The Bridge: Natural Gas in a Redivided Europe

Europe – Audio | 8 January 2020 | 0h 59m | Listen Later | iTunes
Discussion with Thane Gustafson about his book The Bridge: Natural Gas in a Redivided Europe. Backgrounds the gas revolution in Europe and the outlook for Russia’s relationship with Europe given future decarbonisation, liquified natural gas, and a gas pipeline to China,

Rob Dunn: Never Home Alone; The Species We Live With

The Dissenter | 12 February 2020 | 0h 59m | Listen Later | iTunes
Interview with Rob Dunn about his book Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live. Fascinating, if slightly icky, discussion of how living in homes changed our dynamics with other species, particularly species of insects, bacteria and fungi, and how some of them adapted to our home environment.

John Danaher on Our Coming Automated Utopia

Sean Carroll’s Mindscape | 18 May 2020 | 1h 22m | Listen Later | iTunes
Interview with John Danaher about his book Automation and Utopia: Human Flourishing in a World without Work. Makes the case that work will soon be optional and that human creativity and artistic impulse can flourish in a world free of the demands of working for a living. Discusses what that would entail, whether it’s realistic, and what comes next.

Genetics, Genealogy, and Secrets Unknown

The Insight | 22 April 2020 | 0h 54m | Listen Later | iTunes
Interview with Libby Copeland about her book, The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are. Explores the social and moral complications from the emergence of home DNA testing.

How Innovation Works, with Matt Ridley

Uncommon Knowledge | 19 May 2020 | 1h 04m | Listen Later | iTunes
Interview with Matt Ridley about his book, How Innovation Works, which argues that we need to change the way we think about innovation, to see it as an incremental, bottom-up, fortuitous process that happens to society as a direct result of the human habit of exchange, rather than as an orderly, top-down process developing according to a plan. Ridley also discusses the covid-19 crisis, that China has the low-level freedoms necessary for innovation, and predicts what the world might look like in 2050.

Robert Pondiscio on How the Other Half Learns

EconTalk | 18 May 2020 | 1h 20m | Listen Later | iTunes
Interview with Robert Pondiscio about his book How the Other Half Learns: Equality, Excellence, and the Battle Over School Choice. Pondiscio shares his experience of being embedded in a Success Academy Charter School in New York City for a year – lessons about teaching, education policy, and student achievement. Dissects what Success Academy does well.

The Northumbrians: from Bede to Geordie Shore

History Extra | 6 May 2020 | 0h 38m | Listen Later | iTunes
Interview with Dan Jackson about his book The Northumbrians: North-East England and its People – A New History. Traces the distinctive history and culture of North East England, from ancient times to the present day, before ending with a primer on the Geordie dialect.

Peter Warner: ‘Lord of The Flies’ rescuer

RNZ: Saturday Morning | 16 May 2020 | 0h 13m | Listen Later | iTunes
Interview with Peter Warner about a real-life ‘Lord of the Flies’ scenario: six Tongan boys marooned on a desert island and rescued 15 months later. In 1966 Peter Warner was the captain of a fishing boat that sailed past the island, called ‘Ata, and found the teenagers there. Students at a Catholic boarding school in Nuku’alofa, the boys had stolen a boat, and set sail for Fiji, only to be put off course by a storm, eventually washing ashore at ‘Ata. Peter Warner describes his role in the story and the enduring friendships that came of it.