Lindsey: Author of Wild Love: the ambitions of Adelaide Ironside the first Australian artist to astonish the world Advocate, the History Trust of South Australia

Nov 2, 2023 • 24:32

Wendy Harmer on 'Lies My Mirror Told Me'

Wendy Harmer on 'Lies My Mirror Told Me'

Wendy Harmer has lived a life full of 'firsts' - she was the first female news cadet in an all-male newsroom in Geelong, the first Australian female stand-up comedian and the first female co-host on a commercial radio breakfast program. But did Wendy herself ever feel like a trailblazer? Or was she always the little girl with the cleft palate, putting on a brave face? She reveals all in this broad-ranging interview with Phillip Adams.

Nov 1, 2023 • 52:52

The full steam on saunas

The full steam on saunas

There is evidence that people have been using steam baths for thousands of years and across many countries. They are now having a renaissance along with cold water swimming. What is it about saunas that has made them so enduring and so addictive. Guest: Emma O'Kelly, journalist and author of Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat photographed by Maya Astikainen and published by Welbeck

Oct 31, 2023 • 22:48

Marine heatwave could cook southern Australian oceans this Summer

Marine heatwave could cook southern Australian oceans this Summer

A severe marine heatwave is expected to peak this December-February, and could affect southern Australian fisheries, tourism and biodiversity. Most at risk is the Great Southern Reef,  which wraps around the southern half of Australia. It is more economically valuable than the Great Barrier Reef, and yet receives less than 1% of the funding. With Scott Bennett,  marine ecologist

Oct 31, 2023 • 12:59

Naomi Smith's UK: political tensions over Gaza and Rishi Sunak's first year

Naomi Smith's UK: political tensions over Gaza and Rishi Sunak's first year

Both the Conservatives and the Labour Party are facing internal turmoil as an increasing number of MPs call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Plus Rishi's report card - how the Sunak government has performed in its first year.  Guest: Naomi Smith, CEO, Best for Britain.

Oct 31, 2023 • 15:46

This town in Mexico has banned avocados. There's a good reason why

This town in Mexico has banned avocados. There's a good reason why

Behind the booming global demand for avocados is an increasingly violent competition to control this fruit and the resources needed to produce it. Journalist Alex Sammon travelled to the frontlines of this conflict in the Mexican state of Michoacán to report on the true cost of our avocado toast.

Oct 30, 2023 • 15:52

What is the Atlas Network?

What is the Atlas Network?

There are a huge number of think tanks across the globe and across the political spectrum. But less well known is an organisation committed to free market policies that has been supporting think tanks with similar ideologies. It is called the Atlas Network and it has a long and fascinating history and an equally interesting present with connections to the No Campaign to the Voice to Parliament.  Guest: Dr Jeremy Walker, author of More Heat than Life: the Tangled Roots of Ecology, Energy and Econ

Oct 30, 2023 • 23:25

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Israel, AUKUS subs and China

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Israel, AUKUS subs and China

Why Paul Keating wouldn't sign the ex-prime ministers' letter on Israel, Anthony Albanese takes the Assange case and sureties of Australian friendship to the US while treading carefully not to offend China. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Oct 30, 2023 • 12:17

Maria Sybilla Merian: the first ecologist

Maria Sybilla Merian: the first ecologist

Artist and naturalist Maria Sybilla Merian was one of the first Europeans to identify metamorphosis and directly link the lives of insects and plants. She lived with a doomsday cult and went to South America on a self-funded expedition. Peter the Great, the Tsar of Russia, was a big fan of her work. Historical novelist Melissa Ashley has been researching her life and work

Oct 26, 2023 • 22:15

Can war be justified?

Can war be justified?

American essayist and novelist Phil Klay, a former Marine, wrestles with the Israel and Gaza conflict, and other wars the US has been involved in the past two decades. He considers the decision-making, and the legacies.

Oct 26, 2023 • 29:21

When Melbourne lost its mind over orange rind

When Melbourne lost its mind over orange rind

The newspapers of 19th Century Melbourne paint a colourful and at times bizarre picture of the city: from collapsing Gold Rush era buildings, to exploding sewers, to runaway horses, roaming "larrikins", and a moral panic over discarded orange-peels.  Guest: Robyn Annear, author, "Corners of Melbourne: The great orange-peel panic and other stories from the streets", Text

Oct 25, 2023 • 24:30

Humanity's long and often futile battle against dust

Humanity's long and often futile battle against dust

Ever since humans first encountered dust, they have tried to contain it with varying degrees of success. Jay Owens tells the stories of the coal dust that covered the cities of the 18th century, the dust created by emptying lakes across the globe and even the mysterious dust found under the couch. She also asks the important question - is there such a thing as good dust? Jay Owens, author  Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion Particles published by Hachette

Oct 25, 2023 • 27:36

The rise and rise of citizen scientists

The rise and rise of citizen scientists

More than just well-meaning and helpful, these volunteers are credited with over half of all species records in Australia’s national biodiversity database. What do they do and what difference do they make to our understanding and management of at risk and threatened species?

Oct 24, 2023 • 14:00

Poland votes to reject populism

Poland votes to reject populism

Atlantic staff writer Anne Applebaum discusses the surprising results of Poland's recent parliamentary elections, in which the populist Law and Justice Party failed to secure a new mandate.

Oct 24, 2023 • 18:48

Bruce Shapiro's America: Biden's 'bear-hug' diplomacy

Bruce Shapiro's America: Biden's 'bear-hug' diplomacy

US President Joe Biden is caught in a difficult balancing act, attempting to show support for Israel while also trying to urge restraint. Meanwhile, the chaos in Congress continues, with no clear prospect of a new speaker to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

Oct 24, 2023 • 18:06

The Jamaican language revolution

The Jamaican language revolution

Often misjudged as a second-class English dialect, Jamaican is cementing itself as the Caribbean nation's foremost tongue - though you won't hear it in the nation's courts.

Oct 23, 2023 • 19:36

Dying in the name of God in Kenya

Dying in the name of God in Kenya

Kenyan authorities were shocked to discover the bodies of some 400 people, many emaciated with some showing signs of abuse.

Oct 23, 2023 • 19:45

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

The Prime Minister has a busy few weeks of international travel ahead, first visiting the United States to discuss AUKUS and energy, before a historic trip to Beijing to meet with President Xi.  Guest: Laura Tingle, chief political correspondent, 7.30

Oct 23, 2023 • 12:57

Feather light and bulletproof - the incredible potential of silk

Feather light and bulletproof - the incredible potential of silk

Silk has long been coveted for its beauty, but it also one of the strongest biological materials ever known. Silk was used to make the first bulletproof vest more than a century ago—but Dr Aarathi Prasad says scientists have barely begun to tap its potential.

Oct 19, 2023 • 24:37

Talkin' bout a revolution: why 1848 still matters

Talkin' bout a revolution: why 1848 still matters

1848 was a unique moment in history when a revolutionary wave unfurled across Europe. The renowned Australian historian Christopher Clark discusses why parallel political tumults spread like brush fire, leading to momentous changes that continue to shape our world today.

Oct 19, 2023 • 26:51

Could the Yarra flow clear again?

Could the Yarra flow clear again?

Melbourne's Yarra River is often derided as "the river that flows upside-down" due to its strong muddy colour. But once upon a time, this ancient river ran clear. Today, the Yarra remains a viable and important habitat for dozens of native species, as humans work to undo centuries of damage.  Guest: Harry Saddler, author, Clear Flowing Yarra

Oct 18, 2023 • 17:14

Rory Stewart on his decade as a Conservative MP

Rory Stewart on his decade as a Conservative MP

When Rory Stewart became a Conservative MP in 2010, he  found Westminster full of people who were not serious about policy, but rather obsessed with “personalities, promotion and power”. Despite that he managed to achieve some meaningful policy changes before being ejected from the party by Boris Johnson over Brexit. Guest: Rory Stewart, author of Politics on the Edge: A memoir from within (Penguin Random House) and co-host of The Rest is Politics

Oct 18, 2023 • 35:07

Beefing up Australia's soft power

Beefing up Australia's soft power

How does Australia fare when it comes to promoting its soft power?

Oct 17, 2023 • 17:59

How Singapore is cooling down its citizens as the planet warms

How Singapore is cooling down its citizens as the planet warms

The tropical city-state of Singapore already deals with hot and humid conditions all year round, but rapid urbanisation over the past half-century has made the city even hotter. Now, government and researchers are pursuing novel ways to cool down its citizens, as the planet warms.  Guests: Dr. Winston Chow, Associate Professor in Urban Climate, Singapore Management University.    Dr. Sebastian Pfautsch, Associate Professor Urban Planning and Management, Western Sydney University

Oct 17, 2023 • 21:00

Ian Dunt's UK: Scrapped rail, glitter bombs and BBC wartime disputes

Ian Dunt's UK: Scrapped rail, glitter bombs and BBC wartime disputes

...

Oct 17, 2023 • 11:57

What is behind humans' long connection to oak trees?

What is behind humans' long connection to oak trees?

Since before the days of the druids, humans have been connected to oak trees, for their acorns, their wood, their shelter and their magic. Over a period of two years James Canton spent a lot of time in the company of oak trees, and one in particular known as the Honywood Oak. The Honywood Oak is estimated to be 800 years old, and as he spent time with the ancient oak, he began to understand the mystical as well as practical relationship that humans have with oak trees. Guest: James Canton, autho

Oct 16, 2023 • 35:30

Australia votes 'No' to Voice to Parliament

Australia votes 'No' to Voice to Parliament

The nation has rejected constitutional recognition of First Nations people via an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in Australia's first referendum of this century. What does the result mean for the future of reconciliation?  Guests:  Laura Tingle, chief political correspondent, 7.30 John Paul Janke, co-host of The Point, NITV & SBS

Oct 16, 2023 • 17:03

Toil and trouble: a global history of witch trials

Toil and trouble: a global history of witch trials

Witch trials sound as antiquated as the three Weird Sisters in ‘Macbeth.’ But witches, most of them women, are still being persecuted and killed today.

Oct 12, 2023 • 23:09

Ed Yong unlocks the secret world of animal senses

Ed Yong unlocks the secret world of animal senses

Pulitzer-winning science journalist Ed Yong talks about why he chose career as a science communicator and why we should care about how animals experience the world and how we are interfering with it.

Oct 12, 2023 • 27:31

Bennelong and Arthur Phillip - why didn't they sign a treaty?

Bennelong and Arthur Phillip - why didn't they sign a treaty?

The relationship between Wangal leader Bennelong and Captain Arthur Phillip was significant for the early years of the colony of NSW. A new twin biography of the two men looks at what they achieved together and significantly why they did not sign a treaty on their fateful trip to England. Guest: Kate Fullagar, author of Bennelong and Phillip: A History Unravelled (Simon and Schuster)

Oct 11, 2023 • 28:23

How Australia's world-first 8 hour day was achieved

How Australia's world-first 8 hour day was achieved

Australia's proud history with the eight hour day looms large in the collective imagination, but the campaign and the methods that won it have not been fully understood. Meanwhile, the pressures of work impinging on 'life' are just as present now. With political historian Sean Scalmer

Oct 11, 2023 • 22:57

From sex worker to secret informant: the hidden life of Lorraine Murray

From sex worker to secret informant: the hidden life of Lorraine Murray

Born in Adelaide in 1910, Lorraine Murray lived a life of constant reinvention — a rebel teenage student in Armidale, a young mistress to a Japanese diplomat, a sex worker in Shanghai, a counter-intelligence informant in Australia, and later in life, a London society matron. A new book uncovers the hidden life of this extraordinary woman.  Guest: Nick Hordern, author "Shanghai Demimondaine"

Oct 10, 2023 • 22:04

The global market for 'golden passports'

The global market for 'golden passports'

While those seeking asylum increasingly meet harsh border policies, if you can afford to pay, there are a growing number of states willing to sell their citizenship and the privileges it brings. Kristin Surak has conducted the first on-the-ground investigation of the lucrative trade in “golden passports” and what it reveals about the dark side of capitalist globalisation.

Oct 10, 2023 • 19:29

US Politics: Brendon O'Connor

US Politics: Brendon O'Connor

The US response to Hamas attacks on Israel, the acting House Speaker, Trump's fraud case and RFK Jnr's Presidential bid as an independent. Brendon O’Connor: Professor of US Politics and US Foreign Relations, United States Studies Centre, University  of Sydney.

Oct 10, 2023 • 11:14

French convicts in New Caledonia

French convicts in New Caledonia

France began sending convicts to New Caledonia just as Australia was winding up its convict transportation, in the 1850s and 60s. An unusual friendship developed between a French speaking Australian woman and a French convict poet. With historian Briony Neilson

Oct 9, 2023 • 19:52

How China's contracting economy affects Australia

How China's contracting economy affects Australia

Falling consumer prices, a property sector on the edge of collapse, ageing workers and unemployed youth, plus the after-effects of COVID have hampered China's economy. What does it all mean for Australia and the rest of the world? GUEST: Simon Cox, China economics editor at the Economist, based in Hong Kong

Oct 9, 2023 • 16:57

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle reflects on the tone of the Voice to Parliament debate, less than a week out from referendum day.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief political correspondent, 7.30

Oct 9, 2023 • 14:27

Michael Palin on his Great-Uncle Harry

Michael Palin on his Great-Uncle Harry

Michael Palin has long been a diarist - as well as a comedian, writer, traveller and actor - and so when he found the war diaries of his Great Uncle Harry, he wanted to find out more about the man that his family never discussed. The result is a moving book about a restless young man who survived Gallipoli but died in the Battle of the Somme. Guest: Michael Palin author of Great Uncle Harry: A Tale of War and Empire (Penguin Random House)

Oct 5, 2023 • 28:22

Extremism: moving from the margins to the mainstream

Extremism: moving from the margins to the mainstream

Incels. Anti-vaxxers. Neo-Nazis… Once, these radical groups existed on the far-flung fringes of society. Now their ideas are moving out of the shadows and seeping into mainstream culture.

Oct 5, 2023 • 23:18

How a trip to Antarctica changed Elizabeth Rush's mind about motherhood

How a trip to Antarctica changed Elizabeth Rush's mind about motherhood

In 2019, writer Elizabeth Rush joined an expedition to Thwaites Glacier, one of the world's most important, and most vulnerable, glaciers. In taking this journey she also grappled with whether or not she should bring a child into this rapidly changing world.

Oct 4, 2023 • 24:24

How "greenwashing" concealed the destruction of California's redwoods

How "greenwashing" concealed the destruction of California's redwoods

California's iconic redwood forests attract millions of visitors each year, but just four per cent of the ancient forests remain standing today. From the 1850s, the forest was logged to near oblivion, concealed by one of the most egregious "greenwashing" campaigns in US history.  Guest: Greg King, author, "The Ghost Forest: Racists, Radicals and Real Estate in the California Redwoods"

Oct 4, 2023 • 23:51

Bruce Shapiro's America: We need to talk about Kevin (McCarthy)

Bruce Shapiro's America: We need to talk about Kevin (McCarthy)

It's official. Republican Kevin McCarthy has become the first house speaker in US history to be ousted. How did it come to this? And what does it mean that the second most important job in the US government is currently vacant, with no one putting their hand up to fill it? Bruce Shapiro is here to explain all.

Oct 4, 2023 • 7:38

The original Luddites and their war on machines

The original Luddites and their war on machines

Over 200 years ago, in the midst of the Industrial Revolution, textile workers in England formed the original "Luddite" rebellion, raiding factories at night to destroy the machines threatening their livelihoods. Centuries later, is another Luddite uprising brewing against artificial intelligence?  Guest: Brian Merchant, author 'Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion against Big Tech'

Oct 3, 2023 • 20:09

The Trinity test fallout continues

The Trinity test fallout continues

When the US government tested the first nuclear bomb in New Mexico in July 1945, none of the nearby residents were warned or evacuated before or after the test. Now new research shows that the fallout from what became known as the Trinity test reached 46 states as well as Canada and Mexico. Families of those affected are still fighting for compensation. Guest: Lesley Blume, journalist and author of Fallout: The Hiroshima Coverup and the Reporter Who Revealed it to the World.

Oct 3, 2023 • 20:51

Ian Dunt's UK: 'Failed' multiculturalism, climate backdowns, and sexist TV anchors

Ian Dunt's UK: 'Failed' multiculturalism, climate backdowns, and sexist TV anchors

Ian Dunt breaks down another eventful fortnight in Old Blighty.

Oct 3, 2023 • 12:31

Why Henry Reynolds had to find out what really happened on the frontier

Why Henry Reynolds had to find out what really happened on the frontier

In an engaging address given at this year's Byron Writers Festival, pioneering historian Henry Reynolds covered living in Townsville in the 1960s, the importance of local history, the extraordinary racial gaps in Australia's early history telling, discovering the truths of frontier violence, his friendship with Eddie Mabo, and why the outcome of the Voice referendum will affect Australia's international standing. Archival audio from the ABC has been added to the recording of the talk.

Oct 2, 2023 • 52:01

Flawed heroes

Flawed heroes

Fake Heroes: Ten False Icons and How They Altered the Course of History.” Published by Welbeck.

Sep 28, 2023 • 24:21

South Africa's thousands of captive bred lions

South Africa's thousands of captive bred lions

In South Africa,  the lion-breeding industry continues to produce lions for tourists to shoot, and for bones to send to Asia as 'tiger' bones. Guest: Adam Welz, South African writer, photographer, and filmmaker based in Cape Town

Sep 28, 2023 • 27:20

The Floating University

The Floating University

In 1926 a ship set sail from New York on a world cruise, with hundreds of college students on board.  It was a grand educational experiment, called ‘The Floating University'. Guest: Historian and author Tamson Pietsch

Sep 27, 2023 • 18:47

Calder Walton takes us inside the real world of spies

Calder Walton takes us inside the real world of spies

Starting with the Bolshevik Revolution, world-leading intelligence historian Calder Walton takes us through one hundred years of espionage, subversion and sabotage between East and West, with some important lessons for our future interactions with China.

Sep 27, 2023 • 31:44

The Yirrkala Bark Petitions and the long, winding path to The Voice

The Yirrkala Bark Petitions and the long, winding path to The Voice

The Yirrkala Bark Petitions have helped pave the way for 60 years of civil rights and native title struggles up to and including the Voice referendum. But how well is their legacy understood? Guest: Professor Clare Wright, Professor of History, La Trobe University.

Sep 26, 2023 • 20:27

One country, one tongue: why China is suppressing language diversity

One country, one tongue: why China is suppressing language diversity

In late August, authorities in Hong Kong raided the home of Andrew Chan - the founder of a Cantonese language advocacy group, demanding he remove materials from his website. Chan has since dissolved the group entirely. This latest incident has raised concerns about the efforts of the Chinese government to suppress minority languages and assert the supremacy of Mandarin.  Guest: Gina Anne Tam, Associate Professor in History, Trinity University

Sep 26, 2023 • 17:58

Bruce Shapiro's America: Strikes aplenty and Rupert's quasi-retirement

Bruce Shapiro's America: Strikes aplenty and Rupert's quasi-retirement

Just as the writer's strike comes to an end after 146 days, the Auto-Workers Union has asked members to down tools - a move which will wreak havoc on the US automotive industry.

Sep 26, 2023 • 12:57

Lonnie Holley on life, art and saving Mother Earth

Lonnie Holley on life, art and saving Mother Earth

Prolific African American visual artist and musician Lonnie Holley joins Phillip Adams in the studio to discuss his turbulent childhood and how he turns pain into art.

Sep 25, 2023 • 17:27

The geopolitics of undersea cables

The geopolitics of undersea cables

Most of our internet comes to us through garden hose-size cables on the bottom of the sea. But geopolitical games are being played, especially between the US and China. With Joe Brock and Lane Burdette

Sep 25, 2023 • 21:17

Clare Armstrong's Canberra

Clare Armstrong's Canberra

The government wants to allow pensioners working part-time and casual hours to earn more, as part of reforms proposed in its employment white paper.  And Mike Pezzullo steps aside as Home Affairs Secretary amid political texting allegations.

Sep 25, 2023 • 11:25

The curious history of counting

The curious history of counting

The human history of counting involves everything from baboon bones, body parts and clay tokens to a mechanical calculator invented by a famous French philosopher in the 17th century.

Sep 21, 2023 • 25:50

Yanis Varoufakis: what is technofeudalism?

Yanis Varoufakis: what is technofeudalism?

Is capitalism dead? As big tech's influence and control on the markets and all our lives continues to grow, could it be that capitalism has been replaced by technofeudalism. Yanis Varoufakis explains how we all became cloud serfs providing our data for free.  Guest: Yanis Varoufakis, former Minister for Finance in Greece and author of Technofeudalism: What killed Capitalism (Penguin Random House)

Sep 21, 2023 • 25:53

How NASA's first women astronauts revolutionised space

How NASA's first women astronauts revolutionised space

When Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon and took his ‘giant leap for mankind’, women were banned from NASA’s astronaut corps altogether. But in 1978, NASA finally went on a diversity drive and recruited six female trailblazers.

Sep 20, 2023 • 27:08

Ian Dunt's UK: Ex-PMs rewrite their stories, and Russell Brand accusations

Ian Dunt's UK: Ex-PMs rewrite their stories, and Russell Brand accusations

There's never a quiet week in Old Blighty!

Sep 20, 2023 • 13:21

Robert Kaplan on rethinking the Middle East

Robert Kaplan on rethinking the Middle East

After spending fifty years reporting on and studying the Middle East, Robert D. Kaplan makes the provocative argument that Western observers need to stop projecting liberal values onto this part of the world, and engage with the increasingly geo-strategically important region in a new way.

Sep 20, 2023 • 25:20

The history of cheerfulness, from Shakespeare to Louis Armstrong

The history of cheerfulness, from Shakespeare to Louis Armstrong

In an era where every day seems to bring a fresh crisis, a new book looks at the subtle importance of ‘cheerfulness’, and how it has been a crucial yet overlooked part of the Western canon, spanning from the plays of Shakespeare to the songs of Louis Armstrong. Timothy Hampton, Professor of Comparative Literature and French at the University of California at Berkeley. Author of Cheerfulness: A Literary and Cultural History, published by Princeton University Press.

Sep 19, 2023 • 20:52

Israel and PNG's surprising relationship

Israel and PNG's surprising relationship

Israel is effectively subsidising a new PNG embassy in Jerusalem - a controversial location for any embassy. The PNG Prime Minister, James Marape, says his nation's commitment to Christianity is one reason he supports Israel. Sean Jacobs, PNG-born, Brisbane-based writer and commentator on Pacific affairs. Daniel Seidemann, Israeli attorney and analyst

Sep 19, 2023 • 16:05

Why Australians should eat more offal

Why Australians should eat more offal

Australians in general do not like eating offal. Yet, all over the world – offal is commonplace in everyday food culture. Writer Sheila Ngọc Phạm advocates for a more honest approach to meat eating in Australia - informed by intercultural exchange.

Sep 18, 2023 • 14:45

Australia's perpetual nuclear waste problem

Australia's perpetual nuclear waste problem

The plan to build a national nuclear waste facility at Kimba in South Australia was the third plan of its kind to be scrapped. With nuclear waste accruing around the country and the prospect of more to come as a result of the AUKUS pact, is there a way forward? Guests: Ian Lowe - Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University. Author of Long Half-life: The Nuclear Industry in Australia  Dr Jessica Urwin - Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the ANU’s Centre for Environmen

Sep 18, 2023 • 20:42

Amy Remeikis' Canberra

Amy Remeikis' Canberra

The Yes and No campaigns are ramping up, with less than four weeks to go until referendum day. Plus, the government rebukes the Opposition's proposal to replace ageing coal-fired power stations with nuclear energy.  Guest: Amy Remeikis, political reporter, Guardian Australia

Sep 18, 2023 • 15:30

Selina Mills on our myths and misconceptions of 'blindness'

Selina Mills on our myths and misconceptions of 'blindness'

When award-winning writer and broadcaster Selina Mills started to lose her sight, she noticed that people started to treat her differently. It caused her to explore where the stigma around blindness originates and how it persists in Western culture to this day.  Guest: Selina Mills is a writer and broadcaster, and the author of Life Unseen: A Story of Blindness published by Bloomsbury.

Sep 14, 2023 • 26:34

Andrew Leland on 'The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight '

Andrew Leland on 'The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight '

Writer Andrew Leland is gradually losing his sight as a result of a progressive eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa. He discusses what it's like to join - but not feel entirely a part of - the blind community and what it actually means to be blind.

Sep 14, 2023 • 28:56

The Tiwi Islands' remarkable stories

The Tiwi Islands' remarkable stories

When the US military helicopter crashed on the Tiwi Islands last month, killing three Marines,  it wasn’t the first time a foreign military aircraft had gone down there. In WW2, a Japanese fighter pilot was captured by Tiwis and became Australia's first Japanese POW. It's just one of many under-appreciated stories of the Tiwi past. Historians Mavis Kerinaiua and Laura Rademaker have co-authored 'Tiwi Story: turning history downside up' (NewSouth)

Sep 13, 2023 • 15:24

50 years on, Australia remains tight-lipped on Pinochet's coup in Chile

50 years on, Australia remains tight-lipped on Pinochet's coup in Chile

On September 11th 1973, a Washington-backed military junta headed by general Augusto Pinochet violently overthrew the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende.  Australia's intelligence agency ASIS was stationed in Santiago at the time, but 50 years on, Canberra refuses to release key classified documents.  Guest: Rodrigo Acuña, independent journalist covering Latin America

Sep 13, 2023 • 17:18

What the Voice could look like - the Sami experience

What the Voice could look like - the Sami experience

While the debate about how an indigenous Voice to parliament would operate here in Australia, on the other side of the world in Norway, the indigenous Sami population have had a Voice in place for over 30 years.  Guest Dateline presenter Karla Grant travelled to Norway to see how it works - and how it might compare to the Voice currently being considered here in Australia.  GUEST: Karla Grant, journalist and proud Western Arrernte woman

Sep 13, 2023 • 19:02

The surprising crowdsourcing behind the Oxford English Dictionary

The surprising crowdsourcing behind the Oxford English Dictionary

When the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary decided to crowdsource for the words to be included in the dictionary they probably did not expect murderers, lunatics and pornographers to respond or such a significant number of women. Over 3000 people contributed words and now their identities have been revealed. Guest: Sarah Ogilvie, author of The Dictionary People: The unsung heroes who created the Oxford English Dictionary

Sep 12, 2023 • 43:36

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

A diplomatic breakthrough with Vietnam, as President Joe Biden visits Hanoi. Plus, a delicate deal with Iran to liberate five Americans. And are the Republicans poised to replace their Senate leader, Mitch McConnell? Guest: Bruce Shapiro, Contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Sep 12, 2023 • 13:27

Just how authentic are our national dishes?

Just how authentic are our national dishes?

While the national dish often associated with Australia is the humble meat pie, other countries have national fare dating back centuries, which has the symbolic power of an anthem or flag. But are the national dishes that we travel the world to taste as iconic as we're told?  Guest: Anya von Bremzen, award-winning food writer and author of NATIONAL DISH: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home published by Penguin Random House.

Sep 11, 2023 • 32:22

Taiwan from the inside: Brian Hioe says stop calling us a dangerous country to live in

Taiwan from the inside: Brian Hioe says stop calling us a dangerous country to live in

While the rest of the world hypes up China and US conflict over Taiwan, journalist Brian Hoie says, Taiwanese people have a more nuanced view, and want the reporting to ease off, to avoid provoking an attack.

Sep 11, 2023 • 8:26

Bernard Keane's Canberra

Bernard Keane's Canberra

The government reaches a deal with the Greens to progress their housing bill. Plus, what does the Qantas and Qatar Airways saga say about competition (or a lack thereof) in Australia's economy?   Guest: Bernard Keane, political editor, Crikey

Sep 11, 2023 • 10:43

How Charles Dickens sparked a trend for literary tourism

How Charles Dickens sparked a trend for literary tourism

Historian Lee Jackson explores the history of Dickens’s tourism, looking at the first visitors who made the literary pilgrimage to London and whether the sites they visited were authentic.

Sep 7, 2023 • 19:54

From Salem to the Satanic panic: Why Americans are obsessed with conspiracies

From Salem to the Satanic panic: Why Americans are obsessed with conspiracies

Whether it's the JFK assassination or 9/11, Americans have a strange tendency to believe dark forces are at work in their country. According to Colin Dickey, the United States was a land born in paranoia, and the fear of secret societies and conspiracies has been a defining feature of American life ever since.

Sep 7, 2023 • 30:15

Avi Loeb says we're not alone, and we should be preparing for a future in the stars

Avi Loeb says we're not alone, and we should be preparing for a future in the stars

Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb talks about his recent expedition to recover the first meteor fragments from outside our solar system, and his belief that the future of humanity rests on our ability to become a truly ‘interstellar’ species.

Sep 6, 2023 • 29:34

Why regional journalism matters, and how to save it

Why regional journalism matters, and how to save it

The decline of local and regional news only accelerated during the pandemic, turning more and more communities into "news deserts". Journalism is an invaluable service in isolated and disadvantaged areas, particularly when times are tough. But is it possible to buck the trend and revive these vanishing outlets - both here in Australia and in North America?  Guests: Professor Kristy Hess, Deakin University Professor April Lindgren, Toronto Metropolitan University Steven Waldman, President of Rebu

Sep 6, 2023 • 22:04

Who was Dorothea Mackellar? The poet who gave us a 'sunburnt country'

Who was Dorothea Mackellar? The poet who gave us a 'sunburnt country'

115 years ago, a poem was published in The Spectator that would become an unofficial anthem of Australia. Dorothea Mackellar was the woman behind the iconic lines “I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains…” yet whilst we can almost all recite her lines, we know very little about the poet’s life. Until now…  Guest: Deborah Fitzgerald – journalist and author of Her Sunburnt Country: The Extraordinary Literary Life of Dorothea Mackellar published by Simon & Schuster. Please note: The re

Sep 5, 2023 • 23:47

Indonesia and Australia's joint EV battery future

Indonesia and Australia's joint EV battery future

Indonesia and Australia have key elements in common: they are big coal exporters needing to transition from that energy. And between them, they have the most important resources needed for electric vehicle batteries. Working together they could, it is argued, potentially supply most of Asia with EV batteries. Andrew Hudson and Ruddy Gobel from the Centre for Policy Development

Sep 5, 2023 • 10:37

Ian Dunt's UK: Schools crumble (literally) under Tories

Ian Dunt's UK: Schools crumble (literally) under Tories

Can Keir Starmer's reworked shadow cabinet topple Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives?

Sep 5, 2023 • 14:55

Life as Samuel Goldbloom's daughter

Life as Samuel Goldbloom's daughter

Samuel Goldbloom was a peace activist all his life. He was also a secret member of the communist party who held on to his faith in communism long after many of his comrades left. His activism and faith in communism had a huge impact on his family including his eldest daughter Sandra who has written a memoir about their turbulent relationship. Guest: Sandra Goldbloom Zurbo, author of My Father's Shadow published by Monash University Publishing

Sep 4, 2023 • 18:04

100 years since Japan's Kanto earthquake - and the massacre that followed

100 years since Japan's Kanto earthquake - and the massacre that followed

September 1st marked 100 years since Japan's devastating Great Kantō Earthquake, a 7.9 magnitude quake which claimed over 105,000 lives. In the wake of the disaster, rumours spread about Koreans looting properties and poisoning wells, resulting in an upswell of vigilante violence that saw thousands more killed. A century on, Japan is still grappling with the commemoration of these atrocities.  Guest: Roger Pulvers, author and playwright, journalist and translator

Sep 4, 2023 • 17:24

How to get a referendum over the line

How to get a referendum over the line

When you look at the record of successful referendums both here in Australia and internationally - what is the likelihood that the referendum on 14th October will get over the line? What will be the likely political ramifications if the referendum succeeds or fails? Guests: George Megalogenis, journalist and author and Matt Qvortrup, visiting professor at the ANU and author of several books on referendums.

Sep 4, 2023 • 17:09

A North Pole fraudster and the journalist who exposed him

A North Pole fraudster and the journalist who exposed him

When the American explorer Frederick Cook sent a telegram to the ‘New York Herald’ in 1909, claiming to be the first person to have reached the North Pole, he became an international celebrity overnight. But one lowly Fleet Street reporter began to doubt the great adventurer’s story.

Aug 31, 2023 • 24:25

The Nazis Stole My Grandmother's Cookbook

The Nazis Stole My Grandmother's Cookbook

Historian Karina Urbach unravels the remarkable story of her grandmother, Alice Urbach, a renowned chef and cookery writer in the 1930s who was dubbed the ‘Julia Childs of Vienna.’

Aug 31, 2023 • 26:53

Doris Taylor: the wheelchair-bound activist who founded Meals on Wheels and helped elect a Premier

Doris Taylor: the wheelchair-bound activist who founded Meals on Wheels and helped elect a Premier

Described as an "organising genius" and an "extraordinary dynamo", South Australia's Doris Taylor (1901-1968) was a champion for the elderly and the isolated, establishing the volunteer-run Meals on Wheels in Adelaide in 1954. She was also a savvy political campaigner, helping future SA Premier Don Dunstan win his seat in Parliament in 1953.  Guest: Dr Carolyn Collins, historian and research fellow, University of Adelaide

Aug 30, 2023 • 10:37

Deep mapping: the race to chart the entire seabed by 2030

Deep mapping: the race to chart the entire seabed by 2030

Ocean journalist Laura Trethewey tells the story of the ocean mappers, marine biologists and millionaire adventurers involved in Seabed 2030, an epic project aiming to chart the entire ocean floor by 2030.

Aug 30, 2023 • 20:55

Australia needs an 'Echidna' security strategy, says Sam Roggeveen

Australia needs an 'Echidna' security strategy, says Sam Roggeveen

A self-described small ‘l’ liberal conservative thinks our strategic alliance with the US is misplaced, and could ultimately make us more vulnerable to attack. Sam Roggeveen from the Lowy Institute is the author of 'The Echidna Strategy'

Aug 30, 2023 • 16:27

Tradwives: the young women shunning modern feminism

Tradwives: the young women shunning modern feminism

Meet the young women shunning fourth-wave feminism for a life of domestic servitude.

Aug 29, 2023 • 15:27

Should Australians be bracing for a horror fire season?

Should Australians be bracing for a horror fire season?

Australia is staring down the barrel of a hot, dry summer. Fire experts Stephen Pyne and Greg Mullins discuss whether things could get as bad here as they've been in the Northern Hemisphere this year.

Aug 29, 2023 • 21:44

Bruce Shapiro's America: Trump skips GOP debate

Bruce Shapiro's America: Trump skips GOP debate

Donald J. Trump decided not to show up at the first televised Republican candidate debate, spruiking his mugshot merchandise instead. Florida Governor (and Republican frontrunner) Ron DeSantis was booed as he attended a vigil in Jacksonville, after three people were killed in a racist attack.  And 60 years on from Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech, is America any more unified?  GUEST: Bruce Shapiro, Contributing editor with The Nation magazine; and Executive Director of the Dart Centr

Aug 29, 2023 • 14:16

War hero, master spy, alleged traitor: who was Australian secret agent 'Dick' Ellis?

War hero, master spy, alleged traitor: who was Australian secret agent 'Dick' Ellis?

In the 1940s, Australian-born spy Charles Howard 'Dick' Ellis was one of MI6's elite secret agents, involved in espionage activities across half the world. But in the 1980s, he was posthumously accused of having operated as a 'triple agent' for both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Author and journalist Jesse Fink tries to uncover the truth.  Guest: Jesse Fink, author, The Eagle in the Mirror: In Search of Australian War Hero, Master Spy and Alleged Traitor Charles Howard 'Dick' Ellis

Aug 28, 2023 • 19:40

How is the pursuit of authenticity failing democracy?

How is the pursuit of authenticity failing democracy?

The modern personal virtues of authenticity, vulnerability and humility sound desirable enough in a politician or a business leader, but could these virtues actually be damaging democracy? Lucinda Holdforth, author of "21st century virtues: How they are failing our democracy" (Monash University Publishing)

Aug 28, 2023 • 18:54

Can Australia avert an intergenerational "tragedy"?

Can Australia avert an intergenerational "tragedy"?

In forty years time, Australians on average will be older and more reliant on government services, according to the government's latest intergenerational report. Former Treasury secretary Ken Henry has warned of a looming "tragedy" for working Australians.  Plus, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce faces a Senate inquiry on cost-of-living pressures.  Guest: Sean Kelly, weekly columnist with Sydney Morning Herald & The Age

Aug 28, 2023 • 11:56

Simon Winchester on human knowledge and the rise of AI

Simon Winchester on human knowledge and the rise of AI

Is there something innately human about a thirst for knowledge? Could the rise of 'smart' technology undermine our own ability to think? These are just some of the questions that award-winning writer Simon Winchester and Phillip Adams tackle in this conversation about Simon's new book Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic.

Aug 24, 2023 • 53:35

Earth: A Circular History

Earth: A Circular History

Science historian James Hannam takes Phillip on a journey spanning millennia as he traces humanity’s quest to discover the shape of the world.

Aug 23, 2023 • 22:05

A global peasant revolution

A global peasant revolution

La Via Campesina is a global movement that is reclaiming the word peasant for those who live and work on small farms across the globe. They are campaigning for food sovereignty for all peasant farmers,  ensuring they have control over what they grow and how they grow it. And there are countries like Colombia that are already working towards this goal. Guest: Morgan Ody, General Co-ordinator, La Via Campesina

Aug 23, 2023 • 17:49

Tim Flannery on his lifelong obsession with the megalodon

Tim Flannery on his lifelong obsession with the megalodon

Tim Flannery was just a teenager when he came across a giant fossilised shark tooth in a creek in Western Victoria - it was the beginning of a lifelong fascination with the megalodon.

Aug 23, 2023 • 11:54

The evolution of the American graveyard

The evolution of the American graveyard

From overflowing churchyard plots, to sprawling suburban cemeteries - American approaches to the grave have shifted over time. Now, novel alternatives like "green burial" and human composting offer a new interpretation of the grave in the 21st Century.  Guest: Allison C Meier, history and culture writer, author of Grave, published by Bloomsbury

Aug 22, 2023 • 22:16

What now for the Murray Darling Basin Plan?

What now for the Murray Darling Basin Plan?

Over a decade after it was first inked, it’s been announced that there is no way the Murray Darling Basin Plan can be implemented by the deadline of 30 June 2024. The ANU's Dr Jamie Pittock says it won't be easy to get the Plan back on track, but the environmental and social consequences will be dire if we don't.

Aug 22, 2023 • 15:09

Ian Dunt's UK: Lionesses snubbed as leaders skip World Cup Final

Ian Dunt's UK: Lionesses snubbed as leaders skip World Cup Final

I-newspaper columnist Ian Dunt thinks Rishi Sunak and Prince William would've moved mountains to cheer on a men's side in Sydney, but a women's World Cup is too much of a hassle.

Aug 22, 2023 • 13:55

Escaping a violent Gold Coast childhood by finding joy in prehistory

Escaping a violent Gold Coast childhood by finding joy in prehistory

In the 1980s, a 14 year old Andrew Sneddon finds solace in history books. It's his refuge from a violent stepfather and the criminal underworld on Australia's Gold Coast. Andrew is an archaeologist and heritage consultant, and author of the memoir ‘Prehistoric Joy’ (University of QLD Press)

Aug 21, 2023 • 21:07

Albanian migrants in the UK: why they have been vilified

Albanian migrants in the UK: why they have been vilified

Albania is suddenly a popular tourist destination, but at the same time, Albanian migrants in the UK are derided, and have been the focus of tougher immigration policies. With best-selling Albanian/British author and academic Lea Ypi

Aug 21, 2023 • 15:29

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle previews the Intergenerational Report due out later in the week and the debate over AUKUS at the National ALP Conference. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Aug 21, 2023 • 10:59

A new approach to failure

A new approach to failure

If we are wise, we embrace failure. Not because it leads to success, as the self-help industry would have us believe. But because failure teaches us humility, which leads to insight, and a radical idea for a better politics. With philosopher Costica Bradatan.

Aug 17, 2023 • 29:59

Why the coup in Niger matters

Why the coup in Niger matters

While the military coup in Niger may be about the personal ambition of a General under threat, the consequences for the region are serious. The progress that former President Bazoum was making against increasing jihadism will likely be stalled, and the new military leadership may also provide the Wagner group with another base and source of income in West Africa. Guest: Kinley Salmon, Africa Correspondent for The Economist

Aug 17, 2023 • 21:52

What does evolution sound like?

What does evolution sound like?

Have you ever wondered about the first living creature to deliberately make a noise? What can we learn from the shape of our own ears about how the first sea creatures evolved to hear. Biologist David George Haskell has thought a lot about the sounds found in nature. He believes that the significance of the evolution of sound has long been underestimated and under-researched. Humans need to listen more and make less noise, because the louder humans get, the greater the loss of sound diversity. G

Aug 16, 2023 • 53:35

Nature's greatest liars and cheats

Nature's greatest liars and cheats

Biologist Lixing Sun explores the evolution of cheating in the natural world, revealing how dishonesty has given rise to wondrous diversity. Guest: Dr Lixing Sun - Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Central Washington University. Author of The Liars of Nature and the Nature of Liars: Cheating and Deception in the Living World published by Princeton University Press.

Aug 15, 2023 • 19:31

Can better foreign policy strategies support Afghan women?

Can better foreign policy strategies support Afghan women?

In the two years since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan again, women's rights have been consistently eroded. The right to attend university and high school has been taken away. Women are no longer able to work for government or aid organisations - even the UN can no longer employ women. How can the international community pressure the Taliban to reverse these policies? Guest: Farkhondeh Akbari, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Gender Peace and Security Centre, Monash University

Aug 15, 2023 • 16:19

Bruce Shapiro's America: Indictment #4

Bruce Shapiro's America: Indictment #4

Could all this bad press be good news for Trump's next presidential campaign?

Aug 15, 2023 • 13:53

How a group of Japanese snow monkeys wound up in sunny Texas

How a group of Japanese snow monkeys wound up in sunny Texas

In the early 1970s, a group of 150 Japanese snow monkeys were transplanted from their cold mountain home near Kyoto, to a dusty, sun-drenched ranch in southern Texas. Why and how they were relocated is a weird and wonderful tale. Writer Sarah Bird embarks on a journey to find this fabled population of monkeys, 50 years on.  Guest: Sarah Bird, writer and novelist based in Austin, Texas

Aug 14, 2023 • 20:00

War and weather threaten global food supplies

War and weather threaten global food supplies

The world is facing unprecedented threats to food security, following the Kremlin’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the onset of El Niño. Guest: Joseph Glauber - Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Aug 14, 2023 • 17:35

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Cabinet's meeting on housing this week will be.. complicated

Laura Tingle's Canberra: Cabinet's meeting on housing this week will be.. complicated

Can a nearly all-Labor Cabinet meeting of Premiers and Federal Ministers come up with a solution t the housing shortage? Plus tax and climate pressure on the PM from within Labor ranks. With Laura Tingle

Aug 14, 2023 • 12:33

Tom Holland on how the Romans built an age of peace out of war

Tom Holland on how the Romans built an age of peace out of war

In the year 68AD, the death of Emperor Nero precipitated a year of coups and civil war that saw four Caesars in succession rule the Roman Empire. But from the chaos emerged a 70-year era of unrivalled peace, power and prosperity known as the pax romana - when the Empire reached the heights of its predatory glory.  Guest: Tom Holland, historian and author of Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age. Co-host of The Rest is History podcast.

Aug 10, 2023 • 51:36

Tom Holland on how the Romans built an age of peace out of war

Tom Holland on how the Romans built an age of peace out of war

In the year 68AD, the death of Emperor Nero precipitated a year of coups and civil war that saw four Caesars in succession rule the Roman Empire. But from the chaos emerged a 70-year era of unrivalled peace, power and prosperity known as the pax romana - when the Empire reached the heights of its predatory glory.  Guest: Tom Holland, historian and author of Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age. Co-host of The Rest is History podcast.

Aug 10, 2023 • 51:36

David Bridie and George Telek on 30 years of friendship and cross-cultural collaboration

David Bridie and George Telek on 30 years of friendship and cross-cultural collaboration

A new documentary 'Abebe-Butterfly Song' charts the musical legacy and enduring friendship between celebrated Papuan musician George Telek and Australian musician and producer David Bridie. The documentary is premiering at the Melbourne International Film Festival on Sunday 13 August. Details can be found here.  George Telek and David Bridie will also be performing at the Memo Music Hall on Saturday 19 August. Details can be found here.

Aug 9, 2023 • 26:26

David Bridie and George Telek on 30 years of friendship and cross-cultural collaboration

David Bridie and George Telek on 30 years of friendship and cross-cultural collaboration

A new documentary 'Abebe-Butterfly Song' charts the musical legacy and enduring friendship between celebrated Papuan musician George Telek and Australian musician and producer David Bridie. The documentary is premiering at the Melbourne International Film Festival on Sunday 13 August. Details can be found here.  George Telek and David Bridie will also be performing at the Memo Music Hall on Saturday 19 August. Details can be found here.

Aug 9, 2023 • 26:26

Women call for justice for Beirut blast

Women call for justice for Beirut blast

Three years ago, there was a huge explosion at the port in Beirut that killed more than 220 people, injured thousands and left 300,000 homeless. For many Lebanese women, this blast was the final straw and they have now left their home country, but others have stayed on to fight for justice for those they lost. Guest: Dalal Mawad, author of All She Lost: The explosion in Lebanon, the Collapse of a Nation and the Women who Survive (Bloomsbury)

Aug 9, 2023 • 19:00

Women call for justice for Beirut blast

Women call for justice for Beirut blast

Three years ago, there was a huge explosion at the port in Beirut that killed more than 220 people, injured thousands and left 300,000 homeless. For many Lebanese women, this blast was the final straw and they have now left their home country, but others have stayed on to fight for justice for those they lost. Guest: Dalal Mawad, author of All She Lost: The explosion in Lebanon, the Collapse of a Nation and the Women who Survive (Bloomsbury)

Aug 9, 2023 • 19:00

Meet the Black Mambas, South Africa's female anti-poaching unit

Meet the Black Mambas, South Africa's female anti-poaching unit

In South Africa, this female anti-poaching unit has had a major impact on wildlife conservation, as well as combating gender stereotypes. This year, they celebrate their 10th anniversary. Guests: Leitah Mkhabela - Black Mambas’ supervisor and Ops room Manager. Felicia Mogakane – Black Mambas’ Ops room Manager and Sergeant.

Aug 8, 2023 • 19:26

Meet the Black Mambas, South Africa's female anti-poaching unit

Meet the Black Mambas, South Africa's female anti-poaching unit

In South Africa, this female anti-poaching unit has had a major impact on wildlife conservation, as well as combating gender stereotypes. This year, they celebrate their 10th anniversary. Guests: Leitah Mkhabela - Black Mambas’ supervisor and Ops room Manager. Felicia Mogakane – Black Mambas’ Ops room Manager and Sergeant.

Aug 8, 2023 • 19:26

The rise and rise of online betting in Australia

The rise and rise of online betting in Australia

Today, the online betting industry is worth an estimated $74 billion USD globally per year, and rising. Surprisingly, online betting in Australia got its start in the outback town of Alice Springs. Decades later, these multinational companies are spending millions on advertising during sports broadcasts, raising concerns about potential gambling harm.  Guest: Drew Rooke, freelance writer and journalists, author of One Last Spin: the power and peril of the pokies.

Aug 8, 2023 • 18:32

The rise and rise of online betting in Australia

The rise and rise of online betting in Australia

Today, the online betting industry is worth an estimated $74 billion USD globally per year, and rising. Surprisingly, online betting in Australia got its start in the outback town of Alice Springs. Decades later, these multinational companies are spending millions on advertising during sports broadcasts, raising concerns about potential gambling harm.  Guest: Drew Rooke, freelance writer and journalists, author of One Last Spin: the power and peril of the pokies.

Aug 8, 2023 • 18:32

Ian Dunt's UK: Another consultant's paradise?

Ian Dunt's UK: Another consultant's paradise?

I-newspaper columnist Ian Dunt discusses the latest developments in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's attempts to 'stop the boats', as well as a damning parliamentary report which reveals that the UK government has been asleep at the wheel for a decade when it comes to the Wagner Group. Plus, we compare notes on the privatisation of the Australian and UK public service, and what it means for our democracies.

