The 9pm Edict

I like trains. Do you like trains? I hope so, because today we’re talking about trains. There’s a strong focus on China and on high-speed trains, and our guest on the internet from Beijing is Chinese-Swiss international rail visionary, it says on his YouTube channel, David Feng. In this episode we discuss China’s high-speed rail network and some of the country’s metros. But we also cover high-spee...

Today's episode is a bit different. It's more personal. I, Stilgherrian, was born in Gawler, South Australia, and lived there from ages 11 to about 17. Last year I visited the town with my good friend Snarky Platypus, and he asked me some pertinent questions. In this episode, there's memories of school, some history of Gawler, a rambling chat about science fiction and fantasy, television, music, a...

Is Pluto a planet? Currently, officially, no. But the Trump-appointed head of NASA wants to reinstate Pluto's planetary privileges. Why? Let’s find out with space archaeologist Dr Alice Gorman aka Dr Space Junk and astrophysicist Rami Mandow. In this episode we also talk about new ways to make black holes, glitches, drones, the explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn launch vehicle, and of course the...

How long does UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer have left? And what is the Chelsea Flower Show? Today’s special guest is Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous, and he can help us with neither of these things. In this episode we talk about British politics and, yes, the Chelsea Flower Show. But we also discuss the UK’s heat wave, AI, age verification, Eurovision, Edinburgh’s new c...

Have you seen what’s going on in the Philippines? They’re trying to impeach the vice-president — again — and there was even a shootout in the senate building. It’s time to chat with journalist Erin Cook, who specialises in South-East Asia. And as always we talk about a lot of different things. Erin produces the excellent newsletter  Dari Mulut ke Mulut , an English-language summary of what’s happe...

Something different to kick off the mid-2026 series. Just two days ago, on the 8th of May, Sir David Attenborough celebrated his 100th birthday. As it happens, way back in 1984, I interviewed him when he was just Mr Attenborough, and here is that interview. It was part of the program Science Journal series 1984 episode 35 from community station Radio 5UV, now Radio Adelaide , first broadcast on 29...

From Australia’s teen social media ban to AI safety, there’s so many tech policy matters these days! So to wrap up the summer series — finally! — I decided to chat with Johanna Weaver and Zoe Jay Hawkins from the Tech Policy Design Institute in Canberra. In this episode we talk about how Australia as a middle power can participate in global tech policy. We chat about AI slop, the battle between An...

As I post this, we’re supposedly just hours away from the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission around the Moon. So what better time to chat with space archaeologist Dr Alice Gorman aka Dr Space Junk and astrophysicist Rami Mandow? In this episode we talk about that mission, but also flag some of the problems, including the various laws and treaties relating to the Moon. Also, cooking in space, drug...

It may well be nearly the end of March, and indeed it is, but this is still the summer series. Our special guest today is Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous, and as always we had a wonderful conversation. In this episode we talk about smoking and vaping, looksmaxxing, Nigel Farage and Reform UK, Donald Trump, how we’d renovate Washington DC, sheep, snakes (again), and Manichaei...

As the summer series continues we're joined once more by David Gerard for a suitably cynical look at what's happening in and around the AI bubble. Bros, do not send hate mail, but we do not believe your claims. David produces the newsletter Pivot to AI, which is now also available as a video essay or podcast. In this episode we discuss the AI economy, what happens when chatbots are left to run a b...

With Thailand's general election just over a week away, I figured it's time once more to chat with journalist Erin Cook, who specialises in South-East Asia. But as always we talk about much more than just Thailand. Erin produces the excellent newsletter Dari Mulut ke Mulut, an English-language summary of what's happening in the region, and an occasional newsletter specifically on the Australia-Ind...

Don’t let the title put you off, nor attract you too eagerly. The 9pm Summer Series 2025 continues with philosopher, reprobate, and all-round cleverthinker Patrick Stokes, and a conversation about many, many things. He’s also half of The Fake McCoys. In this episode we talk about the philosophy of AI and technological determinism, certain aspects of ICE, how sex drives innovation, teleportation, E...