Aug 8, 2023 • 13:15

Ian Dunt's UK: Another consultant's paradise?

Ian Dunt's UK: Another consultant's paradise?

I-newspaper columnist Ian Dunt discusses the latest developments in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's attempts to 'stop the boats', as well as a damning parliamentary report which reveals that the UK government has been asleep at the wheel for a decade when it comes to the Wagner Group. Plus, we compare notes on the privatisation of the Australian and UK public service, and what it means for our democracies.

Aug 8, 2023 • 13:15

Blowing up the Montebellos

Blowing up the Montebellos

Working alongside J. Robert Oppenheimer, on the Manhattan nuclear project, was British scientist William Penney. Penney then copied that bomb and exploded it off the coast of Western Australia, on the Montebello Islands. It was the first of many British nuclear tests in Australia. Author Paul Grace has been investigating.

Aug 7, 2023 • 24:46

Blowing up the Montebellos

Blowing up the Montebellos

Working alongside J. Robert Oppenheimer, on the Manhattan nuclear project, was British scientist William Penney. Penney then copied that bomb and exploded it off the coast of Western Australia, on the Montebello Islands. It was the first of many British nuclear tests in Australia. Author Paul Grace has been investigating.

Aug 7, 2023 • 24:46

Could this meeting save the Amazon rainforest?

Could this meeting save the Amazon rainforest?

On Tuesday, presidents of eight Amazon countries will meet to discuss the future of the rainforest and the region. Given that the Amazon is known as the 'lungs of the planet', the stakes could not be higher. Investigative journalist Bram Ebus says crime, as well as climate, needs to be top of the agenda.  Guest: Bram Ebus - journalist and photographer from the Netherlands based in Bogotá, Colombia; Rainforest Investigations Fellow at the Pulitzer Center; consultant for International Crisis Group

Aug 7, 2023 • 15:34

Could this meeting save the Amazon rainforest?

Could this meeting save the Amazon rainforest?

On Tuesday, presidents of eight Amazon countries will meet to discuss the future of the rainforest and the region. Given that the Amazon is known as the 'lungs of the planet', the stakes could not be higher. Investigative journalist Bram Ebus says crime, as well as climate, needs to be top of the agenda.  Guest: Bram Ebus - journalist and photographer from the Netherlands based in Bogotá, Colombia; Rainforest Investigations Fellow at the Pulitzer Center; consultant for International Crisis Group

Aug 7, 2023 • 15:34

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has returned to the Garma Festival in the remote NT, and has stared down calls to rethink the timing of the Voice to Parliament Referendum. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Aug 7, 2023 • 12:35

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has returned to the Garma Festival in the remote NT, and has stared down calls to rethink the timing of the Voice to Parliament Referendum. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Aug 7, 2023 • 12:35

Meet young Rupert Murdoch: the radical lefty

Meet young Rupert Murdoch: the radical lefty

Author Walter Marsh on the era that shaped young Rupert Murdoch - the radical who espoused socialism, kept a bust of Lenin in his uni accommodation and then went on to build his empire from 1950s Adelaide.   Guest: Walter Marsh, journalist and author of Young Rupert - the making of the Murdoch empire,  published by Scribe.

Aug 3, 2023 • 52:07

Meet young Rupert Murdoch: the radical lefty

Meet young Rupert Murdoch: the radical lefty

Author Walter Marsh on the era that shaped young Rupert Murdoch - the radical who espoused socialism, kept a bust of Lenin in his uni accommodation and then went on to build his empire from 1950s Adelaide.   Guest: Walter Marsh, journalist and author of Young Rupert - the making of the Murdoch empire,  published by Scribe.

Aug 3, 2023 • 52:07

The Angel Makers: the most notorious murder ring you've never heard of

The Angel Makers: the most notorious murder ring you've never heard of

The incredible true crime tale of the ‘Angel Makers of Nagyrév’ – a group of women living in rural Hungary who, in the 1910's and 1920's, poisoned to death over a hundred men. Guest: Patti McCracken - journalist and author of The Angel Makers: Arsenic, a Midwife, and Modern History's Most Astonishing Murder Ring published by HarperCollins

Aug 2, 2023 • 16:51

The Angel Makers: the most notorious murder ring you've never heard of

The Angel Makers: the most notorious murder ring you've never heard of

The incredible true crime tale of the ‘Angel Makers of Nagyrév’ – a group of women living in rural Hungary who, in the 1910's and 1920's, poisoned to death over a hundred men. Guest: Patti McCracken - journalist and author of The Angel Makers: Arsenic, a Midwife, and Modern History's Most Astonishing Murder Ring published by HarperCollins

Aug 2, 2023 • 16:51

Narcas - women of the drug trade

Narcas - women of the drug trade

Male drug lords like Pablo Escobar and El Chapo Guzman are well known across the globe for their violence, power and wealth. But there are also many powerful, intriguing and largely unseen women who have also been at the centre of the drug cartels of Latin America.  Guest: Deborah Bonello, editorial director for VICE News Latin America and author of "Narcas - the secret rise of women in Latin America's cartels"

Aug 2, 2023 • 24:30

Narcas - women of the drug trade

Narcas - women of the drug trade

Male drug lords like Pablo Escobar and El Chapo Guzman are well known across the globe for their violence, power and wealth. But there are also many powerful, intriguing and largely unseen women who have also been at the centre of the drug cartels of Latin America.  Guest: Deborah Bonello, editorial director for VICE News Latin America and author of "Narcas - the secret rise of women in Latin America's cartels"

Aug 2, 2023 • 24:30

Asia Update: Myanmar

Asia Update: Myanmar

In this edition of our fortnightly Asia Update, we get an overview of the situation in Myanmar, where the military junta has extended the state of emergency for another six months, and granted a partial pardon to former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.  Guest: Thomas Kean - Director/editor-at-large at Frontier Myanmar and senior consultant with International Crisis Group.

Aug 2, 2023 • 13:14

Asia Update: Myanmar

Asia Update: Myanmar

In this edition of our fortnightly Asia Update, we get an overview of the situation in Myanmar, where the military junta has extended the state of emergency for another six months, and granted a partial pardon to former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.  Guest: Thomas Kean - Director/editor-at-large at Frontier Myanmar and senior consultant with International Crisis Group.

Aug 2, 2023 • 13:14

Is the rural/urban divide in America really that wide?

Is the rural/urban divide in America really that wide?

When Trump won the Presidency in 2016 - many believed that it was the votes of the angry rural voter that got him over the line. But research shows that there is not that much difference between rural and urban voters when it comes to their beliefs about democracy, equality and race, and in fact rural Americans are doing just fine economically as well.  Guest: Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, Professor of Public Policy, University of Southern California and author of “The Overlooked Americans” publishe

Aug 1, 2023 • 26:18

Is the rural/urban divide in America really that wide?

Is the rural/urban divide in America really that wide?

When Trump won the Presidency in 2016 - many believed that it was the votes of the angry rural voter that got him over the line. But research shows that there is not that much difference between rural and urban voters when it comes to their beliefs about democracy, equality and race, and in fact rural Americans are doing just fine economically as well.  Guest: Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, Professor of Public Policy, University of Southern California and author of “The Overlooked Americans” publishe

Aug 1, 2023 • 26:18

WeChat's future in Australia

WeChat's future in Australia

The Senate inquiry into Foreign Interference Through Social Media handed down its report today. Sydney-based sociologist Wunning Sun, who watched both her parents' funerals in China on the Chinese app WeChat, gives both a personal and analytical account of what's at stake.

Aug 1, 2023 • 12:11

WeChat's future in Australia

WeChat's future in Australia

The Senate inquiry into Foreign Interference Through Social Media handed down its report today. Sydney-based sociologist Wanning Sun, who watched both her parents' funerals in China on the Chinese app WeChat, gives both a personal and analytical account of what's at stake.

Aug 1, 2023 • 12:11

WeChat's future in Australia

WeChat's future in Australia

The Senate inquiry into Foreign Interference Through Social Media handed down its report today. Sydney-based sociologist Wunning Sun, who watched both her parents' funerals in China on the Chinese app WeChat, gives both a personal and analytical account of what's at stake.

Aug 1, 2023 • 12:11

WeChat's future in Australia

WeChat's future in Australia

The Senate inquiry into Foreign Interference Through Social Media handed down its report today. Sydney-based sociologist Wanning Sun, who watched both her parents' funerals in China on the Chinese app WeChat, gives both a personal and analytical account of what's at stake.

Aug 1, 2023 • 12:11

Bruce Shapiro's America: Feeling hot, hot, hot

Bruce Shapiro's America: Feeling hot, hot, hot

Between high temperatures sapping the life out of Florida's coral reefs, a heat dome sitting over Texas and Donald Trump in further legal hot water over the alleged mishandling of classified documents, things are certainly getting steamy in the United States... Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Aug 1, 2023 • 15:02

Bruce Shapiro's America: Feeling hot, hot, hot

Bruce Shapiro's America: Feeling hot, hot, hot

Between high temperatures sapping the life out of Florida's coral reefs, a heat dome sitting over Texas and Donald Trump in further legal hot water over the alleged mishandling of classified documents, things are certainly getting steamy in the United States... Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Aug 1, 2023 • 15:02

Flour power: the surprising history of Australian mills and flour bags

Flour power: the surprising history of Australian mills and flour bags

Flour mills as markers of a town's success, an important export to Asia with magnificent art on the flour bags, and mill photograhy, a genre you might not know existed. With Jess Jennings and Prof Paul Ashton

Jul 31, 2023 • 25:32

Flour power: the surprising history of Australian mills and flour bags

Flour power: the surprising history of Australian mills and flour bags

Flour mills as markers of a town's success, an important export to Asia with magnificent art on the flour bags, and mill photograhy, a genre you might not know existed. With Jess Jennings and Prof Paul Ashton

Jul 31, 2023 • 25:32

Cambodian PM Hun Sen to stand down after 38 years

Cambodian PM Hun Sen to stand down after 38 years

After 38 years in power, Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodia has announced that he will be passing the Prime Ministership to his son Hun Manet. Could this be an opportunity to reset relations with the West or is the pull of China too strong? Guest: Sebastian Strangio, Southeast Asia Editor at The Diplomat

Jul 31, 2023 • 13:18

Cambodian PM Hun Sen to stand down after 38 years

Cambodian PM Hun Sen to stand down after 38 years

After 38 years in power, Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodia has announced that he will be passing the Prime Ministership to his son Hun Manet. Could this be an opportunity to reset relations with the West or is the pull of China too strong? Guest: Sebastian Strangio, Southeast Asia Editor at The Diplomat

Jul 31, 2023 • 13:18

Albanese raises prospect of double dissolution over housing

Albanese raises prospect of double dissolution over housing

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raises the prospect of a double-dissolution election as the government reintroduces its housing bill to the Parliament.  Guest: Laura Tingle, chief political correspondent, 7.30

Jul 31, 2023 • 11:45

Albanese raises prospect of double dissolution over housing

Albanese raises prospect of double dissolution over housing

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raises the prospect of a double-dissolution election as the government reintroduces its housing bill to the Parliament.  Guest: Laura Tingle, chief political correspondent, 7.30

Jul 31, 2023 • 11:45

Get your head read: the 19th century fringe science of phrenology

Get your head read: the 19th century fringe science of phrenology

The popular 19th century fringe science of head-reading – mostly feeling bumps on the head – was mostly used by white, male practitioners. But it was also practised by people from the colonial margins. Alexandra Roginski has unearthed some colourful characters.

Jul 27, 2023 • 23:17

Get your head read: the 19th century fringe science of phrenology

Get your head read: the 19th century fringe science of phrenology

The popular 19th century fringe science of head-reading – mostly feeling bumps on the head – was mostly used by white, male practitioners. But it was also practised by people from the colonial margins. Alexandra Roginski has unearthed some colourful characters.

Jul 27, 2023 • 23:17

Heat: the silent killer

Heat: the silent killer

As heat waves scorch Europe and America, the effects of global warming cannot be ignored. But unlike fires, floods and cyclones, heat it often a silent killer. Author Jeff Goodell explains how we have adapted to heat in the past and what a future living with heat might look like. Guest: Jeff Goodell, author of Heat: Life and death on a scorched planet published by Black Inc

Jul 27, 2023 • 34:24

Heat: the silent killer

Heat: the silent killer

As heat waves scorch Europe and America, the effects of global warming cannot be ignored. But unlike fires, floods and cyclones, heat it often a silent killer. Author Jeff Goodell explains how we have adapted to heat in the past and what a future living with heat might look like. Guest: Jeff Goodell, author of Heat: Life and death on a scorched planet published by Black Inc

Jul 27, 2023 • 34:24

From child-eating demons to singing mermaids: 4000 years of female monsters

From child-eating demons to singing mermaids: 4000 years of female monsters

Myths of female monsters, demons and seductresses have endured for millennia. In ancient Mesopotamia, women feared a horrifying demon called Lamashdu, believed to be the source of miscarriages and child death. As centuries passed however, men co-opted these monsters from women's folklore for their own ends.  Guest: Sarah Clegg, historian and author Woman's Lore: 4000 years of Sirens, Serpents and Succubi

Jul 26, 2023 • 24:18

From child-eating demons to singing mermaids: 4000 years of female monsters

From child-eating demons to singing mermaids: 4000 years of female monsters

Myths of female monsters, demons and seductresses have endured for millennia. In ancient Mesopotamia, women feared a horrifying demon called Lamashdu, believed to be the source of miscarriages and child death. As centuries passed however, men co-opted these monsters from women's folklore for their own ends.  Guest: Sarah Clegg, historian and author Woman's Lore: 4000 years of Sirens, Serpents and Succubi

Jul 26, 2023 • 24:18

Why does Honduras want to build an island prison?

Why does Honduras want to build an island prison?

An escalation in gang violence in the Central American nation of Honduras has compelled President Xiomara Castro to proposed a drastic solution: the construction of a new prison, on a remote island in the Caribbean.

Jul 26, 2023 • 14:41

Why does Honduras want to build an island prison?

Why does Honduras want to build an island prison?

An escalation in gang violence in the Central American nation of Honduras has compelled President Xiomara Castro to proposed a drastic solution: the construction of a new prison, on a remote island in the Caribbean.

Jul 26, 2023 • 14:41

20 years on from Australia's peace mission to Solomon Islands, what's changed?

20 years on from Australia's peace mission to Solomon Islands, what's changed?

Today marks 20 years since Australian boots first stepped on the tarmac at Honiara's International Airport, to help restore peace amid ongoing ethnic and political tensions. Then prime minister John Howard said he expected Australia's presence to last "months". It lasted 14 years.  What's changed since, and what lies ahead for this Pacific nation?  Guests: Tess Newton-Cain, Pacific Hub, Griffith Asia Institute Robert Iroga, editor and publisher, Solomon Business Magazine

Jul 26, 2023 • 12:00

20 years on from Australia's peace mission to Solomon Islands, what's changed?

20 years on from Australia's peace mission to Solomon Islands, what's changed?

Today marks 20 years since Australian boots first stepped on the tarmac at Honiara's International Airport, to help restore peace amid ongoing ethnic and political tensions. Then prime minister John Howard said he expected Australia's presence to last "months". It lasted 14 years.  What's changed since, and what lies ahead for this Pacific nation?  Guests: Tess Newton-Cain, Pacific Hub, Griffith Asia Institute Robert Iroga, editor and publisher, Solomon Business Magazine

Jul 26, 2023 • 12:00

Why the Voice - and the Constitution - matter, with Megan Davis and George Williams

Why the Voice - and the Constitution - matter, with Megan Davis and George Williams

Midway through this referendum year, a re-set on the debate, including exactly what the hopes and intentions are for the Voice amendment, and why the Constitution even matters! Guests: Megan Davis and George Williams, co-authors of 'Everything you need to know about The Voice' (UNSW Press)

Jul 25, 2023 • 38:21

Why the Voice - and the Constitution - matter, with Megan Davis and George Williams

Why the Voice - and the Constitution - matter, with Megan Davis and George Williams

Midway through this referendum year, a re-set on the debate, including exactly what the hopes and intentions are for the Voice amendment, and why the Constitution even matters! Guests: Megan Davis and George Williams, co-authors of 'Everything you need to know about The Voice' (UNSW Press)

Jul 25, 2023 • 38:21

By-election results signal trouble for UK Conservative party

By-election results signal trouble for UK Conservative party

Last week, a trio of by-elections in the UK saw the Conservative party lose two seats, however the party held on to Boris Johnson's old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in suburban London. The results suggest Keir Starmer's Labour will comfortably win next year's general election. Guest: Alex Andreou, writer and broadcaster, co-host of "Oh God, What Now?"

Jul 25, 2023 • 12:30

By-election results signal trouble for UK Conservative party

By-election results signal trouble for UK Conservative party

Last week, a trio of by-elections in the UK saw the Conservative party lose two seats, however the party held on to Boris Johnson's old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in suburban London. The results suggest Keir Starmer's Labour will comfortably win next year's general election. Guest: Alex Andreou, writer and broadcaster, co-host of "Oh God, What Now?"

Jul 25, 2023 • 12:30

How the Sami's fight against a dam was a turning point for Indigenous rights in Norway

How the Sami's fight against a dam was a turning point for Indigenous rights in Norway

In the late 1970s in Norway a proposal to dam the mighty Alta river sparked a huge protest by the Sami people - the indigenous people of Norway, Sweden and Finland. The river was renowned for its salmon runs and was an important habitat for migratory birds, reindeer, and other wildlife. Guests: Ole Giaever, Director, Let the River Flow plus Sarakka Gaup, actor and Sami activist.

Jul 24, 2023 • 24:18

How the Sami's fight against a dam was a turning point for Indigenous rights in Norway

How the Sami's fight against a dam was a turning point for Indigenous rights in Norway

In the late 1970s in Norway a proposal to dam the mighty Alta river sparked a huge protest by the Sami people - the indigenous people of Norway, Sweden and Finland. The river was renowned for its salmon runs and was an important habitat for migratory birds, reindeer, and other wildlife. Guests: Ole Giaever, Director, Let the River Flow plus Sarakka Gaup, actor and Sami activist.

Jul 24, 2023 • 24:18

Ronald Reagan's surprising role in the 1960 Hollywood "double strike"

Ronald Reagan's surprising role in the 1960 Hollywood "double strike"

Hollywood's film and TV sets have ground to halt, after the Screen Actors Guild joined the Writers Guild in strike action, demanding a fairer pay deal for workers in the era of digital streaming.  The last "double strike" in Hollywood was in 1960, when future US President Ronald Reagan was at the helm of the Screen Actors Guild.  Guest: Dr Prudence Flowers, Senior Lecturer in US History, Flinders University

Jul 24, 2023 • 17:00

Ronald Reagan's surprising role in the 1960 Hollywood "double strike"

Ronald Reagan's surprising role in the 1960 Hollywood "double strike"

Hollywood's film and TV sets have ground to halt, after the Screen Actors Guild joined the Writers Guild in strike action, demanding a fairer pay deal for workers in the era of digital streaming.  The last "double strike" in Hollywood was in 1960, when future US President Ronald Reagan was at the helm of the Screen Actors Guild.  Guest: Dr Prudence Flowers, Senior Lecturer in US History, Flinders University

Jul 24, 2023 • 17:00

Laura Tingle on Kathryn Campbell, IR reforms & looming recession

Laura Tingle on Kathryn Campbell, IR reforms & looming recession

Kathryn Campbell resigns from her position on the AUKUS advisory panel - so what does this mean for investigations into whether she breached the APS Code of Conduct? Labor announces reforms for casual workers and a new Productivity Commission head as recession looms.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jul 24, 2023 • 12:40

Laura Tingle on Kathryn Campbell, IR reforms & looming recession

Laura Tingle on Kathryn Campbell, IR reforms & looming recession

Kathryn Campbell resigns from her position on the AUKUS advisory panel - so what does this mean for investigations into whether she breached the APS Code of Conduct? Labor announces reforms for casual workers and a new Productivity Commission head as recession looms.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jul 24, 2023 • 12:40

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the conflicted genius

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the conflicted genius

As Christopher Nolan's new epic Oppenheimer hits cinema screens, Professor of Philosophy and biographer Ray Monk recounts the true story of scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer - the reluctant father of the atomic bomb.  This interview originally aired in 2013.  Guest: Ray Monk, author of Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Jul 20, 2023 • 52:04

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the conflicted genius

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the conflicted genius

As Christopher Nolan's new epic Oppenheimer hits cinema screens, Professor of Philosophy and biographer Ray Monk recounts the true story of scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer - the reluctant father of the atomic bomb.  This interview originally aired in 2013.  Guest: Ray Monk, author of Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Jul 20, 2023 • 52:04

From Aztecs to wizards: the enduring enchantment of owls

From Aztecs to wizards: the enduring enchantment of owls

From Aztec symbols of the underworld to wizard couriers in the Harry Potter series, owls have captivated and intrigued us for millennia. New science is unravelling some of the mysteries of owls and it turns out we might be wise to listen to what owls have to tell us. Guest: Jennifer Ackerman - award-winning science writer and speaker, and the New York Times bestselling author of What an Owl Knows, The Bird Way, and The Genius of Birds.

Jul 19, 2023 • 20:34

From Aztecs to wizards: the enduring enchantment of owls

From Aztecs to wizards: the enduring enchantment of owls

From Aztec symbols of the underworld to wizard couriers in the Harry Potter series, owls have captivated and intrigued us for millennia. New science is unravelling some of the mysteries of owls and it turns out we might be wise to listen to what owls have to tell us. Guest: Jennifer Ackerman - award-winning science writer and speaker, and the New York Times bestselling author of What an Owl Knows, The Bird Way, and The Genius of Birds.

Jul 19, 2023 • 20:34

Germany's rearmament: a new turn after decades of post-WW2 pacifism

Germany's rearmament: a new turn after decades of post-WW2 pacifism

Australia is contributing to Germany's rearmament, with a record defence deal. After decades of German pacifism, which followed the very hard lessons of WW2, a change is underway in that country. Guest: Stephen Milder, historian of German pacifism and Green democracy

Jul 19, 2023 • 15:12

Germany's rearmament: a new turn after decades of post-WW2 pacifism

Germany's rearmament: a new turn after decades of post-WW2 pacifism

Australia is contributing to Germany's rearmament, with a record defence deal. After decades of German pacifism, which followed the very hard lessons of WW2, a change is underway in that country. Guest: Stephen Milder, historian of German pacifism and Green democracy

Jul 19, 2023 • 15:12

Asia update: Japan and NATO draw closer

Asia update: Japan and NATO draw closer

A proposal to set up a NATO office in Japan has drawn much criticism for its potential destabilising effect on the region. But should we be worried? Guest: Dr Michito Tsuruoka, Associate Professor at Keio University and currently a visiting fellow at the Australian National University

Jul 19, 2023 • 15:12

Asia update: Japan and NATO draw closer

Asia update: Japan and NATO draw closer

A proposal to set up a NATO office in Japan has drawn much criticism for its potential destabilising effect on the region. But should we be worried? Guest: Dr Michito Tsuruoka, Associate Professor at Keio University and currently a visiting fellow at the Australian National University

Jul 19, 2023 • 15:12

Rethinking termites through Gurindji eyes

Rethinking termites through Gurindji eyes

Termites have a bad rap. But for the Gurindji people, the termite mound is critical to cultural traditions when a child is born. A new children's book tells this story in Gurindji language and English offering both cultural and scientific information about the amazing termite. Book: Tamarra: a story of termites on Gurindji country,  published by Hardie Grant Guests: Three contributors to the book; Leah Leaman, artist and co-author, Gregory Crocetti, science educator from the Free Scale Network a

Jul 18, 2023 • 21:37

Rethinking termites through Gurindji eyes

Rethinking termites through Gurindji eyes

Termites have a bad rap. But for the Gurindji people, the termite mound is critical to cultural traditions when a child is born. A new children's book tells this story in Gurindji language and English offering both cultural and scientific information about the amazing termite. Book: Tamarra: a story of termites on Gurindji country,  published by Hardie Grant Guests: Three contributors to the book; Leah Leaman, artist and co-author, Gregory Crocetti, science educator from the Free Scale Network a

Jul 18, 2023 • 21:37

Allegations of torture by Uganda President taken to the ICC

Allegations of torture by Uganda President taken to the ICC

Supporters of Ugandan opposition leader, Bobi Wine, have taken allegations of abduction and torture to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Guest: Regina Weiss, human rights barrister at Derwent & Tamar Chambers in Hobart.  Regina is a former prosecution trial lawyer at the International Criminal Court, specialising in East Africa.

Jul 18, 2023 • 14:46

Allegations of torture by Uganda President taken to the ICC

Allegations of torture by Uganda President taken to the ICC

Supporters of Ugandan opposition leader, Bobi Wine, have taken allegations of abduction and torture to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Guest: Regina Weiss, human rights barrister at Derwent & Tamar Chambers in Hobart.  Regina is a former prosecution trial lawyer at the International Criminal Court, specialising in East Africa.

Jul 18, 2023 • 14:46

Biden's NATO balancing act

Biden's NATO balancing act

President Joe Biden controversially sends cluster munitions to Ukraine while continuing to deny Ukraine entry to NATO. The Democrats are having to distance themselves from presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr and his bizarre conspiracy theories. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University. ​​​​​​​

Jul 18, 2023 • 15:16

Biden's NATO balancing act

Biden's NATO balancing act

President Joe Biden controversially sends cluster munitions to Ukraine while continuing to deny Ukraine entry to NATO. The Democrats are having to distance themselves from presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr and his bizarre conspiracy theories. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University. ​​​​​​​

Jul 18, 2023 • 15:16

The true costs of America's military machine

The true costs of America's military machine

The United States has been in a state of perpetual war for the last two decades, however many of these forays remain almost entirely invisible to the public. Journalist and activist Norman Solomon exposes the true cost of America’s military machine and how the truth has been obfuscated for so long.

Jul 17, 2023 • 36:24

The true costs of America's military machine

The true costs of America's military machine

The United States has been in a state of perpetual war for the last two decades, however many of these forays remain almost entirely invisible to the public. Journalist and activist Norman Solomon exposes the true cost of America’s military machine and how the truth has been obfuscated for so long.

Jul 17, 2023 • 36:24

Laura Tingle on the cost of consultants, and the challenges facing our new RBA governor

Laura Tingle on the cost of consultants, and the challenges facing our new RBA governor

The cost of outsourcing work from the public service to the so-called "Big Four" auditing and consulting firms is conservatively estimated at $10 billion over the last decade - that we know of. So isn't it cheaper to have the public service do the work? And what are the challenges facing incoming RBA Governor Michele Bullock? Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jul 17, 2023 • 14:36

Laura Tingle on the cost of consultants, and the challenges facing our new RBA governor

Laura Tingle on the cost of consultants, and the challenges facing our new RBA governor

The cost of outsourcing work from the public service to the so-called "Big Four" auditing and consulting firms is conservatively estimated at $10 billion over the last decade - that we know of. So isn't it cheaper to have the public service do the work? And what are the challenges facing incoming RBA Governor Michele Bullock? Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jul 17, 2023 • 14:36

Investigative journalist Chris Masters on his career

Investigative journalist Chris Masters on his career

As well earning him multiple Walkley and Logie awards, the work done by investigative journalist Chris Masters PSM has arguably changed Australia, for the better. He speaks to Phillip Adams about his distinguished career, which culminated in his latest book Flawed Hero: Truth, lies and war crimes.

Jul 13, 2023 • 53:34

Investigative journalist Chris Masters on his career

Investigative journalist Chris Masters on his career

As well earning him multiple Walkley and Logie awards, the work done by investigative journalist Chris Masters PSM has arguably changed Australia, for the better. He speaks to Phillip Adams about his distinguished career, which culminated in his latest book Flawed Hero: Truth, lies and war crimes.

Jul 13, 2023 • 53:34

"Floating gold": the strange and smelly origins of ambergris

"Floating gold": the strange and smelly origins of ambergris

A chunk of ambergris has reportedly been discovered in the entrails of a dead sperm whale, beached on the Canary Islands. Some claim that the 9.5kg chunk could be worth half-a-million Euros.  Known as "floating gold", this elusive substance - historically used in perfume making - has a stomach-turning origin story.  Guest: Christopher Kemp, scientist and author, Floating Gold: A Natural (and Unnatural) History of Ambergris

Jul 12, 2023 • 17:02

"Floating gold": the strange and smelly origins of ambergris

"Floating gold": the strange and smelly origins of ambergris

A chunk of ambergris has reportedly been discovered in the entrails of a dead sperm whale, beached on the Canary Islands. Some claim that the 9.5kg chunk could be worth half-a-million Euros.  Known as "floating gold", this elusive substance - historically used in perfume making - has a stomach-turning origin story.  Guest: Christopher Kemp, scientist and author, Floating Gold: A Natural (and Unnatural) History of Ambergris

Jul 12, 2023 • 17:02

Could the far-right take power in Spain?

Could the far-right take power in Spain?

Spain is set for general elections in two weeks' time, and there are new fears that the far-right could be about to make a leap forward, into government.  The latest opinion polls show that the conservative People's Party may need the help of the far-right Vox party to govern, in a multi-party coalition. Vox could become the first hard right party since the Franco era to enter Spain's national government.

Jul 12, 2023 • 14:20

Could the far-right take power in Spain?

Could the far-right take power in Spain?

Spain is set for general elections in two weeks' time, and there are new fears that the far-right could be about to make a leap forward, into government.  The latest opinion polls show that the conservative People's Party may need the help of the far-right Vox party to govern, in a multi-party coalition. Vox could become the first hard right party since the Franco era to enter Spain's national government.

Jul 12, 2023 • 14:20

Indigenous update: Voice 'undecideds', with Luke Pearson and Celeste Liddle

Indigenous update: Voice 'undecideds', with Luke Pearson and Celeste Liddle

Slightly buried in the Voice referendum debate, or at least the public debate, are views that are not conservative 'no', not progressive  'yes', and being unsure how to vote.  Luke Pearson and Celeste Liddle explain why they're so torn.

Jul 12, 2023 • 21:49

Indigenous update: Voice 'undecideds', with Luke Pearson and Celeste Liddle

Indigenous update: Voice 'undecideds', with Luke Pearson and Celeste Liddle

Slightly buried in the Voice referendum debate, or at least the public debate, are views that are not conservative 'no', not progressive  'yes', and being unsure how to vote.  Luke Pearson and Celeste Liddle explain why they're so torn.

Jul 12, 2023 • 21:49

It wasn't justice, it was revenge - the execution of Charlie Flannigan

It wasn't justice, it was revenge - the execution of Charlie Flannigan

Charlie Flannigan was a young Aboriginal stockman. In 1892, he shot a white man, ostensibly over a game of cards. On 15 July 1893 he was the first man in the NT to be hanged. Meanwhile in South Australia a white man who murdered his niece had his sentence commuted, sparking a huge public debate about treatment of Aboriginal people in the justice system. Charlie also left behind a remarkable collection of drawings. Guest: Don Nawurlany Christophersen, Historical & Cultural Researcher and author o

Jul 11, 2023 • 28:27

It wasn't justice, it was revenge - the execution of Charlie Flannigan

It wasn't justice, it was revenge - the execution of Charlie Flannigan

Charlie Flannigan was a young Aboriginal stockman. In 1892, he shot a white man, ostensibly over a game of cards. On 15 July 1893 he was the first man in the NT to be hanged. Meanwhile in South Australia a white man who murdered his niece had his sentence commuted, sparking a huge public debate about treatment of Aboriginal people in the justice system. Charlie also left behind a remarkable collection of drawings. Guest: Don Nawurlany Christophersen, Historical & Cultural Researcher and author o

Jul 11, 2023 • 28:27

Should we be worried about Japan's planned Fukushima wastewater release into the Pacific?

Should we be worried about Japan's planned Fukushima wastewater release into the Pacific?

After cautious approval from the United Nations, Japan is poised to release treated nuclear wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. How worried should we be? Guest: Dr. Ken Buesseler, marine radiochemist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Jul 11, 2023 • 15:19

Should we be worried about Japan's planned Fukushima wastewater release into the Pacific?

Should we be worried about Japan's planned Fukushima wastewater release into the Pacific?

After cautious approval from the United Nations, Japan is poised to release treated nuclear wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. How worried should we be? Guest: Dr. Ken Buesseler, marine radiochemist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Jul 11, 2023 • 15:19

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

The British government’s 'Rwanda solution' for immigrants has blocked, as Joe Biden visits King Charles and Rishi Sunak.

Jul 11, 2023 • 12:02

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

The British government’s 'Rwanda solution' for immigrants has blocked, as Joe Biden visits King Charles and Rishi Sunak.

Jul 11, 2023 • 12:02

Whatever happened to the Guinness World Records?

Whatever happened to the Guinness World Records?

For more than half a century the Guinness World Records has catalogued humanity’s extraordinary feats and thrilled readers around the world. It’s still managing to survive in a world dominated by YouTube and TikTok, but at what cost?  Guest: Imogen West-Knights - London-based freelance writer, her Guardian long read is The strange survival of Guinness World Records

Jul 10, 2023 • 16:29

Whatever happened to the Guinness World Records?

Whatever happened to the Guinness World Records?

For more than half a century the Guinness World Records has catalogued humanity’s extraordinary feats and thrilled readers around the world. It’s still managing to survive in a world dominated by YouTube and TikTok, but at what cost?  Guest: Imogen West-Knights - London-based freelance writer, her Guardian long read is The strange survival of Guinness World Records

Jul 10, 2023 • 16:29

What war has done to the Russian arts sector

What war has done to the Russian arts sector

Russia's war on Ukraine has divided and decimated the revered Russian arts sector.  Its personnel are often forced to choose  between propaganda, jail, or leaving Russia. Guest: Polina Ivanova, Russia and Ukraine correspondent for the Financial Times

Jul 10, 2023 • 20:22

What war has done to the Russian arts sector

What war has done to the Russian arts sector

Russia's war on Ukraine has divided and decimated the revered Russian arts sector.  Its personnel are often forced to choose  between propaganda, jail, or leaving Russia. Guest: Polina Ivanova, Russia and Ukraine correspondent for the Financial Times

Jul 10, 2023 • 20:22

Laura Tingle on Australia's German deal and the fall-out from Robodebt

Laura Tingle on Australia's German deal and the fall-out from Robodebt

Laura Tingle looks at Australia's announcement it will join Germany's "Climate Club" and sign a billion-dollar defence deal. Plus the fall-out from the Robodebt scandal continues with calls for Scott Morrison to resign from parliament. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jul 10, 2023 • 14:25

Laura Tingle on Australia's German deal and the fall-out from Robodebt

Laura Tingle on Australia's German deal and the fall-out from Robodebt

Laura Tingle looks at Australia's announcement it will join Germany's "Climate Club" and sign a billion-dollar defence deal. Plus the fall-out from the Robodebt scandal continues with calls for Scott Morrison to resign from parliament. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jul 10, 2023 • 14:25

Inked: the history of humanity told through tattoos

Inked: the history of humanity told through tattoos

We may think of tattooing as a modern trend, but the practice has deep and ancient roots, reaching back to Otzi the Iceman. Guest: Dr Matt Lodder, tattoo historian and Senior Lecturer in Art History and Theory at the University of Essex  His book is ‘Painted People: Humanity in 21 Tattoos’ (published by Harper Collins)

Jul 6, 2023 • 25:53

Inked: the history of humanity told through tattoos

Inked: the history of humanity told through tattoos

We may think of tattooing as a modern trend, but the practice has deep and ancient roots, reaching back to Otzi the Iceman. Guest: Dr Matt Lodder, tattoo historian and Senior Lecturer in Art History and Theory at the University of Essex  His book is ‘Painted People: Humanity in 21 Tattoos’ (published by Harper Collins)

Jul 6, 2023 • 25:53

True Tracks: How to protect Indigenous knowledge and culture from exploitation

True Tracks: How to protect Indigenous knowledge and culture from exploitation

Could the gaps in the law which leave Indigenous knowledge and culture open to exploitation be addressed by the True Tracks system? Guest: Terri Janke, Wuthathi/Meriam Indigenous lawyer and author.

Jul 6, 2023 • 26:06

True Tracks: How to protect Indigenous knowledge and culture from exploitation

True Tracks: How to protect Indigenous knowledge and culture from exploitation

Could the gaps in the law which leave Indigenous knowledge and culture open to exploitation be addressed by the True Tracks system? Guest: Terri Janke, Wuthathi/Meriam Indigenous lawyer and author.

Jul 6, 2023 • 26:06

Nornie Bero wants native ingredients in your pantry

Nornie Bero wants native ingredients in your pantry

Growing up in the Torres Strait, Nornie Bero was immersed in the rich culinary life of the Islands. Through her business Mabu Mabu she has put Indigenous cuisine in the heart of Melbourne and now, through her cookbook, she invites us all to open our hearts – and our pantries – to the Torres Strait.   Guest: Nornie Bero is from the Meriam People of Mer Island in the Torres Strait and is the Executive Chef, CEO and Owner of Mabu Mabu. Her book is Mabu Mabu: An Australian Kitchen Cookbook published

Jul 5, 2023 • 21:42

Nornie Bero wants native ingredients in your pantry

Nornie Bero wants native ingredients in your pantry

Growing up in the Torres Strait, Nornie Bero was immersed in the rich culinary life of the Islands. Through her business Mabu Mabu she has put Indigenous cuisine in the heart of Melbourne and now, through her cookbook, she invites us all to open our hearts – and our pantries – to the Torres Strait.   Guest: Nornie Bero is from the Meriam People of Mer Island in the Torres Strait and is the Executive Chef, CEO and Owner of Mabu Mabu. Her book is Mabu Mabu: An Australian Kitchen Cookbook published

Jul 5, 2023 • 21:42

Why do riots keep erupting in France?

Why do riots keep erupting in France?

France's founding principles are liberty, equality and fraternity – but in the cities, towns and suburbs across France, many people increasingly feel that these ideals don’t apply to them. It's a major part of the tension underlying recent protests about systemic racism in French society, which were sparked when police shot dead a 17-year-old in his car during a traffic stop. But what is the history of police brutality in France, and why do violent riots keep erupting?

Jul 5, 2023 • 17:00

Why do riots keep erupting in France?

Why do riots keep erupting in France?

France's founding principles are liberty, equality and fraternity – but in the cities, towns and suburbs across France, many people increasingly feel that these ideals don’t apply to them. It's a major part of the tension underlying recent protests about systemic racism in French society, which were sparked when police shot dead a 17-year-old in his car during a traffic stop. But what is the history of police brutality in France, and why do violent riots keep erupting?

Jul 5, 2023 • 17:00

The Maldives at a crossroads

The Maldives at a crossroads

Under the leadership of the current President of the Maldives, President Solih has adopted an India First policy reversing the previous governments policy of closer ties to China. With an election looming, how much will foreign policy play a role? Guest: Dr Athaulla Rasheed, Department of Pacific Affairs, ANU

Jul 5, 2023 • 11:54

The Maldives at a crossroads

The Maldives at a crossroads

Under the leadership of the current President of the Maldives, President Solih has adopted an India First policy reversing the previous governments policy of closer ties to China. With an election looming, how much will foreign policy play a role? Guest: Dr Athaulla Rasheed, Department of Pacific Affairs, ANU

Jul 5, 2023 • 11:54

Thai cave rescue diver Richard "Harry" Harris on the art of taking risks

Thai cave rescue diver Richard "Harry" Harris on the art of taking risks

In 2018, Dr Richard "Harry" Harris played a central role in the rescue of the Wild Boars soccer team from a flooded cave in Thailand, sedating the trapped boys so that they could be pulled out, underwater, to safety.  Since then, Harry has interviewed countless fellow "risk-takers" - from deep-sea explorers to mountain climbers - to understand why we take risks. Guest: Dr Richard "Harry" Harris, cave diver and anaesthetist. Author of The Art of Risk

Jul 4, 2023 • 21:53

Thai cave rescue diver Richard "Harry" Harris on the art of taking risks

Thai cave rescue diver Richard "Harry" Harris on the art of taking risks

In 2018, Dr Richard "Harry" Harris played a central role in the rescue of the Wild Boars soccer team from a flooded cave in Thailand, sedating the trapped boys so that they could be pulled out, underwater, to safety.  Since then, Harry has interviewed countless fellow "risk-takers" - from deep-sea explorers to mountain climbers - to understand why we take risks. Guest: Dr Richard "Harry" Harris, cave diver and anaesthetist. Author of The Art of Risk

Jul 4, 2023 • 21:53

The endless war on corruption in Indonesia

The endless war on corruption in Indonesia

In Indonesia, the resignation of President Suharto in 1998 heralded a new era of hope and democratic reform. But a generation later, why is corruption still so embedded in Indonesia's body politic?Are there any green shoots for transparency and accountability?  Guest: Todung Mulya Lubis, Indonesian lawyer and human rights activist, author of "War on Corruption"

Jul 4, 2023 • 16:12

The endless war on corruption in Indonesia

The endless war on corruption in Indonesia

In Indonesia, the resignation of President Suharto in 1998 heralded a new era of hope and democratic reform. But a generation later, why is corruption still so embedded in Indonesia's body politic?Are there any green shoots for transparency and accountability?  Guest: Todung Mulya Lubis, Indonesian lawyer and human rights activist, author of "War on Corruption"

Jul 4, 2023 • 16:12

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

The US Supreme Court has handed down some explosive rulings in the last week. Meanwhile Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign has some serious problems.

Jul 4, 2023 • 12:43

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

The US Supreme Court has handed down some explosive rulings in the last week. Meanwhile Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign has some serious problems.

Jul 4, 2023 • 12:43

Heartbreak in a forgotten war - reporting from the Central African Republic

Heartbreak in a forgotten war - reporting from the Central African Republic

Journalist and author Anjan Sundaram has been on a mission to cover forgotten African wars. His latest book is based on his time in the Central African Republic, a country which since throwing off the shackles of French colonialism in the 1960 has suffered coups, fighting and massacres. Anjan not only tells the untold story of the conflict but the personal cost being a war reporter had on his marriage. Guest: Journalist Anjan Sundaram. Author of 'Breakup: A Marriage in Wartime'. Published by New

Jul 3, 2023 • 24:08

Heartbreak in a forgotten war - reporting from the Central African Republic

Heartbreak in a forgotten war - reporting from the Central African Republic

Journalist and author Anjan Sundaram has been on a mission to cover forgotten African wars. His latest book is based on his time in the Central African Republic, a country which since throwing off the shackles of French colonialism in the 1960 has suffered coups, fighting and massacres. Anjan not only tells the untold story of the conflict but the personal cost being a war reporter had on his marriage. Guest: Journalist Anjan Sundaram. Author of 'Breakup: A Marriage in Wartime'. Published by New

Jul 3, 2023 • 24:08

Who will be Mexico's next President?

Who will be Mexico's next President?

In less than a year, Mexicans will elect a new President, as Andrés Manuel López Obrador's six-year term comes to an end. Who will replace the populist left-wing leader? And how will the new President grapple with the challenges of cartel operations, and the US-Mexico border?  Guest: Sarah Birke, Bureau Chief, The Economist, Mexico City

Jul 3, 2023 • 17:53

Who will be Mexico's next President?

Who will be Mexico's next President?

In less than a year, Mexicans will elect a new President, as Andrés Manuel López Obrador's six-year term comes to an end. Who will replace the populist left-wing leader? And how will the new President grapple with the challenges of cartel operations, and the US-Mexico border?  Guest: Sarah Birke, Bureau Chief, The Economist, Mexico City

Jul 3, 2023 • 17:53

Laura Tingle on The NACC, Robodebt and Joko Widodo's visit to Australia

Laura Tingle on The NACC, Robodebt and Joko Widodo's visit to Australia

Laura Tingle looks at who the inaugural Commissioner of the National Anti-corruption Commission, Paul Brereton, has in his sights, plus regional security on the agenda as Indonesian President Joko Widodo visits Australia, and how far will interest rates rise? Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jul 3, 2023 • 12:52

Laura Tingle on The NACC, Robodebt and Joko Widodo's visit to Australia

Laura Tingle on The NACC, Robodebt and Joko Widodo's visit to Australia

Laura Tingle looks at who the inaugural Commissioner of the National Anti-corruption Commission, Paul Brereton, has in his sights, plus regional security on the agenda as Indonesian President Joko Widodo visits Australia, and how far will interest rates rise? Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jul 3, 2023 • 12:52

Heroes, villains and the complex figures of queer history

Heroes, villains and the complex figures of queer history

Figures like Oscar Wilde are remembered as heroes of gay history, who suffered great persecution for expressing their sexuality.  Whilst we remember Wilde and many other pioneers, what about the queer figures from history we choose to forget?  From Emperors, to fascists and troubled artists - what do their stories tell us about sexuality and identity through time?   Guests: Ben Miller and Huw Lemmey, co-authors of “Bad Gays: A Homosexual History” published by Verso.

Jun 29, 2023 • 22:46

Heroes, villains and the complex figures of queer history

Heroes, villains and the complex figures of queer history

Figures like Oscar Wilde are remembered as heroes of gay history, who suffered great persecution for expressing their sexuality.  Whilst we remember Wilde and many other pioneers, what about the queer figures from history we choose to forget?  From Emperors, to fascists and troubled artists - what do their stories tell us about sexuality and identity through time?   Guests: Ben Miller and Huw Lemmey, co-authors of “Bad Gays: A Homosexual History” published by Verso.

Jun 29, 2023 • 22:46

Why our detention centres are a form of cruel care

Why our detention centres are a form of cruel care

Much of the debate around stopping the boats and even locking children up in detention centres has been around what is in the "best interests" of kids and their families. Dr Jordana Silverstein argues this approach has resonances with settler-colonial attitudes to Indigenous people and to any who come to our shores seeking succour from non-white countries.  Guest: Dr Jordana Silverstein, Senior Research Fellow at the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness at the University of Melbourne.

Jun 29, 2023 • 27:49

Why our detention centres are a form of cruel care

Why our detention centres are a form of cruel care

Much of the debate around stopping the boats and even locking children up in detention centres has been around what is in the "best interests" of kids and their families. Dr Jordana Silverstein argues this approach has resonances with settler-colonial attitudes to Indigenous people and to any who come to our shores seeking succour from non-white countries.  Guest: Dr Jordana Silverstein, Senior Research Fellow at the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness at the University of Melbourne.

Jun 29, 2023 • 27:49

Shakespeare's First Folio Turns 400: the book that made the Bard a global superstar

Shakespeare's First Folio Turns 400: the book that made the Bard a global superstar

Leading Shakespeare scholar Emma Smith tells the story of the making of the First Folio, the iconic book without which we would have lost half of the Bard’s most famous works including ‘Macbeth’, ‘The Tempest’ and ‘Julius Caesar.’

Jun 28, 2023 • 19:58

Shakespeare's First Folio Turns 400: the book that made the Bard a global superstar

Shakespeare's First Folio Turns 400: the book that made the Bard a global superstar

Leading Shakespeare scholar Emma Smith tells the story of the making of the First Folio, the iconic book without which we would have lost half of the Bard’s most famous works including ‘Macbeth’, ‘The Tempest’ and ‘Julius Caesar.’

Jun 28, 2023 • 19:58

Bruce Wolpe on the dangers of a second Trump presidency

Bruce Wolpe on the dangers of a second Trump presidency

US political analyst and author Bruce Wolpe argues Australia needs to plan for former US president Donald Trump winning a second term in office.

Jun 28, 2023 • 21:26

Bruce Wolpe on the dangers of a second Trump presidency

Bruce Wolpe on the dangers of a second Trump presidency

US political analyst and author Bruce Wolpe argues Australia needs to plan for former US president Donald Trump winning a second term in office.

Jun 28, 2023 • 21:26

Pacific update: Fiji government to hand down first budget

Pacific update: Fiji government to hand down first budget

The government of our Pacific neighbour to the east, Fiji, is set to hand down its full budget on Friday.

Jun 28, 2023 • 13:36

Pacific update: Fiji government to hand down first budget

Pacific update: Fiji government to hand down first budget

The government of our Pacific neighbour to the east, Fiji, is set to hand down its full budget on Friday.

Jun 28, 2023 • 13:36

The role African leaders in Sierra Leone played in abolishing slavery

The role African leaders in Sierra Leone played in abolishing slavery

New research shows Sierra Leone’s black leaders role played a key role in the abolition movement. The British navy had to rely on the support of African states and polities that had already turned against the slave trade.  Dr Everill says Africans' role in ending the transatlantic slave trade has thus far been overlooked.  Guest: Bronwen Everill, Director, Centre for African Studies, University of Cambridge.

Jun 27, 2023 • 23:01

The role African leaders in Sierra Leone played in abolishing slavery

The role African leaders in Sierra Leone played in abolishing slavery

New research shows Sierra Leone’s black leaders role played a key role in the abolition movement. The British navy had to rely on the support of African states and polities that had already turned against the slave trade.  Dr Everill says Africans' role in ending the transatlantic slave trade has thus far been overlooked.  Guest: Bronwen Everill, Director, Centre for African Studies, University of Cambridge.

Jun 27, 2023 • 23:01

Who is Kim Yo Jong? The most powerful woman in North Korea

Who is Kim Yo Jong? The most powerful woman in North Korea

Kim Yo Jong might have been the youngest daughter and ‘sweet princess’ of North Korea’s Supreme Leader King Jong Il, but she’s more than just ‘the sister’. According to Korea scholar Sung-Yoon Lee she’s Kim Jong-Un’s chief propagandist, and also one of his most likely successors. Guest: Sung-Yoon Lee - the Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor in Korean Studies and assistant professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.  Author of The Sister: The extraordinary story of Ki

Jun 27, 2023 • 21:10

Who is Kim Yo Jong? The most powerful woman in North Korea

Who is Kim Yo Jong? The most powerful woman in North Korea

Kim Yo Jong might have been the youngest daughter and ‘sweet princess’ of North Korea’s Supreme Leader King Jong Il, but she’s more than just ‘the sister’. According to Korea scholar Sung-Yoon Lee she’s Kim Jong-Un’s chief propagandist, and also one of his most likely successors. Guest: Sung-Yoon Lee - the Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor in Korean Studies and assistant professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.  Author of The Sister: The extraordinary story of Ki

Jun 27, 2023 • 21:10

The party's over for Boris Johnson

The party's over for Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has resigned as a Member of Parliament. What lies ahead for the Conservative Party he leaves behind?   Guest: Alex Andreou, writer and broadcaster, co-host of "Oh God, What Now?"

Jun 27, 2023 • 13:11

The party's over for Boris Johnson

The party's over for Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has resigned as a Member of Parliament. What lies ahead for the Conservative Party he leaves behind?   Guest: Alex Andreou, writer and broadcaster, co-host of "Oh God, What Now?"

Jun 27, 2023 • 13:11

Arsenic, bones and cow urine: the bizarre pigments of art history

Arsenic, bones and cow urine: the bizarre pigments of art history

From Van Gogh's The Starry Night to Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People - the colours that adorn history's greatest paintings have strange and at times disturbing origins. Guest: Kelly Grovier, writer and historian, author of The Art of Colour: The History of Art in 39 Pigments.

Jun 26, 2023 • 17:18

Arsenic, bones and cow urine: the bizarre pigments of art history

Arsenic, bones and cow urine: the bizarre pigments of art history

From Van Gogh's The Starry Night to Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People - the colours that adorn history's greatest paintings have strange and at times disturbing origins. Guest: Kelly Grovier, writer and historian, author of The Art of Colour: The History of Art in 39 Pigments.

Jun 26, 2023 • 17:18

Does the Wagner Group revolt spell disaster for Putin?

Does the Wagner Group revolt spell disaster for Putin?

Last month analyst Anatol Lieven predicted that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the private Russian militia group Wagner, was positioning himself for a struggle against Vladimir Putin. After Prigozhin's failed revolt over the weekend, how exposed is the Kremlin leader to further coup attempts? And what does all this mean for the war in Ukraine? Guest: Anatol Lieven, Director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

Jun 26, 2023 • 21:00

Does the Wagner Group revolt spell disaster for Putin?

Does the Wagner Group revolt spell disaster for Putin?

Last month analyst Anatol Lieven predicted that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the private Russian militia group Wagner, was positioning himself for a struggle against Vladimir Putin. After Prigozhin's failed revolt over the weekend, how exposed is the Kremlin leader to further coup attempts? And what does all this mean for the war in Ukraine? Guest: Anatol Lieven, Director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

Jun 26, 2023 • 21:00

Laura Tingle on Simon Crean, The Voice and a looming recession

Laura Tingle on Simon Crean, The Voice and a looming recession

Laura Tingle reflects on the political career of former Labor leader Simon Crean, who passed away suddenly, aged 74. The Voice's Yes campaign is falling behind in QLD, WA, SA and Tasmania, and Australia is facing a looming recession.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jun 26, 2023 • 13:16

Laura Tingle on Simon Crean, The Voice and a looming recession

Laura Tingle on Simon Crean, The Voice and a looming recession

Laura Tingle reflects on the political career of former Labor leader Simon Crean, who passed away suddenly, aged 74. The Voice's Yes campaign is falling behind in QLD, WA, SA and Tasmania, and Australia is facing a looming recession.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jun 26, 2023 • 13:16

Kiki of Montparnasse - the original influencer

Kiki of Montparnasse - the original influencer

Man Ray's muse was a left bank icon in her own right in 1920s Paris.  A new biography by Mark Braude sheds light on the life of Alice Prin, a forgotten bohemian icon.

Jun 22, 2023 • 27:14

Kiki of Montparnasse - the original influencer

Kiki of Montparnasse - the original influencer

Man Ray's muse was a left bank icon in her own right in 1920s Paris.  A new biography by Mark Braude sheds light on the life of Alice Prin, a forgotten bohemian icon.

Jun 22, 2023 • 27:14

Daniel Ellsberg: a tribute

Daniel Ellsberg: a tribute

One of the most significant whistleblowers of our time, Daniel Ellsberg, has died at the age of 92. Daniel Ellsberg spoke to Phillip Adams just last year, in defence of Julian Assange and free speech.

Jun 22, 2023 • 25:36

Daniel Ellsberg: a tribute

Daniel Ellsberg: a tribute

One of the most significant whistleblowers of our time, Daniel Ellsberg, has died at the age of 92. Daniel Ellsberg spoke to Phillip Adams just last year, in defence of Julian Assange and free speech.

Jun 22, 2023 • 25:36

A grandson reckons with his grandfather's Nazi past

A grandson reckons with his grandfather's Nazi past

Friedrich Wilhelm Hymmen lived two lives. His grandchildren remember a caring, playful grandfather, with a career as a respected journalist. But in his younger years, Friedrich was an 'early adopter' of Nazism, who emerged as a literary star for the regime. Melbourne-based writer Andreas Pohl comes to terms with the truth of his grandfather's past. Guest: Andreas Pohl, author, 'Opi - The Two Lives of My Grandfather'

Jun 21, 2023 • 23:42

A grandson reckons with his grandfather's Nazi past

A grandson reckons with his grandfather's Nazi past

Friedrich Wilhelm Hymmen lived two lives. His grandchildren remember a caring, playful grandfather, with a career as a respected journalist. But in his younger years, Friedrich was an 'early adopter' of Nazism, who emerged as a literary star for the regime. Melbourne-based writer Andreas Pohl comes to terms with the truth of his grandfather's past. Guest: Andreas Pohl, author, 'Opi - The Two Lives of My Grandfather'

Jun 21, 2023 • 23:42

Can studying past financial crashes help prevent the next one?

Can studying past financial crashes help prevent the next one?

The enduring lesson from centuries of boom and bust is that there will always be another financial crisis. Given the current uncertain state of the global economy, now is a good time to learn from history to prevent a full-scale financial meltdown.  Guest: Dr Linda Yueh CBE is Fellow in Economics at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University and Adjunct Professor of Economics at London Business School. The Great Crashes: Lessons from Global Meltdowns and How to Prevent Them is published by Penguin Random

Jun 21, 2023 • 21:50

Can studying past financial crashes help prevent the next one?

Can studying past financial crashes help prevent the next one?

The enduring lesson from centuries of boom and bust is that there will always be another financial crisis. Given the current uncertain state of the global economy, now is a good time to learn from history to prevent a full-scale financial meltdown.  Guest: Dr Linda Yueh CBE is Fellow in Economics at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University and Adjunct Professor of Economics at London Business School. The Great Crashes: Lessons from Global Meltdowns and How to Prevent Them is published by Penguin Random

Jun 21, 2023 • 21:50

Asia update: Blinken's visit to China - the wins and losses

Asia update: Blinken's visit to China - the wins and losses

For the first time in five years a US Secretary of State has visited China. But now, President Joe Biden has potentially undone some of the gains made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Guest: Stephen McDonell, BBC Beijing correspondent

Jun 21, 2023 • 12:22

Asia update: Blinken's visit to China - the wins and losses

Asia update: Blinken's visit to China - the wins and losses

For the first time in five years a US Secretary of State has visited China. But now, President Joe Biden has potentially undone some of the gains made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Guest: Stephen McDonell, BBC Beijing correspondent

Jun 21, 2023 • 12:22

A former diplomat's quest to see 10,000 bird species

A former diplomat's quest to see 10,000 bird species

Peter Kaestner has taken bird watching and expertise to the next level. He is the current world record holder for having seen the most amount of bird species — a staggering 9, 856 species. He is aiming to see 10,000.

Jun 20, 2023 • 15:22

A former diplomat's quest to see 10,000 bird species

A former diplomat's quest to see 10,000 bird species

Peter Kaestner has taken bird watching and expertise to the next level. He is the current world record holder for having seen the most amount of bird species — a staggering 9, 856 species. He is aiming to see 10,000.

Jun 20, 2023 • 15:22

The story of Ebola - as told by humans, the bats and the trees

The story of Ebola - as told by humans, the bats and the trees

"In the company of men" tells the tale of the Ebola crisis in West Africa through many voices  - even the infected bat and the virus itself have their say. This poetic tale about human disaster draws on African storytelling traditions and highlights the link between habitat destruction and viral pandemics.  Guest: Véronique Tadjo, poet, novelist, academic, artist and author of "In the company of men" published by Other Press / New York.

Jun 20, 2023 • 20:54

The story of Ebola - as told by humans, the bats and the trees

The story of Ebola - as told by humans, the bats and the trees

"In the company of men" tells the tale of the Ebola crisis in West Africa through many voices  - even the infected bat and the virus itself have their say. This poetic tale about human disaster draws on African storytelling traditions and highlights the link between habitat destruction and viral pandemics.  Guest: Véronique Tadjo, poet, novelist, academic, artist and author of "In the company of men" published by Other Press / New York.

Jun 20, 2023 • 20:54

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

What happens next in Trump's indictment? A surprising ruling on Alabama voter rights from the Supreme Court. And a damning inquiry into the Minneapolis police.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, Contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Jun 20, 2023 • 14:01

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

What happens next in Trump's indictment? A surprising ruling on Alabama voter rights from the Supreme Court. And a damning inquiry into the Minneapolis police.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, Contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Jun 20, 2023 • 14:01

Spain's most influential film-maker: Carlos Saura

Spain's most influential film-maker: Carlos Saura

Carlos Saura was widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in Spanish cinema history. His career began controversially, with neo-realist films depicting Spain's so-called "dirty laundry" attracting the attention of the censors. He later moved on to create expressive films and he is now remembered for his passionate portrayal of Spanish culture, history, and traditions. A major retrospective of his work is showing at the Spanish Film Festival around Australia.   Guest: Antonio Sau

Jun 19, 2023 • 17:27

Spain's most influential film-maker: Carlos Saura

Spain's most influential film-maker: Carlos Saura

Carlos Saura was widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in Spanish cinema history. His career began controversially, with neo-realist films depicting Spain's so-called "dirty laundry" attracting the attention of the censors. He later moved on to create expressive films and he is now remembered for his passionate portrayal of Spanish culture, history, and traditions. A major retrospective of his work is showing at the Spanish Film Festival around Australia.   Guest: Antonio Sau

Jun 19, 2023 • 17:27

The Kakhova Dam explosion - the environmental legacy

The Kakhova Dam explosion - the environmental legacy

The exploded Kakhovka dam in Ukraine has done obvious environmental damage, but more of that impact will become clearer with time. More broadly, the environmental damage in the Ukraine/Russia war has become possibly the most observed, and monitored, of any war. Guests Sofia Sadogurska in Kyiv,  and Doug Weir in the UK.

Jun 19, 2023 • 20:44

The Kakhovka Dam explosion - the environmental legacy

The Kakhovka Dam explosion - the environmental legacy

The exploded Kakhovka dam in Ukraine has done obvious environmental damage, but more of that impact will become clearer with time. More broadly, the environmental damage in the Ukraine/Russia war has become possibly the most observed, and monitored, of any war. Guests Sofia Sadogurska in Kyiv,  and Doug Weir in the UK.

Jun 19, 2023 • 20:44

Laura Tingle on The Voice, the housing bill and David Vann's resignation

Laura Tingle on The Voice, the housing bill and David Vann's resignation

Laura Tingle discusses the implications of The Voice referendum bill passing the Senate, why the Greens and the Liberals teamed up to delay the Housing Australia Future Fund bill and the resignation of Liberal Senator David Vann. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jun 19, 2023 • 13:05

Laura Tingle on The Voice, the housing bill and David Vann's resignation

Laura Tingle on The Voice, the housing bill and David Vann's resignation

Laura Tingle discusses the implications of The Voice referendum bill passing the Senate, why the Greens and the Liberals teamed up to delay the Housing Australia Future Fund bill and the resignation of Liberal Senator David Vann. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jun 19, 2023 • 13:05

Who was the real Catherine the Great?

Who was the real Catherine the Great?

Hulu's hit TV comedy "The Great" is loosely based on the historical figure of Catherine II, Empress of Russia. The true story of Catherine the Great is an even more gripping tale.  Guest: Professor Darius von Guttner, historian, Australian Catholic University

Jun 15, 2023 • 20:35

Who was the real Catherine the Great?

Who was the real Catherine the Great?

Hulu's hit TV comedy "The Great" is loosely based on the historical figure of Catherine II, Empress of Russia. The true story of Catherine the Great is an even more gripping tale.  Guest: Professor Darius von Guttner, historian, Australian Catholic University

Jun 15, 2023 • 20:35

How to breathalyse a volcano by hacking a smartphone

How to breathalyse a volcano by hacking a smartphone

Scottish physicist and volcanologist Andrew McGonigle has spent the last twenty years and more developing low-cost hi-tech to try and predict when a volcano is about to blow.

Jun 15, 2023 • 20:28

How to breathalyse a volcano by hacking a smartphone

How to breathalyse a volcano by hacking a smartphone

Scottish physicist and volcanologist Andrew McGonigle has spent the last twenty years and more developing low-cost hi-tech to try and predict when a volcano is about to blow.

Jun 15, 2023 • 20:28

Indigenous update - a new Close the Gap report, and Voice momentum is building

Indigenous update - a new Close the Gap report, and Voice momentum is building

As we move ever closer to a Voice referendum – the Senate will vote on it next week - a Close the Gap report has come in, finding that life outcomes for Indigenous Australians are continuing to worsen. Guest: Dana Morse, ABC political reporter

Jun 15, 2023 • 8:08

Indigenous update - a new Close the Gap report, and Voice momentum is building

Indigenous update - a new Close the Gap report, and Voice momentum is building

As we move ever closer to a Voice referendum – the Senate will vote on it next week - a Close the Gap report has come in, finding that life outcomes for Indigenous Australians are continuing to worsen. Guest: Dana Morse, ABC political reporter

Jun 15, 2023 • 8:08

Why Indiana Jones is a bad role model for archaeologists

Why Indiana Jones is a bad role model for archaeologists

Professor Michael Scott shares stories of eight groundbreaking archaeological finds and explains why he has a love-hate relationship with Indiana Jones.

Jun 14, 2023 • 31:41

Why Indiana Jones is a bad role model for archaeologists

Why Indiana Jones is a bad role model for archaeologists

Professor Michael Scott shares stories of eight groundbreaking archaeological finds and explains why he has a love-hate relationship with Indiana Jones.

Jun 14, 2023 • 31:41

Are we alone? Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb thinks not

Are we alone? Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb thinks not

UFO's are back in the headlines after a former Pentagon official claimed that the US has 'intact or partially intact' alien vehicles. In this interview astronomer Avi Loeb discusses the Galileo Project he has set up to monitor for interstellar objects and unidentified aerial phenomena.  Guest: Avi Loeb, Professor of Science at Harvard University and the Head of the Galileo Project. His most recent book is called Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth.  First broadcast

Jun 14, 2023 • 18:13

Are we alone? Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb thinks not

Are we alone? Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb thinks not

UFO's are back in the headlines after a former Pentagon official claimed that the US has 'intact or partially intact' alien vehicles. In this interview astronomer Avi Loeb discusses the Galileo Project he has set up to monitor for interstellar objects and unidentified aerial phenomena.  Guest: Avi Loeb, Professor of Science at Harvard University and the Head of the Galileo Project. His most recent book is called Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth.  First broadcast

Jun 14, 2023 • 18:13

Sally Young on politics, power and the Australian press

Sally Young on politics, power and the Australian press

In no other Western country has ownership and control of the media been concentrated in the hands of as few people as it has in Australia. Sally Young tells the remarkable story of the media monsters that conglomerated their power and strengthened their influence in the mid-twentieth century.   Guest: Sally Young – professor of political science at the University of Melbourne. Media Monsters: The Transformation of Australia’s Newspaper Empires published by UNSW Press.

Jun 13, 2023 • 53:39

Sally Young on politics, power and the Australian press

Sally Young on politics, power and the Australian press

In no other Western country has ownership and control of the media been concentrated in the hands of as few people as it has in Australia. Sally Young tells the remarkable story of the media monsters that conglomerated their power and strengthened their influence in the mid-twentieth century.   Guest: Sally Young – professor of political science at the University of Melbourne. Media Monsters: The Transformation of Australia’s Newspaper Empires published by UNSW Press.

Jun 13, 2023 • 53:39

Simon Winchester on how desire for land has shaped the world

Simon Winchester on how desire for land has shaped the world

The best-selling author of The Professor and the Madman explores the rich and complex history of our relationship with the planet's 37 billion acres of habitable land: who mapped it, owned it, stole it, cared for it, fought for it, and gave it back. First broadcast 4 February 2021. Phillip Adams will be speaking to Simon Winchester about his new book Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic at RN's Big Weekend of Books on Sunday June 18th.

Jun 12, 2023 • 53:39

Simon Winchester on how desire for land has shaped the world

Simon Winchester on how desire for land has shaped the world

The best-selling author of The Professor and the Madman explores the rich and complex history of our relationship with the planet's 37 billion acres of habitable land: who mapped it, owned it, stole it, cared for it, fought for it, and gave it back. First broadcast 4 February 2021. Phillip Adams will be speaking to Simon Winchester about his new book Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic at RN's Big Weekend of Books on Sunday June 18th.

Jun 12, 2023 • 53:39

The human urge to keep time

The human urge to keep time

Timepieces are one of humanity's most ingenious innovations. From ancient sundials to the mechanical wristwatch, these technologies have regulated our daily lives and shaped our cultures and societies in astonishing ways.  Guest: Rebecca Struthers, historian and heritage watchmaker, author of Hands of Time: A Watchmaker's History of Time

Jun 8, 2023 • 21:14

The human urge to keep time

The human urge to keep time

Timepieces are one of humanity's most ingenious innovations. From ancient sundials to the mechanical wristwatch, these technologies have regulated our daily lives and shaped our cultures and societies in astonishing ways.  Guest: Rebecca Struthers, historian and heritage watchmaker, author of Hands of Time: A Watchmaker's History of Time

Jun 8, 2023 • 21:14

No so black and white: a history of race from white supremacy to identity politics

No so black and white: a history of race from white supremacy to identity politics

The ‘culture wars’ have generated heated debates around race, culture, whiteness and privilege. British Indian author Kenan Malik looks at the origins of race in Western thought, how contemporary ideas of culture came about and how cultural appropriation and ethnic nationalism have become forms of gatekeeping. Kenan Malik, academic and author of Not So Black and White: A History of Race from White Supremacy to Identity Politics, published by New South Books.

Jun 8, 2023 • 39:25

No so black and white: a history of race from white supremacy to identity politics

No so black and white: a history of race from white supremacy to identity politics

The ‘culture wars’ have generated heated debates around race, culture, whiteness and privilege. British Indian author Kenan Malik looks at the origins of race in Western thought, how contemporary ideas of culture came about and how cultural appropriation and ethnic nationalism have become forms of gatekeeping. Kenan Malik, academic and author of Not So Black and White: A History of Race from White Supremacy to Identity Politics, published by New South Books.

Jun 8, 2023 • 39:25

The lure of sulking

The lure of sulking

We've all had a sulk from time to time or been the target of one. What is the point of this covert form of communication, which is filled with rules and paradoxes? Guest: Rebecca Roache, senior lecturer in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Jun 7, 2023 • 18:26

The joys of sulking

The joys of sulking

We've all had a sulk from time to time or been the target of one. What is the point of this covert form of communication, which is filled with rules and paradoxes? Guest: Rebecca Roache, senior lecturer in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Jun 7, 2023 • 18:26

What does Islamist rule look like?

What does Islamist rule look like?

The last four decades have seen a rise in Islamist parties taking power—via the ballot box or through violence. How did they rule when they got there? Guests: Joana Cook - Assistant Professor of Terrorism and Political Violence, Leiden University Shiraz Maher - Director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) and a member of the War Studies Department at King's College London.

Jun 7, 2023 • 18:55

What does Islamist rule look like?

What does Islamist rule look like?

The last four decades have seen a rise in Islamist parties taking power—via the ballot box or through violence. How did they rule when they got there? Guests: Joana Cook - Assistant Professor of Terrorism and Political Violence, Leiden University Shiraz Maher - Director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) and a member of the War Studies Department at King's College London.

Jun 7, 2023 • 18:55

Asia update: Taiwan

Asia update: Taiwan

Taiwan has become a geopolitical hotspot, caught in a power tussle between the United States and China. Yet it's indispensability in semiconductor supply chains could be the key to global stability. Meanwhile, within Taiwan, political parties are gearing up for an election and grappling with their own #MeToo moment.  Guests: Cheng Ting-Fang (Annie) - the chief tech correspondent with Nikkei Asia. You can find the visual storytelling project mentioned here. Wen-Ti Sung - political scientist who t

Jun 7, 2023 • 15:37

Asia update: Taiwan

Asia update: Taiwan

Taiwan has become a geopolitical hotspot, caught in a power tussle between the United States and China. Yet it's indispensability in semiconductor supply chains could be the key to global stability. Meanwhile, within Taiwan, political parties are gearing up for an election and grappling with their own #MeToo moment.  Guests: Cheng Ting-Fang (Annie) - the chief tech correspondent with Nikkei Asia. You can find the visual storytelling project mentioned here. Wen-Ti Sung - political scientist who t

Jun 7, 2023 • 15:37

These women are closing Wikipedia's gender gap

These women are closing Wikipedia's gender gap

More than 80% of Wikipedia’s volunteer editors are male, and this gender bias is reflected in its articles: less than 20% of published Wikipedia biographies are about women. We meet two Wikipedians trying to close this gender gap, one profile at a time.  Guests: Dr Jess Wade – Physicist and Research Fellow at the Imperial College London.  Annie Reynolds - Wikimedian, WomenInRed project member, family and local history researcher.

Jun 6, 2023 • 27:09

These women are closing Wikipedia's gender gap

These women are closing Wikipedia's gender gap

More than 80% of Wikipedia’s volunteer editors are male, and this gender bias is reflected in its articles: less than 20% of published Wikipedia biographies are about women. We meet two Wikipedians trying to close this gender gap, one profile at a time.  Guests: Dr Jess Wade – Physicist and Research Fellow at the Imperial College London.  Annie Reynolds - Wikimedian, WomenInRed project member, family and local history researcher.

Jun 6, 2023 • 27:09

Violent clashes in Kosovo's Serb-dominated north put talks of partition at risk

Violent clashes in Kosovo's Serb-dominated north put talks of partition at risk

Recent elections in Kosovo's Serb-dominated north have seen historical tensions turn to violence and European mediators are scratching their heads as talks between the two country’s leaders ended in stalemate. Complicating the picture is the war in nearby Ukraine, Serbia’s strong-man politics and its historical closeness with Russia.  Guest: Marko Prelec, Consulting Senior Analyst, Balkans, International Crisis Group

Jun 6, 2023 • 17:57

Violent clashes in Kosovo's Serb-dominated north put talks of partition at risk

Violent clashes in Kosovo's Serb-dominated north put talks of partition at risk

Recent elections in Kosovo's Serb-dominated north have seen historical tensions turn to violence and European mediators are scratching their heads as talks between the two country’s leaders ended in stalemate. Complicating the picture is the war in nearby Ukraine, Serbia’s strong-man politics and its historical closeness with Russia.  Guest: Marko Prelec, Consulting Senior Analyst, Balkans, International Crisis Group

Jun 6, 2023 • 17:57

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

The UK government will use barges to house over 1000 asylum seekers awaiting processing. Meanwhile, the government is to launch an unprecedented legal challenge over the public COVID inquiry's demand for WhatsApp messages and documents. Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the "i" newspaper

Jun 6, 2023 • 12:31

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

The UK government will use barges to house over 1000 asylum seekers awaiting processing. Meanwhile, the government is to launch an unprecedented legal challenge over the public COVID inquiry's demand for WhatsApp messages and documents. Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the "i" newspaper

Jun 6, 2023 • 12:31

The meanings of typography

The meanings of typography

Typographer and designer Stephen Banham contends that a mere font can represent our lives and the times in which we live.

Jun 5, 2023 • 21:30

The meanings of typography

The meanings of typography

Typographer and designer Stephen Banham contends that a mere font can represent our lives and the times in which we live.

Jun 5, 2023 • 21:30

The dirty secrets of our digital world

The dirty secrets of our digital world

The digital age promised a cleaner, greener, more efficient future. In reality, our digital lives rely on a vast and growing infrastructure of mines, cables and data centres, which are damaging the planet.  Guest: Guillaume Pitron, author, The Dark Cloud: How the Digital World is Costing the Earth.

Jun 5, 2023 • 17:11

The dirty secrets of our digital world

The dirty secrets of our digital world

The digital age promised a cleaner, greener, more efficient future. In reality, our digital lives rely on a vast and growing infrastructure of mines, cables and data centres, which are damaging the planet.  Guest: Guillaume Pitron, author, The Dark Cloud: How the Digital World is Costing the Earth.

Jun 5, 2023 • 17:11

Laura Tingle's Canberra looks at Ben Roberts-Smith, Albanese's Shangri-la speech and the housing crisis

Laura Tingle's Canberra looks at Ben Roberts-Smith, Albanese's Shangri-la speech and the housing crisis

Laura Tingle looks at the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case,  how Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is handling the delicate path between China and the United States, and still no deal on the Housing Australia Future Fund.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jun 5, 2023 • 13:42

Laura Tingle's Canberra looks at Ben Roberts-Smith, Albanese's Shangri-la speech and the housing crisis

Laura Tingle's Canberra looks at Ben Roberts-Smith, Albanese's Shangri-la speech and the housing crisis

Laura Tingle looks at the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case,  how Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is handling the delicate path between China and the United States, and still no deal on the Housing Australia Future Fund.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jun 5, 2023 • 13:42

The Martin Amis interview

The Martin Amis interview

British writer Martin Amis died on the 19th of May, 2023. In this interview with Phillip Adams from 2020 they discuss the last book Martin ever wrote: Inside Story, which takes the death of his closest friend, Christopher Hitchens, as it's starting point. Ultimately he covers the hardest questions, such as how to live, how to grieve and how to die. Interview first broadcast 8th of October 2020.

Jun 1, 2023 • 53:38

The Martin Amis interview

The Martin Amis interview

British writer Martin Amis died on the 19th of May, 2023. In this interview with Phillip Adams from 2020 they discuss the last book Martin ever wrote: Inside Story, which takes the death of his closest friend, Christopher Hitchens, as it's starting point. Ultimately he covers the hardest questions, such as how to live, how to grieve and how to die. Interview first broadcast 8th of October 2020.

Jun 1, 2023 • 53:38

Blurbs: the inside story of the outside of books

Blurbs: the inside story of the outside of books

George Orwell dismissed them as ‘tripe’, T.S. Eliot found them arduous to write and Jeanette Winterson once burnt all her books because of one… Literary copywriter Louise Willder explores the haunting, luminous, unputdownable history of the book blurb.

May 31, 2023 • 20:06

Blurbs: the inside story of the outside of books

Blurbs: the inside story of the outside of books

George Orwell dismissed them as ‘tripe’, T.S. Eliot found them arduous to write and Jeanette Winterson once burnt all her books because of one… Literary copywriter Louise Willder explores the haunting, luminous, unputdownable history of the book blurb.

May 31, 2023 • 20:06

Hollywood's writers have gone on strike. Here's why we should pay attention

Hollywood's writers have gone on strike. Here's why we should pay attention

The writers behind popular television shows like Saturday Night Live and Stranger Things have put their pens down and stepped away from their keyboards. It's not only a battle for better wages and working conditions, but against the threat of artificial intelligence taking their jobs.  Guest: Kate Fortmueller - assistant professor of entertainment and media studies at the University of Georgia.

May 31, 2023 • 16:25

Hollywood's writers have gone on strike. Here's why we should pay attention

Hollywood's writers have gone on strike. Here's why we should pay attention

The writers behind popular television shows like Saturday Night Live and Stranger Things have put their pens down and stepped away from their keyboards. It's not only a battle for better wages and working conditions, but against the threat of artificial intelligence taking their jobs.  Guest: Kate Fortmueller - assistant professor of entertainment and media studies at the University of Georgia.

May 31, 2023 • 16:25

Pacific update: New and old foreign players

Pacific update: New and old foreign players

New players such as South Korea, India and the UK are joining China, the US and Australia in jostling for influence in the Pacific. Tess Newton Cain and Sean Jacobs discuss.

May 31, 2023 • 15:03

Pacific update: New and old foreign players

Pacific update: New and old foreign players

New players such as South Korea, India and the UK are joining China, the US and Australia in jostling for influence in the Pacific. Tess Newton Cain and Sean Jacobs discuss.

May 31, 2023 • 15:03

Should we think tragically to avoid tragedy?

Should we think tragically to avoid tragedy?

Haunted by his misguided support of the Iraq War, foreign correspondent Robert D. Kaplan turned to tragic literature to understand the delusions of the West and how they can be avoided in the future.  Guest: Robert D. Kaplan - the Robert Strausz-Hupé Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. His latest book is The Tragic Mind: Fear, fate and the burden of power published by Yale University Press

May 30, 2023 • 24:37

Should we think tragically to avoid tragedy?

Should we think tragically to avoid tragedy?

Haunted by his misguided support of the Iraq War, foreign correspondent Robert D. Kaplan turned to tragic literature to understand the delusions of the West and how they can be avoided in the future.  Guest: Robert D. Kaplan - the Robert Strausz-Hupé Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. His latest book is The Tragic Mind: Fear, fate and the burden of power published by Yale University Press

May 30, 2023 • 24:37

How tech impacts most of the world

How tech impacts most of the world

We rarely hear how technology is impacting most of the world's population, in the global south. Anup Kaphle and Itika Sharma Punit, both from the online publication Rest of World, are now bringing us those stories.

May 30, 2023 • 15:54

How tech impacts most of the world

How tech impacts most of the world

We rarely hear how technology is impacting most of the world's population, in the global south. Anup Kaphle and Itika Sharma Punit, both from the online publication Rest of World, are now bringing us those stories.

May 30, 2023 • 15:54

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reach and agreement to raise the US debt ceiling and avoid default. Florida Republican Ron DeSantis launches his presidential bid, but not without technical difficulties. And US diplomat Henry Kissinger turns 100.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; and Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

May 30, 2023 • 13:44

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reach and agreement to raise the US debt ceiling and avoid default. Florida Republican Ron DeSantis launches his presidential bid, but not without technical difficulties. And US diplomat Henry Kissinger turns 100.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; and Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

May 30, 2023 • 13:44

Andre Dao's mysterious family story

Andre Dao's mysterious family story

Andre Dao's acclaimed book ‘Anam’ explores his Vietnamese background and the ways that war divided his family, and their country.  Guest: Andre Dao, Melbourne-based legal academic and author of 'Anam' (Penguin/Hamish Hamilton)

May 29, 2023 • 18:18

Andre Dao's mysterious family story

Andre Dao's mysterious family story

Andre Dao's acclaimed book ‘Anam’ explores his Vietnamese background and the ways that war divided his family, and their country.  Guest: Andre Dao, Melbourne-based legal academic and author of 'Anam' (Penguin/Hamish Hamilton)

May 29, 2023 • 18:18

Timor-Leste's election was a democratic triumph, but is Gusmao up to governing?

Timor-Leste's election was a democratic triumph, but is Gusmao up to governing?

Following Timor-Leste’s parliamentary election on the 21st of May, independence hero Xanana Gusmao and his National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) have emerged victorious. The conduct of the elections has been described as a democratic triumph but the biggest challenges for Mr Gusmao, and the young country, could still be yet to come.  Guest: Damien Kingsbury, Emeritus Professor of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Deakin University.

May 29, 2023 • 19:50

Timor-Leste's election was a democratic triumph, but is Gusmao up to governing?

Timor-Leste's election was a democratic triumph, but is Gusmao up to governing?

Following Timor-Leste’s parliamentary election on the 21st of May, independence hero Xanana Gusmao and his National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) have emerged victorious. The conduct of the elections has been described as a democratic triumph but the biggest challenges for Mr Gusmao, and the young country, could still be yet to come.  Guest: Damien Kingsbury, Emeritus Professor of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Deakin University.

May 29, 2023 • 19:50

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

WA Premier Mark McGowan announces his shock resignation, citing burnout and exhaustion. The fallout from the PWC scandal continues. And the PM appeals to Australians' 'instinct for fairness' on the Voice.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief political correspondent, 7.30

May 29, 2023 • 13:06

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

WA Premier Mark McGowan announces his shock resignation, citing burnout and exhaustion. The fallout from the PWC scandal continues. And the PM appeals to Australians' 'instinct for fairness' on the Voice.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief political correspondent, 7.30

May 29, 2023 • 13:06

Peter Wohlleben on the secret lives and superpowers of trees

Peter Wohlleben on the secret lives and superpowers of trees

Peter Wohlleben opened our eyes to the hidden social lives of trees. Now he makes the case that trees could be our climate saviours, if we let them.   Guest: Peter Wohlleben – German forester and bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees. His latest book is The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us If We Let Them published in Australia by Black Inc Books.

May 25, 2023 • 23:32

Peter Wohlleben on the secret lives and superpowers of trees

Peter Wohlleben on the secret lives and superpowers of trees

Peter Wohlleben opened our eyes to the hidden social lives of trees. Now he makes the case that trees could be our climate saviours, if we let them.   Guest: Peter Wohlleben – German forester and bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees. His latest book is The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us If We Let Them published in Australia by Black Inc Books.

May 25, 2023 • 23:32

There's no such thing as a former KGB man

There's no such thing as a former KGB man

Long before he became President of Russia, Vladimir Putin was a mid-level KGB officer stationed in Dresden, East Germany, towards the end of the Cold War. Author and investigative journalist Mark Hollingsworth tells Sarah Dingle how Putin's time in the Soviet Union’s all-powerful security agency played an instrumental role in shaping his mindset.

May 25, 2023 • 28:13

There's no such thing as a former KGB man

There's no such thing as a former KGB man

Long before he became President of Russia, Vladimir Putin was a mid-level KGB officer stationed in Dresden, East Germany, towards the end of the Cold War. Author and investigative journalist Mark Hollingsworth tells Sarah Dingle how Putin's time in the Soviet Union’s all-powerful security agency played an instrumental role in shaping his mindset.

May 25, 2023 • 28:13

The Wager – a tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder

The Wager – a tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder

The Wager is not just about how humans behave under the most extreme conditions, it’s also a reflection on empire and colonialism; not just how we paint ourselves as heroes in our own stories, but how nations do that too.    Guest: David Grann, author of The Wager – a tale of shipwreck mutiny and murder, published by Simone and Schuster

May 24, 2023 • 19:48

The Wager – a tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder

The Wager – a tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder

The Wager is not just about how humans behave under the most extreme conditions, it’s also a reflection on empire and colonialism; not just how we paint ourselves as heroes in our own stories, but how nations do that too.    Guest: David Grann, author of The Wager – a tale of shipwreck mutiny and murder, published by Simone and Schuster

May 24, 2023 • 19:48

The PFAS problem: can the world rid itself of "forever chemicals"?

The PFAS problem: can the world rid itself of "forever chemicals"?

PFAS is found in everything from non-stick cookware to cosmetics and historically, firefighting foam. These so-called "forever chemicals" do not break down in the environment and can accumulate in our bodies, raising concerns about associated health risks. As class actions mount, will the world phase out PFAS? And can contaminated sites be cleaned up?  Guests: Ravi Naidu, Laureate Professor at the University of Newcastle’s Global Centre for Environmental Remediation; CEO of CRC-CARE.    Amy Rand

May 24, 2023 • 16:28

The PFAS problem: can the world rid itself of "forever chemicals"?

The PFAS problem: can the world rid itself of "forever chemicals"?

PFAS is found in everything from non-stick cookware to cosmetics and historically, firefighting foam. These so-called "forever chemicals" do not break down in the environment and can accumulate in our bodies, raising concerns about associated health risks. As class actions mount, will the world phase out PFAS? And can contaminated sites be cleaned up?  Guests: Ravi Naidu, Laureate Professor at the University of Newcastle’s Global Centre for Environmental Remediation; CEO of CRC-CARE.    Amy Rand

May 24, 2023 • 16:28

Asia update: Pakistan's political woes

Asia update: Pakistan's political woes

For more than a year Pakistan has been plagued by an ongoing political crisis and it's bringing the country, and it's people, to the brink.  Guest: Diaa Hadid – International correspondent covering Pakistan and Afghanistan for NPR News.

May 24, 2023 • 14:21

Asia update: Pakistan's political woes

Asia update: Pakistan's political woes

For more than a year Pakistan has been plagued by an ongoing political crisis and it's bringing the country, and it's people, to the brink.  Guest: Diaa Hadid – International correspondent covering Pakistan and Afghanistan for NPR News.

May 24, 2023 • 14:21

Flying taxis and innovation waves

Flying taxis and innovation waves

Electric flying taxis are being developed in four countries, right now. It's an example of an innovation wave - a phenomenon that happens when certain elements coincide. Guest: Tom Whipple, science correspondent with The Times

May 23, 2023 • 12:22

Flying taxis and innovation waves

Flying taxis and innovation waves

Electric flying taxis are being developed in four countries, right now. It's an example of an innovation wave - a phenomenon that happens when certain elements coincide. Guest: Tom Whipple, science correspondent with The Times

May 23, 2023 • 12:22

Stan Grant has walked away from journalism. What does that say about the state of Australian media?

Stan Grant has walked away from journalism. What does that say about the state of Australian media?

Stan Grant is taking a break from journalism after suffering ongoing racist attacks and experiencing a lack of institutional support from the ABC. Now other journalists from diverse backgrounds are speaking out about their own, similar, experiences. We hear from three diverse journalists about navigating an increasingly vitriolic media landscape, the lack of diversity that persists in Australian media and some of the possible paths forward.    Guests: John Paul Janke – Co-host of NITV’s weekly c

May 23, 2023 • 24:12

Stan Grant has walked away from journalism. What does that say about the state of Australian media?

Stan Grant has walked away from journalism. What does that say about the state of Australian media?

Stan Grant is taking a break from journalism after suffering ongoing racist attacks and experiencing a lack of institutional support from the ABC. Now other journalists from diverse backgrounds are speaking out about their own, similar, experiences. We hear from three diverse journalists about navigating an increasingly vitriolic media landscape, the lack of diversity that persists in Australian media and some of the possible paths forward.    Guests: John Paul Janke – Co-host of NITV’s weekly c

May 23, 2023 • 24:12

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

After 13 years in government, the Conservative Party reaches a new milestone, surpassing Labour's previous period in government. Plus, Home Secretary Suella Braverman faces questions about her handling of a speeding fine.  Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the "i" newspaper

May 23, 2023 • 13:50

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

After 13 years in government, the Conservative Party reaches a new milestone, surpassing Labour's previous period in government. Plus, Home Secretary Suella Braverman faces questions about her handling of a speeding fine.  Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the "i" newspaper

May 23, 2023 • 13:50

Why do humans have so many teeth troubles?

Why do humans have so many teeth troubles?

From cavities, to overcrowding and the dreaded wisdom teeth - why are these dental issues so common today? The answer lies in our evolution and the rapid transformation of human diets.  Guest: Peter Ungar, distinguished professor of anthropology and director of environmental dynamics at the University of Arkansas.

May 22, 2023 • 15:43

Why do humans have so many teeth troubles?

Why do humans have so many teeth troubles?

From cavities, to overcrowding and the dreaded wisdom teeth - why are these dental issues so common today? The answer lies in our evolution and the rapid transformation of human diets.  Guest: Peter Ungar, distinguished professor of anthropology and director of environmental dynamics at the University of Arkansas.

May 22, 2023 • 15:43

The intimate consequences of inequality in China

The intimate consequences of inequality in China

Four decades of economic reform have made China one of the most unequal countries in the world – but the impact of this inequality is not just socioeconomic. Professor Wanning Sun spoke to the rural migrant workers that put together our iPhones and iPads about their attempts to find love while working on the assembly line.  Guest: Wanning Sun - Professor of Media and Communication Studies at UTS. Author of Love Troubles: Inequality in China and its Intimate Consequences published by Bloomsbury,

May 22, 2023 • 24:27

The intimate consequences of inequality in China

The intimate consequences of inequality in China

Four decades of economic reform have made China one of the most unequal countries in the world – but the impact of this inequality is not just socioeconomic. Professor Wanning Sun spoke to the rural migrant workers that put together our iPhones and iPads about their attempts to find love while working on the assembly line.  Guest: Wanning Sun - Professor of Media and Communication Studies at UTS. Author of Love Troubles: Inequality in China and its Intimate Consequences published by Bloomsbury,

May 22, 2023 • 24:27

Canberra update - big international conversations, and a year in government

Canberra update - big international conversations, and a year in government

It’s been a big week in international engagement for our Prime Minister. The Government marks one year in office. And parliamentary debate on the Voice is finally underway.

May 22, 2023 • 14:20

Canberra update - big international conversations, and a year in government

Canberra update - big international conversations, and a year in government

It’s been a big week in international engagement for our Prime Minister. The Government marks one year in office. And parliamentary debate on the Voice is finally underway.

May 22, 2023 • 14:20

Women writers and rebels in the Spanish Civil War

Women writers and rebels in the Spanish Civil War

The most famous chroniclers of the Spanish Civil War may have been male writers such as George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway. But a new book reveals the contributions made by a band of brave and brilliant women, from journalist Martha Gellhorn to the young Jewish photographer Gerda Taro.  Guest: Sarah Watling - journalist and author of ‘Tomorrow Perhaps The Future: Following Writers and Rebels in the Spanish Civil War’ (Penguin)

May 18, 2023 • 23:49

Women writers and rebels in the Spanish Civil War

Women writers and rebels in the Spanish Civil War

The most famous chroniclers of the Spanish Civil War may have been male writers such as George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway. But a new book reveals the contributions made by a band of brave and brilliant women, from journalist Martha Gellhorn to the young Jewish photographer Gerda Taro.  Guest: Sarah Watling - journalist and author of ‘Tomorrow Perhaps The Future: Following Writers and Rebels in the Spanish Civil War’ (Penguin)

May 18, 2023 • 23:49

The Devil's Element: The global phosphorus paradox

The Devil's Element: The global phosphorus paradox

Phosphorus supports all life on Earth, yet we're exhausting our reserves of this finite resource at an unsustainable rate, while we allow it to overflow and pollute our waterways. As we inch towards 'peak phosphorus', it turns out the key to our future food security could reside in our own bladders and bowels.  Guest:  Dan Egan – journalist in residence at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Freshwater Sciences and author of The Devil's Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balanc

May 18, 2023 • 28:50

The Devil's Element: The global phosphorus paradox

The Devil's Element: The global phosphorus paradox

Phosphorus supports all life on Earth, yet we're exhausting our reserves of this finite resource at an unsustainable rate, while we allow it to overflow and pollute our waterways. As we inch towards 'peak phosphorus', it turns out the key to our future food security could reside in our own bladders and bowels.  Guest:  Dan Egan – journalist in residence at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Freshwater Sciences and author of The Devil's Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balanc

May 18, 2023 • 28:50

From cave art to K-Pop - Can anyone really own culture?

From cave art to K-Pop - Can anyone really own culture?

‘Culture’ has become a loaded term in today’s world, tied up in culture wars, cultural appropriation and cancel culture. But while we fight over who owns the past, are we missing the very point of culture? In his new book  Culture: The Story of Us, from Cave Art to K-Pop, Harvard professor Martin Puchner explores how the human attempt to make sense of the universe and our place in it has been a collective one. Guest: Martin Puchner - Byron and Anita Wien Professor of Drama and of English and Com

May 17, 2023 • 22:53

From cave art to K-Pop - Can anyone really own culture?

From cave art to K-Pop - Can anyone really own culture?

‘Culture’ has become a loaded term in today’s world, tied up in culture wars, cultural appropriation and cancel culture. But while we fight over who owns the past, are we missing the very point of culture? In his new book  Culture: The Story of Us, from Cave Art to K-Pop, Harvard professor Martin Puchner explores how the human attempt to make sense of the universe and our place in it has been a collective one. Guest: Martin Puchner - Byron and Anita Wien Professor of Drama and of English and Com

May 17, 2023 • 22:53

Can the G7 meetings in Japan have a more Asian focus?

Can the G7 meetings in Japan have a more Asian focus?

The annual G7 summit will take place from the 19th to 21st of May. It's being hosted by Japan, and Asian countries are hoping that their priorities will feature on the agenda.  Guest: Pierre Prakash - Asia program director with the International Crisis Group

May 17, 2023 • 15:26

Can the G7 meetings in Japan have a more Asian focus?

Can the G7 meetings in Japan have a more Asian focus?

The annual G7 summit will take place from the 19th to 21st of May. It's being hosted by Japan, and Asian countries are hoping that their priorities will feature on the agenda.  Guest: Pierre Prakash - Asia program director with the International Crisis Group

May 17, 2023 • 15:26

How will The Voice - and the budget -  impact Indigenous people's health?

How will The Voice - and the budget - impact Indigenous people's health?

Selwyn Button say that where Aboriginal Health organisations have been involved and in and consulted about their own health, there are better outcomes and The Voice should help amplify these results. Selwyn say the federal budget has acknowledged the traumatic nature of the Voice debate by allocating extra funding for Indigenous mental health services.  Guest: Selwyn Button, Chair of the Lowitja Institute; a partner in PwC Indigenous consulting; and a member of the Voice Referendum engagement gr

May 17, 2023 • 14:41

How will The Voice - and the budget -  impact Indigenous people's health?

How will The Voice - and the budget - impact Indigenous people's health?

Selwyn Button say that where Aboriginal Health organisations have been involved and in and consulted about their own health, there are better outcomes and The Voice should help amplify these results. Selwyn say the federal budget has acknowledged the traumatic nature of the Voice debate by allocating extra funding for Indigenous mental health services.  Guest: Selwyn Button, Chair of the Lowitja Institute; a partner in PwC Indigenous consulting; and a member of the Voice Referendum engagement gr

May 17, 2023 • 14:41

The secret life of flies

The secret life of flies

Flies may be irritating creatures, but they play an incredibly important role in both ecology and human society. We need flies to make chocolate, and we use fly larvae to treat infections and even solve crimes. Flies also played a role in the development of the Australian accent.  Guest: Bryan Lessard, entomologist and author of Eyes on Flies.  Bryan is appearing at this year's Sydney Writers Festival.

May 16, 2023 • 19:08

The secret life of flies

The secret life of flies

Flies may be irritating creatures, but they play an incredibly important role in both ecology and human society. We need flies to make chocolate, and we use fly larvae to treat infections and even solve crimes. Flies also played a role in the development of the Australian accent.  Guest: Bryan Lessard, entomologist and author of Eyes on Flies.  Bryan is appearing at this year's Sydney Writers Festival.