Back at the start of the year, my good friend Snarky Platypus and I created a bingo card for 2025 . A set of 25 things that might happen. Well, it’s now New Year’s Eve, so let’s see how we went. And let’s create a 2026 Bingo Card . You might want to follow along. We’ll skip over  the ones we’d already discussed back in July . We talked about Taylor Swift, Chris Minns, weight loss drugs, rugby, AUK...

I like food. My good friend Snarky Platypus also likes food. And we also like wine. But we also have opinions. So in this final episode of the spring series we bring you some of those opinions. In this episode we talk about the magical world of slop bowls, the foods of Italy and Indonesia, grilled chicken, rending, tempeh, duck, parrots, steak, and the price of wine. Full podcast details and credi...

It's just one week until Australia's controversial social media age restrictions come into force, so I decided to chat with Justin Warren, noted “consultant, freedom of information tragic, hexagon enthusiast, and creator of the CyberRating™ labelling scheme”. It’s the first time he’s been on the pod this year! In this episode we do indeed talk about the age restrictions which come into force on 10...

Earlier this month I saw several news stories about new antibiotics, some even developed with AI. Miracle medical breakthrough, or not? Why not ask infectious diseases physician and overall medtech nerd Dr Trent Yarwood. In this episode Trent and I talk about antimicrobial resistance, the new antibiotics including premethylenomycin C lactone, nafithromycin, and a couple developed using AI, a poten...

I know nothing about cars. I don’t even know how to drive. So obviously my guest today is freelance motoring journalist and editor of The Redline, Peter Anderson — because a lot has been happening in the auto industry, right? I might learn something. In this episode we talk about cars. Obviously. Especially about the gradual but inevitable shift to electric vehicles. There’s the rise of China’s au...

No one under the age of 25 has ever known a time when there haven't been humans in space — although to be fair, not many humans. To mark the 25th anniversary of the International Space Station's inhabitation, and other space news, we chat once more with Dr Alice Gorman aka Dr Space Junk and astrophysicist Rami Mandow. In this episode we talk about the ISS and other space stations, including China'...

We’re halfway through spring and this, finally, is the first episode of the spring series. In the Philippines, there’s typhoons and floods and earthquakes and political protests. So to look at what’s happening in that country, we’re joined by journalist Erin Cook, who specialises in South-East Asia. Erin produces the excellent newsletter Dari Mulut ke Mulut , an English-language summary of what's...

Weeks late, the mid-2025 series finally draws to a close. Our special guest today is Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous, and we cover a lot of different topics. In this episode we talk about K-pop and plate tectonics, the naming of cats, Oasis and AC/DC, the trickiness of venomous snakes and drug-addled spiders, Donald Trump's visit to the UK, defamation, the nature of communit...

As you all know, I am a lizard, and through the power of 5G and the implants which have been secretly inserted into you via chemtrails and the covid vaccine, or possibly by a UFOnaut which was probing you, I can control your mind. Well, no. But conspiracy theories do exist, and a new book explores the Australian flavour of these beliefs. My guests are the authors of Conspiracy Nation , journalists...

There's been riots in Indonesia with at least nine people killed. And there’s political chaos in Thailand as the prime minister is sacked and 15 political parties scramble to form coalitions so they can choose a new PM. So who better to talk to than journalist Erin Cook, who specialises in South-East Asia? Erin produces the excellent newsletter Dari Mulut ke Mulut, an English-language summary of w...

Back at the start of the year, my good friend Snarky Platypus and I created a bingo card for 2025. A set of 25 things that might happen. Well, we’re half-way through the year, so let’s see how we went. You might want to follow along with this chart to see which ones we discussed. https://stilgherrian.com/essay/bingo-card-2025/ We also talk about a potential trade war between Indonesia and China, s...

Any moment now, Donald Trump might cancel AUKUS, the massive defence agreement which among other things would see Australia buying eight nuclear-powered submarines. AUKUS has become the big thing in Australia's defence procurement, but do we need it? Sam Roggeveen thinks not, and he's our guest today. Sam is director of the Lowy Institute's International Security Program. In  former life he was an...

With massive budget cuts to NASA, claims that we've found alien life, and an important anniversary coming up, it's time once more to talk about Space! My guests, therefore, are space archaeologist Dr Alice Gorman aka Dr Space Junk, and astrophysicist Rami Mandow. In this episode we celebrate the anniversary of the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, we discuss how Donald Trump's budget cut...