May 16, 2023 • 19:08

Death threats, harassment and silencing: life for female journalists in South Africa

Death threats, harassment and silencing: life for female journalists in South Africa

A new documentary called Section 16 exposes the personal and frightening attacks that women journalists in South Africa face on social media and in real life when they expose wrongdoing by those in power. Guests:  Ferial Haffajee, Associate Editor, Daily Maverick Caryn Dolley, journalist at the Daily Maverick and author of Clash of the Cartels: Unmasking the global drug kingpins stalking South Africa The South African Film Festival is running online until 31 May 2023.

May 16, 2023 • 17:29

Death threats, harassment and silencing: life for female journalists in South Africa

Death threats, harassment and silencing: life for female journalists in South Africa

A new documentary called Section 16 exposes the personal and frightening attacks that women journalists in South Africa face on social media and in real life when they expose wrongdoing by those in power. Guests:  Ferial Haffajee, Associate Editor, Daily Maverick Caryn Dolley, journalist at the Daily Maverick and author of Clash of the Cartels: Unmasking the global drug kingpins stalking South Africa The South African Film Festival is running online until 31 May 2023.

May 16, 2023 • 17:29

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Donald Trump returns to CNN, a day after being found liable for sexual abuse. And will the US Government run out of money, while Congress squabbles over the debt ceiling? Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

May 16, 2023 • 14:41

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Donald Trump returns to CNN, a day after being found liable for sexual abuse. And will the US Government run out of money, while Congress squabbles over the debt ceiling? Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

May 16, 2023 • 14:41

What an 18th Century "chess robot" hoax can teach us about artificial intelligence

What an 18th Century "chess robot" hoax can teach us about artificial intelligence

In the late 18th Century, a chess-playing machine known as "The Mechanical Turk" toured the world, defeating the likes of Napoleon and Benjamin Franklin. But this remarkable chess robot wasn't the "artificially intelligent" machine that it seemed. Guest: Toby Walsh, Laureate Fellow & Scientia Professor of AI at UNSW Sydney

May 15, 2023 • 20:43

What an 18th Century "chess robot" hoax can teach us about artificial intelligence

What an 18th Century "chess robot" hoax can teach us about artificial intelligence

In the late 18th Century, a chess-playing machine known as "The Mechanical Turk" toured the world, defeating the likes of Napoleon and Benjamin Franklin. But this remarkable chess robot wasn't the "artificially intelligent" machine that it seemed. Guest: Toby Walsh, Laureate Fellow & Scientia Professor of AI at UNSW Sydney

May 15, 2023 • 20:43

Nearly two years since the fall of Kabul, where is Afghanistan now?

Nearly two years since the fall of Kabul, where is Afghanistan now?

Life and security in Afghanistan continue to deteriorate, nearly two years since the Taliban took control of Kabul, in August 2021. Girls and women are banned from attending high school and university, while ISIS remains a presence in the region.  Guests: Ibrahim Bahiss, analyst with the International Crisis Group, specialising in the Taliban and Afghanistan.  Dr Ashley Jackson, co-director of the Centre for the Study of Armed Groups at the Overseas Development Institute and the author of “Negot

May 15, 2023 • 13:57

Nearly two years since the fall of Kabul, where is Afghanistan now?

Nearly two years since the fall of Kabul, where is Afghanistan now?

Life and security in Afghanistan continue to deteriorate, nearly two years since the Taliban took control of Kabul, in August 2021. Girls and women are banned from attending high school and university, while ISIS remains a presence in the region.  Guests: Ibrahim Bahiss, analyst with the International Crisis Group, specialising in the Taliban and Afghanistan.  Dr Ashley Jackson, co-director of the Centre for the Study of Armed Groups at the Overseas Development Institute and the author of “Negot

May 15, 2023 • 13:57

Amy Remeikis's Canberra

Amy Remeikis's Canberra

A rally against a proposed football stadium in Hobart has highlighted the housing crisis in Australia and left the Tasmanian government in minority. Meanwhile Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the federal government's plan to boost migration will increase cost of living pressures and put more pressure on the housing market. Guest: Amy Remeikis, Guardian Australia's political reporter.

May 15, 2023 • 14:40

Amy Remeikis's Canberra

Amy Remeikis's Canberra

A rally against a proposed football stadium in Hobart has highlighted the housing crisis in Australia and left the Tasmanian government in minority. Meanwhile Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the federal government's plan to boost migration will increase cost of living pressures and put more pressure on the housing market. Guest: Amy Remeikis, Guardian Australia's political reporter.

May 15, 2023 • 14:40

The many loves of Geoffrey Dutton

The many loves of Geoffrey Dutton

Geoffrey Dutton was a prolific poet, author, editor and critic. In fact, his contribution to Australian letters has been described as unrivalled in his generation. He was one of the founders of both Adelaide Writer’s Week and the Adelaide Festival. He started the Australian letters quarterly and the Australian Book Review. He was one of the drivers of the Australian Republican Movement. But there’s a lot more to be known about the man whose autobiography left out large parts of his family life.

May 11, 2023 • 28:01

The many loves of Geoffrey Dutton

The many loves of Geoffrey Dutton

Geoffrey Dutton was a prolific poet, author, editor and critic. In fact, his contribution to Australian letters has been described as unrivalled in his generation. He was one of the founders of both Adelaide Writer’s Week and the Adelaide Festival. He started the Australian letters quarterly and the Australian Book Review. He was one of the drivers of the Australian Republican Movement. But there’s a lot more to be known about the man whose autobiography left out large parts of his family life.

May 11, 2023 • 28:01

Despatch from Iraq: adventure down the Tigris River

Despatch from Iraq: adventure down the Tigris River

The Tigris River, currently enduring a drought, runs through three countries – Turkey, Syria and Iraq. But mostly Iraq.  In 2021, for the first time in probably centuries, a small band of adventurers travelled the full length of it.

May 11, 2023 • 24:08

Despatch from Iraq: adventure down the Tigris River

Despatch from Iraq: adventure down the Tigris River

The Tigris River, currently enduring a drought, runs through three countries – Turkey, Syria and Iraq. But mostly Iraq.  In 2021, for the first time in probably centuries, a small band of adventurers travelled the full length of it.

May 11, 2023 • 24:08

The unforgettable E Jean Carroll

The unforgettable E Jean Carroll

Following the verdict that Donald Trump sexually abused writer E Jean Carroll, we revisit a memorable interview that Phillip had with Carroll, about her biography of Hunter S Thompson, back in 1993.  DISCLAIMER: This interview was originally broadcast in 1993. It contains references to sex, drug use and domestic violence.

May 10, 2023 • 20:41

The unforgettable E Jean Carroll

The unforgettable E Jean Carroll

Following the verdict that Donald Trump sexually abused writer E Jean Carroll, we revisit a memorable interview that Phillip had with Carroll, about her biography of Hunter S Thompson, back in 1993.  DISCLAIMER: This interview was originally broadcast in 1993. It contains references to sex, drug use and domestic violence.

May 10, 2023 • 20:41

Bangladesh is becoming a 'dumping ground' for foreign fossil fuels

Bangladesh is becoming a 'dumping ground' for foreign fossil fuels

As the rest of the world transitions away from fossil fuels, Bangladesh is pressing ahead with major gas projects and importation terminals. Munira Chowdhury and Bernadette Maheandiran led an NGO delegation to Chattogram – Matarbari to meet the people most affected by these developments.  Guests: Munira Chowdhury, Climate & Finance Analyst, Market Forces  Bernadette Maheandiran, Asia Director, Market Forces You can listen to our story on the Rana Plaza tragedy, 10 years on HERE.

May 10, 2023 • 15:13

Bangladesh is becoming a 'dumping ground' for foreign fossil fuels

Bangladesh is becoming a 'dumping ground' for foreign fossil fuels

As the rest of the world transitions away from fossil fuels, Bangladesh is pressing ahead with major gas projects and importation terminals. Munira Chowdhury and Bernadette Maheandiran led an NGO delegation to Chattogram – Matarbari to meet the people most affected by these developments.  Guests: Munira Chowdhury, Climate & Finance Analyst, Market Forces  Bernadette Maheandiran, Asia Director, Market Forces You can listen to our story on the Rana Plaza tragedy, 10 years on HERE.

May 10, 2023 • 15:13

Asia Update: Thailand elections

Asia Update: Thailand elections

In this edition of our fortnightly Asia update, 52 million people will head to the polls in Thailand in an election that will determine the trajectory of the country's democracy. Plus, Cambodia's equally troubled elections, an update on Myanmar and Australia's curious diplomatic debacle with Vietnam over a coin.  Guests: Sebastian Strangio – Southeast Asia Editor at The Diplomat. Pavin Chachavalpongpun - PhD. Associate Professor, Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University.

May 10, 2023 • 15:32

Asia Update: Thailand elections

Asia Update: Thailand elections

In this edition of our fortnightly Asia update, 52 million people will head to the polls in Thailand in an election that will determine the trajectory of the country's democracy. Plus, Cambodia's equally troubled elections, an update on Myanmar and Australia's curious diplomatic debacle with Vietnam over a coin.  Guests: Sebastian Strangio – Southeast Asia Editor at The Diplomat. Pavin Chachavalpongpun - PhD. Associate Professor, Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University.

May 10, 2023 • 15:32

How the Marquis de Sade’s most notorious novel became a literary scam

How the Marquis de Sade’s most notorious novel became a literary scam

How the most notorious French novel ever written was turned into a literary Ponzi scheme

May 9, 2023 • 20:30

How the Marquis de Sade’s most notorious novel became a literary scam

How the Marquis de Sade’s most notorious novel became a literary scam

How the most notorious French novel ever written was turned into a literary Ponzi scheme

May 9, 2023 • 20:30

Crisis-stricken Haiti appeals to the world for help

Crisis-stricken Haiti appeals to the world for help

The UN warns that Haiti is ‘dangling over an abyss’, as gang violence escalates and democratic institutions fail. Guest:Harold Isaac, freelance journalist in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

May 9, 2023 • 17:39

Crisis-stricken Haiti appeals to the world for help

Crisis-stricken Haiti appeals to the world for help

The UN warns that Haiti is ‘dangling over an abyss’, as gang violence escalates and democratic institutions fail. Guest:Harold Isaac, freelance journalist in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

May 9, 2023 • 17:39

Ian Dunt's UK: Long live the right to protest

Ian Dunt's UK: Long live the right to protest

Unseen by those in Australia watching the pomp and circumstance of the King's coronation, peaceful anti-monarchist protesters were being rounded-up and arrested. It's the result of a controversial new anti-protest law that's recently been introduced in the United Kingdom.  Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the i-newspaper.

May 9, 2023 • 12:39

Ian Dunt's UK: Long live the right to protest

Ian Dunt's UK: Long live the right to protest

Unseen by those in Australia watching the pomp and circumstance of the King's coronation, peaceful anti-monarchist protesters were being rounded-up and arrested. It's the result of a controversial new anti-protest law that's recently been introduced in the United Kingdom.  Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the i-newspaper.

May 9, 2023 • 12:39

Mythologies of the alphabet

Mythologies of the alphabet

Understandings of how the alphabet came into being have  been driven by ideology, religion, and geo-politics.

May 8, 2023 • 22:31

Mythologies of the alphabet

Mythologies of the alphabet

Understandings of how the alphabet came into being have  been driven by ideology, religion, and geo-politics.

May 8, 2023 • 22:31

Bob Carr on the case to free Julian Assange

Bob Carr on the case to free Julian Assange

Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton have stated that they support dropping the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States. Former Foreign Minister and NSW Premier Bob Carr weighs in on the potential diplomatic arguments that can be made for freeing Assange and what this means, more broadly, for our alliance.

May 8, 2023 • 15:50

Bob Carr on the case to free Julian Assange

Bob Carr on the case to free Julian Assange

Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton have stated that they support dropping the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States. Former Foreign Minister and NSW Premier Bob Carr weighs in on the potential diplomatic arguments that can be made for freeing Assange and what this means, more broadly, for our alliance.

May 8, 2023 • 15:50

Laura Tingle's Canberra - budget preview

Laura Tingle's Canberra - budget preview

Labor will hand down its second budget on Tuesday, aiming to find a balance between being seen as good economic managers while meeting their promise to not leave anyone behind.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

May 8, 2023 • 12:27

Laura Tingle's Canberra - budget preview

Laura Tingle's Canberra - budget preview

Labor will hand down its second budget on Tuesday, aiming to find a balance between being seen as good economic managers while meeting their promise to not leave anyone behind.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

May 8, 2023 • 12:27

19th-century drug trips: the doctors who got high for science

19th-century drug trips: the doctors who got high for science

Over a century before the explosion of the hippie counterculture, pioneering scientists and thinkers were using substances such as cocaine, hashish and nitrous oxide to unlock the hidden recesses of the mind.

May 4, 2023 • 22:17

19th-century drug trips: the doctors who got high for science

19th-century drug trips: the doctors who got high for science

Over a century before the explosion of the hippie counterculture, pioneering scientists and thinkers were using substances such as cocaine, hashish and nitrous oxide to unlock the hidden recesses of the mind.

May 4, 2023 • 22:17

Andrey Kurkov kept a diary of the start of the war in Ukraine. This is what it says.

Andrey Kurkov kept a diary of the start of the war in Ukraine. This is what it says.

For over 40 years author Andrey Kurkov has kept a personal journal. His entries from the period leading up to Russia’s invasion and over the first five months of the war provide a glimpse into a country and a culture fighting for survival, against the odds.     Guest:  Andrey Kurkov – Author and president of PEN Ukraine. His latest book is Diary of an Invasion published by Mountain Leopard Press. Andrey is appearing at Sydney Writers' Festival on the 27th of May. You can get tickets here.

May 4, 2023 • 29:41

Andrey Kurkov kept a diary of the start of the war in Ukraine. This is what it says.

Andrey Kurkov kept a diary of the start of the war in Ukraine. This is what it says.

For over 40 years author Andrey Kurkov has kept a personal journal. His entries from the period leading up to Russia’s invasion and over the first five months of the war provide a glimpse into a country and a culture fighting for survival, against the odds.     Guest:  Andrey Kurkov – Author and president of PEN Ukraine. His latest book is Diary of an Invasion published by Mountain Leopard Press. Andrey is appearing at Sydney Writers' Festival on the 27th of May. You can get tickets here.

May 4, 2023 • 29:41

How animals can save our lives, and help us live forever

How animals can save our lives, and help us live forever

Dr Matt Morgan is an intensive care doctor with a novel approach: he looks to the animal kingdom to solve humanity's trickiest medical problems.  Guest: Dr Matt Morgan - intensive care doctor, researcher and author. His book is One medicine: How understanding animals can save your life published by Simon & Schuster

May 3, 2023 • 31:52

How animals can save our lives, and help us live forever

How animals can save our lives, and help us live forever

Dr Matt Morgan is an intensive care doctor with a novel approach: he looks to the animal kingdom to solve humanity's trickiest medical problems.  Guest: Dr Matt Morgan - intensive care doctor, researcher and author. His book is One medicine: How understanding animals can save your life published by Simon & Schuster

May 3, 2023 • 31:52

Pacific update: special focus on deep sea mining

Pacific update: special focus on deep sea mining

Deep sea mining for minerals presents significant challenges and opportunities for cash-strapped Pacific nations.

May 3, 2023 • 24:37

Pacific update: special focus on deep sea mining

Pacific update: special focus on deep sea mining

Deep sea mining for minerals presents significant challenges and opportunities for cash-strapped Pacific nations.

May 3, 2023 • 24:37

Strolling through the history of Australia's botanic gardens

Strolling through the history of Australia's botanic gardens

From colonial estates to leisure grounds for the masses, Australia’s botanic gardens have evolved over time. Now these gardens are on the frontline of climate change adaptation. Guest: Susan K Martin, Emeritus Professor in English, La Trobe University. Co-author of Reading the Garden

May 2, 2023 • 14:55

Strolling through the history of Australia's botanic gardens

Strolling through the history of Australia's botanic gardens

From colonial estates to leisure grounds for the masses, Australia’s botanic gardens have evolved over time. Now these gardens are on the frontline of climate change adaptation. Guest: Susan K Martin, Emeritus Professor in English, La Trobe University. Co-author of Reading the Garden

May 2, 2023 • 14:55

Why it's time to pay attention to the Doomsday Clock

Why it's time to pay attention to the Doomsday Clock

The hands of the Doomsday Clock are now at “90 seconds to midnight”, the closest they have ever been to the symbolic midnight hour of global catastrophe. What has brought us to this perilous moment? And can humanity wind back the clock?  Guest: Rachel Bronson, President and CEO of the Bulletin of Atomic Sciences

May 2, 2023 • 23:05

Why it's time to pay attention to the Doomsday Clock

Why it's time to pay attention to the Doomsday Clock

The hands of the Doomsday Clock are now at “90 seconds to midnight”, the closest they have ever been to the symbolic midnight hour of global catastrophe. What has brought us to this perilous moment? And can humanity wind back the clock?  Guest: Rachel Bronson, President and CEO of the Bulletin of Atomic Sciences

May 2, 2023 • 23:05

Will it be Biden v Trump again in 2024?

Will it be Biden v Trump again in 2024?

Last week, Joe Biden confirmed he will run for a second term as US President. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is collecting endorsements from key Republicans.   Guest: David Frum, author and political commentator, The Atlantic

May 2, 2023 • 13:40

Will it be Biden v Trump again in 2024?

Will it be Biden v Trump again in 2024?

Last week, Joe Biden confirmed he will run for a second term as US President. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is collecting endorsements from key Republicans.   Guest: David Frum, author and political commentator, The Atlantic

May 2, 2023 • 13:40

From the sacred heart to pig heart transplants: A hearty new history of the heart

From the sacred heart to pig heart transplants: A hearty new history of the heart

For much of recorded history, humans have considered the heart the most important organ in the body – the location of our souls. New science is proving that there might be more to the heart-mind connection than Western medicine has typically believed and it could have ramifications for future heart treatments.    Guest: Vincent M. Figueredo - practising cardiologist and physician-scientist and author of The Curious History of the Heart: A Cultural and Scientific Journey published by Colombia Uni

May 1, 2023 • 18:01

From the sacred heart to pig heart transplants: A hearty new history of the heart

From the sacred heart to pig heart transplants: A hearty new history of the heart

For much of recorded history, humans have considered the heart the most important organ in the body – the location of our souls. New science is proving that there might be more to the heart-mind connection than Western medicine has typically believed and it could have ramifications for future heart treatments.    Guest: Vincent M. Figueredo - practising cardiologist and physician-scientist and author of The Curious History of the Heart: A Cultural and Scientific Journey published by Colombia Uni

May 1, 2023 • 18:01

10 years after Rana Plaza, has the garment industry cleaned up its act?

10 years after Rana Plaza, has the garment industry cleaned up its act?

On April 24th 2013, a multi-story garment factory complex in Bangladesh called Rana Plaza collapsed, killing more than 1,100 workers and injuring another 2,500. It sparked a global outcry and a wave of action to improve building safety, but how much have the lives of garment workers really improved, one decade on?  Guests: Ayesha Barenblat – CEO of Remake Kalpona Akter - Former child worker, now the Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity. Update: There are now 14 Austr

May 1, 2023 • 19:32

10 years after Rana Plaza, has the garment industry cleaned up its act?

10 years after Rana Plaza, has the garment industry cleaned up its act?

On April 24th 2013, a multi-story garment factory complex in Bangladesh called Rana Plaza collapsed, killing more than 1,100 workers and injuring another 2,500. It sparked a global outcry and a wave of action to improve building safety, but how much have the lives of garment workers really improved, one decade on?  Guests: Ayesha Barenblat – CEO of Remake Kalpona Akter - Former child worker, now the Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity. Update: There are now 14 Austr

May 1, 2023 • 19:32

Laura Tingle's Canberra: pre-Budget hints

Laura Tingle's Canberra: pre-Budget hints

It's a week before Budget night, and the hints are flying around about who, and what, will be the winners and losers.  Guest: Laura Tingle, chief political correspondent, 7.30 First preference: 12.00 Wednesday  Second preference: 8pm Wednesday I spoke to Patrick Kaiku today. Should be fine but terrible connection so we definitely need to pre-record it. And I've lined up Diva Amon,  a Caribbean marine biologist who wrote this for the NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/15/opinion/ocean-mining-cli

May 1, 2023 • 12:32

How the patriarchy was invented (and how it can be dismantled)

How the patriarchy was invented (and how it can be dismantled)

In a radical new book, award-winning journalist Angela Saini explores the roots of gendered oppression and finds that male supremacy is a construct - and a far more recent one than we might imagine.  Guest:  Angela Saini - British science journalist, broadcaster and author. Her latest book is The Patriarchs: How men came to rule published by Harper Collins.

Apr 27, 2023 • 24:33

Merkel: the rise and reign of Germany’s first female Chancellor

Merkel: the rise and reign of Germany’s first female Chancellor

A new documentary shows Germany’s first female Chancellor’s career was marked by a politics of truth and integrity. ‘Merkel’ reveals how the former political leader’s life behind the wall in East Germany shaped her powerful stance on keeping Germany’s borders open to refugees and helped her stand strong against the alpha males she was up against. Guests: Eva Weber – Director and Producer of ‘Merkel’ and Company Director at Odd Girl Out Productions. Lizzie Gillett – Producer of ‘Merkel’ and Direc

Apr 27, 2023 • 27:48

"Hollywood on the Tiber": the hidden history of Cinecittà Studios in Rome

"Hollywood on the Tiber": the hidden history of Cinecittà Studios in Rome

Opened by Mussolini in 1937, Cinecittà Studios in Rome has a dark and storied past.  Originally built as part of the dictatorship's propaganda machine, Cinecittà was taken by the Germans during WWII, before being bombed by the Allies and set-up as an intelligence posting and refugee camp. Since the War, Cinecittà has produced iconic films like Fellini's La Dolce Vita and epics like Ben Hur.  Guest: Noa Steimatsky, author and film scholar

Apr 26, 2023 • 16:16

Shirley Shackleton's East Timor

Shirley Shackleton's East Timor

A new documentary features the redoubtable Shirley Shackleton, widow of journalist Greg Shackleton, who spent most of her life campaigning for justice for the murders in East Timor of Greg, his colleagues, and for East Timor itself. Guests:  Luigi Acquisto, co-director of documentary ‘Circle of Silence’; Australian film-maker, based in Melbourne Lurdes Pires, co-director; Timorese-born translator and film-maker, based in Darwin SCREENINGS Bookings can be made here

Apr 26, 2023 • 24:16

Asia Update: Japan and South Korea

Asia Update: Japan and South Korea

It's been a week of high-profile meetings, with President Biden hosting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meeting with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. What do these meetings signal about growing trilateral ties? Plus, ahead of the G7 summit, Japan comes under pressure to act on LGBTQ rights.  Guest: Michelle Ye Hee Lee - Tokyo bureau chief for The Washington Post, covering Japan and the Koreas.

Apr 26, 2023 • 11:03

Australian troops in East Timor - a controversial history

Australian troops in East Timor - a controversial history

A new history of Australia's East Timor military intervention has been seemingly ignored by the Australian Government and the Australian War Memorial. First broadcast 2 February 2023

Apr 25, 2023 • 24:11

The untold story of First Nations resistance in the Frontier Wars

The untold story of First Nations resistance in the Frontier Wars

Fighting for country the First Nations way

Apr 25, 2023 • 28:46

First Nations knowledge of desert 'fairy circles' up-ends existing theories

First Nations knowledge of desert 'fairy circles' up-ends existing theories

In Australia's remote central and western deserts, you may spot a collection of mysterious sandy circles, uniformly spaced amongst the spinifex, like polka dots from the air. New cross-cultural researcher has greatly enriched our understanding of this phenomenon of desert ecology. Guests:  Fiona Walsh, ethnoecologist, University of WA Purungu Desmond Taylor, Warnman - Manjilyjarra man from Karlamilyi National Park, interpreter and artist, Indigenous Knowledge

Apr 24, 2023 • 19:17

The rise of the Dutch farmers party, and why the EU is taking notice

The rise of the Dutch farmers party, and why the EU is taking notice

In 2019, the Dutch Farmer's Citizens Movement (BBB) emerged as a protest against the government's proposed caps to nitrogen emissions, which farmers claimed would cripple the industry.  Now, the farmers party has won a shock victory in provincial elections, which will see it become the largest party in the Upper House.    Guest: Rik Rutten, political journalist, NCR

Apr 24, 2023 • 16:03

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

The government announces a pivoting of Australia's defence posture towards a focus on missiles and an emphasis on speeding up the procurement process. Meanwhile with the budget only two weeks away, the focus has turned to what can be done to support women and the unemployed. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Apr 24, 2023 • 14:18

Syria: Charles Glass on where to from here

Syria: Charles Glass on where to from here

Syria is a culturally rich and complicated country battling war, corruption, political interference and Islamic insurrection.  Former Chief Middle East correspondent for the American ABC, Charles Glass, reflects on the lessons he has learned from his time there.  Guest: Charles Glass, journalist, author and broadcaster who writes periodically about Syria for The New York Review of Books.

Apr 20, 2023 • 52:59

Snails, Jean-Paul Sartre and aliens: a slippery history of slime

Snails, Jean-Paul Sartre and aliens: a slippery history of slime

Plunge into the fascinating world of ‘mucomics’ as we investigate how sticky secretions from the natural world can help us develop new technologies.

Apr 19, 2023 • 18:12

Why is 22 million people starving not an emergency?

Why is 22 million people starving not an emergency?

A population the size of Australia is on the brink of starvation in the horn of Africa and there are calls for the UN to immediately call an emergency. The World Food Programme first warned of impending disaster in early 2022, so why is it talking so long for the UN to do it? Guests:  Susan Otieno - Executive Director, ActionAid Kenya Dave Husy - Deputy CEO, Impact, Plan International Australia

Apr 19, 2023 • 18:08

Indigenous update: Dutton's Alice Springs claims rebuked, and water insecurity in Walgett

Indigenous update: Dutton's Alice Springs claims rebuked, and water insecurity in Walgett

Peter Dutton's claims of 'rampant' child abuse in Alice Springs are rebuked; and water insecurity affecting First Nations people in Walgett.  Guests: Carly Williams, Quandamooka, reporter with ABC Indigenous Affairs Team Catherine Liddle, Arrente/Luritja, CEO of SNAICC - the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care

Apr 19, 2023 • 14:54

Fazlur Rahman Khan, father of the modern skyscraper

Fazlur Rahman Khan, father of the modern skyscraper

When the Empire State Building opened in New York in 1931, it was easily the tallest building in the world, towering 380 metres - or 102 storeys above the ground.  40 years later, another building finally breached the 100-storey mark, this time in Chicago, with the Hancock Centre.  This tower was revolutionary, using design techniques pioneered by engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan, a Bengali migrant to America who's genius would help build the tallest buildings in the world. This story originally appe

Apr 18, 2023 • 21:37

Was New Zealand sidelined on AUKUS?

Was New Zealand sidelined on AUKUS?

In 2021, Australia, the UK and the US announced the formation of AUKUS - a new trilateral security arrangement, which will eventually deliver a fleet of nuclear powered submarines to Australia.  New Zealand was not included in those initial AUKUS talks, and maintains a long-standing anti-nuclear position, however New Zealand's Defence Minister Andrew Little has signalled potential future engagement with "Pillar 2" of AUKUS, focusing on non-nuclear defence technologies.  Guest: Nicholas Khoo, Ass

Apr 18, 2023 • 15:49

Bruce Shapiro's America: Abortion pill battle

Bruce Shapiro's America: Abortion pill battle

Abortion has made its way back to the Supreme Court, this time to decide the fate of the abortion pill, mifepristone. Meanwhile Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is in hot water over some lavish gifts and Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein's long absence is causing more than a little frustration.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro - Contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Apr 18, 2023 • 13:29

Convict orphans: Tasmania’ most marginalised children

Convict orphans: Tasmania’ most marginalised children

Thousands of convict children and Aboriginal children were taken from their living parents in the nineteenth century and placed in "orphan" schools in Hobart,  before being sent on to "apprenticeships" that were effectively slavery.  Guest: Lucy Frost, author of "Convict Orphans: The heartbreaking stories of the colony's forgotten children, and those who succeeded against all odds," published by Allen & Unwin.

Apr 17, 2023 • 21:13

Uganda's dangerous new anti-LGBTQ law

Uganda's dangerous new anti-LGBTQ law

A new bill in Uganda represents one of the most extreme forms of anti-LGBTQ legislation in the world, targeting LGBT identity and even calling for the death penalty in some cases. It's part of a disturbing anti-LGBTQ trend that's growing everywhere from Ghana, to Hungary, to Russia.  Guests: Graeme Reid - Director, LGBT Rights Program, Human Rights Watch Caleb Okereke - Nigerian journalist and Managing Editor at Minority Africa

Apr 17, 2023 • 15:27

Amy Remeikis' Canberra

Amy Remeikis' Canberra

The Voice has continued to dominate politics with substantial division emerging in the Liberal party. Now former Liberal MP Pat Farmer has launched his plan to campaign for the Yes vote in Hobart, alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Liberal Member for Bass, Bridget Archer.  Guest: Amy Remeikis, political reporter with the Guardian.

Apr 17, 2023 • 13:33

The revolutionary women of the Whitlam era

The revolutionary women of the Whitlam era

The Whitlam era saw a great leap forward for women's rights in Australia, driven by Women’s Adviser Elizabeth Reid and a host of female activists, backed by a grass roots movement across the country. Their work is being recognised in a book released to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of Reid’s appointment. Guests: - Dr Elizabeth Reid, former Women's Adviser to Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, feminist development worker, academic and writer. - Michelle Arrow, Professor in Modern History at M

Apr 13, 2023 • 53:40

The hidden people behind Australia's most famous bird man

The hidden people behind Australia's most famous bird man

The famous 19th Century naturalist John Gould identified over 300 species of Australian birds, achieving fame and fortune through the sale of illustrated publications like The Birds of Australia: in seven volumes (1840-1848).  Behind Gould's success however, was his remarkable wife Elizabeth, who's bird illustrations were universally admired. John Gould also relied on the guidance of First Nations people in Australia, who helped him procure a vast array of species.  John and Elizabeth's journey

Apr 12, 2023 • 16:13

Maja Gopel's plea for fairness and a better future

Maja Gopel's plea for fairness and a better future

Thinking afresh about the role and status of money,  sharing and design, among other things, will help us meet the climate and other challenges.

Apr 12, 2023 • 20:36

Asia update: India's booming population

Asia update: India's booming population

India is set to surpass China as the world's most populous country this month. It's both an exciting and daunting prospect for India, and it's already having unusual repercussions for women.  Guests: Avani Dias – ABC’s South Asia Correspondent   Krishn Kaushik - politics and news reporter for Reuters

Apr 12, 2023 • 15:08

A tribute to Bruce Haigh

A tribute to Bruce Haigh

Phillip Adams celebrates former Australian diplomat Bruce Haigh, who died on the 7th of April 2023, and we play an excerpt from a chat they had back in 2013.

Apr 11, 2023 • 4:10

Vale Bruce Petty, iconic Australian cartoonist

Vale Bruce Petty, iconic Australian cartoonist

Phillip Adams pays tribute to one of his oldest friends, political cartoonist Bruce Petty, who died on the 6th of April 2023.

Apr 11, 2023 • 7:33

Don Winslow vs Donald Trump

Don Winslow vs Donald Trump

American crime writer Don Winslow, best known for his Cartel Trilogy, has abandoned his career to focus full-time on fighting Donald Trump. And Trump's recent indictment and subsequent surge in the polls has made him more determined than ever.  Guest: Don Winslow, anti-Trump campaigner and author of City on Fire and City of Dreams, published by Harper Collins.

Apr 11, 2023 • 25:15

Ian Dunt's UK - Biden in Belfast

Ian Dunt's UK - Biden in Belfast

US President Joe Biden makes a historic visit to Belfast on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.  Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the "i" newspaper

Apr 11, 2023 • 13:19

The original 'nepo babies': a history of the world told through dynasties

The original 'nepo babies': a history of the world told through dynasties

'Nepo babies' have gained a lot of attention in 2023, but as author Simon Sebag Montefiore reveals, nepotism has been around for centuries and it's not always what it's cracked up to be.

Apr 10, 2023 • 53:38

Bone Music: The bootlegged x-ray records of the USSR

Bone Music: The bootlegged x-ray records of the USSR

Stephen Coates reveals how a secret underground subculture of music lovers defied the censors in Cold War-era USSR, recording forbidden music onto old x-rays. Guest: Stephen Coates - composer, writer and music producer. Author of Bone Music (published by Strange Attractor / MIT Press)  Check out the X-ray Audio Project here Music credits: St Louis Blues - Unknown (courtesy of Atila Csanyi) Emigre Tango - singer Serge Nikolsky (courtesy of Nikolai Rechetnik) All other tracks courtesy of Stephen C

Apr 6, 2023 • 28:06

Illuminating the past: Christopher de Hamel on manuscript addicts

Illuminating the past: Christopher de Hamel on manuscript addicts

World-leading manuscript expert Christopher de Hamel describes some of the extraordinary people who have spent their lives among illuminated manuscripts over the last thousand years including a Benedictine monk, a French aristocrat, a Greek forger and the woman who created the most spectacular library in America.  Guest: Christopher de Hamel, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and former Fellow Librarian of the Parker Library. ‘The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club’ is published

Apr 6, 2023 • 24:12

The Silk Road as metaphor

The Silk Road as metaphor

There is no one Silk Road. It is a concept.  And it is one that various players have adopted – and adapted - for their own ends. Guest: Professor Tim Winter, Senior Research Fellow at the East Asia Institute, National University of Singapore  Author of 'The Silk Road: Connecting histories and futures' (Oxford University Press)

Apr 5, 2023 • 19:23

Is Germany pulling the handbrake on electric vehicles?

Is Germany pulling the handbrake on electric vehicles?

Germany has a long and proud history of automobile production, but in recent years, the industry has been forced to adapt as the world shifts towards electric vehicles and a cleaner transport future.   Last week, the EU parliament signed off on laws which will ban the sale of new fossil-fuel powered cars and vans from 2035.  Germany however, negotiated a last-minute exemption, to allow cars running on “e-fuels” to be sold beyond 2035.  The move has been condemned by European neighbours and envir

Apr 5, 2023 • 15:11

Pacific update: celebrating an historic UN ruling

Pacific update: celebrating an historic UN ruling

A group of Pacific Island law students were behind a UN resolution that should make it easier to polluting countries more accountable. Guests: Tess Newton-Cain, Project Lead for the Pacific Hub at the Griffith Asia Institute  Siosiua Veikune, Final year law student from Tonga and Vice-president of Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change

Apr 5, 2023 • 16:14

Could you be a humanist without knowing it?

Could you be a humanist without knowing it?

What, exactly, is humanism? And how do you know if you are a humanist? Author Sarah Bakewell traces humanist thinking back to its roots, introducing us to some of history’s most influential humanists, and asks whether the values it champions are still sorely needed today.

Apr 4, 2023 • 21:54

Across the Finnish line: Finland joins NATO and gets a new leader

Across the Finnish line: Finland joins NATO and gets a new leader

In a whirlwind 48 hours, Finland’s progressive young Prime Minister Sanna Marin has been ousted in the country’s parliamentary elections, and Finland has become the 31st country to join NATO, amidst ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.   Guest: Teivo Teivainen - Professor of World Politics, University of Helsinki.

Apr 4, 2023 • 14:30

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

In the early hours of Wednesday morning AEST,  Donald Trump will head from Trump Tower in New York City to Manhattan's arraignment court, becoming the first former president to face criminal charges in US history.  Meanwhile, a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News is going to trial, with a result that could be equally consequential.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia Universi

Apr 4, 2023 • 15:36

Mundane, intimate and dirty: who does the laundry and why it's political

Mundane, intimate and dirty: who does the laundry and why it's political

Doing the laundry may be the most mundane of chores, but its also an activity steeped in the politics of class, race and gender.

Apr 3, 2023 • 20:38

The US billionaires behind the controversial judicial oversight laws in Israel

The US billionaires behind the controversial judicial oversight laws in Israel

The mass protests in Israel over plans to give the parliament more power over the judiciary didn't just target Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Protesters were also campaigning against the influence of a powerful lobby group called the Kohelet Policy Forum. So who is this group, how did they become so influential in Israeli politics and who are their super-rich financial backers?  Guest: Isabel Kershner, Israel Correspondent, The New York Times Jerusalem Bureau, Author of “The Land of Hope And

Apr 3, 2023 • 16:35

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura discusses the loss of Aboriginal leader and proponent of The Voice, Yunupingu; the upcoming Liberal party meeting to decide on their position on the referendum and the decisive win for Labor in the Aston by-election.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Apr 3, 2023 • 13:20

Seven simple inventions that make the world work

Seven simple inventions that make the world work

What if our most complex feats of engineering could be broken down into seven simple yet fundamental inventions?

Mar 30, 2023 • 22:37

The Aussie war correspondents who saw the firestorm raids on Berlin from the air

The Aussie war correspondents who saw the firestorm raids on Berlin from the air

In December 1943, five war correspondents join a British air raid on Berlin. Two Australians, two Americans, including the famous Ed Murrow, and one Norwegian journalist, poet and activist. Each is assigned to one of the 400 Lancaster bombers that fly into the hazardous skies over Germany on a single night. Of the five, only three return to file their stories. Guest: Anthony Cooper, author of “Dispatch from Berlin, 1943: The story of five journalists who risked everything”, published by New Sout

Mar 30, 2023 • 28:45

The stories that stones tell

The stories that stones tell

From the hematite used in cave paintings to the lost Amber Room of Frederick of Prussia, stone has shaped human culture and minerals have allowed us to evolve and create.  Guest: Hettie Judah, chief art critic for the i newspaper Hettie’s latest book is 'Lapidarium: The Secret Lives of Stones' (Hachette)

Mar 29, 2023 • 18:34

Israel on the verge of civil war - what does it mean for the West Bank?

Israel on the verge of civil war - what does it mean for the West Bank?

Israel has been brought to its knees by mass protests over plans that would allow its parliament to override its supreme court, paving the way for further incursions into the West Bank. Guest: Richard Silverstein, Jewish freelance writer of the blog Tikun Olam.

Mar 29, 2023 • 16:20

Asia Update: Central Asia

Asia Update: Central Asia

The former Soviet republics of Central Asia are walking a diplomatic tightrope, between Russia, China and the West.  Guest: Bruce Pannier - a long-time journalist and correspondent covering Central Asia. He writes the ‘Central Asia in Focus’ newsletter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and hosts the Majlis podcast.

Mar 29, 2023 • 14:05

The curious case of an ancient Buddha found in remote Western Australia

The curious case of an ancient Buddha found in remote Western Australia

A small bronze Buddha statue found by metal detectorists in Shark Bay, Western Australia has been verified as an artefact of the Ming Dynasty, dating back to the 1400s. How did it get there and what does it say about the history of Chinese people on Australia's west coast? Guest: Dr Yu Tao, Senior Lecturer, Chinese Studies, University of Western Australia

Mar 28, 2023 • 16:12

Sri Lanka a year on from its economic collapse

Sri Lanka a year on from its economic collapse

This once prosperous nation was knocked for six, and has been trying to find its feet. Tourists are back, but there is malnutrition, and loss of work.

Mar 28, 2023 • 17:58

Who is Humza Yousaf, the SNP's new leader?

Who is Humza Yousaf, the SNP's new leader?

The Scottish National Party has elected 37 year-old Humza Yousaf to replace Nicola Sturgeon as leader -  the first Muslim leader of a major party in Scottish history. Will Yousaf be able to achieve a second referendum for Scottish Independence? Meanwhile in Britain, Rishi Sunak confronts the political fallout of the government's new illegal migration bill.  Guest: Naomi Smith, Chief Executive, Best for Britain

Mar 28, 2023 • 16:10

Barron Field, colonial judge and poet: why his words matter now

Barron Field, colonial judge and poet: why his words matter now

Barron Field's legal advice underpinned the later adoption of the concept of terra nullius - the idea that nobody 'occupied' the land before the British came. But Field's poetry amplifies what he was thinking: that Aboriginal people were not worthy of surviving.

Mar 27, 2023 • 18:41

Is China the Middle East's new power broker?

Is China the Middle East's new power broker?

International Crisis Group's Dina Esfandiary and Atlantic Council's Jonathan Fulton discuss China's surprise role in brokering a rapproachment between longstanding rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran and what China's growing influence in the Middle East might mean for us all.

Mar 27, 2023 • 18:19

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Labor and the Greens have finally agreed on progressing the safeguards mechanism, which will set new limits on the  emissions of our biggest polluters, but is it a case of political pragmatism trumping the science? Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Mar 27, 2023 • 13:47

How coffee became a global phenomenon

How coffee became a global phenomenon

Coffee is grown commercially on four continents and consumed enthusiastically on all seven. How did our obsession with the humble coffee bean begin?

Mar 23, 2023 • 26:17

Palo Alto: the heart of American capitalism

Palo Alto: the heart of American capitalism

In California’s famed Silicon Valley is a town called Palo Alto.  Palo Alto is now one of the wealthiest postcodes on the planet.  In recent decades, it has developed a mythical reputation as a promised land for innovators and tech entrepreneurs. But affluent Palo Alto conceals a long and dark history of exploitation, on its path to becoming a global economic powerhouse.  Guest: Malcolm Harris, freelance journalist and author of Palo Alto: A history of California, Capitalism and the World

Mar 23, 2023 • 29:40

New York's unstoppable rats

New York's unstoppable rats

Rat sightings in New York have reached historic highs,  prompting the Mayor to post a job ad seeking a "rat tsar" to lead the City's latest offensive on the prolific rodents. Can New York rid itself or rats, or is this an unwinnable war? Guest: Xochitl Gonzalez, staff writer for The Atlantic, author of Olga Dies Dreaming

Mar 22, 2023 • 19:22

Rania Abouzeid asks 'is Lebanon broken?'

Rania Abouzeid asks 'is Lebanon broken?'

Journalist Rania Abouzeid grew up in Australia hearing stories of her parents' beloved homeland, but it bears little resemblance to the Lebanon she lives in today. An economic collapse and failed politics have left people to fend for themselves; some have even held up banks to withdraw their own savings. Rania asks: when will Lebanon's nightmare end?

Mar 22, 2023 • 17:44

Indigenous update: Voice wording gets closer, and what can be learnt from Maori democratic participation

Indigenous update: Voice wording gets closer, and what can be learnt from Maori democratic participation

As agreement on the wording for the Voice referendum and amendment gets closer to being finalised, we look at the NZ Maori experience of having a political voice in Parliament.

Mar 22, 2023 • 15:10

The Indian philosopher Periyar called for women's liberation in the 1940's, but his work was banned

The Indian philosopher Periyar called for women's liberation in the 1940's, but his work was banned

India has gained a reputation as the rape capital of the world, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call for a "change in the mentality" towards women. The sexual violence is bringing back into focus the writings of philosopher Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, famously called Periyar.  A political contemporary of Gandhi, in 1942 he authored a book called “Why women were enslaved”, considered to be a 'Magna Carta' for women's liberation.  But until recently his book was banned from publication in

Mar 21, 2023 • 18:52

Can humanity solve the world's water crisis?

Can humanity solve the world's water crisis?

This week, thousands of delegates will assemble in New York to attend a UN Water Conference, as the world faces an escalating water crisis.  Guest:  Professor Mike Young, Research Chair in Water and Environmental Policy at the University of Adelaide

Mar 21, 2023 • 15:23

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Could Donald Trump face indictment this week? And how has Washington reacted to Putin's war crimes warrant?  Guest:  Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Mar 21, 2023 • 17:04

50 years of Australia's Film Television and Radio School

50 years of Australia's Film Television and Radio School

In 1973, the Australian Film and Television School (later, the Australian Film Television and Radio School) accepted its first intake of students, with a vision to create a new generation of skilled Australian storytellers. 50 years on, the school boasts a long list of Oscar, BAFTA and AACTA award-winning graduates. In 2023, AFTRS continues to adapt to a rapidly changing Arts and media landscape.  Guests: Dr Nell Greenwood, CEO of AFTRS Gillian Armstrong, acclaimed Australian film director and i

Mar 20, 2023 • 26:47

Are we on the verge of another Global Financial Crisis?

Are we on the verge of another Global Financial Crisis?

Satyajit Das says the recent collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank and the near-collapse of Credit Suisse point to a global reckoning, in which inflation and interest rates won't be the only problem. Guest: Satyajit Das, former banker and author of several books including 2021’s A Banquet of Consequences Reloaded and 2022 Fortunes Fool: Australia’s Choices.

Mar 20, 2023 • 16:59

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Many commentators have focused on former Prime Minister Paul Keating's handling of journalists' questions during his recent interview in the National Press Club, but Laura Tingle says the substance of his arguments on the AUKUS sub deal should be the focus of public debate. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Mar 20, 2023 • 14:01

Reflections of a diplomat – why Australia went to war in Iraq and our legacy in the Arab world

Reflections of a diplomat – why Australia went to war in Iraq and our legacy in the Arab world

Former Middle East diplomat Bob Bowker reflects on Australia’s role in the Arab world ahead of the twentieth anniversary of the Iraq war. He looks at how the impact of that war has played out in Middle East relations, the intractable problems between Israel and Palestine and how China is seeking to play a larger role in brokering issues between Iran and Saudi Arabia.  Guest: Bob Bowker, retired diplomat, former Australian Ambassador to Jordan and Egypt and author of “Tomorrow there will be Apric

Mar 16, 2023 • 25:38

Ghaith Abdul-Ahad reflects on the invasion of Iraq, 20 years on

Ghaith Abdul-Ahad reflects on the invasion of Iraq, 20 years on

The 19th of March 2003 marked the beginning of the invasion of Iraq by the United States and the 'Coalition of the Willing'. 20 years on, award-winning Iraqi journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad reflects on how the invasion transformed his country, and it's people.

Mar 16, 2023 • 28:43

Who is Tanya Plibersek?

Who is Tanya Plibersek?

Elected to federal parliament aged just 28, Tanya Plibersek has lived almost half her life in the public eye and is now the longest-serving woman in Australia's House of Representatives. But how much do we know about what drives her, what she values and what we can expect from her next?  Guest: Margaret Simons, academic, journalist and author of Tanya Plibersek: On Her Own Terms

Mar 15, 2023 • 40:01

Asia update: how AUKUS impacts Southeast Asia

Asia update: how AUKUS impacts Southeast Asia

The AUKUS announcement could have major implications for Southeast Asia.   Many countries have strong ties with China, and walk a delicate balance in their relationships with the US at the same time – and with Australia.

Mar 15, 2023 • 12:54

The grisly history of Macquarie Island

The grisly history of Macquarie Island

The Government plans to protect a marine area the size of Germany around Macquarie Island. We reflect on the island’s torrid history, its remarkable recovery and its new threats.  Guest: Dr Ben Arthur, marine ecologist, science communicator and Director of the Macquarie Island Conservation Foundation.

Mar 14, 2023 • 19:36

Georgia: A nation caught between East and West

Georgia: A nation caught between East and West

Recent protests in Georgia over the Government’s now-scrapped “foreign agents” bill, highlight the ongoing struggle for Georgia's future – a nation torn between Russia and Europe. Guest: Rayhan Demytrie, freelance journalist and documentary maker with the BBC, based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Mar 14, 2023 • 16:17

Ian Dunt's UK: AUKUS and a plan to 'stop the boats'

Ian Dunt's UK: AUKUS and a plan to 'stop the boats'

The familiar refrain 'stop the boats' is echoing through the chambers of British parliament, as the Conservatives present their “Illegal Migration Bill”. Plus, what does AUKUS mean for the future of ties between our two nations? Guest: Ian Dunt, Ian Dunt, Columnist with the “I” newspaper and author of How to be a Liberal

Mar 14, 2023 • 15:00

How borders make and break our world

How borders make and break our world

Today, there are more borders in the world than ever before. In fact, the building of border walls, barriers and barricades has increased sixfold in the past two decades alone.  James Crawford explores some of the earliest examples of our human desire to parcel up land and imagines how climate change and mass migration could dramatically reshape our existing boundaries.  Guest: James Crawford, author, historian and broadcaster James Crawford’s latest book is ‘The Edge of the Plain: How Borders M

Mar 13, 2023 • 22:18

Scotland after Sturgeon

Scotland after Sturgeon

One of Scotland's best-known commentators and broadcasters Lesley Riddoch joins us to discuss who will step into Nicola Sturgeon's shoes following her shock resignation as leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of Scotland, and what it will mean for the prospect of Scottish independence.

Mar 13, 2023 • 14:16

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

What the about-to-be-announced AUKUS plan will mean for us strategically, and how it will play domestically. Plus, the final wrap on the Robodebt hearings, which have raised big questions about the public service.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief political correspondent, 7.30, ABC

Mar 13, 2023 • 12:48

Peter Frankopan on The Earth Transformed: An Untold History

Peter Frankopan on The Earth Transformed: An Untold History

Oxford historian and bestselling author of The Silk Roads Peter Frankopan joins Phillip Adams for a revelatory chat about how climate has contributed to the rise and fall of empires - and what this means for our future on a rapidly warming planet.

Mar 9, 2023 • 53:41

Cleopatra's daughter: the forgotten queen

Cleopatra's daughter: the forgotten queen

While her parents were immortalised in books, films and even a Shakespearen tragedy, Cleopatra and Mark Antony’s daughter is largely missing from the historical record. Yet, Cleopatra Selene lived a life every bit as dramatic as her mother’s. She was a princess who became a prisoner, an Egyptian who became a Roman and a woman who became a powerful ruler in her own right at a time when women were politically marginalised.

Mar 8, 2023 • 18:25

What would happen if we gave nature rights of its own?

What would happen if we gave nature rights of its own?

Professor and Nyikina Warrwa Indigenous woman Anne Poelina says we need a different way of seeing the world if we are to combat climate change and environmental destruction. Professor Anne Poelina, Co-Chair Indigenous Studies and Senior Researcher at the Nulungu Institute Research University of Notre Dame. She’s a Kimberley, Nyikina Warrwa Indigenous woman and Chair, Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council.

Mar 8, 2023 • 18:02

Pacific update: focus on Vanuatu post-cyclones

Pacific update: focus on Vanuatu post-cyclones

Two Category 4 cyclones hit Vanuatu last week. Women in the Pacific take leading roles in preparation for, and response to, natural disasters. We also catch up on other Pacific news.

Mar 8, 2023 • 14:38

Ada Lovelace and computers, music, needlepoint and weaving

Ada Lovelace and computers, music, needlepoint and weaving

Ada Lovelace was a 19th century mathematician who helped develop the ideas behind computer programming, decades before computers eventuated.  It is probable that Lovelace brought many other skills to her thinking about programming.  Guest: Corinna Schlombs, associate professor of history at Rochester Institute of Technology, in the US.  Author of an article about Ada Lovelace’s multiple skills and interests, on the Conversation and Gizmodo websites.  Author of "Machines: German Appropriations of

Mar 7, 2023 • 17:23

Fatima Bhutto on female leadership and the war on women

Fatima Bhutto on female leadership and the war on women

Fatima Bhutto is Pakistani political royalty. She’s the daughter of politician Murtaza Bhutto, niece of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and granddaughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister and President, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. In her own right, she’s a journalist, poet, author and columnist. Ms Bhutto in Australia to reflect on why there is such a determined and ruthless war against women wherever they live, the importance of freedom of speech and whether or not female leadership can

Mar 7, 2023 • 27:21

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

President Joe Biden is poised to announce his run for a second term, while Donald Trump appears at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Mar 7, 2023 • 11:57

Majumbu’s story - identifying an unknown Indigenous painter

Majumbu’s story - identifying an unknown Indigenous painter

The team at the Rock Art Heritage Unit at Griffith University have identified the Aboriginal man behind significant rock art and bark paintings held in museums in Melbourne and Paris. They used ethnographic records from early Australian anthropologist Baldwin Spencer and his research partner Paddy Cahill to match the art collections to the work of a warrior from West Arnhem Land named Mjumunbu. He was known to white settlers as "Old Harry".  Guest: Paul Taçon, Distinguished Professor, Chair in R

Mar 6, 2023 • 15:34

Cyclone Gabrielle and New Zealand's political future

Cyclone Gabrielle and New Zealand's political future

After Jacinda Ardern's resignation, New Zealand's new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins faces a challenging year ahead. The country is grappling with the devastating impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle, while cost-of-living pressures continue to rise. The Government's responses will be closely scrutinised in the lead up to October's election.   Guests: Dr Oliver Hartwich, economist and Executive Director of the New Zealand Initiative Dr Lara Greaves, Associate Professor in New Zealand Politics at Victoria U

Mar 6, 2023 • 20:49

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

The Opposition is trying to paint the PM as "tricky" over the government's policy change on super tax concessions, the government is still trying to win the Greens over on the safeguard mechanism and former government services minister Stuart Robert makes an extraordinary admission to the Robodebt Royal Commission.   Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Mar 6, 2023 • 13:41

Robert Douglas-Fairhurst on the transformative power of literature

Robert Douglas-Fairhurst on the transformative power of literature

When writer Robert Douglas-Fairhurst was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2017, the first book that came to mind was Franz Kafka’s novella Metamorphosis, about a salesman who wakes up one morning to discover that he has become a giant insect. Six years on, he reflects on the way his own life has transformed and the books he’s turned to for solace and guidance along the way.

Mar 2, 2023 • 34:20

The epic tussle over retirement age in France

The epic tussle over retirement age in France

Unions have vowed to bring France to a standstill next week, as the President Emmanuel Macron attempts to lift the retirement age from 62 to 64.  Guest: Sophie Pedder, Paris Bureau Chief, The Economist

Mar 2, 2023 • 18:46

Jimmy Carter: Unlucky president, lucky man

Jimmy Carter: Unlucky president, lucky man

James Fallows was the chief White House speechwriter for former president Jimmy Carter. He reflects on the life and legacy of this ‘disciplined, funny, enormously intelligent and deeply spiritual man’.

Mar 1, 2023 • 34:38

Asia Update: Korea

Asia Update: Korea

We look at what's behind the escalating tensions between North Korea and South Korea, whether Kim Jong-Un is priming his 10-year-old daughter to be his successor and South Korea's first legal recognition of same-sex couples. Guest: Jeongmin Kim - the Lead Correspondent at NK News and Editorial Director at KOREA PRO, based in Seoul.

Mar 1, 2023 • 15:05

Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt: The real-life Indiana Jones who saved Egypt's ancient temples

Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt: The real-life Indiana Jones who saved Egypt's ancient temples

Author Lynne Olson tells the incredible true story of French archaeologist Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt and her crusade to save some of Egypt’s most priceless antiquities from destruction.

Feb 28, 2023 • 18:54

Climate threats to Asian fishing - the world's biggest source of fish

Climate threats to Asian fishing - the world's biggest source of fish

Asia produces 70% of the world’s fish for consumption. But that globally valuable industry faces several climate-related threats, including ocean acidification. Guest: Professor Steven Widdicombe, a world leader in ocean acidification. Director of Science and Deputy Chief Executive, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK.  Guest: Professor Quentin Hanich leads the Fisheries Governance Research Program at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, at the University of Wollongong.

Feb 28, 2023 • 18:30

Has Sunak solved Brexit's Irish border problem?

Has Sunak solved Brexit's Irish border problem?

PM Rishi Sunak has achieved a "decisive breakthrough" in negotiations with the EU on the Irish border, but will the new plan satisfy his own Conservative colleagues? Guest: Naomi Smith, CEO at Best for Britain and co-host of the podcast "Oh God, What Now?"

Feb 28, 2023 • 13:16

Anti-tobacco advertising - our proud history

Anti-tobacco advertising - our proud history

A new exhibition at ACMI in Melbourne celebrates Australia's long tradition of anti-smoking ads. Those ads are some of the reasons that Australia now has one of the lowest smoking rates in the world. Guest: Thomas Kehoe, historian and manager of the heritage program at Cancer Council Victoria and one of the content organisers for the ‘Anti-tobacco advertising’ exhibition which has just opened at ACMI, in Melbourne.

Feb 27, 2023 • 19:08

Italian politics: Giorgia Meloni's first four months

Italian politics: Giorgia Meloni's first four months

In October 2022, Italians shook up their political establishment, voting in Giorgia Meloni as Italy’s first female prime minister and the country’s first far-right leader since World War II. Rachel Donadio offers an insightful analysis of PM Meloni’s first four months in office. Guest: Rachel Donadio, contributing writer at The Atlantic

Feb 27, 2023 • 18:35

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

The federal government has turned its policy focus on cyber-security after last year's Optus and Medibank breaches caught the corporate and governmental worlds by surprise. Could changes to whistleblower protections offer more comfort to public servants who want to go public on questionable policies like Robodebt? And the media push forward on press freedom and the ability to report stories without fear of being raided by the police.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30.

Feb 27, 2023 • 13:26

Betty can Jump - the women who staged a feminist revolution in 1970s Melbourne theatre

Betty can Jump - the women who staged a feminist revolution in 1970s Melbourne theatre

In January 1972, five women took to the stage of Melbourne's Pram Factory to preview their women’s play “Betty Can Jump”. Claire Dobbin, Helen Garner, Evelyn Krape, Jude Kuring and Yvonne Marini mocked the ocker characters beloved by Pram Factory playwrights, and performed monologues about men, sex, and how they felt “as a woman”. Betty can Jump's frank revelations stunned audiences and shocked the Pram Factory world.  Guests: Kath Kenny, author of ‘Staging a Revolution: When Betty Rocked the Pr

Feb 23, 2023 • 28:08

Lies and truths in the Kimberley

Lies and truths in the Kimberley

The story of the Forrest River massacre, in 1926, reminds us why Australia still needs a truth-telling process to address the cover-ups of the past. Guest: Kate Auty Lawyer, author of ‘O’Leary of the Underworld: The untold story of the Forrest River Massacre’ (LaTrobe University Press/Black Inc)  Chair of Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority

Feb 23, 2023 • 24:00

Do humans have more than five senses?

Do humans have more than five senses?

Dr Ashley Ward taps into the sensory world of animals to help us gain a better understanding of our own smorgasbord of sensations.

Feb 22, 2023 • 29:36

Who will be Nigeria's next President?

Who will be Nigeria's next President?

Africa's most populous nation Nigeria will head to the polls this weekend to elect a new leader, as incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari reaches the end of his second term.  The vote comes against a backdrop of insecurity and unrest, but young Nigerians are rallying behind a candidate promising change.  Guest: Ayisha Osori, Nigerian lawyer and journalist, author of "Love Does Not Win Elections"

Feb 22, 2023 • 15:04

SA gets its own Voice to parliament: Indigenous update with Dana Morse

SA gets its own Voice to parliament: Indigenous update with Dana Morse

As the 'From the Heart' campaign for the Voice launches in Adelaide, South Australia has passed its own legislation to bring about formal representation of an Indigenous Voice to parliament. The First Nations Voice bill would allow a 12-person body of elected Indigenous leaders to speak on the floor of the SA parliament during legislative debates, lobby the heads of government departments and advocate to the cabinet of state ministers.  Guest: Dana Morse, ABC political reporter for Indigenous af

Feb 22, 2023 • 11:35

Unravelling the secrets of fabrics

Unravelling the secrets of fabrics

How is a handmade fabric helping save an ancient forest? Why is sackcloth associated with penance and how does urine give tweed its famous ‘Home Counties’ smell? Best-selling author Victoria Finlay spins Phillip round the globe, weaving stories of our relationship with cloth. She explores why people through the ages have made it, worn it and created symbols out of it.

Feb 21, 2023 • 21:40

Behrouz Boochani on freedom, resistance and speaking truth to power

Behrouz Boochani on freedom, resistance and speaking truth to power

After being told by former Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton he would never set foot on Australian soil, journalist, author and refugee advocate Behrouz Boochani just spent two months here, speaking at parliament house in Canberra and promoting his second book, Freedom, only Freedom. While in Australia he called for a Royal Commission into our treatment of asylum seekers. Guest: Behrouz Boochani, journalist, author, refugee advocate and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Faculty of Arts & Socia

Feb 21, 2023 • 19:26

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

President Joe Biden makes a lightning visit to Ukraine, whilst the US Supreme Court considers a case which could make Internet companies liable for extreme material posted to their platforms.   Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Feb 21, 2023 • 12:13

The legacy of Gandhi in Modi's India

The legacy of Gandhi in Modi's India

Eminent Indian historian and biographer of Gandhi Ramachandra Guha says that, 75 years after his assassination, the ‘father of the nation’ has become a problem for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yet his ideas remain as relevant as ever not just for India, but the world.

Feb 20, 2023 • 39:11

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tinge looks at the Yes campaign's week of action, what's needed in the Defence Strategic Review and what changes the government wants to make to our super.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Feb 20, 2023 • 13:34

Swimming, through time

Swimming, through time

The ability to swim, or not, has always been a  social divider. It is often an indicator of cultural power, based on  access to water, and to swimming lessons.  But some cultures have always been water-oriented, and have stunned colonists, for example, with their swimming prowess.

Feb 16, 2023 • 24:25

The "good death" - a history of euthanasia

The "good death" - a history of euthanasia

In 1995, the Northern Territory became the first jurisdiction in the world to allow terminally ill patients to voluntarily access a medically-assisted death - legislation which was quickly vetoed by the federal parliament.  Nearly 30 years on, every state in Australia now has their own voluntary assisted dying legislation.    But two centuries ago, understandings of what constituted a "good death" in the West were radically different. Guest: Dr Caitlin Mahar, historian at Swinburne University, a

Feb 16, 2023 • 29:13

The Prince and the Plunder – a tragic tale of colonial pillage

The Prince and the Plunder – a tragic tale of colonial pillage

In 1868, British troops charged into Ethiopia, stormed the citadel of Tewodros II, freed his prisoners and looted his treasures and sacred manuscripts. They also took his son – six-year-old Prince Alamayu – and brought him back to England where he charmed Queen Victoria, chatted with Lord Tennyson and travelled with his guardian Captain Speedy. But the orphan prince was never allowed to return home. Guest: Andrew Heavens, author of “The Prince and the Plunder – how Britain took one small boy and

Feb 15, 2023 • 24:06

New insights on ancient people movements in the super-continent of Sahul

New insights on ancient people movements in the super-continent of Sahul

The ancient continent of Sahul was comprised of Australia and PNG, when sea levels were much lower.  New technology and modelling suggest the forebears of Australian Aboriginal people came here in an organised, mass migration. And they fanned out across the continent relatively quickly.

Feb 15, 2023 • 14:32

Asia Update: Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

Asia Update: Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

In this Asia Update we travel to Hong Kong to find out what’s happening with the landmark trial of pro-democracy activists, and then to Taiwan and China to see how the surveillance balloon saga is playing out in Beijing and Taipei… Guest: Emily Feng, NPR's Beijing correspondent.

Feb 15, 2023 • 11:22

Is this the end of the exclamation mark!?

Is this the end of the exclamation mark!?

Perhaps the most provocative of punctuation marks, ! has long elicited the love and hate of writers. It's now under threat from the more expressive emoji and teachers who strive to stamp out social media speak in the classroom. Can ! be resuscitated and redeemed?  Guest: Dr Florence Hazrat, researcher, wordsmith, podcaster. Author of An Admirable Point: A Brief History of the Exclamation Mark! Published in Australia by Allen & Unwin

Feb 14, 2023 • 19:53

Yanis Varoufakis on Cuba, Mexico, rising East-West tensions and the need for a new democracy

Yanis Varoufakis on Cuba, Mexico, rising East-West tensions and the need for a new democracy

Economist Yanis Varoufakis discusses his visits to Cuba and Mexico, neo-imperialism and the need for a new democracy movement to "end the legalised robbery of people and Earth". He also discusses the campaign to free Julian Assange, the war in Ukraine and growing tensions between the US and China. Guest: Yanis Varoufakis, leader of the Democracy in Europe Movement in Greece's parliament, former Greek Finance Minister and Professor of Economics at the University of Athens.

Feb 14, 2023 • 18:45

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

A "mini-reshuffle" of the Conservative Party leadership, as Labour surges ahead in the polls.  Guest: Ian Dunt, Columnist with the “I” newspaper and author of How to be a Liberal

Feb 14, 2023 • 12:31

Australia's history of alcohol control

Australia's history of alcohol control

Australia has a long and complicated relationship with alcohol and its regulation - from the 19th Century Temperance era right through to the present day.  Guest: Dr Elizabeth Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning & Design at Monash University

Feb 13, 2023 • 24:18

A week on from the Türkiye-Syria earthquake

A week on from the Türkiye-Syria earthquake

More than 33,000 people have died since a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck a week ago, in the early hours of Monday February 6th. The UN warns the death toll could double.  Guest: Mustafa Akyol, Turkish writer and journalist, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute in Washington DC

Feb 13, 2023 • 10:43

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton apologies over boycotting the Apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008; the government announces Closing the Gap funding and allows refugees on temporary protection visas to apply for permanent residency, but misses the fact that the laws around keeping asylum seekers on Nauru had expired. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Feb 13, 2023 • 11:00

Influencers: how Australia's political biographers impacted our prime ministers

Influencers: how Australia's political biographers impacted our prime ministers

In 2011 political historian and journalist Chris Wallace walked away from a biography she was writing on then Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. Wallace felt that amidst the toxic atmosphere of attacks on Gillard releasing the biography risked it being unfairly used against her and she didn't want any part of it. In her new book Political Lives, Wallace investigates how political biographies throughout Australia's history have impacted on our leaders — for good and ill. Guest: Dr Chris Wallace, auth

Feb 9, 2023 • 57:31

Awaye's 30th anniversary

Awaye's 30th anniversary

Awaye! presenters Daniel Browning and Rudi Bremmer discuss the power of languages,  how attitudes and trends in the arts sector have changed, and the importance of listening.

Feb 8, 2023 • 19:29

The bloody truth about cobalt mining in the Congo and how it powers our lives

The bloody truth about cobalt mining in the Congo and how it powers our lives

We all rely on cobalt - it powers our smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles. But according to Siddharth Kara, there's 'no such thing as a clean supply chain of cobalt'. He reveals the shocking details of how it's being mined, often by children, in slavery-like conditions.

Feb 8, 2023 • 20:08

Pacific update with Tess Newton Cane

Pacific update with Tess Newton Cane

In our first Pacific update for 2023, there's breaking news on a NZ pilot held hostage in West Papua; a prominent Solomons politician ousted from power; and sorrow in the Pacific at the loss of Jacinda Ardern as NZ PM.Text max 200 characters

Feb 8, 2023 • 11:11

The colourful history of MUP, Australia's first university press

The colourful history of MUP, Australia's first university press

Australia’s oldest university press, Melbourne University Publishing, has had some noteworthy – and newsworthy – figures at its helm, including Peter Ryan and Louise Adler.  Its publications include the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Manning Clark’s History of Australia, and Mark Latham’s diaries. Perhaps more than any other university press, MUP has wrestled with the question of what is a university press for, and who is it for.  Guest: Stuart Kells, author and historian  Author of ‘MUP: a

Feb 7, 2023 • 18:46

Not missing: murdered. Australia’s 'disappeared' black women.

Not missing: murdered. Australia’s 'disappeared' black women.

In an award winning essay, journalist Amy McQuire says we don't know how many Aboriginal women have gone 'missing' in Australia and that the very word 'missing' denies the violence black women have been subject to. McQuire says there is a comfort that comes with the word 'missing', because it implies that perhaps they have left on their own accord. Guest: Amy McQuire, journalist and post-doctoral fellow at QUT school of Communications. Amy McQuire is a Darumbal woman and South Sea Islander.

Feb 7, 2023 • 19:50

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

A wayward Chinese spy balloon sparks a political fracas, as President Joe Biden prepares for his second State of the Union address.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Feb 7, 2023 • 12:17

Lessons from Maria Ressa on how to stand up to a dictator

Lessons from Maria Ressa on how to stand up to a dictator

Nobel Prize Laureate Maria Ressa has recently been cleared of tax evasion charges, but still faces life behind bars for standing up to the Durterte government and holding big tech to account. She talks about her life, what she thinks of the new Marcos government in the Philippines and how we can all hold the line against the erosion of democracy.  Guest: Maria Ressa - CEO, co-founder and President of Rappler, the Philippines's top digital news site. Her latest book is How to Stand Up to a Dictat

Feb 6, 2023 • 27:00

Australian manufacturing: past, present and future

Australian manufacturing: past, present and future

Australia was once a hub of innovation and ingenuity, yet over time we’ve lost our competitive edge as a manufacturer. Through two case studies former diplomat Richard Broinowski AO traces how this happened and confronts what it might take for Australia to make things once again.

Feb 6, 2023 • 14:47

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe defects from the Greens, the federal government announces a $250 million Central Australia package to address issues in Alice Springs and former Coalition MPs front the Robodebt Royal Commission.    Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Feb 6, 2023 • 14:11

The extraordinary history of the encyclopaedia

The extraordinary history of the encyclopaedia

Author Simon Garfield takes Phillip on an A-to-Z tour of the encyclopaedia, the most remarkable publishing phenomenon of all time. They track the story from Ancient Greece to modern-day Wikipedia and explore how the Encyclopaedia Britannica came to dominate the industry and spawned an army of door-to-door salesmen.  Guest: Simon Garfield, author of 'All the Knowledge in the World' (Hachette)

Feb 2, 2023 • 28:46

Australian troops in East Timor - a controversial history

Australian troops in East Timor - a controversial history

A new history of Australia's East Timor military intervention has been seemingly ignored by the Australian Government and the Australian War Memorial.

Feb 2, 2023 • 24:17

The oil pipeline dividing Uganda

The oil pipeline dividing Uganda

Uganda and Tanzania will soon be home to the world's longest heated crude oil pipeline, with construction of the "East African Crude Oil Pipeline" (EACOP) set to commence this year.  The project is already displacing rural Ugandans, some of who continue to fight for fair compensation.  Guest: Independent journalist Sophie Neiman, author of "Fear and Oil in Uganda", New York Review of Books

Feb 1, 2023 • 15:54

The world's first aquarium

The world's first aquarium

In May 1853, thousands of visitors flocked to London Zoo to enter the world's first aquarium or "Fish House". The aquarium was a complete novelty - an opportunity to observe the lives of fish up close. The development of the aquarium would forever change our relationship with the marine world.  Guest: John Simons, historian and academic, author of "Goldfish in the Parlour: The Victorian Craze for Marine Life"

Feb 1, 2023 • 21:12

Asia Update: Focus on Southeast Asia

Asia Update: Focus on Southeast Asia

Senior Fellow for Southeast Asian Politics and Foreign Policy at the IISS Aaron Connelly joins us for an overview of what's been happening across Southeast Asia, with a focus on Myanmar.

Feb 1, 2023 • 14:39

The biggest oddities of the art world revealed

The biggest oddities of the art world revealed

'Incurable cartophile' Edward Brooke-Hitching is back to take us on a tour through The Madman's Gallery - the weirdest works of art ever made.

Jan 31, 2023 • 23:10

What's behind the political turmoil and protests in Peru?

What's behind the political turmoil and protests in Peru?

Thinking of heading to Machu Picchu in 2023? Think again... The tourist hotspot has been closed as Peru enters its eighth week of deadly protests following the attempted 'self-coup' of former president Pedro Castillo.

Jan 31, 2023 • 15:15

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

A new report from the International Monetary Fund warns that the UK may slip into recession this year, whilst the Conservative Party and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak deal with a fresh round of scandals. Guest: Ian Dunt, Ian Dunt, Columnist with the “I” newspaper and author of How to be a Liberal.

Jan 31, 2023 • 14:00

The women behind our famous apples

The women behind our famous apples

'Lady' Maud Williams, whose Lady Williams apple led to the popular Pink Lady, and Maria 'Granny' Smith, are among the many women in agriculture whose stories are under-appreciated, and under-documented.

Jan 30, 2023 • 16:42

Labor’s arts policy – revive or just survive?

Labor’s arts policy – revive or just survive?

Labor's has released its arts policy which places First Nations artists at the centre, overhauls the function of the Australia Council, establishes new bodies to promote Australian music and literature and sets Australian content quotas for streaming services. It also promises to examine workplace conditions for people working in the creative sector. But is it enough to see our artists thrive?  Guests: Wesley Enoch— playwright and artistic director, and Indigenous Chair in the Creative Industrie

Jan 30, 2023 • 19:33

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle takes a look at the politics of arts policies over the last fifty years and whether Labor's 'Revive" policy lives up to expectations. Also how the policy, which places First Nations artists at the centre, plays into the debate around the Voice to parliament.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Jan 30, 2023 • 14:14

Dreamers and schemers

Dreamers and schemers

Professor Frank Bongiorno takes us on a colourful ride through our political evolution, including archival audio excerpts from the 1930s onwards.

Jan 26, 2023 • 53:21

The shocking story of India’s art dealer turned idol thief

The shocking story of India’s art dealer turned idol thief

Indian-born art dealer Subhash Kapoor operated a New York commercial gallery specialising in Indian art, and sold or donated works to many international museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art,  the National Gallery of Australia and more. He was highly successful and  feted by the art world. But it turned out he was one of the world's most prolific antiquities traffickers. Guest: Sushmita Pathak, independent radio and print journalist

Jan 25, 2023 • 18:34

Brazil's insurrection and its troubling aftermath

Brazil's insurrection and its troubling aftermath

After a copycat insurrection in Brazil, how will that country's new President Lula Da Silva restore calm and progress reforms in a polarised nation?

Jan 25, 2023 • 15:22

Indigenous update with Dana Morse and Hannah McGlade

Indigenous update with Dana Morse and Hannah McGlade

New alcohol restrictions in the NT; how the Voice movement is progressing and the debates around it; and January 26

Jan 25, 2023 • 16:04

Shinichi Suzuki’s lost education revolution

Shinichi Suzuki’s lost education revolution

Shinichi Suzuki pioneered an innovative but often-misunderstood philosophy of early childhood education, now known as the Suzuki Method. But Suzuki's aim was never to turn out prodigies. He wanted to create a world where all children have the chance to develop, musically and otherwise in order to produce a better society. These days his broad education philosophy has been largely forgotten.  Guest: Eri Hotta, academic and author of 'Suzuki: The Man and His Dream to Teach the Children of the Worl

Jan 24, 2023 • 21:35

The roots of American individualism

The roots of American individualism

Americans are big defenders of their rights and civil liberties. How far back can this individualistic tendency be traced and has it made America more or less 'free'? Guest:  Alex Zakaras - Associate professor of political science at the University of Vermont; author of The Roots of American Individualism: Political Myth in the Age of Jackson, published by Princeton University Press.

Jan 24, 2023 • 17:07

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Gun violence has escalated in the US, with 38 mass shootings already recorded nationwide since the start of 2023.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Jan 24, 2023 • 11:59

Why cork is making a comeback

Why cork is making a comeback

Cork appears to be making a comeback, as new uses are discovered for this versatile natural material - beyond the humble wine stopper. Harvested for life, cork oak trees also have the potential to store large amounts of carbon.  Guest: Alastair Leithead, freelance journalist living in Portugal.

Jan 23, 2023 • 17:51

Where could the war in Ukraine be headed in 2023?

Where could the war in Ukraine be headed in 2023?

As the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine looms, we take stock of the current state of the war, what might happen on the battlefield, shifting sentiments in Russia and how a protracted war might be avoided. Guest: Anatol Lieven - Director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

Jan 23, 2023 • 16:39

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Labor struggles to get political agreement on the Voice, questions over the government's covid vaccine strategy and the role of anti-vaxxers in Jacinda Ardern's political demise.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30 Correction: It was incorrectly stated in this segment that the 1967 referendum gave Aboriginal people the right to vote and citizenship, as well as the right to be included in the Census. Only the latter point is correct.

Jan 23, 2023 • 15:00

Coral Browne: Australia’s best unknown Hollywood star

Coral Browne: Australia’s best unknown Hollywood star

Coral Browne began her life in Footscray in Melbourne in the 1930's, and went on to be a leading lady in the West End during WWII in London and star in many Hollywood films. She was also known for her outrageous private life and for simply being fabulous. Now an Australian film is being developed to showcase her life and work. Read more about Coral Browne here  Guests: - Maureen Sherlock – playwright: ‘Coral Browne this f-ing lady’  - Genevieve Mooy – actor who played Coral  - Charlotte George,

Jan 19, 2023 • 37:41

John Farrow: Hollywood’s man in the shadows

John Farrow: Hollywood’s man in the shadows

John Farrow: Hollywood's Man in the Shadows is the first documentary ever made about enigmatic, Australian born, Oscar-winning filmmaker John Farrow, who went to the very top in Hollywood, but obscured his past from all who knew him. Guests:  Director/Producer: Claude Gonzalez Director/Producer: Frans Vandenburg This story originally aired on 24 August 2022

Jan 19, 2023 • 19:37

The history of art (without men)

The history of art (without men)

Female artists have been excluded from the historical canon of great art for centuries. Art historian and curator Katy Hessel is on a mission to make them household names.  Her new book is The Story of Art Without Men published by Penguin Random House. First broadcast 10 October 2022

Jan 18, 2023 • 17:55

The divers unearthing the stories of sunken slave ships

The divers unearthing the stories of sunken slave ships

In a new podcast series, National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts joins a group of Black scuba divers as they traverse the globe in search of buried shipwrecks from the transatlantic slave trade and uncover the truth of their history. First broadcast 9 March 2022

Jan 18, 2023 • 18:35

The extraordinary voyage of Rose de Freycinet

The extraordinary voyage of Rose de Freycinet

French explorer and cartograpgher Louis de Freycinet is famous for producing the first complete map of Australia's coastline, completed following his expedition with Nicolas Baudin. But history tried to hide the fact that his wife Rose stowed away on his ship and circumnavigated the world on his on his second expedition on the Uranie. Guest: Suzanne Falkiner, historian and author of “Rose: the extraordinary story of Rose de Freycinet, the stowaway who sailed around the world for love,” published

Jan 18, 2023 • 19:27

Fairytale tales

Fairytale tales

Ahead of the annual Australian Fairy Tale Society conference on 1 & 2 October 2022, we spoke to Jo Henwood, co-founder and Ring Maiden of the Australian Fairy Tale Society and Eliane Morel, singer, actor and writer.  First broadcast 19 September 2022

Jan 17, 2023 • 13:32

Female foreign correspondents

Female foreign correspondents

There are dozens of Australian journalists out there in the world, filing away day and night, often for international news outlets.  Many of them are women, and they do extraordinary work.  There’s a new book called ‘Through her Eyes: Australian women correspondents from Hiroshima to Ukraine’. It's published by Hardie Grant, and edited by Melissa Roberts and Trevor Watson. Presenter Kylie Morris is one of the 29 contributors, as are our three guests. Guests:  Diaa Hadid,  NPR correspondent in Is

Jan 17, 2023 • 40:26

Josephine Baker: Singer turned WWII spy

Josephine Baker: Singer turned WWII spy

Elaine Pearson has spent her whole working life defending the human rights of people around the globe - women being trafficked, refugees refused asylum and families who lost people to war crimes. Her own grandmother was sold to a Chinese Opera troupe for money to feed her family, but Elaine Pearson acknowledges that is was Pauline Hanson's racist rhetoric that brought her to her calling as an activist.  Guest: Elaine Pearson, Director, Asia, Human Rights Watch and author of Chasing Wrongs and Ri

Jan 16, 2023 • 17:47

Unravelling the mysteries of our sense of smell and COVID

Unravelling the mysteries of our sense of smell and COVID

Elaine Pearson has spent her whole working life defending the human rights of people around the globe - women being trafficked, refugees refused asylum and families who lost people to war crimes. Her own grandmother was sold to a Chinese Opera troupe for money to feed her family, but Elaine Pearson acknowledges that is was Pauline Hanson's racist rhetoric that brought her to her calling as an activist.  Guest: Elaine Pearson, Director, Asia, Human Rights Watch and author of Chasing Wrongs and Ri

Jan 16, 2023 • 17:15

Elaine Pearson's journey to human rights activist

Elaine Pearson's journey to human rights activist

Elaine Pearson has spent her whole working life defending the human rights of people around the globe - women being trafficked, refugees refused asylum and families who lost people to war crimes. Her own grandmother was sold to a Chinese Opera troupe for money to feed her family, but Elaine Pearson acknowledges that is was Pauline Hanson's racist rhetoric that brought her to her calling as an activist.  Guest: Elaine Pearson, Director, Asia, Human Rights Watch and author of Chasing Wrongs and Ri

Jan 16, 2023 • 18:27

The curious history of the afterlife

The curious history of the afterlife

Whether it be Saint Peter standing at the Pearly gates, Dante’s raging Inferno or the Taoist netherworld of hungry ghosts, images of the afterlife are deeply ingrained in the human psyche. Phillip takes a tour through heavens, hells and phantasmagorical lands of the dead envisioned throughout history. Guest: Edward Brooke-Hitching, author and rare book collector. First broadcast 29 March 2022

Jan 12, 2023 • 21:18

The greatest speeches never heard

The greatest speeches never heard

From Emperor Hirohito's post-war apology, to JFK's invasion of Cuba, one speechwriter has scoured the world for the speeches, written but never heard, which would have changed history. Guest: Jeff Nussbaum, former senior speechwriter for President Biden, Al Gore and Tom Daschle. Author of Undelivered: The unseen speeches that would have rewritten history, published by Flatiron books. First broadcast 3 October 2022

Jan 12, 2023 • 30:44

The world's most wanted woman

The world's most wanted woman

The glamorous Dr Ruja Ignatova  pledged a financial revolution with One Coin, a new cryptocurrency. But after fleecing billions from investors across 175 countries, she went into hiding in 2017 and has not been seen since.  Guest: Investigative journalist Jamie Bartlett, author of "The Missing Cryptoqueen" This story originally aired on 25 August 2022.

Jan 11, 2023 • 28:03

Shipping crime - a case of fraud and murder

Shipping crime - a case of fraud and murder

A pirate attack turns out to be insurance fraud, and the man who has suspicions is murdered. A case that illustrates broader exploitation and unaccountability in the shipping industry. Guest: Matthew Campbell, reporter and editor of international features for Bloomberg Business Week  Co-author, with Kit Chellel of Dead in the Water: Murder and Fraud in the World’s Most Secretive Industry (Allen & Unwin) This story originally aired on 25 August 2022.

Jan 11, 2023 • 23:11

Abandoned wonders of the world

Abandoned wonders of the world

With so little of the world left unexplored, travellers are now turning to time travel - not in Dr Who’s tardis, but through the exploration of abandoned places that take you back in history. Places abandoned due to war, changing ideologies and depleted resources hold a bleak fascination for travellers. Guest: Travel writer Oliver Smith, author of Atlas of Abandoned Places: A journey through the world’s forgotten wonders” published by Hachette.  Originally broadcast on 12 October 2022.

Jan 10, 2023 • 22:49

The Sassoon dynasty

The Sassoon dynasty

The Sassoon family was a dynasty of traders who had fled Baghdad as Jewish refugees, and carved out enormous wealth in India, China and the UK. They were often, by the 19th century, referred to as the Rothschilds of the East. Guest: Joseph Sassoon, author of ‘The Global Merchants: The enterprise and extravagance of the Sassoon dynasty’ (Allen Lane/Penguin) Originally broadcast on 7 April 2022.

Jan 10, 2023 • 30:02

100 years of the BBC

100 years of the BBC

In 1922 the BBC was founded by three men with almost no broadcasting experience and a bold vision: to remake culture for the good of humanity. To mark its centenary, we look back at the triumphs and trials of the BBC's first 100 years and consider whether it's still an institution worth fighting for. Guest: David Hendy, Professor of Media and Cultural History at the University of Sussex and the author of The BBC: A People's History, which will be published in April by Allen & Unwin. First broadc

Jan 9, 2023 • 52:36

India's turbulent history

India's turbulent history

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi navigates the country's delicate relationship with China, and defends India's position of neutrality on the Russia/Ukraine war, the country's position in the world is more important than ever. Author John Zubrzycki has looked to the past to understand the politics of the present in India. Guest: John Zubrzycki, author of 'The shortest history of India' (Black Inc) This story originally aired on 12 May 2022.

Jan 5, 2023 • 54:06

Budapest: between East and West

Budapest: between East and West

Throughout history the centre of gravity in Budapest and among Hungarians has shifted between East and West - culturally, politically, emotionally.   Guest: Victor Sebestyen, journalist and author. “Budapest: between East and West” is published in Australia by Hachette This story originally aired on 07 June 2022.

Jan 4, 2023 • 23:47

The Shortest History of Greece

The Shortest History of Greece

Greek gods, the Parthenon and Socrates may be as familiar as notions of early Greek democracy, but author James Heneage tells the tales of lesser known aspects of Greek history over three millennia. Guest: Author James Heneage. 'The Shortest History of Greece' is published by Black Inc Books. This story originally aired on 28 July 2022.

Jan 4, 2023 • 27:51

Christmas Island locals and asylum seekers

Christmas Island locals and asylum seekers

Everywhere in the world that boatloads of asylum seekers land, or where they are detained, there are local people who will inevitably be affected by what they see, and possibly by ongoing involvements. But we don’t hear much about those people. They are the host communities, effectively, even though they usually didn't choose to be. This story looks at Christmas Island, with reference also to the Italian island of Lampedusa. Guest: Dr Michelle Dimasi, human rights advocate and activist  Author

Jan 3, 2023 • 31:19

The power of reading dangerously

The power of reading dangerously

Bestselling author of Reading Lolita in Tehran Azar Nafisi argues that in order to resist the populist and polarising impulses of contemporary politics we must read dangerously; works by authors like Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Elias Khoury and Ta-Nehisi Coates that challenge comforting clichés and attempt to change the world. Guest: Azar Nafisi, Iranian-American writer and professor of English literature; author of Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times publ

Jan 3, 2023 • 21:39

The power of prison radio in giving voice to the voiceless around the world

The power of prison radio in giving voice to the voiceless around the world

Prison radio shows, wherever they are in the world, all work to give voice to the voiceless and empower people by enabling them to tell their own stories. Guests: Dr Heather Anderson, Senior Lecturer, Griffith University and Advisory board member, Prison Radio International, Coordinator, Australia Prison Radio Network. Mina Hadjian, founder and CEO of RoverRadion, prison radio station in Norway. Shiralee Hood, actor, director and radio presenter on 3CR's Beyond The Bars. Thanks to 3CR community

Jan 2, 2023 • 40:51

No Hawaiian girls in jail

No Hawaiian girls in jail

Hawaii has achieved a goal of having zero young women incarcerated. The focus instead is on programs that help heal and support often traumatised young women, many of whom are indigenous Hawaiian, and have come through the child welfare system. Guests: Meda Chesney Lind, pioneering feminist criminologist Emeritus professor at the University of Hawaii  Mark Kovika Patterson Administrator of the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility.  This story originally aired on 12 July 2022.

Jan 2, 2023 • 20:56

Living in the cracks of Lagos

Living in the cracks of Lagos

Reductionist stereotypes of Africa continue to pervade our news and popular culture. In his new book journalist and writer Dipo Faloyin challenges these simplistic narratives of one of the most culturally diverse regions on the planet.  Guest: Dipo Faloyin - writer and senior editor at VICE. Author of Africa is Not a Country: Breaking stereotypes of modern Africa published by Penguin Random House. Originally broadcast on 21 July 2022.

Dec 29, 2022 • 18:49

Breaking stereotypes of modern Africa

Breaking stereotypes of modern Africa

Reductionist stereotypes of Africa continue to pervade our news and popular culture. In his new book journalist and writer Dipo Faloyin challenges these simplistic narratives of one of the most culturally diverse regions on the planet.  Guest: Dipo Faloyin - writer and senior editor at VICE. Author of Africa is Not a Country: Breaking stereotypes of modern Africa published by Penguin Random House. Originally broadcast on 21 July 2022.

Dec 29, 2022 • 34:16

Provocateur – Clive Hamilton on life as a public cage-rattler

Provocateur – Clive Hamilton on life as a public cage-rattler

Professor Clive Hamilton has spent his life as a cage-rattler, speaking uncomfortable truths that have challenged us to review the way we think about the big issues.  Guest: Professor Clive Hamilton, Charles Sturt Vice-Chancellor's Chair of Public Ethics Provocateur – A Life of Ideas in Action is published by Hardie Grant.  This story originally aired on 29 September 2022.

Dec 28, 2022 • 54:06

John Pickup's brilliant ABC career

John Pickup's brilliant ABC career

John Pickup started his career at the ABC in the mailroom in Sydney, but quickly moved on to the sound effects department. He worked in television on the first broadcast as well as on the Melbourne Olympic Games. But he returned to his first love radio and went to on to work across the country in places like Broken Hill, Darwin and Mackay. To mark the 90th birthday of the ABC, he shares just some of the many stories from his brilliant ABC career. Guest: John Pickup OAM, former ABC employee Origi

Dec 27, 2022 • 35:52

Who needs the ABC?

Who needs the ABC?

There are plenty of platforms and voices currently criticising the ABC, but as it begins its 90th year, where are the voices recognising what the ABC achieves not only as a media organisation but also as a cultural institution. Guests: Patrick Mullins, writer and academic at the University of Canberra’s Centre for Creative and Cultural Research Matthew Ricketson, academic and journalist who heads up communications at Deakin University Authors of 'Who Needs the ABC: Why taking it for granted is

Dec 27, 2022 • 15:36

The surprising history of women in Hollywood

The surprising history of women in Hollywood

The #MeToo movement revealed the very ugly side of Hollywood's misogyny with hundreds of claims of sexual harassment and assault made not just against Harvey Weinstein but many other men working in the industry. What is surprising is that the film industry started out with many women filmmakers. It was only once the industry really started to make money that were women pushed aside. Can they now muscle their way back into more positions of influence? Guest: Helen O'Hara, editor-at-large for Empi

Dec 26, 2022 • 18:12

Sky Country: Knowledge from the world's first astronomers

Sky Country: Knowledge from the world's first astronomers

Emerging First Nations astrophysicists Krystal de Napoli and Karlie Noon explore the connections between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander environmental and cultural practices and the behaviour of the stars, and what must be done to preserve this knowledge into the future. First broadcast 21 April 2022

Dec 26, 2022 • 35:09

What does evolution sound like?

What does evolution sound like?

Have you ever wondered about the first living creature to deliberately make a noise? What can we learn from the shape of our own ears about how the first sea creatures evolved to hear. Biologist David George Haskell has though a lot about the sounds found in nature. He believes that the significance of the evolution of sound has long been underestimated and under-researched. Humans need to listen more and make less noise, because the louder humans get, the greater the loss of sound diversity. Gu

Dec 22, 2022 • 54:06

From moon rocks to beavers: The curious history of diplomatic gifts

From moon rocks to beavers: The curious history of diplomatic gifts

For centuries diplomatic gifts had the power to make or break alliances, and in many cases that's exactly what happened. The Statue of Liberty and the Resolute Desk are icons of this peculiar element of statecraft, but over time the practice has extended to everything from wheels of cheese, to beavers, to a golden room panelled entirely with amber. Guest: Paul Brummell is a British career diplomat, and currently the UK Ambassador to Latvia. His book is Diplomatic Gifts: A History in Fifty Prese

Dec 21, 2022 • 22:03

Changing the climate conversation with Vanessa Nakate, Anjali Sharma and Mya-Rose Craig

Changing the climate conversation with Vanessa Nakate, Anjali Sharma and Mya-Rose Craig

Those who stand to inherit a warmer world are leading the charge in confronting it. In doing so, they are breaking down other barriers and elevating the voices of those who stand to be most affected. We hear from Vanessa Nakate, Mya-Rose Craig and Anjali Sharma, three impressive young women at the forefront of this global movement. First broadcast 18 April 2022

Dec 21, 2022 • 30:58

Why is Pentecostalism on the rise?

Why is Pentecostalism on the rise?

The proportion of Christians that identify as Pentecostals has increased from 6% in 1980 to 25% in 2020. Journalist Elle Hardy has travelled the world visiting megachurches to try and find out why they have been so successful in bringing new believers into the fold. Guest: Elle Hardy, author of Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity is Taking over the World published by New South Originally broadcast on 17 February 2022.

Dec 20, 2022 • 26:26

Should prisoners be offered plastic surgery?

Should prisoners be offered plastic surgery?

Between the 1920s and the 1990s over 500,000 prisoners underwent plastic surgery in US prisons. This was offered as part of their rehabilitation in the belief that improving a prisoner's appearance would improve their chances of getting a job once out of jail. But did it work? And what does it tell us about the harsh realities of appearance bias? Guest: Zara Stone, author of Killer Looks: The Forgotten History of Plastic Surgery in Prisons published by Prometheus Books Originally broadcast on 10

Dec 20, 2022 • 24:36

Tribology: the science of surfaces explained

Tribology: the science of surfaces explained

Laurie Winkless introduces us to tribology and explains why the science of rubbing, sliding, friction, lubrication and surfaces is so integral to both the modern and natural world. Guest: Laurie Winkless, physicist, science writer and author of Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces (Bloomsbury) This story originally aired on 16 February 2022.

Dec 19, 2022 • 16:33

Stolen Focus - why you can't pay attention

Stolen Focus - why you can't pay attention

Author Johann Hari argues our collective attention span is declining rapidly, and there are sinister reasons behind it. Guest: Johann Hari, author of Stolen Focus - why you can't pay attention, published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This story originally aired on 27 January 2022.

Dec 19, 2022 • 37:15

Otherworlds - prehistoric places

Otherworlds - prehistoric places

What were the places and periods of Deep Time actually like? A bestselling new book by first time author Thomas Halliday has been billed by writer and environmentalist Bill McKibben as: ‘as close to time travel as you are likely to get.’  Guest: Thomas Halliday, paleobiologist and evolutionary biologistand author of ‘Otherlands: a world in the making’ Published by Allen Lane. Originally broadcast on 13 April 2022.  A bestselling new book by first time author Thomas Halliday has been billed by w

Dec 15, 2022 • 22:24

The Wood Age

The Wood Age

Roland Ennos believes that we take trees for granted, and that in fact wood and trees have played a significant role in human evolution. From when we lived in trees to using wood to create tools, fire, houses, boats and paper, wood has proved the most versatile of materials. Guest: Roland Ennos, Professor of biological sciences at the University of Hull and author of  “The Wood Age: How one material shaped the whole of human history” published by William Collins Originally broadcast on 23 May 20

Dec 15, 2022 • 29:11

Words Fail Us - in defence of disfluency

Words Fail Us - in defence of disfluency

'Words Fail Us' is a cultural history of stuttering and other speech impediments, and how the adversity disfluent people face drive many to creative heights and more linguistic flexibility than most. In fact, our obsession with fluency could be hindering, rather than helping, our creativity, authenticity and persuasiveness. Guest:  Jonty Claypole - author, arts consultant and former Director of Arts at the BBC.  'Words Fail Us - in defence of disfluency' is published by Welcome Collection for Pr

Dec 14, 2022 • 21:09

Legendary whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg on Julian Assange and free speech

Legendary whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg on Julian Assange and free speech

One of the most significant whistleblowers of our time, 91-year-old Daniel Ellsberg, whose leak of the Pentagon Papers exposed US government lies and helped end the Vietnam War, speaks out in defence of Julian Assange and free speech. He argues that the only way for Julian Assange to get out of Belmarsh Prison, even to live, is for the Australian government to advocate now on his behalf. First broadcast 7 July 2022

Dec 14, 2022 • 31:14

Wendy McCarthy - a life fighting for women's rights

Wendy McCarthy - a life fighting for women's rights

Wendy McCarthy chats with Phillip about her life as an activist, a campaigner and a board member - starting from her days with the Women's Electoral Lobby in the 1970s to the recent decriminalisation of abortion in NSW. Guest: Wendy McCarthy, author of her memoir "Don't be too polite girls" published by Allen and Unwin.  This story originally aired on 17 March 2022.

Dec 13, 2022 • 27:25

Demons and destiny: new biography sheds light on the private dealings of Bob Hawke

Demons and destiny: new biography sheds light on the private dealings of Bob Hawke

Troy Bramston's biography of Bob Hawke sheds new light on the personal and professional struggles as well as the extraordinary achievements of Australia's 23rd Prime Minister. Guest: Troy Bramston, senior writer, the Australian and author of "Bob Hawke: Demons and Destiny, the definitive biography", published by Penguin Random House Australia. This story was originally broadcast on 03 March 2022.

Dec 13, 2022 • 25:38

Does power corrupt, or do the corrupt seek power?

Does power corrupt, or do the corrupt seek power?

Political scientist Dr Brian Klaas has interviewed over 500 people, from former presidents to war criminals, to uncover the nature of power: who it attracts, who gets it, how it changes us and how we can prevent its abuse. First broadcast 7 February 2022

Dec 12, 2022 • 18:16

What happened to the Liberal Party of Menzies?

What happened to the Liberal Party of Menzies?

The federal election has been said to have plunged the Liberal Party into an 'existential crisis', after it lost a number of its heartland seats. In this discussion we go right back to 1944 to look at the party that Sir Robert Menzies founded, to discover where and how the Liberal Party has strayed from its roots, and what the future might hold for Australia's most successful political party. First broadcast 13 June 2022

Dec 12, 2022 • 35:45

2022 Year in Review - the good, the bad and the downright farcical

2022 Year in Review - the good, the bad and the downright farcical

Join our panel of astute observers as they take us on an tour of the highs and lows of 2022.  Guests: James Schloeffel - founder and head writer at satirical news website The Shovel and one of the stars of the live show War on 2022. Amy Remeikis - Guardian Australia's political reporter and the author of the bestselling book, On Reckoning.  Dana Morse – Federal political reporter, ABC. Rick Morton - The Saturday Paper’s senior reporter. Award-winning author of three non-fiction books- 100 Years

Dec 8, 2022 • 58:06

Tennant Creek and the Great Australian Silence

Tennant Creek and the Great Australian Silence

Dean Ashenden explores the history of the great Australian silence on the frontier wars between black and white Australia and what we can understand about the reasons for the silence through the lens of Tennant Creek. Guest: Dean Ashenden, author of Telling Tennant's story: The Strange Career of the Great Australian Silence published by Black Inc

Dec 7, 2022 • 20:41

Tensions rising ahead of Fiji's election

Tensions rising ahead of Fiji's election

Fiji will elect a new Prime Minister on December 14. Current Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and former coup leader Sitiveni Rabuka are both campaigning for the top job, and there are already fears that the election outcome could be contested.  As Chinese influence in the Pacific grows, these election results will be watched closely around the Pacific and beyond.  Guest: Professor Dominic O'Sullivan, Professor in Political Science, Charles Sturt University.

Dec 7, 2022 • 17:30

Helen Lewis' UK politics year in review

Helen Lewis' UK politics year in review

The United Kingdom has had an "annus horribilis", with three Prime Ministers, inflation at a 40 year high and energy prices out of control. The Labour Party looks sure to win the 2024 election, while younger Tory MPs are quitting in droves.  Guest: Helen Lewis, staff writer at The Atlantic

Dec 7, 2022 • 13:30

G-Man: a new biography of J. Edgar Hoover

G-Man: a new biography of J. Edgar Hoover

A defining new biography of FBI director J Edgar Hoover may change your mind about the man, who has been described as the most universally reviled American political figure of the Twentieth Century. The book also points out a less palatable truth - that he was admired by many Americans for a long time. Guest: Beverly Gage, Professor of Twentieth Century American History at Yale, and author of 'G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century'

Dec 6, 2022 • 33:52

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro and Errin Haines look back at the big moments in US politics in 2022 and how they will play out in the new year. And will Kamala Harris get the opportunity to run for President in 2024. Guests: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University  Errin Haines, editor-at-large The 19th*

Dec 6, 2022 • 17:43

Modernist Ukrainian art show defies Russian missiles

Modernist Ukrainian art show defies Russian missiles

Against the hazardous backdrop of the biggest Russian attack on Ukraine since the conflict began, a convoy of trucks defied Russian missiles to carry rare Modernist Ukrainian art across Europe to Madrid, where it is now on show as 'In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine, 1900 - 1930s'. Guest: Konstantin Akinsha, a Ukrainian-American art historian and collector, who was the prime instigator and co-curator of the exhibition.

Dec 5, 2022 • 15:42

China's Covid protests and the death of Jiang Zemin

China's Covid protests and the death of Jiang Zemin

China is facing its most widespread unrest since the pro-democracy movement in 1989. Where will it lead?  Guest: Jennifer Hsu, Project Director, Multiculturalism, Identity and Influence Project, Lowy Institute

Dec 5, 2022 • 15:15

Laura Tingle and Niki Savva's Canberra year in review

Laura Tingle and Niki Savva's Canberra year in review

The ABC's Laura Tingle and Fairfax's Niki Savva look back on the political highs and lows of 2022.  Guests: - Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30 - Niki Savva, Fairfax columnist and author of 'Bulldozed — Scott Morrison's fall and Anthony Albanese's rise', published by Scribe.

Dec 5, 2022 • 18:58

The two Australian scientists who changed the course of WW2

The two Australian scientists who changed the course of WW2

Two friends from Adelaide, between them had ‘developed the device that was critical to winning the war... conceived the powerful weapon that ended it... and produced the miracle treatment that enabled countless casualties to survive it”.  Guest: Brett Mason, author of ‘Wizards of Oz: how Oliphant and Florey helped win the war and shape the modern world’ (NewSouth)

Dec 1, 2022 • 24:48

Nomads: An alternative history of civilization

Nomads: An alternative history of civilization

In his new book Nomads: The wanderers who shaped our world journalist Anthony Sattin chronicles the contributions that nomads have made to human progress and development and celebrates a way of life that has long been overlooked or, worse, vilified.  Guest: Anthony Sattin - British journalist, broadcaster and author. His latest book is Nomads: The wanderers who shaped our world published in Australia by Hachette.

Dec 1, 2022 • 27:26

The history of the world told through dynasties

The history of the world told through dynasties

In an LNL special, historian Simon Sebag Montefiore discusses the world’s greatest dynasties, from the Romanovs to the Rothschilds, the Khans to the Kennedys… even the Kardashians.   Guest: Simon Sebag Montefiore – British historian and author of The World: A Family History published in Australia by Hachette. You can find Simon's Spotify playlist Soundtrack to The World here.

Nov 30, 2022 • 53:38

How the Holocaust affects the generations after

How the Holocaust affects the generations after

The impact of the Holocaust on second and third generation survivors is explored in two documentaries by Jewish filmmakers, screening in December in Sydney.  The films explore the makers' complicated relationships with Germany,  their pursuit of their families' histories, and what it's like being Jewish in modern day Germany.  Guests:  Ella Dreyfus, Sydney artist, filmmaker and academic at the National Art School in Darlinghurst Sharon Ryba-Kahn, a Berlin-based international filmmaker

Nov 29, 2022 • 19:23

The curious case of Dr Hany Babu and India's political prisoners

The curious case of Dr Hany Babu and India's political prisoners

Press and academic freedom organisations like PEN International say the Modi government in India has been using its anti-terror laws against academics, journalists and public intellectuals who have been critical of the government.  Guest: Paranjoy Guha Thakurta — journalist, author, publisher, educator and documentary film-maker.

Nov 29, 2022 • 18:15

Bruce Shapiro's America: Trump's terrible dinner

Bruce Shapiro's America: Trump's terrible dinner

Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Nov 29, 2022 • 14:18

The 800th violin made by legendary luthier Harry Vatiliotis

The 800th violin made by legendary luthier Harry Vatiliotis

Harry Vatiliotis has been one of Australia's greatest violin makers for almost seventy years. One of his most loyal customers has been violinist, composer and friend Romano Crivici. Romano, together with filmmaker Carla Thackrah document the  making of the last violin he will make for Romano in the home he shares with his wife of 65 years Maria.  Guest: Violinist, composer and filmmaker Romano Crivici. He and Carla Thackrah have produced the documentary The Last Violin which will be showing at t

Nov 28, 2022 • 21:23

Have we been 'bezzled' in 2022?

Have we been 'bezzled' in 2022?

Former banker and author Satyajit Das explains the Galbraith concept of a 'bezzle' in a warning that the effects of the loss of wealth from the markets, high interest rates and continuing global unrest will continue to be felt by the markets well into 2023.  Guest: Satyajit Das, former banker and author of several books including 2021’s A Banquet of Consequences Reloaded and 2022 Fortunes Fool: Australia’s Choices.

Nov 28, 2022 • 16:04

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

As federal parliament enters its final sitting week, it appears the government has cut a deal with ACT Senator David Pocock to pass their industrial relations bill in the Senate. Meanwhile the Nationals have decided to oppose the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Nov 28, 2022 • 14:45

Getting to know Elizabeth and John Macarthur

Getting to know Elizabeth and John Macarthur

A new book goes deeply into the lives and times of two colonial figures who, historian Alan Atkinson argues, are more important, and more complex, than is often acknowledged. Guest: ALAN ATKINSON, author of ‘Elizabeth & John: The Macarthurs of Elizabeth Farm’ (NewSouth)

Nov 24, 2022 • 22:29

The CIA's covert war in China

The CIA's covert war in China

A new book 'Agents of Subversion: The Fate of John T. Downey and the CIA's Covert War in China' tells the little known story of a CIA agent captured by China in the early years of Mao’s PRC, shedding light on a critical time in American foreign policy, and the subversion and repression techniques used by both countries. Guest: John Delury, author and Professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.

Nov 24, 2022 • 29:00

Conversations with birds

Conversations with birds

Priyanka Kumar says that birds are like an almanac for the seasons and can help us tune into ourselves and the world around us, helping to create balance in our digitally distracted lives.  Guest: Priyanka Kumar, author of Conversations with Birds published by Milkweek editions.

Nov 23, 2022 • 16:42

Qatar 2022: When the beautiful game turns ugly

Qatar 2022: When the beautiful game turns ugly

Ever since Fifa made the controversial decision to award the World Cup hosting rights to Qatar in 2010, the smallest nation to have hosted football's biggest competition has faced intensifying criticism.   Football historian David Goldblatt points out some interesting parallels between Qatar 2022 and Uruguay 1930 and explores the troubled history of sportswashing.   Guest: David Goldblatt, journalist, broadcaster and Visiting Professor at Pitzer College, Los Angeles

Nov 23, 2022 • 23:08

Indigenous News with Dana Morse

Indigenous News with Dana Morse

In the Victorian election, a candidate's claim to Indigenous ancestry has raised concerns about how someone can claim Indigenous heritage. In the NT, there is disagreement over the location of a new Indigenous Art Gallery in Alice Springs and real concerns are being raised about the new laws being proposed to deal with youth crime in the Territory. Guest: Reporter Dana Morse, ABC Federal Reporter for Indigenous Issues

Nov 23, 2022 • 13:01

Coconut: the past, present and future of a cultural icon

Coconut: the past, present and future of a cultural icon

For Western cultures, coconut is predominantly a sweet ingredient. Its tree is an exotic symbol of holiday paradise. For the tropical cultures where coconuts are grown, they are life-sustaining, often consumed daily, and an important source of income. Guest: Mary Newman, Cincinatti-based food and gardening writer  Co-author with her sister Constance Kirker of ‘Coconut: a global history’ (Reaktion)

Nov 22, 2022 • 19:33

Are Chip Wars the new Cold War?

Are Chip Wars the new Cold War?

The Biden administration has unilaterally severed China’s access to high-end computer chips, or semiconductors. Given that chips are now strategically more important than oil, the move has been described as nothing less than a declaration of economic war. Historian Chris Miller explains how chips came to be at the crux of geopolitical competition, and where things might head next.

Nov 22, 2022 • 19:53

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro analyses the underwhelming response to the announcement by Donald Trump that he will be running for President again in 2024. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University. ​​​​​​​

Nov 22, 2022 • 11:34

Power, politics and the landscape - the work of Mandy Martin

Power, politics and the landscape - the work of Mandy Martin

Mandy Martin was a feminist artist from Adelaide who brought together her political and ecological sensibilities in a powerful series of environmental projects and landscape paintings. She dedicated her life work to raising awareness of climate change, the havoc wreaked on the environment by industry and the importance of caring for country. Her work is being exhibited in at the Geelong Gallery from 5 November 2022 to 5 February 2023. Guests: Jason Smith, Geelong Gallery Director and CEO, and To

Nov 21, 2022 • 18:00

Fiji's world-first plan to relocate climate change affected communities

Fiji's world-first plan to relocate climate change affected communities

After years of consultations, Fiji's government has come up with a national plan to relocate at least 42 coastal villages under threat from climate change. What are the complications and considerations in getting people to pick up and move, and what lessons do Fiji's efforts hold for other frontline countries? Guests: Kate Lyons, Guardian Australia's Pacific editor Makereta Waqavonovono, coordinator of Climate Tok Netani Rika, Development and Communications Manager, Pacific Conference of Churche

Nov 21, 2022 • 18:00

How has Victorian politics become so polarised?

How has Victorian politics become so polarised?

After eight years in government including nearly three years of living with COVID, Victorian voters should be up for a change of government. But the Victorian coalition have not gained the traction they should have. George Megalogenis explains why. Guest: Author and columnist for The Age, George Megalogenis

Nov 21, 2022 • 12:09

The forgotten father of film

The forgotten father of film

Most Americans credit Thomas Edison as the father of film, owing to his invention of the Kinetograph (a motion picture camera) and the Kinetoscope (a peep-hole picture viewer). The French dispute this, claiming the Lumière brothers as the inventors of the movies as they hosted the first screening of a commercial motion picture in Paris in December 1895.

Nov 17, 2022 • 27:20

The fragrance hunter: sourcing the world’s rarest ingredients

The fragrance hunter: sourcing the world’s rarest ingredients

Dominique Roques has explored the most remote parts of the world over the past thirty years, travelling from his native France to Peru, Egypt and Somaliland by way of El Salvador, Madagascar and Iran.

Nov 17, 2022 • 25:00

Art attack: why activists are targeting museums

Art attack: why activists are targeting museums

Farah Nayeri, author of Takedown: Art and Power in the Digital Age, tells Phillip there is a long history of vandalising art for a cause. From Velazquez’s Rokeby Venus to the Mona Lisa, vandalised masterpieces have so far survived. But it may only be a matter of time before permanent damage is caused.

Nov 16, 2022 • 16:43

A stranger in my own land

A stranger in my own land

Fida Jiryis' parents left what was once Palestine, where they had been born and grew up, in voluntary exile in 1970. In 1994, after the first Oslo Accord, Fida and her family returned - to a very different country. Fida's book 'Stranger in My Own Land' tells the story of her family from 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled the country, which had just been declared the 'State of Israel.  Guest: Fida Jiryis, author of 'Stranger in My Own Land'

Nov 16, 2022 • 21:39

Ian Dunt's UK: Austerity 2.0

Ian Dunt's UK: Austerity 2.0

As new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rubs shoulders with world leaders in Bali, the UK is spiralling into recession. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is gearing up to announce new austerity measures while nurses plan strikes for the first time in history.  Guest: Ian Dunt - columnist with the 'i' newspaper.

Nov 16, 2022 • 12:44

Polio: a cultural history

Polio: a cultural history

In her ongoing lecture series on the cultural history of disease, Joanna Bourke explores the polio epidemics of the early 20th century. She tells Phillip how the period's germ theories resulted in the demonisation of immigrants and poor households. She also discusses the Great Cat Massacre sparked by the polio outbreak in New York in 1916 and the role that movies and memoirs have played in documenting the disease.

Nov 15, 2022 • 25:41

The red wave that wasn't: Unpacking the US midterm results

The red wave that wasn't: Unpacking the US midterm results

As the fallout continues from the red wave that wasn’t, our regular US commentator Bruce Shapiro is joined by The Atlantic’s David A. Graham and The Guardian’s Lauren Gambino to discuss the ramifications of the midterm results, so far.

Nov 15, 2022 • 27:07

Australia's past war decision making

Australia's past war decision making

In Part 2 of our special focus on Australian war decision-making, we review past decisions and approaches. This interview was first broadcast on 18 August, 2022 Guest: David Horner, military historian, emeritus professor in Strategic and Defence Studies at ANU. Author of 'The War Game: Australian War Leadership from Gallipoli to Iraq'

Nov 14, 2022 • 20:57

Inquiry into Australia's war decision-making system

Inquiry into Australia's war decision-making system

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is looking at how, and primarily who, makes the decision to send our service personnel to wars in other countries.  Part 1 of an LNL special focus on war decision making.

Nov 14, 2022 • 16:57

Laura Tingle on IR reforms and the PM's meeting with Xi Jinping

Laura Tingle on IR reforms and the PM's meeting with Xi Jinping

We get up to speed with the latest on what's happening with the federal government's IR reforms. Plus, what can we expect when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali?

Nov 14, 2022 • 13:18

Rachel Perkins on The Australian Wars

Rachel Perkins on The Australian Wars

In a new documentary series The Australian Wars award-winning Arrernte and Kalkadoon filmmaker Rachel Perkins explores the wars fought on, and for, Australian soil for more than 100 years and questions why it's taken so long for us to confront, acknowledge and commemorate this history.  Guest: Rachel Perkins, award-winning filmmaker and director of The Australian Wars, available on SBS on Demand.

Nov 10, 2022 • 38:20

Pacific update with Tess Newton Cain

Pacific update with Tess Newton Cain

There's a new government in Vanuatu. The Solomons Islands police force is receiving donations, of weaponry and vehicles, from both China and Australia. And the sudden death of Filep Karma, once hailed as the Nelson Mandela of West Papua. Guest: Tess Newton Cain, Project Lead for the Pacific Hub at the Griffith Asia Institute, Brisbane

Nov 10, 2022 • 14:21

How the trench coat's invisibility ensured its longevity and versatility

How the trench coat's invisibility ensured its longevity and versatility

It was the warmth, water resistance and lightness that first drew the soldiers of WW1 to the trench coat. Since then, the trench coat has escaped its military history to be worn by civilian combatants across the globe and some great characters of film and literature who often have something to hide. Guest: Jane Tynan, author of Trench Coat part of the Object Lessons series published by Bloomsbury and Assistant Prof of Design History and Theory at the Free University of Amsterdam

Nov 9, 2022 • 15:10

Kazakhstan's tricky relationship with Russia continues

Kazakhstan's tricky relationship with Russia continues

Kazakhstan has been an independent state for more than 30 years now but the war in Ukraine is testing the young nation and the leadership of only the second President in its history. There are pressures building on the economy, energy supplies, immigration and its foreign policy - in particular its long and complex relationship with Russia.  Guest: Joanna Lillis, journalist and author of Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan published by Bloomsbury

Nov 9, 2022 • 22:20

Bruce Shapiro on the US mid-term elections

Bruce Shapiro on the US mid-term elections

Votes are still being counted in the 2022 US midterm elections. It looks as though Republicans will gain control of the House of Representatives but the pollster's prediction of a complete wipe-out on Democrats has not eventuated, with some Senate races still to be decided on postal votes. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Nov 9, 2022 • 14:19

Archaeologists digging into Egypt's past

Archaeologists digging into Egypt's past

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Frenchman Jean-François Champollion’s decipherment of hieroglyphs and 100 years since the British archaeologist Howard Carter found King Tutankhamen’s tomb filled with all those bewitching treasures in the Valley of the Kings. To celebrate, three Ancient Egyptian scholars dust off their boots and down tools to discuss their incredible discoveries and what life is like as a contemporary archaeologist. (Originally broadcast on 9 June 2022) Guests: Dr K

Nov 8, 2022 • 53:40

William MacAskill on the case for longtermism

William MacAskill on the case for longtermism

Longtermism has become one of the hottest, and most controversial, thought experiments of 2022, with the likes of Elon Musk taking it to extremes. Oxford philosopher William MacAskill lays out what longtermism really is, and why he thinks it's important.

Nov 7, 2022 • 18:43

Cop27: Will the 'African Cop' live up to expectations?

Cop27: Will the 'African Cop' live up to expectations?

It's the first UN Conference of the Parties to take place on the African continent in six years. Dubbed the 'African Cop', will Cop27 live up to it's promises of climate justice?

Nov 7, 2022 • 17:32

Dreamers and schemers: a cultural history of Australian politics

Dreamers and schemers: a cultural history of Australian politics

A new book by historian Frank Bongiorno captures many of the side currents that have been part of our democratic system and political history.  Guest: Professor Frank Bongiorno, historian at the ANU and President of the Australian Historical Association  Author of: Dreamers and Schemers: a political history of Australia (La Trobe University Press)

Nov 3, 2022 • 53:44

The (not so) New Theatre celebrates 90 years of performance

The (not so) New Theatre celebrates 90 years of performance

The New Theatre is this year celebrating 90 years of performing radical and experimental plays with purpose. Despite  being censored and spied upon, the theatre has produced more than 400 plays in theatres across the country as well as on the streets and in workplaces - even down a coal mine. Guest: Activist and historian, Lisa Milner. Editor of the book The New Theatre: the people, the plays and politics behind Australia's radical theatre, published by Interventions

Nov 2, 2022 • 13:13

When McKinsey & Co. comes to town

When McKinsey & Co. comes to town

It’s been called ‘the single greatest legitimiser of mass layoffs … in modern history’.  McKinsey & Company is probably the most prestigious consulting firm in the world, but since 2018, media led by the New York Times has revealed the firm’s involvement in a number of scandals.  Guest: New York Times investigative journalist Michael Forsythe, is co-author of When McKinsey Comes to Town - The Hidden Influence of the World's Most Powerful Consulting Firm

Nov 2, 2022 • 22:53

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

Rishi Sunak, the UK's new PM, has been in the job for a week. How does he intend to fix the financial black hole left by Liz Truss?  Guest: Ian Dunt, columnist with the 'i' newspaper.

Nov 2, 2022 • 14:22

Love, life and loss in Sydney's leper colony

Love, life and loss in Sydney's leper colony

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries leprosy was still a highly stigmatised disease. Tainted by stories of leprosy in the bible, people were forcibly removed from their families, isolated and their homes and possessions burned. The Coast is a novel which details the lives and loves of the people who ended up in the lazarets at the Coast Hospital at Sydney's Little Bay.  Guest: Eleanor Limprecht, author of "The Coast", published by Allen and Unwin.

Nov 1, 2022 • 19:18

Metaverse: risks versus reality

Metaverse: risks versus reality

There’s a lot of hype about the metaverse – but what can it really do, and what is its potential for good and for harm?  GUEST: Catriona Wallace, founder of the Responsible Metaverse Alliance

Nov 1, 2022 • 18:05

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Republicans accused of stirring up violence after the attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, and Pennsylvania shaping up as a key state in the US mid-terms.  Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Nov 1, 2022 • 13:34

Bernard Keane's Canberra

Bernard Keane's Canberra

The US sends in the B52s, the Treasurer battles high energy prices and a bulging bottom line, but still won't touch the petrol resource rent tax, and industrial relations set to get a make-over - if the crossbench allows.  Guest: Bernard Keane, political editor, Crikey

Oct 31, 2022 • 12:07

How Lachlan Murdoch became the successor

How Lachlan Murdoch became the successor

The issue of who will succeed Rupert Murdoch has long been a topic for speculation. After Trump drove a wedge between Lachlan and his brother James, Lachlan is now the most likely successor. But could Lachlan's siblings push him out after their father Rupert dies? Guest: Paddy Manning, author of The Successor: The high-stakes life of Lachlan Murdoch, published by Black Inc

Oct 31, 2022 • 39:46

Reclaiming the true history of the banjo

Reclaiming the true history of the banjo

Despite its current association with conservative, white country music culture, the banjo is rooted in the rebellion, ritual and religion of enslaved Africans in the Americas.  Guest: Kristina R. Gaddy, an award-winning writer and the author of Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo's Hidden History (W.W. Norton 2022)  Music courtesy of the Musical Passage website, a collaborative endeavour by Mary Caton Lingold, Laurent Dubois and David Garner.

Oct 27, 2022 • 26:26

The fearsome history of phobias

The fearsome history of phobias

Steve Jobs, Salvador Dali and Sigmund Freud all suffered from phobias. Many of us do, although research shows only one in eight of us seek medical help. Phillip delves into the history of fear, discovering when we started naming our obsessions and compulsions, who drew up the original list of phobias and why some psychological disorders coincided with the advent of the machine age. Guest: Kate Summerscale, author of 'The Book of Phobias and Manias: A History of the World in 99 Obsessions' (publi

Oct 27, 2022 • 22:11

Learning to 'speak whale'

Learning to 'speak whale'

In September 2015, Tom Mustill and a friend were paddling a kayak in Monterey Bay, California, when a 30-ton humpback breached and almost landed on them. Footage of the incident went viral and launched Tom, a nature film-maker and biologist, on a deep dive into the world of whales.  In his new book, How to Speak Whale: A Voyage into the Future of Animal Communication Tom explores how AI and other advances, in technology mean we might, in the near future, be able to decode whale song and have dir

Oct 26, 2022 • 20:00

Putin's endgame

Putin's endgame

Could Russia’s war in Ukraine end like the Vietnam War? Gideon Rose from the Council of Foreign Relations says that Putin's nuclear threats are hollow, and his tactics resemble Nixon's at the end of the Vietnam war. Guest: Gideon Rose, Mary and David Boies distinguished fellow in U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations

Oct 26, 2022 • 22:51

Indigenous news with Dana Morse

Indigenous news with Dana Morse

ABC Political Reporter Dana Morse reports on the latest news from Indigenous Australia - including the Indigenous response to the budget. Guest: Dana Morse, ABC political reporter specialising in Indigenous issues

Oct 26, 2022 • 7:50

Papyrus and the transition from the oral to written word

Papyrus and the transition from the oral to written word

Find out what prompted the transitions from oral story telling to writing the stories down, the transitions from stone tablet to the papyrus scroll and the establishment of libraries, including that most famous one the Great Library of Alexandria. Guest: Irene Vallejo, author of Papyrus; The invention of books in the ancient world published in Australia by Hachette

Oct 25, 2022 • 18:01

After 16 years, the Khmer Rouge Tribunal is ending. Has justice been served?

After 16 years, the Khmer Rouge Tribunal is ending. Has justice been served?

In September the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) issued its final verdict. With just 3 convictions in 16 years, has the Khmer Rouge Tribunal achieved justice? And what will that lasting impact of these trials be?  Guests: Youk Chhang - executive director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia. Dr Christoph Sperfeldt - senior lecturer at Macquarie Law School and an Adjunct Professor at the Center for the Study of Humanitarian Law at the Royal University of Law and Economi

Oct 25, 2022 • 24:20

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro discusses rising tensions in Congress over the US response to the war in Ukraine and the surprising alliances in Alaska going into the mid-terms. Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Oct 25, 2022 • 14:16

The elusive Agatha Christie

The elusive Agatha Christie

Known as the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie is said to be the best-selling novelist of all time, outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible. A new biography goes beyond our image of the matronly Edwardian lady to discover a woman that was, in many ways, an extraordinary pioneer.  Guest: Lucy Worsley OBE - British historian, author, curator, and television presenter. She is Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces and also presents history documentaries for the BBC.  Her book is Agatha Christie: A

Oct 24, 2022 • 20:46

Who will be Britain's next PM?

Who will be Britain's next PM?

The race for the leadership of the Tory party has narrowed to Rishi Sunak and Penny Mourdant after former PM Boris Johnson pulled out. But there are still questions over whether the party can see out a full term regardless of who wins.  Guests:  Ian Dunt, Columnist with the “I” newspaper. Naomi Smith, Chief Executive, Best for Britain, co-host ‘Oh God What Now” podcast.

Oct 24, 2022 • 17:49

Laura Tingle's budget preview

Laura Tingle's budget preview

The Treasurer Jim Chalmers is promising a 'responsible' budget. Laura Tingle believes the government will take the opportunity to set the tone for the next four years - and not scare the markets.  Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30

Oct 24, 2022 • 12:55

New Meanjin Editor Esther Anatolitis

New Meanjin Editor Esther Anatolitis

One of Australia's leading advocates for arts and culture, Esther Anatolitis has just taken up the mantle as Editor of Meanjin and has also been appointed to the council of the National Gallery of Australia by Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke.

Oct 20, 2022 • 20:46

Why literary journals Meanjin and Overland have survived and thrived

Why literary journals Meanjin and Overland have survived and thrived

Many literary journals have come and gone over the years, but two that have stood the test of time have been Meanjin and Overland. The founding editors, Clem Christesen and Stephen Murray-Smith were very different characters, but both were passionate about encouraging a new Australian cultural and literary tradition. Guest: Jim Davidson, author of Emperors in Lilliput, published by Melbourne University Press

Oct 20, 2022 • 31:29

Margaret Throsby

Margaret Throsby

Phillip speaks to ABC legend Margaret Throsby about her incredible 55 years behind the microphone.  Guest: Margaret Throsby, Australian radio and television broadcaster. Listen to the wonderful tributes to Margaret here.

Oct 19, 2022 • 40:14

Ian Dunt's UK politics

Ian Dunt's UK politics

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss may not last the week after her disastrous mini-budget crashed the British pound and she subsequently sacked her Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng. But do the Tories have a replacement?  Guest: Ian Dunt, Ian Dunt, Columnist with the “I” newspaper and author of How to be a Liberal

Oct 19, 2022 • 9:35

How Climate 200 & the Teals took the 2022 election by storm

How Climate 200 & the Teals took the 2022 election by storm

The 2022 federal election saw a wave of grass-roots community groups and volunteers coalesce behind a new group of independent candidates who came to be known as the 'Teals' for being not quite blue and not quite green. Turbo-charging their campaigns was the group called Climate 200, run by tech-turned political entrepreneur, Simon Holmes à Court.  Guest: Simon Holmes à Court, author, The Big Teal and Convenor of Climate 200.The Big Teal is published by Monash University Publishing.

Oct 18, 2022 • 34:51

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

What does the Alex Jones ruling mean for defamation laws and the spreading of fake news in America? The House January 6 committee has subpoenaed Donald Trump - but will he appear? Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.

Oct 18, 2022 • 16:04

Fantastic numbers and where to find them

Fantastic numbers and where to find them

Join theoretical physicist Dr Antonio Padilla as he takes on a journey through the most fascinating numbers in the universe. Guest: Dr Antonio Padilla - leading theoretical physicist and cosmologist at the University of Nottingham. Author of Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them: A cosmic quest from zero to infinity published by Penguin Random House.

Oct 17, 2022 • 19:39

Wage theft: how did it get so bad?

Wage theft: how did it get so bad?

A huge shift has occurred in Australia in the last few decades, away from union power and blue collar jobs, to exploitation of workers on a large scale.  Many businesses have in fact structured themselves to avoid paying the minimum wage.  Guest: Ben Schneiders, investigative journalist with The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald  Author of ‘Hard Labour: wage theft in the age of inequality’ (Scribe)

Oct 17, 2022 • 19:11

Bernard Keane's Canberra

Bernard Keane's Canberra

It’s not just inflation and a looming global recession that Treasurer Jim Chalmers has to deal with in next week’s budget… now the govt has yet another flood disaster on its hands. But it is determined not to let its election promises like infrastructure, parental leave and childcare funding go by the wayside. Guest: Bernard Keane, political editor, Crikey

Oct 17, 2022 • 11:00

Why Paul Robeson is a hero in China

Why Paul Robeson is a hero in China

African American singer and actor Paul Robeson's rendition of the song Chee Lai - March of the Volunteers helped cement the song as the Chinese National Anthem and his position as a superstar in China. Sadly, his connections to the Communist Party meant he was banned from going to China by the American government.  Guest: Dr Gao Yunxiang, author of Arise Africa, Roar China: Black and Chinese Citizens of the World in the Twentieth Century published by the University of North Carolina Press

Oct 13, 2022 • 12:35

Coral Browne: Australia’s best unknown Hollywood star

Coral Browne: Australia’s best unknown Hollywood star

Coral Browne began her life in Footscray in Melbourne in the 1930's, and went on to be a leading lady in the West End during WWII in London and star in many Hollywood films. She was also known for her outrageous private life and for simply being fabulous. Now an Australian film is being developed to showcase her life and work. Read more about Coral Browne here  Guests: - Maureen Sherlock – playwright: ‘Coral Browne this f-ing lady’  - Genevieve Mooy – actor who played Coral  - Charlotte George,

Oct 13, 2022 • 38:50

Abandoned wonders of the world

Abandoned wonders of the world

With so little of the world left unexplored, travellers are now turning to time travel - not in Dr Who’s tardis, but through the exploration of abandoned places that take you back in history. Places abandoned due to war, changing ideologies and depleted resources hold a bleak fascination for travellers. Guest: Travel writer Oliver Smith, author of Atlas of Abandoned Places: A journey through the world’s forgotten wonders” published by Hachette.

Oct 12, 2022 • 23:05

Third time’s a charm: Xi Jinping set for another term as President of China

Third time’s a charm: Xi Jinping set for another term as President of China

On Sunday October 16, the Chinese Communist Party will hold its 20th Congress. It is already a foregone conclusion that President Xi Jinping will be selected to serve his third five-year term — as head of the party, of state and the military. But how stable is Xi’s grip on power?   GUEST:  Richard McGregor,  Senior Fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute.

Oct 12, 2022 • 16:51

Pacific News with Tess Newton Cain

Pacific News with Tess Newton Cain

As Australia and the US continue to repair relations in the Pacific, issues around the legacy of nuclear testing and worker shortages are still causing tension. Guest: Tess Newton-Cain, Project Leader at the Pacific Hub at Griffith University in Queensland

Oct 12, 2022 • 11:23

New film depicts the sacred cave painting of Namarali - boss of the wandjina creation spirits

New film depicts the sacred cave painting of Namarali - boss of the wandjina creation spirits

Namarali is a new documentary about Worrorra Elder D Woolagoodja, and his trip to a sacred cave to re-paint a wandjina, or creation spirit, in a ritual of spiritual renewal for himself and his people.

Oct 11, 2022 • 17:11

The legacy of the Bali bombings on Indonesia

The legacy of the Bali bombings on Indonesia

On the anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings, we look at the legacy of the attacks on Indonesia and how it manages Islamic extremists.

Oct 11, 2022 • 18:07

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

The US leadership is in a high stakes game with its growing support of Ukraine, even as President Biden talks about a possible nuclear ‘Armageddon’.

Oct 11, 2022 • 14:16

The history of art (without men)

The history of art (without men)

Female artists have been excluded from the historical canon of great art for centuries. Art historian and curator Katy Hessel is on a mission to make them household names.

Oct 10, 2022 • 20:10

Are women leading a new revolution in Iran?

Are women leading a new revolution in Iran?

As protests in Iran enter their fourth week, are we witnessing a new revolution in Iran, with women at its front and centre?

Oct 10, 2022 • 17:29

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

There’s a blame game going on about defence spending, and the length of time it takes for any new purchases to actually be delivered. And, when is a promise not worth keeping?

Oct 10, 2022 • 13:38

Al Clark on the changing nature of producing Australian films

Al Clark on the changing nature of producing Australian films

When Al Clark moved to Australia in 1988, he quickly embraced the beauty of the outback to serve as a backdrop for his early films - like Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Oct 6, 2022 • 24:54

Biden & Obama

Biden & Obama

An inside look at the complicated relationship between Barack Obama and Joe Biden; a relationship which has shaped Democratic politics over the past 16 years.

Oct 6, 2022 • 27:47

The cities going billboard-free

The cities going billboard-free

An increasing number of cities in the UK and Europe are campaigning to be free of billboard advertising and instead showcase art, nature and ad-free space as alternatives to corporate outdoor advertising.

Oct 5, 2022 • 17:21

Australia the 'subimperial power'

Australia the 'subimperial power'

A new book 'Subimperial Power - Australia in the International Arena' argues Australians ought to be told what our relationship with the United States is really about: a relationship where we eagerly and routinely act to help the US keep its imperial position at the apex of global power.

Oct 5, 2022 • 19:20

Ian Dunt's UK: Truss' loss of trust

Ian Dunt's UK: Truss' loss of trust

Following the Conservative Party Conference, there is talk of a coup less than a month into Liz Truss' premiership.

Oct 5, 2022 • 14:39

How well is our welfare system?

How well is our welfare system?

Demand for public services has never been higher but with the federal government facing a trillion dollars of debt, questions are being asked about how our welfare system will cope with challenges like providing better aged care, improving childcare and lifting people out of poverty.

Oct 4, 2022 • 39:20

Bruce Shapiro's US: A new Supreme Court term

Bruce Shapiro's US: A new Supreme Court term

America is reeling from the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian, and the Supreme Court resumes this week. Could their next term be as controversial as the last?

Oct 4, 2022 • 11:21

Harold Holt: a new biography of an enigmatic PM

Harold Holt: a new biography of an enigmatic PM

Harold Holt is best known as the Prime Minister who drowned. He contributed to the end of the White Australia policy, and went 'all the way with LBJ'. Yet surprisingly little has been written about him.

Oct 3, 2022 • 20:13

The greatest speeches never heard

The greatest speeches never heard

From Emperor Hirohito's post-war apology, to JFK's invasion of Cuba, one speechwriter has scoured the world for the speeches, written but never heard, which would have changed history.

Oct 3, 2022 • 30:55

Provocateur – Clive Hamilton on life as a public cage-rattler

Provocateur – Clive Hamilton on life as a public cage-rattler

Professor Clive Hamilton has spent his life as a cage-rattler, speaking uncomfortable truths that have challenged us to review the way we think about the big issues.

Sep 29, 2022 • 53:51

The Killing Code

The Killing Code

During WW2 there was Bletchley Park in the UK and in the US it was Arlington Hall where US code breakers were cracking codes from Japan - and 70% of the code breakers were women.

Sep 28, 2022 • 18:13

Brainwashed - the history of mind control

Brainwashed - the history of mind control

From the Manchurian Candidate to QAnon, brainwashing has a more nuanced and complicated history than you might expect.

Sep 28, 2022 • 18:41

Indigenous News with Dana Morse

Indigenous News with Dana Morse

The big issues for Indigenous Australia - the latest from Kumanjayi Walker inquest, what next for the cashless debit card and the complex response from First Nations to the death of the Queen.

Sep 28, 2022 • 13:21

Patricia Giles: the Tasmanian painter dedicated to art and protecting the wilderness

Patricia Giles: the Tasmanian painter dedicated to art and protecting the wilderness

Over her career spanning six decades, Tasmanian painter Patricia Giles helped change the way Tasmanians see their home as she showcased, and encouraged people to fight for, the Tasmanian wilderness.

Sep 27, 2022 • 16:49

When jihadists return home

When jihadists return home

A generation of young men have flocked to Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and other conflict zones to fight. What is it like when a jihadist goes home?

Sep 27, 2022 • 22:13

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

It has been a bad week for Donald Trump in the courts with the Federal Court of Appeals finding against him in relation to his Mar-a-Lago documents stash and the NY Attorney General Leticia James is pursuing a huge fraud case against him as well.

Sep 27, 2022 • 13:04

Hilary Mantel on Wolf Hall

Hilary Mantel on Wolf Hall

The eloquent and fascinating double Booker prize winning author Hilary Mantel, discusses her triumphant interpretation of the major characters and events of Tudor England. Originally broadcast on 11 May 2015.

Sep 26, 2022 • 21:49

Is the Bolsonaro era about to end?

Is the Bolsonaro era about to end?

The ‘Trump of the Tropics’, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro looks set to be toppled by left-wing former president Lula da Silva in the country’s upcoming election. But will it really spell the end of the Bolsonaro era?

Sep 26, 2022 • 17:28

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle analyses the first sitting day of parliament and explains the progress that has been made on getting legislation for the Integrity Commission through the house.

Sep 26, 2022 • 14:50

Al Clark: From Spain to Australian cinema via the Sex Pistols

Al Clark: From Spain to Australian cinema via the Sex Pistols

Throughout his life, Al Clark has followed his passion for cinema as a young boy in Spain, through a career in the music industry, and back to cinema again as a producer of films including Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Sep 22, 2022 • 53:36

Inventing Buckminster Fuller

Inventing Buckminster Fuller

The American futurist and disruptor Buckminster Fuller influenced a generation of thinking around architecture, technology, start ups and how to change the world.

Sep 21, 2022 • 19:41

Modi in the Middle: Is Ukraine re-shaping the India-Russia relationship?

Modi in the Middle: Is Ukraine re-shaping the India-Russia relationship?

Last week India's Prime Minister Modi publicly criticised Vladimir Putin over Russia’s war in Ukraine. How might he respond now that Putin has raised the stakes, declaring 'partial mobilisation'?

Sep 21, 2022 • 17:45

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

British Prime Minister Liz Truss is expected to respond to Russia's announcement it will partially mobilise troops in an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine as she attends the UN General Assembly in New York.

Sep 21, 2022 • 13:57

Female foreign correspondents

Female foreign correspondents

Four current and former foreign correspondents talk about cultural compatibility; falling foul of the government you're reporting on; how they manage covering trauma and suffering; and the pro's and cons of being female journalists in conservative countries.

Sep 20, 2022 • 40:33

Bruce Shapiro's America: Biden's border crisis

Bruce Shapiro's America: Biden's border crisis

Republican governors have taken the border crisis to a new dimension, by sending asylum seekers to Martha's Vineyard and VP Kamala Harris' house, without warning.

Sep 20, 2022 • 11:47

Fairytale tales

Fairytale tales

The annual Australian Fairy Tale Society conference is coming up in Brisbane, on 1 & 2 October. The origins, meanings and potential for re-interpretation - and rewriting - of fairytales will be discussed.

Sep 19, 2022 • 17:42

Has the war in Ukraine reached a turning point?

Has the war in Ukraine reached a turning point?

A recent offensive has seen Ukrainian forces regain huge swathes of territory in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, sparking a wave of criticism of Putin both at home and amongst international allies.

Sep 19, 2022 • 21:26

Bernard Keane's Canberra

Bernard Keane's Canberra

Bernard Keane reflects on the Queen's funeral, the republic and allowing Indigenous people space to grieve. Also the ICAC delay and one year on for AUKUS.

Sep 19, 2022 • 12:30

The last 100 days of King Richard Nixon

The last 100 days of King Richard Nixon

Almost fifty years after the event, there is still much to reveal about the downfall of US President Richard Nixon. After a landslide re-election in 1972, it took just 100 days for his presidency to unravel amidst lies, burglary, backstabbing, counter-claims and senate committee hearings. So was Nixon a classical tragic figure or not?

Sep 15, 2022 • 53:36

Josephine Baker: Singer turned WWII spy

Josephine Baker: Singer turned WWII spy

At the start of the Second World War, Josephine Baker was a household name; the highest paid female performer in Europe. Overnight she went from singer to Resistance spy, her stardom providing the perfect 'cloak and dagger'.

Sep 14, 2022 • 19:40

Myth and history on a Central Australian pastoral station

Myth and history on a Central Australian pastoral station

The history of a large pastoral station is quite different when it's told by members of the indigenous community who lived there over many decades.

Sep 14, 2022 • 18:28

Pacific Update with Tess Newton Cain

Pacific Update with Tess Newton Cain

Pacific leaders call on the Australian Government to step up on climate, an update on the Papua New Guinea earthquake, Pacific countries respond to the death of Queen Elizabeth II and Vanuatu goes to the polls.

Sep 14, 2022 • 13:05

Elaine Pearson's journey to human rights activist

Elaine Pearson's journey to human rights activist

Elaine Pearson tells the story of how she became a human rights activist and how she maintains her hope for the future.

Sep 13, 2022 • 19:15

Will Italy elect a neo-fascist party on September 25?

Will Italy elect a neo-fascist party on September 25?

With elections due on September 25 following the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Italy looks set to follow in the steps of Sweden and elect a far-right coalition, led by The Brothers of Italy. Their leader is Giorgia Meloni, so who is she and how will she approach her role?

Sep 13, 2022 • 17:13

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

The murder of a journalist raises concerns about press freedoms, and new developments signal that the January 6th criminal investigation is gathering steam.

Sep 13, 2022 • 13:18

Unravelling the mysteries of our sense of smell and COVID

Unravelling the mysteries of our sense of smell and COVID

How is our sense of smell connected to emotion and memory and an early warning not just of COVID but many other medical conditions.

Sep 12, 2022 • 21:30

Mourning the Queen and reckoning with empire

Mourning the Queen and reckoning with empire

Is it possible to mourn the individual that was Queen Elizabeth II, while having frank conversations about the enduring legacy of the British Empire?

Sep 12, 2022 • 15:06

Nell Frizzell reflects on the death of the Queen

Nell Frizzell reflects on the death of the Queen

Does the death of Queen Elizabeth present an opportunity for a reformation of the monarchy to a more budget, European style monarchy.

Sep 12, 2022 • 15:10

Nornie Bero wants native ingredients in your pantry

Nornie Bero wants native ingredients in your pantry

First Nations Chef Nornie Bero invites us all to open our hearts - and our pantries - to native ingredients.

Sep 8, 2022 • 24:44

The history of wiretapping

The history of wiretapping

Wire-tapping in the US dates back to the 1860s and where it was once seen as a dirty business that crooks were into, it is now a begrudgingly accepted tool in fighting crime.

Sep 8, 2022 • 26:11

How I survived a ten-month migraine and became a Train Lord

How I survived a ten-month migraine and became a Train Lord

Oliver Mol was a successful, healthy twenty-five-year-old writer when he developed a migraine that would last for ten months. He wanted to die. Eventually he got a job on Sydney Trains and his new book "Train Lord" details the characters he met and his journey to healing.

Sep 7, 2022 • 22:28

Pakistan floods update: is a political crisis looming?

Pakistan floods update: is a political crisis looming?

As the humanitarian disaster in Pakistan worsens, extremist groups are becoming more active in the North and South of the country. Crops are ruined, and the economy is in tatters. And, ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan is leading a populist campaign against the government. Will these intersecting crises destabilise Pakistan?

Sep 7, 2022 • 13:10

Ian Dunt's UK: Goodbye Boris, Hello Liz

Ian Dunt's UK: Goodbye Boris, Hello Liz

The era of Boris Johnson is over and we’ve entered the era of Liz Truss. She has promised to 'deliver, deliver, deliver', but what exactly will that look like?

Sep 7, 2022 • 16:36

French connections in Australia

French connections in Australia

Alexis Bergantz has just won the Australian History Prize in the 2022 NSW Premier's History Awards, for his book 'French Connection'.

Sep 6, 2022 • 17:23

The deadly business of digging for gold in Ghana

The deadly business of digging for gold in Ghana

A story of digging for gold in Ghana which has ended in numerous deaths of local miners and accusations of theft and corruption.

Sep 6, 2022 • 19:06

Bruce Shapiro's America: Biden's MAGA speech

Bruce Shapiro's America: Biden's MAGA speech

President Biden has come out guns blazing with an ominous speech aimed at Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Sep 6, 2022 • 15:54

Melbourne's missing statues of women

Melbourne's missing statues of women

Who are the women across the history of Melbourne that should be immortalised in a statue?

Sep 5, 2022 • 16:47

Satyajit Das on Germany's rescue package as global inflation rises

Satyajit Das on Germany's rescue package as global inflation rises

Germany has announced a €65 billion relief package as inflation heads towards ten percent. But will more government spending help? And how effective are Reserve Banks at controlling inflation anyway?

Sep 5, 2022 • 19:25

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Climate targets and industrial relations reform are at the top of the agenda as federal Parliament resumes in Canberra.

Sep 5, 2022 • 14:33

Where climate scientist Joëlle Gergis finds hope

Where climate scientist Joëlle Gergis finds hope

While climate scientist Joëlle Gergis remains hopeful for the future of the planet, that hope must lead to action, not complacency.

Sep 1, 2022 • 37:20

Indigenous News Wrap

Indigenous News Wrap

What happened after Shaquille O'Neal met the Prime Minister?

Sep 1, 2022 • 15:36

Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev (2006)

Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev (2006)

In 2006, Phillip spoke to Mikhail Gorbachev during a visit to Australia about his life, leadership and interest in environmental issues.

Aug 31, 2022 • 53:39

Gorbachev's legacy

Gorbachev's legacy

The last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, has died at the age of 91. Eminent historian Professor Sheila Fitzpatrick reflects on the life and legacy of this political heavyweight.

Aug 31, 2022 • 15:51

Who killed Dr Bogle and Mrs Chandler?

Who killed Dr Bogle and Mrs Chandler?

A new true crime podcast series re-examines the mysterious deaths of Dr Bogle and Mrs Chandler

Aug 30, 2022 • 20:13

A 'fungi first' approach to climate change

A 'fungi first' approach to climate change

Could the key to fighting climate change be lying beneath our feet?

Aug 30, 2022 • 16:07

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro casts an eye over the upcoming mid-term elections.

Aug 30, 2022 • 14:16

Soil - a dirty story

Soil - a dirty story

Soil is mostly thought about in terms of agriculture or gardens. But it has many other dimensions - cultural, historical and often macabre.

Aug 29, 2022 • 16:30

The blurred lines between the military and our entertainment industries

The blurred lines between the military and our entertainment industries

Mark Pesce says the technologies of war have re-clothed themselves as the technologies of entertainment.

Aug 29, 2022 • 18:14

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle assesses the first 100 days of government under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Aug 29, 2022 • 15:15

The world's most wanted woman

The world's most wanted woman

The glamorous Dr Ruja Ignatova  pledged a financial revolution with One Coin, a new cryptocurrency. But after fleecing billions from investors across 175 countries, she went into hiding in 2017 and has not been seen since.

Aug 25, 2022 • 28:03

Shipping crime - a case of fraud and murder

Shipping crime - a case of fraud and murder

A pirate attack turns out to be insurance fraud, and the man who has suspicions is murdered. A case that illustrates broader exploitation and unaccountability in the shipping industry.

Aug 25, 2022 • 23:11

John Farrow: Hollywood’s man in the shadows

John Farrow: Hollywood’s man in the shadows

John Farrow: Hollywood's Man in the Shadows is the first documentary ever made about enigmatic, Australian born, Oscar-winning filmmaker John Farrow, who went to the very top in Hollywood, but obscured his past from all who knew him.

Aug 24, 2022 • 23:04

Ten tips for how to stage a coup

Ten tips for how to stage a coup

What are the ten lessons that need to be understood in order to stage a coup?

Aug 24, 2022 • 16:39

Ros Taylor's UK politics

Ros Taylor's UK politics

Liz Truss is likely to be the new UK PM on Sept 5th, so how is she seen by other world leaders and how will she deal with rolling strikes and a cost of living crisis?

Aug 24, 2022 • 11:21

How centuries of unwell women have been misdiagnosed

How centuries of unwell women have been misdiagnosed

Since its foundations in ancient Greece, women have been misdiagnosed, misunderstood and mythologised by Western medicine. The impacts of this deep medical misogyny are still felt today.

Aug 23, 2022 • 25:37

The assassination of Shinzo Abe

The assassination of Shinzo Abe

The people of Japan have been shocked by the assassination of former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe. Still an enormously influential figure in Japanese politics, he is also being mourned across the globe as a great international leader. Political violence is rare in Japan, but Japan expert Roger Pulvers puts this assassination in an historical context.

Jul 11, 2022 • 16:12

Bye Bye Boris

Bye Bye Boris

After surviving years of political scandals, Boris Johnson has finally succumbed to pressure to resign as British Prime Minister, after over 50 government ministers quit their posts in protest. Is this really bye-bye Boris? If so, what kind of Britain does he leave in his wake?

Jul 11, 2022 • 17:51

Bernard Keane's Canberra

Bernard Keane's Canberra

While Crikey's Bernard Keane has welcomed the decision to drop the prosecution of Witness K's lawyer Bernard Collaery, he says there is unfinished business which should be the subject of a federal ICAC.

Jul 11, 2022 • 16:31

How Australia came to embrace its animals

How Australia came to embrace its animals

The beloved koala was originally called the New Holland sloth. To the first European colonists, Australian wildlife was bewildering at best. But over the past two centuries a host of scientists and enthusiasts have transformed our relationship with the continent's animals.

Jul 7, 2022 • 20:12

Legendary whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg on Julian Assange and free speech

Legendary whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg on Julian Assange and free speech

One of the most significant whistleblowers of our time, 91-year-old Daniel Ellsberg, whose leak of the Pentagon Papers exposed US government lies and helped end the Vietnam War, speaks out in defence of Julian Assange and free speech. He argues that the only way for Julian Assange to get out of Belmarsh Prison, even to live, is for the Australian government to advocate now on his behalf.

Jul 7, 2022 • 31:29

The power of prison radio in giving voice to the voiceless around the world

The power of prison radio in giving voice to the voiceless around the world

The first ever international prison radio conference has just been held in Norway, bringing together representatives of prison radio shows from 19 countries, including Australia, where Indigenous people continue to be grossly over-represented in prison populations.

Jul 6, 2022 • 40:51

NAIDOC week on NITV

NAIDOC week on NITV

What to watch on NITV this NAIDOC week. SBS Director of Indigenous Content outlines some of television you can catch on NITV and SBS on demand this week - from crime thriller True Colours to the documentary series Off Country and Big Mob Brekky.

Jul 6, 2022 • 10:53

The Koori Mail's flood leadership recognised

The Koori Mail's flood leadership recognised

The Lismore-based national newspaper, the Koori Mail, is Australia's only fully indigenous owned and managed paper. When Lismore was flooded in March, the Koori Mail staff went above and beyond. That's now been recognised with a NAIDOC award for Innovation.

Jul 5, 2022 • 13:09

The importance of protesting anti-protest laws

The importance of protesting anti-protest laws

As climate and environment protest action steps up in the wake of more floods on the East Coast of Australia, state governments are cracking down on protesters with new laws in NSW and Tasmania.

Jul 5, 2022 • 22:40

Bruce Shapiro's America: Supreme Court v. the environment

Bruce Shapiro's America: Supreme Court v. the environment

Gun rights, abortion, now the environment. The US Supreme Court has curtailed the Environmental Protection Agency's power to regulate carbon pollution, slowing America's ability to deal with the climate crisis.

Jul 5, 2022 • 15:02

The surprising history of women in Hollywood

The surprising history of women in Hollywood

The #MeToo movement revealed the very ugly side of Hollywood's misogyny with hundreds of claims of sexual harassment and assault made not just against Harvey Weinstein but many other men working in the industry. What is surprising is that the film industry started out with many women filmmakers. It was only once the industry really started to make money that were women pushed aside. Can they now muscle their way back into more positions of influence?

Jul 4, 2022 • 18:14

Plight of the Honeybee

Plight of the Honeybee

NSW authorities are racing to stop the deadly varroa mite from spreading across borders and wiping out the country’s European honey bees. Will the arrival of the varroa destructor on our shores prompt a deeper conversation, about strengthening the resilience of our bee populations and perhaps even finding ways to live with the mite?

Jul 4, 2022 • 17:12

Richard Tanter's Canberra

Richard Tanter's Canberra

The Prime Minister is heading back to Australia after his attendance at the NATO Summit in Madrid, and a visit to Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Albanese’s European tour has been widely touted as a success, but there are concerns Australia’s new closer relationship with NATO could present us with some difficulties to navigate.

Jul 4, 2022 • 16:26

The importance of the ABC archives

The importance of the ABC archives

In its 90 years, the ABC has collected the sounds and sights of Australia from the centre of power in Canberra to the most remote Indigenous communities, documenting both everyday life and the moments that changed Australia. Now the ABC has announced that 58 staff may lose their jobs. Two archivists explain the importance of the ABC archive and the skills archivists bring to their profession that cannot be replaced.

Jun 30, 2022 • 14:03

John Pickup's brilliant ABC career

John Pickup's brilliant ABC career

John Pickup started his career at the ABC in the mailroom in Sydney, but quickly moved on to the sound effects department. He worked in television on the first broadcast as well as on the Melbourne Olympic Games. But he returned to his first love radio and went to on to work across the country in places like Broken Hill, Darwin and Mackay. To mark the 90th birthday of the ABC, he shares just some of the many stories from his brilliant ABC career.

Jun 30, 2022 • 36:35

A remote Greek island celebrates new fame

A remote Greek island celebrates new fame

One of the lesser known Greek islands is Kalymnos, on the Turkish side of the Aegean. Last weekend the island had a significant event – the launch of a Greek language edition of a book that was first published in English in 1955.  The local population has only recently learnt of the existence of 'Mermaid singing', an account of life on Kalymnos. It was written by Australian author Charmian Clift, who spent time there with her husband George Johnston and their two children, before they relocated

Jun 29, 2022 • 21:11

Myanmar on the brink

Myanmar on the brink

As Myanmar descends deeper into a violent and brutal civil war, the plans by the military junta to execute two pro democracy figures, and place former leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi in solitary confinement is likely to inflame popular uprising against its rule.

Jun 29, 2022 • 18:55

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

The Scots' news push for independence, the Tories cop a hiding in two byelections and the Northern Ireland protocol bill passes the House of Commons.

Jun 29, 2022 • 10:47

Colonial landscape photography

Colonial landscape photography

In the era of fervent settlement activity around the Pacific rim - Australia, New Zealand, California - landscape photographers were key to the colonial exercise, a new book argues.  They showed usually empty landscapes devoid of indigenous people.  They contributed to prospective settlers’ interest in new lands.  And they built an emotional attachment to places.  This all strengthened the settler sense of territorialism.

Jun 28, 2022 • 17:41

Shareholder activists demand more transparency from Japan’s biggest energy companies

Shareholder activists demand more transparency from Japan’s biggest energy companies

A record shareholder action is underway in Japan as major energy companies face climate-focussed resolutions demanding more transparency around how they will reduce their emissions.

Jun 28, 2022 • 14:46

Bruce Shapiro's America: The end of Roe

Bruce Shapiro's America: The end of Roe

Women have taken to the streets across the 'land of the free' after the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision eliminating the constitutional right to protection that had existed for nearly 50 years. Bruce Shapiro discusses what the controversial ruling means not only for American women, but for American democracy.

Jun 28, 2022 • 17:41

In memory of Frank Moorhouse

In memory of Frank Moorhouse

Australian author and essayist Frank Moorhouse died on the weekend. He was author of 18 books over his long and illustrious career and won the Miles Franklin award for his book Dark Palace which was the second book in what was known as 'The Edith Trilogy'. The series followed the life of career diplomat Edith Campbell Berry from her work at the League of Nations in the 1920s to her later career in Canberra. In this interview Frank and Phillip discuss the final book in the trilogy, Cold Light.

Jun 27, 2022 • 20:05

Pandemic profiteers: Who's getting rich while the poor get poorer?

Pandemic profiteers: Who's getting rich while the poor get poorer?

Recent reports by Oxfam have revealed that the wealth of the world’s 10 richest men has doubled since the pandemic began. They also estimate that a new billionaire was created every 30 hours during the pandemic, while a million people could fall into extreme poverty at same rate in 2022. Tackling these unprecedented levels of inequality will require the courage to 'break free from the narrow straitjacket of extreme neoliberalism'.

Jun 27, 2022 • 17:39

George Megalogenis' Canberra

George Megalogenis' Canberra

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Madrid for the Nato summit, but how will he navigate the tension between the G7's push-back against China's influence in the world and Australia's economic relationship with the global powerhouse?

Jun 27, 2022 • 14:00

The wild history of animal conservation

The wild history of animal conservation

The modern conservation movement only really began in the late 19th century and since then, has gone through many shifts in its quest to protect animals. It's history is filled with equally passionate and flawed figures.

Jun 23, 2022 • 28:27

Serhii Plokhy on nuclear disasters and the likelihood of another Chernobyl

Serhii Plokhy on nuclear disasters and the likelihood of another Chernobyl

The eminent Harvard historian says we came inches from disaster when Russian forces shelled a nuclear power plant in Ukraine. In a timely new book he looks at the history of nuclear accidents and the near inevitability of another Chernobyl, and argues that we must remember this history when contemplating the future of the industry.

Jun 23, 2022 • 24:05

Australianness on our screens

Australianness on our screens

When is locally made and funded film and television ‘Australian’ enough?  And who decides?

Jun 22, 2022 • 17:52

Australia's nuclear submarines

Australia's nuclear submarines

Australia is acquiring eight nuclear powered submarines from the United States under AUKUS. The agreement is still being worked out but what are the pros and cons of stepping across the nuclear threshold?

Jun 22, 2022 • 21:36

The Pacific Report

The Pacific Report

Foreign minister Penny Wong visits the Solomon Islands to hold talks with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare while the US discusses their special military relationship with the Marshall Islands.

Jun 22, 2022 • 11:25

Rewilding the Grey Wolf

Rewilding the Grey Wolf

Fairy tales tell us the wolf is a bad guy who wants to eat you. But following the rewilding of the Grey Wolf into Yellowstone National Park and some US states, the canis lupus is back, but not everyone’s happy.

Jun 21, 2022 • 19:31

Pacific reset

Pacific reset

Australia needs to reset its whole engagement with the Pacific, and a set of papers released today steps out how that might be done. The papers, from Australian think tank AP4D, cover climate change, economy, digital and security.

Jun 21, 2022 • 18:04

Bruce Shapiro's America: Heading for recession?

Bruce Shapiro's America: Heading for recession?

If you think Australia's economy is looking worse for wear, the picture in the United States looks even bleaker, and the 'r' word is being tossed around - recession. Meanwhile, Trump's vice president Mikle Pence has been painted a hero at the third round of the Watergate-style hearings into the January 6 Capitol riots.

Jun 21, 2022 • 13:05

Soldiers and Aliens - the overlooked men of the Australian army’s employment companies during World War II

Soldiers and Aliens - the overlooked men of the Australian army’s employment companies during World War II

Four thousand Australian soldiers in World War II who signed up for service never fired a weapon. They were called ‘aliens’ or ‘enemy aliens' - non-British subjects who, despite being passionate about wanting to fight Hitler, had to battle for the right to fight for Australia against the Nazis.

Jun 20, 2022 • 20:26

Tackling wage theft

Tackling wage theft

Across the globe, migrant workers are more likely to get underpaid but various states and cities are introducing new laws and innovations to solve the problem.

Jun 20, 2022 • 18:05

Bernard Keane's Canberra

Bernard Keane's Canberra

The final Senate lineup is now known, with the last of the votes counted. The newest enators include a former Afghan refugee from Perth, for Labor; and a Victorian conspiracy theorist for the United Australia Party. The Energy Security Board has recommended a new capacity mechanism. And school chaplains are no longer compulsory.

Jun 20, 2022 • 12:25

The man who told the world about Auschwitz

The man who told the world about Auschwitz

How is it that most of us have not known the name of a man who broke out of Auschwitz as a 19 year old, and was able to tell the world about the terrible, terrible things that were happening there.  He was Rudolf Vrba, although he was born Walter Rosenberg.  A new book, instantly a bestseller, tells his story. It's described by historian and author Antony Beevo as 'an immediate classic of Holocaust literature'.

Jun 16, 2022 • 26:33

Rethinking journalism with Margaret Simons

Rethinking journalism with Margaret Simons

Journalist and academic Margaret Simons reveals why she is more depressed about the state of Australian journalism now than at any other point during her 40-year career, and what an overhaul of our press might involve.

Jun 16, 2022 • 26:10

Black Carbon in the Arctic

Black Carbon in the Arctic

Inaugural Shackleton Medal winner Dr. Heïdi Sevestre ‘reads’ glaciers from one of the world’s global warming tipping points.

Jun 15, 2022 • 20:25

The perilous work of being a writer in Afghanistan

The perilous work of being a writer in Afghanistan

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, life for writers and journalists has become increasingly risky. PEN International has helped many escape the oppressive regime, but ultimately these writers want to be home.

Jun 15, 2022 • 17:28

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt brings us up to date on the Northern Ireland Protocol saga that threatens to spark an EU/UK trade war, and the 11th-hour intervention that halted the UK's controversial plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda.

Jun 15, 2022 • 13:44

Tribute to missing journalist Dom Phillips

Tribute to missing journalist Dom Phillips

Dom Phillips, the Brazil-based British journalist who is missing in the Amazon, feared murdered, was a much appreciated guest on this program. He appeared twice.   Dom has disappeared with his Brazilian colleague, Bruno Pereira.  Some of their belongings have been found.  Dom was writing a book about saving the Amazon.  His Brazilian mother-in-law, Maria Lucia Faria, has implored the public to not let Dom’s death be in vain.   Keep the spotlight on the Amazon, she said.  In that spirit, we are r

Jun 14, 2022 • 14:30

Pacific trade

Pacific trade

From coconuts to call centres, and kava to clothing: is it greater trade with the Pacific that's needed, rather than aid? Might more investment and trade be the key to strengthening Pacific island nations, and Australia's ties with the region? We discuss what’s possible, and what’s stopping more trade commitments.

Jun 14, 2022 • 25:04

Bruce Shapiro's America: The Jan. 6 Hearings

Bruce Shapiro's America: The Jan. 6 Hearings

Devastating testimony from some of Trump's former top officials reveals what occurred on Election Day 2020, but it remains unclear whether Trump knew his election claims were false, or was convinced they were true. The point could be a lynchpin in any future prosecution.

Jun 14, 2022 • 12:27

The plight of Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake

The plight of Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake

It’s one of the world’s most important, and miraculous, lakes; the lifeblood of the ancient Kingdom of Angkor and the millions of people who still subsist on its floodplains. Yet Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake is dying and, with it, a way of life.

Jun 13, 2022 • 16:39

What happened to the Liberal Party of Menzies?

What happened to the Liberal Party of Menzies?

The federal election has been said to have plunged the Liberal Party into an 'existential crisis', after it lost a number of its heartland seats. In this discussion we go right back to 1944 to look at the party that Sir Robert Menzies founded, to discover where and how the Liberal Party has strayed from its roots, and what the future might hold for Australia's most successful political party.

Jun 13, 2022 • 36:09

Archaeologists digging into Egypt's past

Archaeologists digging into Egypt's past

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Frenchman Jean-François Champollion’s decipherment of hieroglyphs and 100 years since the British archaeologist Howard Carter found King Tutankhamen’s tomb filled with all those bewitching treasures in the Valley of the Kings. To celebrate, three Ancient Egyptian scholars dust off their boots and down tools to discuss their incredible discoveries and what life is like as a contemporary archaeologist.

Jun 9, 2022 • 53:56

Do books have powers beyond the words they hold?

Do books have powers beyond the words they hold?

In a wonderful book, Emma Smith explores the many functionalities that books have held through the ages, as props, tools for propaganda, as construction materials and even as shields. She explores the idea that books do have their own "bookhood" beyond the words inside them.

Jun 8, 2022 • 22:36

Data leak reveals more evidence of Uyghur incarcerations

Data leak reveals more evidence of Uyghur incarcerations

A huge data leak, being called the ‘Xinjiang Police Files’, has revealed details of thousands of Uyghurs locked up in so-called re-education camps in Xinjiang.

Jun 8, 2022 • 15:14

Indigenous News with Dana Morse

Indigenous News with Dana Morse

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised to hold a referendum on the Voice to Parliament in his first term. Where will this process start? And can the Federal Government learn anything from the reconciliation and treaty processes that have already begun in Victoria.

Jun 8, 2022 • 12:19

Budapest: between East and West

Budapest: between East and West

Throughout history the centre of gravity in Budapest and among Hungarians has shifted between East and West - culturally, politically, emotionally.

Jun 7, 2022 • 23:47

Bougainville mining companies jostling for access to gold and copper

Bougainville mining companies jostling for access to gold and copper

As Bougainville inches its way closer to independence from Papua New Guinea, mining companies from around the world are manoevering to get first dibs on the rich seams of gold and copper on the island. A new report has found that some mining companies are making payments to local landholders, to strengthen their prospects. And that two different companies recommended to the new Bougainvillean government that mining rights be issued to offshore companies in secret locations. The report, titled

Jun 7, 2022 • 11:41

Bruce Shapiro's America: Jan 6 hearings - another Watergate?

Bruce Shapiro's America: Jan 6 hearings - another Watergate?

The public hearings of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol begin this week, eight days before the 50th anniversary of the Watergate scandal that led to the hearings that revealed the 'Smoking Gun' tape and brought down Nixon. Could the Jan 6 hearings make as big of a splash?

Jun 7, 2022 • 15:11

Rachel Kennedy, 19th century brumby hunter and all-round trailblazer

Rachel Kennedy, 19th century brumby hunter and all-round trailblazer

So many historical accounts have missed extraordinary women, whose lives have not been celebrated in the way they should have been.  But a feisty Australian character has been unearthed. Rachel Kennedy belies many of the stereotypes of her time.  She was a 19th century brumby hunter, nurse, bushrangers’ ally, and 'troublemaker for good'.

Jun 6, 2022 • 17:32

Oliver Bullough on Britain's addiction to dirty Russian money

Oliver Bullough on Britain's addiction to dirty Russian money

The war in Ukraine has exposed the extent to which Russian money has infiltrated the UK. When did Britain start to become the world’s ‘butler’, servicing wealthy elites without asking questions? Oliver Bullough exposes how Britain’s lip service to fair play and the rule of law has long belied a more sinister reality.

Jun 6, 2022 • 18:12

Canberra Politics with Bernard Keane

Canberra Politics with Bernard Keane

Bernard Keane discusses the challenges facing the new Labor government including gas prices, industrial relations and mending relationships in the Pacific and now Indonesia

Jun 6, 2022 • 13:19

Imperial vs Metric: The hidden history behind Boris' measurement crusade

Imperial vs Metric: The hidden history behind Boris' measurement crusade

In a rather unusual move, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to bring imperial units of measurement back into British shops as a gift for the Queen on her platinum jubilee. Behind this provocative proposal is a rich history of measurement and how it has been used for centuries as a means of making sense of our world.

Jun 2, 2022 • 23:50

Lech Blaine on the campaign trail

Lech Blaine on the campaign trail

Lech Blaine spent five weeks on the campaign trail and met some very interesting people on his journey through Queensland in particular. He introduces us to some of the swinging voters and why some people were changing from voting for One Nation to voting for the Greens. He has written a colourful cover piece for The Monthly which is called "Teal and Loathing".

Jun 2, 2022 • 27:34

The unlikely drug smugglers

The unlikely drug smugglers

They were erroneously referred to as the ‘drug grannies’. In 1978, two American women in their late 50s/early 60s, life companions and not a grandchild between them, were charged with importing into Australia a two-tonne load of cannabis resin, or hashish, in a campervan.  Vera Hays and Florice Bessire had unwittingly, according to former journalist Sandi Logan, who has stayed with their story for 40 years, become drug mules for Vera's charismatic nephew.  The pair from Oregon had never been ove

Jun 1, 2022 • 19:11

The WA gas project that will blow our chances of achieving our emissions targets and threaten precious ancient rock art

The WA gas project that will blow our chances of achieving our emissions targets and threaten precious ancient rock art

On WA's Burrup peninsula in the Pilbara a site of significant Indigenous rock art is at risk from Woodside petroleum's plan to massively expand its Pluto LNG project in Karratha by bringing in more gas from the Scarborough gas fields offshore. Climate analysts say the project so big, it would blow our chances of ever reaching our carbon reduction targets.

Jun 1, 2022 • 19:06

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt shares his perspective on the building excitement of the Queen's platinum jubilee and the building number of Tory MPs that no longer have confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Jun 1, 2022 • 11:45

A new look at the life of Winston Churchill

A new look at the life of Winston Churchill

There is no doubt Winston Churchill's legacy is complicated. Generally considered as one of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century - he was nonetheless a man with some challenging characteristics. Veteran journalist and author Geoffrey Wheatcroft brings an alternative analysis to the life of Winston Churchill.

May 31, 2022 • 22:05

Why Australia needs a First Nations Foreign Policy

Why Australia needs a First Nations Foreign Policy

At the National Press Club before the election, the now Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that her government would implement a First Nations Foreign Policy and since the election she has referred to this new policy several times. James Blackwell explains what a First Nations Foreign Policy could look like.

May 31, 2022 • 14:47

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

The United States has been rocked by another horrific mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. A small group of bipartisan senators are holding talks on gun laws. Could this be the breaking point we've been waiting for since the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, and before that, Columbine?

May 31, 2022 • 14:20

Returning ancient ceramics from the maritime silk route

Returning ancient ceramics from the maritime silk route

Most of the objects found on shipwrecks on the maritime silk route have not been fully understood because they were salvaged without proper archaeological processes and often sold on the private market for huge sums of money. Now Flinders University archaeologists will lead an international consortium to discover the origin of ancient ceramics from the route with the hope of returning them to their countries of origin.

May 30, 2022 • 15:20

The revival of NATO: Good or bad for world security?

The revival of NATO: Good or bad for world security?

Putin's invasion of Russia has breathed new life into the alliance Trump considered 'obsolete'. As Sweden and Finland are poised to become the latest members, it's worth considering what the purpose of NATO actually is and whether it has made, and will continue to make, the world a safer place.

May 30, 2022 • 19:20

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Labor has won majority majority government, so what does this mean for the influence of the Teals and the Greens? Plus China shelves its Pacific regional agreement and the Liberals and the Nationals elect their new leadership teams.

May 30, 2022 • 15:48

A Blue New Deal to save our oceans

A Blue New Deal to save our oceans

Over the last few years there’s been growing momentum for green jobs, green manufacturing and Green New Deals to reverse climate change and provide for an equitable transition. But, for the most part, there has been little talk of the ‘blue’ – the importance of the world’s oceans to this effort. Chris Armstrong sets out to change this, by providing an urgent case for the need to save the oceans, and a radical roadmap to do so.

May 26, 2022 • 22:38

Locals and asylum seekers

Locals and asylum seekers

Everywhere in the world that boatloads of asylum seekers land, or where they are detained, there are local people who will inevitably be affected by what they see, and possibly by ongoing involvements. But we don’t hear much about those people. They are the host communities, effectively, even though they usually didn't choose to be.  This story looks at Christmas Island, with reference also to the Italian island of Lampedusa.

May 26, 2022 • 31:19

The power of reading dangerously

The power of reading dangerously

Bestselling author of Reading Lolita in Tehran Azar Nafisi argues that in order to resist the populist and polarising impulses of contemporary politics we must read dangerously; works by authors like Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Elias Khoury and Ta-Nehisi Coates that challenge comforting clichés and attempt to change the world.

May 25, 2022 • 21:39

China-Taliban relations

China-Taliban relations

China were one of the first countries to offer support for the Taliban regime when they seized power in 2021. Where are relations now?

May 25, 2022 • 17:16

The Pacific Report

The Pacific Report

What is the Pacific response to the new Labor government and can new foreign minister Penny Wong build relationships and regain trust with both our Pacific neighbours and China? Meanwhile her Chinese foreign minister counterpart, Wang Yi, is doing a whistlestop tour of the Pacific.

May 25, 2022 • 12:31

The Last Executed German

The Last Executed German

Franziska Stünke's new film explores the life of Werner Teske, a Stasi agent who has the ignoble title of being the last person to be executed in East Germany in 1981.

May 24, 2022 • 14:28

Decoding the Russian propaganda machine

Decoding the Russian propaganda machine

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine drags on, it's clear the West is getting a very different version of the war to the people of Russia who are accessing their news on Russian State television. Vladimir Putin has been drawing on the language of WW2 to keep the population behind the war on Ukraine.

May 24, 2022 • 19:02

Biden in Asia, Covid in North Korea and a Quad meeting

Biden in Asia, Covid in North Korea and a Quad meeting

North Korea has taken advantage of the war in Ukraine to step up its military activity, but could a Covid wave present a diplomatic opportunity? Plus, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spends his first day on the job at a Quad meeting in Tokyo.

May 24, 2022 • 17:54

The Wood Age

The Wood Age

Roland Ennos believes that we take trees for granted, and that in fact wood and trees have played a significant role in human evolution. From when we lived in trees to using wood to create tools, fire, houses, boats and paper, wood has proved the most versatile of materials.

May 23, 2022 • 29:13

The 2022 Election Wrap

The 2022 Election Wrap

Laura Tingle and Niki Savva analyse the election outcome and what the new Parliament will look like. What will the results mean for the Labor Party, the Liberal Party, the Nationals and how will Anthony Albanese manage the huge number of independents in both the lower house and the Senate.

May 23, 2022 • 22:45

Communism in the family: truths and myths about Katharine Susannah Prichard and her son Ric Throssell

Communism in the family: truths and myths about Katharine Susannah Prichard and her son Ric Throssell

Two new books look at the lives of the remarkable Prichard/Throssell family.  20th century novelist Katharine Susannah Prichard was a founding member of the Communist Party in Australia.  In her last years in Perth, and after her death, she was referred to as The Red Witch, although the meaning of that depended on who was saying it..  Katharine’s son, Ric Throssell, was a diplomat who was accused of being a Russian spy, and that plagued him all his life.

May 19, 2022 • 53:22

How fractions distort our thinking

How fractions distort our thinking

James Zimring explains why our inability to fully understand and process fractions, percentages and numbers has profound ramifications not only for our lives and wellbeing but also in the way we think.

May 18, 2022 • 19:55

Ticking time bomb off the coast of Yemen

Ticking time bomb off the coast of Yemen

There are grave fears that a decaying oil tanker off the coast of Yemen could result in one of history's most disastrous oil spills, and exacerbate the world's worst humanitarian crisis. A small window of opportunity has opened for a U.N. mission to avert the crisis, but whether it can be pulled off will come down to global political will.

May 18, 2022 • 18:15

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

PM Boris Johnson is threatening to rewrite the Northern Ireland protocol which kept open borders between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Any unilateral change to the protocol would threaten the Brexit agreement with the EU. Recent elections in Northern Ireland have shown that the majority support the protocol. So is this another political diversion?

May 18, 2022 • 13:31

Operation Paperclip

Operation Paperclip

As the war drew to a close in Europe, American scientific intelligence officers were looking for weapons - rockets, biological and chemical weapons that they would take back to America. But they were also looking for the scientists and engineers that had overseen their design and construction, so they could offer them a new life in America where they would share their knowledge and secrets in return for wiping their record of atrocities clean. It was called Operation Paperclip. Author Kelly Rimm

May 17, 2022 • 15:36

Coal electorates in the 2022 election campaign

Coal electorates in the 2022 election campaign

The politics being played out in the various coal electorates has received surprisingly little attention in this election campaign. But investigative journalist Marian Wilkinson has been on the ground in the NSW Hunter region, listening to what voters are being told and promised. She says it's a different story there and in some QLD seats, compared to the messaging for city voters.

May 17, 2022 • 20:01

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

The United States is reeling after a racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York and the fallout from the leaked draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v Wade continues.

May 17, 2022 • 14:47

Antoinette Lattouf on how to have a conversation about racism

Antoinette Lattouf on how to have a conversation about racism

Journalist and media diversity advocate Antoinette Lattouf thinks that Australia needs to find new ways to talk about racism - not only about the structural racism that works against immigrants of colour and the First Nations population of Australia, but also how to deal with casual and overt racism on a day to day basis.

May 16, 2022 • 22:47

The environment and the election

The environment and the election

Australia is facing an extinction crisis, yet the environment has been almost completely absent from debates during the election campaign. What pledges and policies have the major parties announced when it comes to biodiversity and conservation, and what do those working in the field want the next federal government to prioritise?

May 16, 2022 • 15:50

Laura Tingle and Niki Savva on the campaign trail

Laura Tingle and Niki Savva on the campaign trail

Laura Tingle and Niki Savva analyse the final weeks of the campaign including the new housing policy from the Coalition and the pitch from Prime Minister Morrison that he is no longer a bulldozer. And has Anthony Albanese has done enough to recover from his early campaign jitters to give voters a convincing alternative.

May 16, 2022 • 15:25

India's turbulent history

India's turbulent history

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi navigates the country's delicate relationship with China, and defends India's position of neutrality on the Russia/Ukraine war, the country's position in the world is more important than ever. Author John Zubrzycki has looked to the past to understand the politics of the present in India.

May 12, 2022 • 53:37

From stone age neurosurgeons to robots: the surprising history of surgery

From stone age neurosurgeons to robots: the surprising history of surgery

You might think surgery is a fairly modern phenomenon, but in the Stone Age cavemen performed neurosurgery and their patients lived to tell the tale! Ancients Egyptians, Greeks and Romans picked up the mantle of surgery before it was thrust into the hands of barbers. It's since come leaps and bounds, but the development of robotics has placed surgery at another crossroads.

May 11, 2022 • 19:41

How recycled phones are saving rainforests and their inhabitants

How recycled phones are saving rainforests and their inhabitants

Conservation technologist Topher White is re-purposing old mobile phones to defend the world’s rainforests from illegal logging and to monitor the sounds of important species of birds and animals.

May 11, 2022 • 19:29

Indigenous News with Sarah Collard

Indigenous News with Sarah Collard

Sarah Collard reports on her week on the campaign bus with Scott Morrison and the issues that Indigenous Australians would have liked to see on the front pages. She also profiles some of the Indigenous candidates that are running this election across the nation and the political divide.

May 11, 2022 • 13:19

Driftwood - escape and survival through art and music

Driftwood - escape and survival through art and music

Tania de Jong tells the incredible story of the renowned Austrian/Australian sculptor Karl Duldig, his artist/inventor wife, Slawa Horowitz-Duldig and their escape from the holocaust in a new musical called Driftwood.

May 10, 2022 • 17:30

Basic Income for artists

Basic Income for artists

Irish artists of every kind - performers, writers, sculptors, musicians, the lot - are nervously waiting to hear if they will be among the 2000 people to be allocated a Basic Income for three years. The Irish Government has announced this pilot program for artists impacted by the pandemic – billed as a New Deal, and a once in a lifetime policy intervention.  Could we, and would we, do it in Australia? Or is Ireland, where culture is so embedded in identity, a unique case.

May 10, 2022 • 19:02

Meet the young Democrats reviving rural politics

Meet the young Democrats reviving rural politics

Chloe Maxmin and Canyon Woodward were mid-twenties climate activists when they turned their skill at organising social movements into a political campaign that led them to turn the heart of red rural America blue. Now they've written a tough-led letter to the Democratic Party and provided a roadmap for other progressive politicians to connect with rural voters.

May 10, 2022 • 16:03

Ideas being floated to fix Australia's housing crisis

Ideas being floated to fix Australia's housing crisis

Housing has entered the election debates, with each major party making different promises. But what do the experts say about how far these proposals might go to address the affordability crisis, in both house prices and rents, hitting hundreds of thousands of Australians? Two experts discuss the election pledges and float their own possible solutions.

May 9, 2022 • 20:45

Australia's economic choices: Houses and holes

Australia's economic choices: Houses and holes

In the third and final part of this series drawing on themes discussed in Satyajit Das' new book Fortune's Fool: Australia's Choices we discuss Australia's 'houses and holes' economy and the risks inherent in our dependence on our current housing system and mineral wealth.

May 9, 2022 • 14:43

Laura Tingle's Election 2022 with David Washington

Laura Tingle's Election 2022 with David Washington

Independents are challenging two key seats in SA: the state's most marginal seat of Boothby, and the surprise seat of Grey. Will the Senate race in SA see the return of Senator Rex Patrick, will Nick Xenophon make a come-back and could the Greens pick up a second seat?

May 9, 2022 • 14:18

Lynette Wallworth comes out from behind the camera

Lynette Wallworth comes out from behind the camera

Lynette Wallworth is a an Emmy Award winning film maker and artist. Earlier works include Collisions and Awavena that used virtual reality technology to demonstrate the clashes between Indigenous cultures and the modern world. In her latest work she comes out from behind the camera to tell her own story of the four years she spent in a cult.

May 5, 2022 • 21:59

Australia's forgotten nuclear test site

Australia's forgotten nuclear test site

Three years before the British atomic tests at Maralinga, in remote South Australia, there were two big tests at Emu Field, a red earth claypan about 200kms from Maralinga. It was 1953, and it was an experiment that took little care to protect Aboriginal people in the wider area, or Air Force personnel who were instructed to fly into the cloud. And yet we barely know anything about it.

May 5, 2022 • 28:47

The gentleman hangman

The gentleman hangman

Hanging was a significant part of life in the colony of NSW; reported on, speculated on, and gossiped about.   The hangmen themselves were the bogey men of popular culture, cast as evil or undesirables.  One though – the colony’s longest serving hangman – was a bit different to his predecessors, seen as more stable and thoughtful.

May 4, 2022 • 22:36

India's deadly heatwave puts pressure on coal supplies

India's deadly heatwave puts pressure on coal supplies

Over the last week temperatures breached 45 degrees Celsius in at least nine Indian cities, a potentially deadly heatwave for a country where less than 12 percent of people have access to air-conditioners.

May 4, 2022 • 16:45

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

Boris Johnson's leadership will again be tested as the local council elections take place this week across the UK. And in Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein looks set to have a historic first-time win to become the largest party in the Stormont.

May 4, 2022 • 11:36

Reviewing book reviews

Reviewing book reviews

The selection of novels reviewed by major newspapers can come down to topicality of theme, click bait potential, and whether or not a particular freelance reviewer is available at the time. In a meta exercise, a recent article reviews a book about book reviewers, and analyses the changing culture of literary criticism.

May 3, 2022 • 15:35

How the King of Kowloon captured the spirit of Hong Kong protesters

How the King of Kowloon captured the spirit of Hong Kong protesters

Louisa Lim delves into the rebellious history of Hong Kong, and tells the extraordinary story of the eccentric self-titled "King of Kowloon", whose determination to cover the city in his message of territorial ownership came to reflect the spirit of a nation repressed by global super-powers.

May 3, 2022 • 23:12

US update with The Emancipator's Kimberly Atkins Stohr

US update with The Emancipator's Kimberly Atkins Stohr

A leaked draft reveals that the Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, how student debt is perpetuating the racial wealth gap and a new report reveals Harvard's ties to slavery.

May 3, 2022 • 12:24

The many lives of Calamity Jane

The many lives of Calamity Jane

How Martha Jane Canary became Calamity Jane- an icon of the American wild west.

May 2, 2022 • 18:19

Marcos family on the cusp of regaining power in Philippines

Marcos family on the cusp of regaining power in Philippines

With current Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte ineligible for re-election, son and namesake of the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Jr is currently poised to win a landslide victory when the country heads to the polls on May 9. With its implications for democracy, the looming election has been described as the ‘most consequential in modern Philippine history’.

May 2, 2022 • 18:15

Laura Tingle's Election 2022 with Dennis Atkins

Laura Tingle's Election 2022 with Dennis Atkins

After launching Labor's election campaign in WA, Anthony Albanese has been campaigning in Queensland, where Labor is hoping to pick up the seat of Brisbane, and hold on to other inner urban seats. But they face significant challenges from the Greens and from One Nation, whose leader Pauline Hanson is likely to gain a seat in the Senate.

May 2, 2022 • 13:02

Saving Ukraine's cultural heritage

Saving Ukraine's cultural heritage

Ukrainians and their supporters around the world are racing to save Ukraine’s cultural heritage.  Thousands of people are  archiving, digitising, and rescuing digital resources before they are wiped.  Our Ukrainian/American/Canadian guest, Ksenya Kiebuzinski, adds that the Ukrainian diaspora has a long history of preserving and circulating cultural artefacts.

Apr 28, 2022 • 24:17

How low should we go? The case for lowering the voting age

How low should we go? The case for lowering the voting age

Young people are growing up with the knowledge that they will bear the brunt of today's policies, yet they have no say in the political process. Increasingly, political scientists are making the case that not only are young people capable of voting, their doing so might go some way to cleaning up politics and reversing democratic decline.

Apr 28, 2022 • 27:10

The Persians

The Persians

The Persian empire was the world’s first superpower.  Its geographical spread was from Libya down to Ethiopia, and across the Middle East to Pakistan and India.  Its heart, and main seat of power, was in what is now Iran.  But much of what we know about it is skewed, because our understandings of the Persians have been shaped by the Greeks, who were not big fans

Apr 27, 2022 • 19:01

Unrest in Sweden as Nordic countries push for NATO membership

Unrest in Sweden as Nordic countries push for NATO membership

There have been violent clashes in multiple cities in Sweden over rallies by anti-Islam group Hard Line, led by the Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan. Meanwhile Sweden and Finland are pushing to join NATO in the wake of the Russia/Ukraine war, with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson saying Sweden had to be “prepared for all kinds of actions from Russia.”

Apr 27, 2022 • 18:53

The Pacific Report: Solomon Islands in focus

The Pacific Report: Solomon Islands in focus

The confirmation that the Solomon Islands have signed a security treaty with China has landed right in the middle of Australia's election campaign. But what does the treaty mean for the people of the Solomon Islands?

Apr 27, 2022 • 12:05

A year in the life of Charles Dickens - 1851

A year in the life of Charles Dickens - 1851

In 1851, the Great Exhibition was held in London in the spectacular Crystal Palace. One person watching how this event changed London was Charles Dickens. At the peak of his powers, Charles Dickens was initially doubtful about the event, despite being one of the exhibits. Did this event change Charles Dickens, London and the world?

Apr 26, 2022 • 19:09

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

The American culture wars are heating up, with self-proclaimed 'free speech fundamentalist' Elon Musk set to take over Twitter and Disney dished a punishment for speaking out against what critics call the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, signed by Florida governor and prominent Republican Ron DeSantis.

Apr 26, 2022 • 17:38

Laura Tingle's Election 2022 with Dr Martin Drum

Laura Tingle's Election 2022 with Dr Martin Drum

How the loss of high profile Liberals will impact on the election campaign in WA, is Labor's Pacific plan enough to counter Scott Morrison's claims they are weak on China and has the government abandoned its net zero by 2050 climate change policy?

Apr 26, 2022 • 13:28

The history of Australian pacifists, resisters and deserters

The history of Australian pacifists, resisters and deserters

Often overlooked in annual Anzac Day commemorations, has been the historical strength of anti-war sentiment among Australian ex-servicemen and women from WW1 to the Gulf War. During WW1 there were 23,000 courts martial of Australian soldiers for desertion or going AWOL. This program sheds light on the many who resisted war however they could, and reveals the determination of certain leaders to continue prosecuting WW1, despite repeated chances to settle for peace. Originally broadcast on 22 Apr

Apr 25, 2022 • 53:22

Sky Country: Knowledge from the world's first astronomers

Sky Country: Knowledge from the world's first astronomers

Emerging First Nations astrophysicists Krystal de Napoli and Karlie Noon explore the connections between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander environmental and cultural practices and the behaviour of the stars, and what must be done to preserve this knowledge into the future.

Apr 21, 2022 • 35:18

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

Boris Johnson has been fined for breaking COVID regulations during lockdown. Could the proposal to send illegal migrants to Rwanda merely be a distraction or is it serious policy?

Apr 21, 2022 • 15:32

Three writers on how their country childhoods influenced them

Three writers on how their country childhoods influenced them

Rick Morton, Bridie Jabour and Farz Edraki all grew up in rural Australia and have ended up working as writers and journalists. While their experiences were all very different, they all felt like outsiders at different times in their own communities. They share some experiences from their childhood that have made them the observers and writers that they are today.

Apr 20, 2022 • 33:12

Three writers on how their country childhoods influenced them

Three writers on how their country childhoods influenced them

Rick Morton, Bridie Jabour and Farz Edraki all grew up in rural Australia and have ended up working as writers and journalists. While their experiences were all very different, they all felt like outsiders at different times in their own communities. They share some experiences from their childhood that have made them the observers and writers that they are today.

Apr 20, 2022 • 33:12

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Confusion abounds after a Trump-appointed judge in Florida ruled that mask mandates on all transport should be lifted. Plus, what is President Biden doing to tackle gun violence in the wake of a spate of horrific mass shootings? And what has he done to infuriate climate activists?

Apr 20, 2022 • 17:56

Philippa Cullen - the tragic tale of a dancer at the forefront of electronic music

Philippa Cullen - the tragic tale of a dancer at the forefront of electronic music

Philippa Cullen was an Australian dancer, choreographer and teacher in the 1960s and early 70s who was at the forefront of the electronic music scene before she died in India, aged 25.

Apr 19, 2022 • 19:47

Why can't the UN Security Council save Ukraine?

Why can't the UN Security Council save Ukraine?

It has been frustrating for most of the world to watch on as international bodies such as the United Nations Security Council and NATO have not found ways to intervene in Ukraine, despite Ukrainian President Zelensky’s pleas for intervention to happen.  What is the UN Security Council, in particular, for? And why can't it be more effective?

Apr 19, 2022 • 15:37

Laura Tingle's Election 2022 with Alex Johnston

Laura Tingle's Election 2022 with Alex Johnston

Anthony Albanese's gaffes continue, the campaign gets nasty over the cashless debit card and a new party launches in Tasmania.

Apr 19, 2022 • 14:38

Julian Assange begins his 4th year in Belmarsh Prison

Julian Assange begins his 4th year in Belmarsh Prison

For the last three years John Shipton has campaigned tirelessly across the globe to secure the freedom of his son Julian Assange. Now as Julian enters his third year in maximum security at Belmarsh Prison, his fate is in the hands of the UK Home Secretary who still has the final say on whether Julian should be extradited to the USA to face espionage charges. The last few years of John Shipton and Stella Moris's campaign for Julian's release have been documented in a new film - Ithaka.

Apr 18, 2022 • 18:53

Changing the climate conversation with Vanessa Nakate, Anjali Sharma and Mya-Rose Craig

Changing the climate conversation with Vanessa Nakate, Anjali Sharma and Mya-Rose Craig

We speak to three impressive young women breaking down barriers and putting the voices of those most affected by the climate crisis at the front and centre of the conversation.

Apr 18, 2022 • 32:02

What does evolution sound like?

What does evolution sound like?

Have you ever wondered about the first living creature to deliberately make a noise? What can we learn from the shape of our own ears about how the first sea creatures evolved to hear. Biologist David George Haskell has though a lot about the sounds found in nature. He believes that the significance of the evolution of sound has long been underestimated and under-researched. Humans need to listen more and make less noise, because the louder humans get, the greater the loss of sound diversity whi

Apr 14, 2022 • 55:52

Otherworlds - prehistoric places

Otherworlds - prehistoric places

What were the places and periods of Deep Time actually like? A bestselling new book by first time author Thomas Halliday has been billed by writer and environmentalist Bill McKibben as: ‘as close to time travel as you are likely to get.’

Apr 13, 2022 • 22:41

Kimberley Kitching and the Magnitsky legacy

Kimberley Kitching and the Magnitsky legacy

The late Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching's legacy was the enactment of Magnitsky laws. But what are these laws and how are they being used against Russian oligarchs during the war in Ukraine?

Apr 13, 2022 • 17:41

What are the reasons behind the low rate of Indigenous electoral enrolment?

What are the reasons behind the low rate of Indigenous electoral enrolment?

Sarah Collard reports on the low rates of Indigenous Australians on the electoral roll especially in remote communities, and how does the lack of progress on reconciliation and constitutional recognition play into Indigenous disengagement with the electoral process.

Apr 13, 2022 • 10:59

Old mines and new: the strange link between Bitcoin and carbon budgets

Old mines and new: the strange link between Bitcoin and carbon budgets

A tiny town in upstate New York has is heading for a showdown between bitcoin miners and a group of citizens looking to stop the industry in its tracks.

Apr 12, 2022 • 20:32

Sri Lankan turmoil

Sri Lankan turmoil

Sri Lanka is experiencing its worst ever economic crisis.  The entire cabinet resigned last week, and people can’t afford food or fuel.  Protestors are focused angrily on the strongman president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. There are fears of a national collapse.

Apr 12, 2022 • 16:20

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Will possible war crimes in Ukraine cause the US to soften its stance on the International Criminal Court? Plus, some good news with the historic confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson as US Supreme Court Justice.

Apr 12, 2022 • 13:33

Wherever you lay your laptop, is that home?

Wherever you lay your laptop, is that home?

Unlike their earlier iterations, the digital nomad is now being welcomed across many countries as COVID has made working remotely much more acceptable and available. The digital nomad is seen as an economic asset. But what does it mean to our understanding of what home is. Is it wherever you lay your laptop?

Apr 11, 2022 • 17:29

Australia's economic choices: China dependence

Australia's economic choices: China dependence

In the second part of this series drawing on themes discussed in Satyajit Das' new book Fortune's Fool: Australia's Choices we discuss the challenges facing China’s economy, and where this leaves Australia, given our current economic dependence on China.

Apr 11, 2022 • 20:17

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Anthony Albanese falls at the first hurdle, Scott Morrison has a Tudge problem and where the seats will be won and lost. Laura Tingle unpacks day one of Election 2022.

Apr 11, 2022 • 12:11

The Sassoon dynasty

The Sassoon dynasty

The Sassoon family was a dynasty of traders who had fled Baghdad as Jewish refugees, and carved out enormous wealth in India, China and the UK.  They were often, by the 19th century, referred to as the Rothschilds of the East.

Apr 7, 2022 • 32:24

The case for a robust federal integrity commission and other vital reforms

The case for a robust federal integrity commission and other vital reforms

Over the last few years instances of taxpayers’ money being spent to gain political advantage have continued to come to light. A new book makes a compelling case for the establishment of a strong national anti-corruption body and the enactment of other vital democratic reforms to restore accountability and trust.

Apr 7, 2022 • 19:23

Apollo & Thelma

Apollo & Thelma

The story of a brother and sister duo who lived extraordinary lives. He was a showman – the Mighty Apollo. She was an outback publican.  Jon Faine, best known as a broadcaster, became Apollo's lawyer in the early 1980s. His book is part memoir, part extraordinary tale, and part reflection on Australia and indigenous rights and culture.

Apr 6, 2022 • 23:25

Apollo & Thelma

Apollo & Thelma

The story of a brother and sister duo who lived extraordinary lives. He was a showman – the Mighty Apollo. She was an outback publican.  Jon Faine, best known as a broadcaster, became Apollo's lawyer in the early 1980s. His book is part memoir, part extraordinary tale, and part reflection on Australia and indigenous rights and culture.

Apr 6, 2022 • 23:25

My Fourth Time, We Drowned - Seeking Refuge on the World’s Deadliest Migration Route

My Fourth Time, We Drowned - Seeking Refuge on the World’s Deadliest Migration Route

Investigative journalist Sally Hayden discovered acts of murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, and persecution in Libyan refugee detention centres which the UN Human Rights Council found ‘may amount to crimes against humanity'.

Apr 6, 2022 • 15:38

Ian Dunt's UK: The sale of Channel Four

Ian Dunt's UK: The sale of Channel Four

Why is the UK Government planning to sell Channel Four and what has Keir Starmer achieved in his two years as the leader of the opposition.

Apr 6, 2022 • 10:35

Diagnosis normal - the impact of abuse, mental illness and neurodiversity

Diagnosis normal - the impact of abuse, mental illness and neurodiversity

Dr Emma A. Jane discusses her darkly comic memoir 'Diagnosis Normal'

Apr 5, 2022 • 22:20

Can Macron win again?

Can Macron win again?

Emmanuel Macron became President of France in 2017 in a shock victory that overturned political conventions in France. By claiming the centre, he has pushed other political parties further to the left and right. Has he done enough to retain the trust of the people and remain President of the Republic?

Apr 5, 2022 • 15:02

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

It's been a week of historic developments, with a group of New York City Amazon workers voting to form a union and anti-lynching legislation being passed after 200 attempts across 100 years.

Apr 5, 2022 • 13:46

What is the legacy of the golden age of the Communist Party of Australia

What is the legacy of the golden age of the Communist Party of Australia

After Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, members of the Communist Party of Australia could now support the war against Hitler and for a brief moment they too could be patriots. The legacy of this golden era can still be felt in Australia today, despite their loss of influence in modern politics. Historian Stuart Macintyre documented the rise and fall of the Communist Party of Australia in his last book before he died in November 2021.

Apr 4, 2022 • 20:54

Timor-Leste's elections go to a second round

Timor-Leste's elections go to a second round

Following Timor-Leste's presidential election on the 19th of March, Nobel laureate and former president Jose Ramos-Horta looks set to make a comeback. But with no candidate achieving 50% of the vote in the first round, a run-off election is due to be held on the 19th of April. In the meantime, the country's future hangs in the balance.

Apr 4, 2022 • 16:09

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Will the budget's cost of living measures be enough to convince voters to re-elect the government? Or will Labor's aged care and wages promises cut through? And how damaging will the ongoing NSW pre-selection drama be for the Liberals in NSW?

Apr 4, 2022 • 12:15

The changing face of art censorship

The changing face of art censorship

For centuries, art censorship was a top-down phenomenon. Popes, kings and dictators got to decide which artworks were politically deviant, blasphemous or obscene. But today, thanks to art activists and social media campaigns, art censorship is beginning to happen from the bottom-up.

Mar 31, 2022 • 25:08

Who needs the ABC?

Who needs the ABC?

There are plenty of platforms and voices currently criticising the ABC, but as it begins its 90th year, where are the voices recognising what the ABC achieves not only as a media organisation but also as a cultural institution.

Mar 31, 2022 • 26:33

The trailblazing, polarising AOC

The trailblazing, polarising AOC

Barely five years into her public life, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become a household name not just in the United States, but around the world. A new biography traces her phenomenal rise and the effect that her polarising presence in Washington has had on both the left and the right.

Mar 30, 2022 • 25:55

The trailblazing, polarising AOC

The trailblazing, polarising AOC

Barely five years into her public life, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become a household name not just in the United States, but around the world. A new biography traces her phenomenal rise and the effect that her polarising presence in Washington has had on both the left and the right.

Mar 30, 2022 • 25:55

Will more aid re-secure Australia's position in the Pacific?

Will more aid re-secure Australia's position in the Pacific?

The Australian government is increasingly worried about China establishing a military presence in Solomon Islands. Meanwhile development agencies say Australia has dropped the ball on aid to the Pacific and meaningful action on climate change. So will additional measures announced in the federal budget be enough to re-secure our position in the region?

Mar 30, 2022 • 24:41

The curious history of the afterlife

The curious history of the afterlife

Whether it be Saint Peter standing at the Pearly gates, Dante’s raging Inferno or the Taoist netherworld of hungry ghosts, images of the afterlife are deeply ingrained in the human psyche. Phillip takes a tour through heavens, hells and phantasmagorical lands of the dead envisioned throughout history.

Mar 29, 2022 • 21:02

Russia not the only country to use mercenaries in war

Russia not the only country to use mercenaries in war

There are reports Russia has been engaging a private security organisation called The Wagner Group to beef up its forces in Ukraine. But Russia is not the only state to engage in such tactics, which can be used to lower official casualty rates and deflect responsibility for acts of war.

Mar 29, 2022 • 15:39

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

President Biden escalated his rhetoric concerning Russia during a visit to Europe over the weekend, while back in the U.S. revelations have continued to surface around the January 6th attack on the Capitol.

Mar 29, 2022 • 13:07

Australia's Great Depression

Australia's Great Depression

Historian Joan Beaumont recalls what it was like for Australians living through the dark and foreboding years of the Great Depression.

Mar 28, 2022 • 20:40

Political turmoil in Pakistan: Imran Khan faces no confidence vote

Political turmoil in Pakistan: Imran Khan faces no confidence vote

Pakistan’s prime minister and former cricket celebrity Imran Khan faces his biggest political challenge yet, with a no-confidence motion tabled today which could see Khan ousted from power before the end of his five-year term. What’s behind the political turmoil, and what are the odds that Imran Khan will survive this challenge?

Mar 28, 2022 • 14:49

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Cost of living pressures, fuel excise cuts and big spending on infrastructure and defence will be key features of Treasurer Josh Frydenburg's fourth budget, but where is the money coming from, and will the government's spend be enough to win them an election?

Mar 28, 2022 • 13:46

Are we alone? Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb thinks not

Are we alone? Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb thinks not

Astronomer Avi Loeb discusses the Galileo Project he has set up to monitor for interstellar objects and unidentified aerial phenomena. He also explains his theories about Oamuamua which he believes is an interstellar object from a civilisation in another galaxy.

Mar 24, 2022 • 18:10

The soldier who went too far

The soldier who went too far

Many scandals have emerged about Australian soldiers' behaviours in recent international conflicts.   In the US, one of the most controversial military figures is Eddie Gallagher.  He was a Navy SEAL, and a Special Operations Chief, who was accused and acquitted of murdering a badly wounded young Islamic State prisoner in Mosul, in northern Iraq, in 2017.  A new book looks at that man, and the military culture he was operating in. It asks broader questions about what should be permissible in war

Mar 24, 2022 • 33:57

History of the Country Women's Association (CWA)

History of the Country Women's Association (CWA)

Next month is the 100th anniversary of the CWA – the Country Women’s Association - which was formed in NSW.  Its reputation for scones and handcrafts belies its many other activities, which were sometimes radical for their times, and often in support of the greater needs of the nation.

Mar 23, 2022 • 17:45

Woke Capitalism: how corporate morality is sabotaging democracy

Woke Capitalism: how corporate morality is sabotaging democracy

Professor Carl Rhodes argues corporations are appropriating progressive causes for their own benefit, creating a polity increasingly dominated by corporate interests, ultimately standing in the way of social progress, economic equality and sovereignty of the people.

Mar 23, 2022 • 20:58

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces criticism after comparing the invasion of Ukraine to Brexit, and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is freed after being detained for six years in Iran, only to face attacks from online trolls following her first press conference.

Mar 23, 2022 • 12:16

No harmony in harmony week

No harmony in harmony week

Harmony Week was developed out of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March, but many people from diverse backgrounds think the reframing around "harmony" is taking the focus off their experience of racism. Sukhjit Khalsa is a slam poet, playwright and director who has developed work around growing up as a Sikh Australian. She is developing a new rap on this issue of reframing and the pigeonholing of people from diverse backgrounds.

Mar 22, 2022 • 13:55

Lithium

Lithium

There's a lithium boom, and the two biggest sources of lithium are Australia and Chile. We look at the very different industries in the two countries, and what's at stake for both.

Mar 22, 2022 • 20:36

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

The Supreme Court confirmation hearings are underway for Ketanji Brown Jackson, who is set to make history as the first black woman to be appointed to the US Supreme Court in 233 years. Plus, Ukrainian asylum seekers at the border with Mexico add pressure on the Biden administration to change restrictive Trump-era policies.

Mar 22, 2022 • 14:54

The Stasi poetry circle

The Stasi poetry circle

The leaders of the East German state encouraged all the population to write and set up writing groups in factories and government departments across the country. One of the most surprising was a poetry circle established within the Stasi - the secret police who were monitoring the population's every move. Their goal was to bring down capitalism through verse. Philip Oltermann has dug through the Stasi archives to find this incredible true story.

Mar 21, 2022 • 19:08

An end to war: could Putin be removed, or a peace deal reached?

An end to war: could Putin be removed, or a peace deal reached?

As indiscriminate bombings continue and the number of civilian casualties grows, there is hope that Ukraine and Russia might reach a negotiated peace agreement that brings the war to a halt. If that fails, how likely is it that President Putin will be removed from power by the Russian elites themselves?

Mar 21, 2022 • 17:44

Bernard Keane's Canberra

Bernard Keane's Canberra

Labor wins a landslide election in SA, with women leading the way, but One Nation is also on the rise.

Mar 21, 2022 • 12:44

Wendy McCarthy - a life fighting for women's rights

Wendy McCarthy - a life fighting for women's rights

Wendy McCarthy chats with Phillip about her life as an activist, a campaigner and a board member - starting from her days with the Women's Electoral Lobby in the 1970s to the recent decriminalisation of abortion in NSW.

Mar 17, 2022 • 30:02

Can you dismantle global white privilege?

Can you dismantle global white privilege?

As countries like Australia and America struggle with racism within their countries, Chandran Nair wants us to start recognising the global white privilege which manifests in geopolitics, climate change, education, culture and even sport.

Mar 17, 2022 • 32:23

Who's telling the story?

Who's telling the story?

The writer Alice Pung says that ‘literature is a good place for us to share our feelings, our language, our inner lives. ‘Literature is a refuge.’  And yet, she says, when marginalised people write books, the treatment of those books can miss much of the nuance that other authors might enjoy.

Mar 16, 2022 • 19:28

IPCC warning over impact of climate change on Australian agriculture

IPCC warning over impact of climate change on Australian agriculture

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change outlines disruption and decline in agricultural production and increased stress in rural communities in Australia.

Mar 16, 2022 • 17:38

The trial of Zachary Rolfe

The trial of Zachary Rolfe

Sarah Collard reports on the trial of Zachary Rolfe for the murder of Kumanjayi Walker and what the not guilty verdict means for the family of Kumanjayi Walker and for the community of Yuendemu.

Mar 16, 2022 • 13:55

What can animals teach us about social cohesion?

What can animals teach us about social cohesion?

We think of ourselves as superior to the rest of the animal kingdom. But Dr Ashley Ward argues that in an increasingly polarised world, there is a lot we can learn from observing the behaviours of social creatures, from elephants to Antarctic krill.

Mar 15, 2022 • 20:37

Australia's arts crisis

Australia's arts crisis

What can be done to support Australia's struggling arts sector?

Mar 15, 2022 • 18:17

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

We preface Ukrainian President Zelensky's address to Congress and the pressure it will put on the President Biden to provide more assistance to Ukraine. Plus, on the domestic front a troubling wave of anti-abortion legislation is cropping up in various states.

Mar 15, 2022 • 11:02

The evolution of language

The evolution of language

Language expert Simon Horobin muses on the changing meaning of words, phrases, and punctuation.

Mar 14, 2022 • 19:02

Australia's economic choices: Post-pandemic trends

Australia's economic choices: Post-pandemic trends

Over the next few months, we'll be discussing some of the economic choices and challenges facing Australia, drawing on themes discussed in Satyajit Das' new book Fortune's Fool: Australia's Choices. This month, we take a look at the social and economic faultlines that have been exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and some of the trends that we're seeing in the domestic economy as a result of several challenging headwinds.

Mar 14, 2022 • 18:33

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Flood fury, petrol pain and defending Defence, Laura Tingle takes a look at the week in politics.

Mar 14, 2022 • 12:33

Born in blackness

Born in blackness

The role of Africa, and Africans, has been sidelined from the story of the making of the modern world, an acclaimed new book argues. The examples include the great expansion and exploration of Europeans to Asia and the Americas, from the 1400s through to the 1600s, that was only possible because of earlier involvements in Africa and the reality that the founders of America only had the time to write and reflect on how to build their new nation, because slaves were on hand to cook, clean and grow

Mar 10, 2022 • 53:21

The divers unearthing the stories of sunken slave ships

The divers unearthing the stories of sunken slave ships

In a new podcast series, National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts joins a group of Black scuba divers as they traverse the globe in search of buried shipwrecks from the transatlantic slave trade and uncover the truth of their history.

Mar 9, 2022 • 21:15

Who's behind the spate of coups in West Africa?

Who's behind the spate of coups in West Africa?

Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Sudan have all been suspended from the African Union after recent military coups. Chad and Zimbabwe have also experienced military coups in recent years. So what's behind the unrest?

Mar 9, 2022 • 18:19

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt discusses where the United Kingdom has been performing well, and where it hasn't, in responding to the war in Ukraine. Plus, how are perceptions of 'Europe' changing in response to this crisis?

Mar 9, 2022 • 11:39

The extraordinary voyage of Rose de Freycinet

The extraordinary voyage of Rose de Freycinet

History tried to hide the fact that explorer Louis de Freycinet's wife Rose stowed away on his ship and circumnavigated the world in 1818.

Mar 8, 2022 • 24:35

Ukraine unrest hits food prices and supply

Ukraine unrest hits food prices and supply

The war in Ukraine is already causing food shortages in Ukraine, but soon the food shortages will also be affecting the rest of the world. Grain prices are skyrocketing and the globally significant wheat harvest from Ukraine seems unlikely to make it to export to countries who rely on it like Yemen and Lebanon.

Mar 8, 2022 • 14:07

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

President Biden has some big choices to make about Ukraine. Will he ban Russian oil imports, and split from the European position? How much US aid can he, or will he, send to Ukraine?

Mar 8, 2022 • 12:27

The meanings of sport

The meanings of sport

A new global history of sport sweeps across countries and cultures, arguing that sport inevitably reflects the cultural time and place in which it operates. We also talk about the legacy of Shane Warne, with one of the world's pre-eminent sports historians.

Mar 7, 2022 • 18:47

Nuclear risks rising

Nuclear risks rising

The risks of a nuclear incident are increasing in Ukraine as Russia captures both the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactors. Meanwhile, here in Australia we are drawing loser to the USA with Pine Gap likely playing a critical role in the war in Ukraine.

Mar 7, 2022 • 17:06

Nour Haydar's Canberra

Nour Haydar's Canberra

PM Scott Morrison calls for increased defence spending and cops criticism for the government's slow response to the flood crisis, and women step up their demands for the federal government to act on gender issues.

Mar 7, 2022 • 14:28

Ideas of Australia

Ideas of Australia

For decades, writer and publisher Julianne Schultz has been thinking about the historical legacies and contradictions that have prevented Australia from finding a unified sense of purpose and identity. Her new book is part memoir, part political analysis, with philosophical and insightful observations about this country and where it could be, or should be, headed.

Mar 3, 2022 • 23:47

Demons and destiny: new biography sheds light on the private dealings of Bob Hawke

Demons and destiny: new biography sheds light on the private dealings of Bob Hawke

Troy Bramston's biography of Bob Hawke sheds new light on the personal and professional struggles as well as the extraordinary achievements of Australia's 23rd Prime Minister.

Mar 3, 2022 • 25:36

The essays of Judith Wright: reserving the right to change her mind

The essays of Judith Wright: reserving the right to change her mind

Judith Wright is most famous for her poetry, but she also wrote hundreds of essays, speeches and letters which reveal her changing ideas on poetry, Indigenous Australians, the environment and what it means to be Australian.

Mar 2, 2022 • 17:57

Philippe Sands on the battle for the Chagos Islands

Philippe Sands on the battle for the Chagos Islands

Last month, five former Chagos Islands residents returned to their homeland without a British escort for the first time since they were forcibly removed fifty years ago. It was a symbolic moment in their attempts to challenge the United Kingdom's claim to the Chagos Archipelago. Author and international lawyer Philippe Sands advises the government of Mauritius government on the status of the Chagos Archipelago, and he joined the Chagossians on this emotional journey.

Mar 2, 2022 • 17:20

Bruce Shapiro on the State of the Union

Bruce Shapiro on the State of the Union

President Joe Biden vowed to fight Russian aggression in Ukraine and tackle inflation with American manufacturing, in his first State of the Union address. He reassured listeners around the world that the state of the union is strong, but it remains to be seen whether this historic address will be enough to reverse President Biden's falling approval ratings at home.

Mar 2, 2022 • 15:00

Mutiny, the Bounty and the Fletcher Christian story

Mutiny, the Bounty and the Fletcher Christian story

A direct descendant of Fletcher Christian separates myth from reality and tells the story of the mutiny on the Bounty, William Bligh, Fletcher Christian and Pitcairn Island.

Mar 1, 2022 • 20:40

The challenges of getting ahead in Gaza

The challenges of getting ahead in Gaza

Despite nearly 50% unemployment in Gaza, the highly educated, young and resourceful population are creating job opportunities in IT, agriculture and renewable energy. Janine di Giovanni introduces us to just a few of them.

Mar 1, 2022 • 19:27

Pacific Update

Pacific Update

Tonga continues the clean-up from the volcanic eruption, the Solomon Islands deals with a challenging COVID outbreak, and we get an update on the moves towards independence in Bougainville.

Mar 1, 2022 • 10:02

Could we be eating our way to extinction?

Could we be eating our way to extinction?

Since the Green Revolution our diets have become increasingly homogenised, with a handful of companies in control of everything from seeds, to cheese cultures, to beer. The foods we're losing represent much more than sustenance, they are intimately connected to thousands of years of culture and could be the key to our survival as a species.

Feb 28, 2022 • 20:18

Nataliya Gumenyuk on the war in Ukraine

Nataliya Gumenyuk on the war in Ukraine

As Russian troops advance towards Ukraine's capital Kyiv and peace talks begin, journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk provides an update on the situation on the ground in Kyiv.

Feb 28, 2022 • 18:27

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Australia steps up sanctions against Russia, how will this play into the upcoming election? And flood disasters in QLD and NSW, but the federal government hasn't spent any of its four billion dollar disaster fund.

Feb 28, 2022 • 10:08

The mysteries of Mary Seacole

The mysteries of Mary Seacole

Mary Seacole is a British icon. In a 2004 poll she was voted the greatest ever black Briton She was a Jamaican British nurse who tended soldiers during the 1850s Crimean War – and sold them food and drink. But fellow nurse Florence Nightingale was not a fan.

Feb 24, 2022 • 16:30

Older Australians overlooked in worker shortage

Older Australians overlooked in worker shortage

While the government has been looking to younger people, backpackers and overseas students to help fix our workplace skills shortages, older workers are penalised for staying in the workforce if they are on a pension.

Feb 24, 2022 • 34:03

My grandfather's letters about small things

My grandfather's letters about small things

Nick Oliver inherited his grandfather’s substantial collection of letters of complaint.  Bruce Henningham wrote polite, formal and sometimes witty letters about tea bags, hand rails, biscuits, and television shows. No subject was too trivial.  So Nick has started a podcast, 'Stirring the possum', where he simply reads his grandfathers letters.

Feb 23, 2022 • 15:20

Nixon's and Whitlam's visits to China, 50 years on

Nixon's and Whitlam's visits to China, 50 years on

This week marks 50 years since President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China, which he described as 'the week that changed the world'. It followed then opposition leader Gough Whitlam's visit the year before, in 1971. Five decades on, America's and Australia's relationships with China have reached another low. Are there lessons for today's leaders in the events of 1971 and 1972?

Feb 23, 2022 • 19:46

Ian Dunt on the UK response to Ukraine

Ian Dunt on the UK response to Ukraine

Ian Dunt evaluates the UK government's response to Putin's actions on Ukraine.

Feb 23, 2022 • 13:09

The beauty and tragedy of cut flowers

The beauty and tragedy of cut flowers

Flowers are possibly the most ubiquitous symbols - or manifestation - of beauty that we humans enjoy. They have dazzled us in art, culture and mythology for millenia. But inherent in the appeal of cut flowers is a disconnection from nature. And it's a global industry that reinforces wealth divisions and harms the environment.

Feb 22, 2022 • 17:31

Life on the front lines in Ukraine

Life on the front lines in Ukraine

As Russian troops reportedly move into the Donbass region, we speak to Ukrainian journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk who has recently profiled some of the people living in this region. Weary from eight years of conflict, they say that war “is not an apocalypse but an ugly routine”.

Feb 22, 2022 • 16:28

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Troop movement into the Donbass region of Ukraine puts President Biden under pressure, as do climbing crimes rates domestically. In good news, a historic settlement has been reached for the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. Will it pave the way for other families to achieve similar justice?

Feb 22, 2022 • 16:37

From moon rocks to beavers: The curious history of diplomatic gifts

From moon rocks to beavers: The curious history of diplomatic gifts

For centuries diplomatic gifts had the power to make or break alliances, and in many cases that's exactly what happened. The Statue of Liberty and the Resolute Desk are icons of this peculiar element of statecraft, but over time the practice has extended to everything from wheels of cheese, to beavers, to a golden room panelled entirely with amber.

Feb 21, 2022 • 22:25

Africa-EU summit sees new funding and support for vaccine manufacturing

Africa-EU summit sees new funding and support for vaccine manufacturing

The first summit between Africa and the European Union in five years sees a support package aimed at mitigating reliance on China and Russia.

Feb 21, 2022 • 13:48

Amy Remeikis' Canberra

Amy Remeikis' Canberra

The PM creates sparks on the campaign trail, reds under the beds and Grace Tame hits back at the media.

Feb 21, 2022 • 12:28

My Sicilian 'mob' family

My Sicilian 'mob' family

Writer Russell Shorto's grandfather was a mob boss in a small town in Pennsylvania. He ran an extensive gambling-based enterprise. This background was rarely talked about in Russell's family, so the decision to delve into the past was a difficult one.

Feb 17, 2022 • 22:43

Why is Pentecostalism on the rise?

Why is Pentecostalism on the rise?

The proportion of Christians that identify as Pentecostals has increased from 6% in 1980 to 25% in 2020. Journalist Elle Hardy has travelled the world visiting megachurches to try and find out why they have been so successful in bringing new believers into the fold.

Feb 17, 2022 • 26:12

Tribology: the science of surfaces explained

Tribology: the science of surfaces explained

Laurie Winkless introduces us to tribology and explains why the science of rubbing, sliding, friction, lubrication and surfaces is so integral to both the modern and natural world.

Feb 16, 2022 • 16:17

Undue influence: how industry is undermining our democracy

Undue influence: how industry is undermining our democracy

The Australia Democracy Network have put a stethoscope on the chest of Australia’s democracy and diagnosed it as seriously unwell.

Feb 16, 2022 • 34:18

Sheilas: Badass women of Australian History

Sheilas: Badass women of Australian History

If you take a look at Australia’s history books they’re full of the tales of blokes and rather lacking in women. History buff, actor and comedian Eliza Reilly decided to rectify this oversight and tell the tale of some of the forgotten women of Australian history.

Feb 15, 2022 • 20:33

Blinken, Australia and the region

Blinken, Australia and the region

In the wake of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Australia and the Pacific, we reflect on what the visits represented, how they were perceived, and the US view of Australia under the Biden Administration.

Feb 15, 2022 • 13:46

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

We remember prominent anti-war activist and social critic Todd Gitlin. Plus, as the showdown between Putin and Biden reaches a climactic stage, what cards do each have left in their hands to play?

Feb 15, 2022 • 15:18

The Henry 'Chips' Channon diaries

The Henry 'Chips' Channon diaries

Henry 'Chips' Channon penned his diaries from 1918 while working as an attache to the American Embassy in Paris until his final years as an MP in the House of Commons in 1958. He wrote down his observations of the people he met with wit, candour and humour from Hitler and members of the royal family to his many lovers of both genders as well as the gossip he gathered from dinners and parties he attended. Now the three volumes of his diaries are being published giving us a real time recollections

Feb 14, 2022 • 20:54

Millions face starvation in Afghanistan

Millions face starvation in Afghanistan

Six months on from the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan is facing an economic implosion and, according to the United Nations, more than half the population now face starvation. Foreign correspondent Christina Lamb has just returned from Afghanistan and says that in her 35 years as a reporter, she has never seen anything of this magnitude.

Feb 14, 2022 • 16:54

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

PM Scott Morrison fails to secure Religious Discrimination Act, sexual harassment of women firmly back on the agenda and NSW by-elections point to a party on the nose.

Feb 14, 2022 • 13:01

Should prisoners be offered plastic surgery?

Should prisoners be offered plastic surgery?

Between the 1920s and the 1990s over 500,000 prisoners underwent plastic surgery in US prisons. This was offered as part of their rehabilitation in the belief that improving a prisoner's appearance would improve their chances of getting a job once out of jail. But did it work? And what does it tell us about the harsh realities of appearance bias.

Feb 10, 2022 • 24:57

The case of the underqualified forensic pathologist

The case of the underqualified forensic pathologist

Dr Colin Manock’s job was to determine how people died, and all the consequences that follow – criminal prosecution, or grief over an unfortunate accident..   And yet various court cases and other reviews have found that the former Chief Forensic Pathologist of South Australia made some serious errors.

Feb 10, 2022 • 26:50

The extraordinary captives of Hutchinson internment camp

The extraordinary captives of Hutchinson internment camp

Simon Parkin tells the story of Hutchinson Camp, where the British government interned thousands of refugees from Nazi oppression during the Second World War, including a dazzling array of artists, academics, musicians, writers and actors.

Feb 9, 2022 • 19:16

Whats does the history of terrorism in Australia tell us?

Whats does the history of terrorism in Australia tell us?

The long history of terrorism in Australia reminds us that geographic borders cannot prevent the transmission of extreme ideologies that can lead to violent attacks. Terrorism in Australia has taken many forms and says a lot about the many different communities that have sought refuge here, as well as our capacity to grow our own extreme ideologies.

Feb 9, 2022 • 19:17

Ian Dunt's UK

Ian Dunt's UK

This week Prime Minister Boris Johnson has had several staff leave over the parties that were held during lockdown, and now also over his comments regarding opposition leader Keir Starmer's role in the failure to prosecute acknowledged paedophile Jimmy Savile. Could this be the final straw for the gaffe prone PM?

Feb 9, 2022 • 11:39

The Psychic Tests – an adventure in the world of believers and sceptics

The Psychic Tests – an adventure in the world of believers and sceptics

Journalist Gary Nunn is a sceptic but his sister Taren is a believer. After watching her go to psychics for years he wanted to look into the human impact of the psychic industry, so he put a number of our institutions to the test.

Feb 8, 2022 • 19:54

Can hydrogen be green and blue?

Can hydrogen be green and blue?

There has been a lot of hype about green hydrogen, but now there is talk about blue, grey and even pink hydrogen. What are the benefits and risks that come with hydrogen as an alternative form of energy?

Feb 8, 2022 • 15:49

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Debates about free speech and censorship rage in the States as a wave of book bans sweep schools and Spotify declines to distance itself from controversial podcaster Joe Rogan. Meanwhile, the Republican Party makes clear what it considers 'legitimate political discourse' - the January 6 attacks on the Capitol.

Feb 8, 2022 • 14:07

A.C. Grayling: Is a universal ethics possible?

A.C. Grayling: Is a universal ethics possible?

Philosopher A.C. Grayling considers three major threats to humanity and how a universal ethics or set of values might help alleviate the problems.

Feb 7, 2022 • 19:04

Does power corrupt, or do the corrupt seek power?

Does power corrupt, or do the corrupt seek power?

Political scientist Dr Brian Klaas has interviewed over 500 people, from former presidents to war criminals, to uncover the nature of power: who it attracts, who gets it, how it changes us and how we can prevent its abuse.

Feb 7, 2022 • 17:59

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce embroiled in text message scandal, the military called in to help the aged care crisis and debate over the Religious Discrimination Bill.

Feb 7, 2022 • 13:52

100 years of the BBC

100 years of the BBC

In 1922 the BBC was founded by three men with almost no broadcasting experience and a bold vision: to remake culture for the good of humanity. To mark its centenary, we look back at the triumphs and trials of the BBC's first 100 years and consider whether it's still an institution worth fighting for.

Feb 3, 2022 • 53:22

100 years of the BBC

100 years of the BBC

In 1922 the BBC was founded by three men with almost no broadcasting experience and a bold vision: to remake culture for the good of humanity. To mark its centenary, we look back at the triumphs and trials of the BBC's first 100 years and consider whether it's still an institution worth fighting for.

Feb 3, 2022 • 53:22

Can monoculture farming keep feeding us?

Can monoculture farming keep feeding us?

If we stopped using monoculture farming practices, most of would starve within a year. But it doesn't mean the practice isn't without significant problems.

Feb 2, 2022 • 18:17

Chile's bold new government

Chile's bold new government

A ‘generational change’ is underway in Chile.   A youthful new government has been elected, led by 35-year-old President-elect Gabriel Boric.   Boric recently announced a female-dominated Cabinet, which includes the grand-daughter of former Socialist leader Salvador Allende. She will be the Minister of Defence.  And there are moves to limit lithium mining, which the world will be watching anxiously.

Feb 2, 2022 • 18:26

Pacific Update: The latest news from Tonga and the Solomon Islands

Pacific Update: The latest news from Tonga and the Solomon Islands

It is now more than 2 weeks since a huge volcanic eruption generated a 15m tsunami which hit the islands of Tonga leaving hundreds homeless and the islands covered in ash. Now COVID has sadly made its way to the Pacific Island nation along with the aid arriving from around the world. And what is the current situation in the Solomon Islands where 100 Australian police and army arrived in November last year?

Feb 2, 2022 • 12:47

The work of artists Ann Newmarch and Hossein Valamanesh

The work of artists Ann Newmarch and Hossein Valamanesh

Ann Newmarch and Hossein Valamanesh are two world renowned Adelaide based artists who sadly died last month. Ann Newmarch was at the vanguard of progressive feminist art in the 1970s and continued to make provocative art throughout her highly successful career. Hossein Valamanesh brought his Iranian heritage and his love of poetry into his artworks creating pieces that inspired contemplation and a connection to nature. Both will be sadly missed by the art community.

Feb 1, 2022 • 14:50

The shortest history of democracy

The shortest history of democracy

History professor John Keane argues we need to harness the radical potential of democracy or the despots and demagogues will win.

Feb 1, 2022 • 20:03

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Justice Stephen Breyer's decision to step down, at 83, gives President Biden the chance to nominate the first black woman to the Supreme Court.

Feb 1, 2022 • 13:59

Conflict worsens in Yemen

Conflict worsens in Yemen

The protracted war in Yemen has escalated in recent weeks, with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels launching two separate missile strikes on the United Arab Emirates, which forms part of the Saudi-led coalition. As the conflict spills over Yemen's borders, the United Nations predicts that January will likely mark the highest number of civilian casualties in the country in a single month since the war began in 2014. Meanwhile, roughly 16 million Yemenis face famine, with no prospects for peace in sigh

Jan 31, 2022 • 17:35

Guy Rundle's writings on Australia

Guy Rundle's writings on Australia

As we kick off an election year, a timely collection of Australian political essays has been released. They include analysis of Labor's loss of the 'unlosable' 2019 election.

Jan 31, 2022 • 18:44

Canberra politics with Bernard Keane

Canberra politics with Bernard Keane

The crisis in aged care, funding for the Great Barrier Reef, and how many political donations do we ever find out about?

Jan 31, 2022 • 13:18

Stolen Focus - why you can't pay attention

Stolen Focus - why you can't pay attention

Author Johann Hari argues our collective attention span is declining rapidly, and there are sinister reasons behind it.

Jan 27, 2022 • 36:58

Ian Dunt's Britain

Ian Dunt's Britain

Ian takes us through exactly how Westminster’s party-gate has played out – and is likely to play out.  And argues that the UK needs to respond much more effectively to the Ukraine/Russia crisis.

Jan 27, 2022 • 13:25

The republic, recognition, reconciliation and the constitution

The republic, recognition, reconciliation and the constitution

Indigenous lawyer Megan Davis is a republican, but she is foremost an advocate for changing the constitution to meet the requirements of the Uluru Statement. She believes that the unfinished business of a voice to parliament needs to be enshrined in the constitution before a republic can be considered. Unless you reconsider the whole constitution at once.

Jan 26, 2022 • 16:55

The Australian Republic Mark '22

The Australian Republic Mark '22

The Australian Republic Movement have released their constitutional model for Australia to become a republic. After the failure of the referendum in 1999, they have opted for a direct election model, which they believe will have a better chance of success at a referendum. But the proposal doesn't please everyone.

Jan 26, 2022 • 35:56

The story behind the Aboriginal Tent Embassy

The story behind the Aboriginal Tent Embassy

Fifty years ago, Gary Foley was among the protestors that established the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the lawns of Parliament House. What started out as a media stunt turned into one of the most significant and enduring protests for Aboriginal land rights and sovereignty. This year it is celebrating fifty years of endurance.

Jan 25, 2022 • 31:22

Bruce Shapiro's America

Bruce Shapiro's America

Joe Biden faces a number of challenges as he heads into the second year of his presidency, from escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine to the defeat of his sweeping voting rights bill.

Jan 25, 2022 • 18:30

The march of the Arctic trees and what it reveals about the climate crisis

The march of the Arctic trees and what it reveals about the climate crisis

The Arctic Treeline circles the world in an almost unbroken ring, almost like a green halo. But as the climate warms the trees are marching towards the pole at an unprecedented speed, turning the white Arctic green. It's not the same story across the Arctic, but as writer Ben Rawlence discovered during his visits between 2018-2020, strange things are happening wherever you look in the boreal forest, and it's threatening ancient ways of life.

Jan 24, 2022 • 19:09

Joshua Yaffa on the Russia-Ukraine border crisis

Joshua Yaffa on the Russia-Ukraine border crisis

After weeks of diplomatic talks, 100,000 Russian troops remain stationed at the border with Ukraine. Moscow correspondent for the New Yorker Joshua Yaffa tells us why he thinks we're seeing these events unfold now, and what the situation looks like from Moscow. Joshua is also the author of Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition and Compromise in Putin's Russia.

Jan 24, 2022 • 14:48

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle's Canberra

Laura Tingle looks back at PM Scott Morrison's summer of pain and points forward to the upcoming election.

Jan 24, 2022 • 14:01

Gillian Mears: skinless and brilliant

Gillian Mears: skinless and brilliant

Bernadette Brennan has written a biography of the award winning author Gillian Mears that reveals a woman her friends called 'skinless'. She was incredibly sensitive and vulnerable to the world around her, absorbing both the emotion and the physical details. She used the experiences of both her life and sometimes ruthlessly she also drew on the lives of those closest to her in her work.

Jan 20, 2022 • 53:51

Sicily's long cosmopolitan history

Sicily's long cosmopolitan history

Sicily lies at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and for over 2,000 years has served as a gateway between Europe, Africa and the East. The island survived a string of colonisations by the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Normans and the Spanish, each of whom left their indelible mark on Sicilian culture and politics. A new book traces the impact of the island’s deep cosmopolitan roots.

Jan 19, 2022 • 26:49

The Ottomans

The Ottomans

The mostly Muslim Ottomans at one point ruled over a quarter of Europe, but they have been often cast out of European history.  The reality, says historian Marc David Baer, is that Ottoman history is very much European history.  Especially as the Ottomans were a surprisingly mixed bunch, of various religions, and there was much cultural and religious exchange between them, and other Europeans.

Jan 19, 2022 • 26:02

The most difficult (and determined) women in history

The most difficult (and determined) women in history

The history of feminism is littered with so called difficult women. Women who defied the conventions of their time to make life better for their contemporaries and those that followed at work, at home, on the streets and in public life. Many of their battles are continuing today as we have seen in Australia. UK journalist Helen Lewis documents just a few of these women.

Jan 18, 2022 • 26:07

WW2 Secret Operation on Borneo

WW2 Secret Operation on Borneo

During WW2 Australia, NZ and Britain launched a secret military operation to infiltrate Borneo, under Japanese occupation. But first they needed to persuade the indigenous Dayaks, notorious head-hunters - to assist the Allies in defeating the Japanese

Jan 18, 2022 • 25:56

The role of chance in life

The role of chance in life

Is our existence, and that of the world, the result of pure chance?

Jan 17, 2022 • 25:13

Exposing the flaws in forensics

Exposing the flaws in forensics

From fingerprints to firearms, bite marks and fibres - Brandon Garrett author of autopsy of a crime lab explains why the impression of forensic evidence as an all powerful infallible technology and science is far from the truth.

Jan 17, 2022 • 27:44

Emily Midorikawa - the rise of Modern Spiritualism through the voices of six women

Emily Midorikawa - the rise of Modern Spiritualism through the voices of six women

Kate and Maggie Fox were infamous in 19th century America for their ability to speak for the dead through some strange knocking sounds - and they weren't the only women who were making a living from talking to the dead. Other women like Emma Harding and Victoria Woodhull used their abilities as spiritual mediums to raise awareness of the progressive issues of the time like abolition of slavery and equal rights for women. Were the women charlatans or true believers, or simply riding the wave of t

Jan 13, 2022 • 25:49

The history of the handshake

The history of the handshake

Strangers do it, friends do it, politicians do it and so do bonobos and chimpanzees. But what is the biological purpose of the handshake and why has it outlasted other forms of greeting?

Jan 13, 2022 • 25:15

Nadia Wassef - A Cairo bookseller

Nadia Wassef - A Cairo bookseller

When Nadia Wassef, her sister Hind and friend Nihal started their bookshop, Diwan, back in 2002, they had no idea that ten years later they would be running ten bookshops across Egypt meeting a growing demand for books both in Arabic and English, French and German. There were many bumps in the road, and there was certainly a toll taken on their personal lives, but now looking back she can see what she learnt about her country and herself along the way.

Jan 12, 2022 • 17:09

Syria's rebel librarians

Syria's rebel librarians

In the midst of the 2012 siege of Daraya, a band of young Syrian revolutionaries embarked on an extraordinary project, rescuing all the books they could find in the bombed-out ruins. They collected 15,000 and set up a secret underground library where books became their ‘weapons of mass instruction’ and reading their daily act of resistance.

Jan 12, 2022 • 17:14

The man who found Alexandria

The man who found Alexandria

Charles Masson was a red-haired Englishman with a Cockney accent, a self-taught archaeologist who, in the 19th century, became the first westerner to explore Afghanistan’s ancient past.

Jan 12, 2022 • 16:16

Hitler's war on modern art and the mentally ill

Hitler's war on modern art and the mentally ill

At the end of the First World War, the German doctor Hans Prinzhorn began collecting the paintings, drawings and sculpture of psychiatric patients. Their work inspired a generation of modernists including Max Ernst, Paul Klee and Salvador Dali, but when Hitler came to power the Prinzhorn artists were caught up in the Führer's war against 'degenerate' humans.

Jan 11, 2022 • 24:34

The women who sewed to survive Auschwitz

The women who sewed to survive Auschwitz

In the depths of the Holocaust, twenty-five young inmates of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp were selected to make high-end fashion for the Nazi elite. The Upper Tailoring Studio, housed in an SS admin block, became a vital hub of resistance as the dressmakers of Auschwitz used their sewing skills to survive.

Jan 11, 2022 • 27:47

The hounding of jazz legend, Billie Holiday

The hounding of jazz legend, Billie Holiday

In 1939, Billie Holiday stood up on stage in a Manhattan hotel and performed Strange Fruit, a haunting protest song about the lynching of Black Americans.  That night, the young jazz singer received a warning from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics never to sing the song again. Holiday’s lifelong defiance of that warning led to her being relentlessly pursued by Harry Anslinger, the racist director of the FBN.  Author Johann Hari talks to Phillip about the new Billie Holiday biopic based on his book

Jan 10, 2022 • 24:34

Are skyscrapers the future?

Are skyscrapers the future?

There has been a global boom in high-rise construction and people living vertically. But can we live in them happily and build them sustainably?

Jan 10, 2022 • 23:07

A brief history of time keeping

A brief history of time keeping

Over the centuries, people of all cultures have made and used clocks, from the city sundials of Ancient Rome through hourglasses and medieval water clocks to atomic time-keeping devices. But clocks are not just a way of measuring time. Throughout history they have also been deployed as instruments of faith, money and power, imposing social order and regulating behaviour.

Jan 6, 2022 • 20:03

How to talk to a science denier

How to talk to a science denier

Do nothing, say nothing only makes it worse. Philosopher Lee McIntyre explains why it's vital to push back against science denial and disinformation.

Jan 6, 2022 • 15:22

Murray Darling Wetlands

Murray Darling Wetlands

Scattered across the Murray Darling basin are numerous wetlands, 16 of them deemed important enough to be protected by the international RAMSAR Convention.  But environmental historian Emily O’Gorman says it is a mistake to set wetlands aside as areas not available for human interaction and use.  Because humans, especially Aboriginal people, have been intertwined with these places, always.

Jan 6, 2022 • 16:56

The dissenting nature of Doc Evatt

The dissenting nature of Doc Evatt

Herbert Vere Evatt had been on the High Court of Australia for almost ten years when he stood down to run for Federal Parliament in 1939. Much has been written about his political life but a new biography from Gideon Haigh looks at some of his legal arguments on the High Court to better understand his brilliant legal mind. He tells the story of the death of seven year old Max Chester and his mother's claim for compensation for the 'nervous shock' his death caused her and explains Justice Evatt's

Jan 5, 2022 • 37:49

Murray Darling: Water trading

Murray Darling: Water trading

Buying and selling water is more complex, a new book argues, than the markets for many other tradeable commodities.  It is a ruthless market, and it pits institutional traders – banks and hedge funds – against farmers.

Jan 5, 2022 • 14:55

Reconsidering Ethel Rosenberg

Reconsidering Ethel Rosenberg

On 19th June 1953, Ethel Rosenberg was sent to the electric chair with her husband Julius. The young couple had been found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union.  For those on the right, Ethel Rosenberg got what she deserved as a Communist spy. For those on the left, Ethel was an icon of flawed justice whose cause was championed by everyone from Einstein to the Pope.  A new biography offers a fresh take on Ethel's controversial story.

Jan 4, 2022 • 32:30

Murray Darling: Wounded country

Murray Darling: Wounded country

Quentin Beresford analyses the environmental history of the basin. When he delved into the historical records, he found a recurrent theme of two strands of violence: against indigenous people, and against nature.

Jan 4, 2022 • 18:12

Cloning Stonehenge

Cloning Stonehenge

People across the world are constantly building replicas of Stonehenge. From permanent stone structures to small models made of cheese and laptops, the prehistoric monument continues to inspire. Nancy Wisser, the editor of Clonehenge, a blog dedicated to keeping track of the replicas, explains where they are and why they keep being built.

Jan 3, 2022 • 16:28

The clans, clicks and culture of sperm whales

The clans, clicks and culture of sperm whales

New research indicates that sperm whales were able to communicate to each other in order to avoid the whalers of the 19th century. Our guest is Hal Whitehead, professor and marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Canada.

Jan 3, 2022 • 16:45

Murray Darling debacle

Murray Darling debacle

Why are the fish dying? Why are the wetlands suffering? The strife in the Murray Darling Basin can be attributed to the 'maladministration', 'negligence' and 'illegality' of the instrument that is supposed to manage it, the Murray Darling Basin Plan. And also the authority responsible for it, the MBDA. That was the 2019 finding of the Murray Darling Basin Royal Commission. The counsel assisting in that commission, Richard Beasley, has now written a lively and provocative account of what has gone

Jan 3, 2022 • 18:31

Sir Peter Cosgrove: Everything from the dismissal to the Brereton report

Sir Peter Cosgrove: Everything from the dismissal to the Brereton report

What does Sir Peter Cosgrove think of the dismissal of Whitlam, the war crime accusations in Afghanistan and the future of the monarchy in Australia.

Dec 29, 2021 • 53:24

Forensic science of rare art

Forensic science of rare art

Art and science are not often bedfellows. Conservation scientist Dr Narayan Khandekar discusses a world-first preservation of a Mark Rothko, the scientific analysis of bark paintings and Tyrian purple, a rare pigment.

Dec 28, 2021 • 25:08

Wayne Quilliam; Culture is Life

Wayne Quilliam; Culture is Life

Adjunct Professor Wayne Quilliam’s camera has been his ticket around the world and has taught him a lot about Indigenous Australia and his own identity.

Dec 28, 2021 • 25:49

The frontline of koala conservation

The frontline of koala conservation

The koala is listed as one step below endangered so why aren’t we saving them? The Australian Koala Foundation's Deborah Tabart and specialist koala ecologist Dr Steve Phillips discuss all things koala: their personalities, their history and how a broken political system is pushing them to extinction.

Dec 27, 2021 • 53:00

Justice as love - not just a legal matter

Justice as love - not just a legal matter

So often the complex issue of justice is viewed through the legal prism of criminal, distributive or procedural justice. But Dr Rowan Williams and Mary Zournazi argue that justice needs to confront individuals' suffering as well as the deep patterns of violence and denial in society.

Dec 23, 2021 • 53:52

Patrick Nunn on drowned worlds

Patrick Nunn on drowned worlds

Tales of mythical lands thousands of leagues beneath the sea have long sparked the imagination of writers, artists and filmmakers. But not all watery legends are the stuff of fiction. A growing band of geomythologists are beginning to explore the possibility that some stories of drowned civilisations can shed light on actual geological events that happened multiple millennia ago.

Dec 22, 2021 • 28:03

The pyrocene and the history of fire on planet earth

The pyrocene and the history of fire on planet earth

A short history of fire on planet earth and humanity's complicated love-hate relationship with fire that has evolved over time. Our use of fire for cooking and heating has helped our evolution, but for those in the cities we have lost our direct connection to fire as we burn the fuel of the past at such a pace that we threaten our futures.

Dec 22, 2021 • 22:32

Jackie French on writing women, animals and rocks into history

Jackie French on writing women, animals and rocks into history

Author, historian and ecologist Jackie French AM discusses writing women into war history, her close friendship with the philosopher Val Plumwood, wombat culture and more.

Dec 21, 2021 • 53:52

Avo toast, parmi and Thai curry

Avo toast, parmi and Thai curry

The Italians have pasta, the Japanese have sushi, the Filipinos have adobo. What is Australia’s national dish and what do we eat? Chef and cookery writer Ross Dobson's discusses his new recipe book which explores indigenous bush foods, chicken parmigiana and avocado toast.

Dec 20, 2021 • 23:54

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