Moncrieff

What makes the human brain forget things? Why do we often lose our keys? Are you a forgetful person? Henry McKean has remembered to ask the public for their thoughts, and joins Seán to discuss!

How much would you pay for your morning coffee? Prices are going up as coffee bean costs hit record highs. Bad weather in Brazil and Vietnam has led to smaller harvests, and demand keeps growing. Joining Seán to discuss this is James McCormack, CEO of Dublin Barista School.

A new short animated film, The Runners – A Trafficking Timeline, sheds light on a grim reality unfolding in Dublin’s north inner city: children as young as 10 being trafficked and forced into criminality by organized gangs. This film, created with input from community workers, parents, and young people, aims to raise awareness and push for action against this form of modern-day slavery. To tell mo...

As both Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries announce their Words of the Year, from ‘brat’ to ‘brainrot’, are these phrases simply a product of teenspeak and are young people therefore pushing the future of our language? Joining Seán to discuss is Gail Flanagan, Linguistics Researcher at the University of Limerick...

Researchers have found that talking to yourself in the third person is a stress reliever. When you step outside your own bubble and start treating yourself like other people, you're less likely going to be hard on yourself, and deal with the problem at hand. Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been investigating, and joins Seán to discuss.

A discovery has been made during a roadworks project in Limerick: ‘pillboxes’ - World War 2 defences built in case of invasion. But, what are they exactly, and how many exist in Ireland? Joining Seán to discuss this is Bryn Coldrick, Cultural Heritage Specialist at Archaeological Management Solutions.

Could Ireland become a green energy superpower? The German government is keen for Ireland to help supply hydrogen to fuel their manufacturing industries. How would it all work? Existing gas pipelines between Ireland and Scotland could be repurposed to fulfil this requirement of ‘green energy’. To tell more, Seán is joined by CEO of Energy Co-Operatives Ireland, Cormac Walsh.

The Late Late Toy Show returns once more tomorrow night, but Tanya Sweeney, Columnist with the Irish Independent, is slightly concerned about letting her 4-year-old watch. Why? One dreaded thing: consumerism. She joins Seán to discuss.

Thousands of people have started to arrive back home for Christmas. Over the next few weeks, there will be tears of reunions at the airports. Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie has been speaking with those who will be enjoying the festivities in the sun, and those missing family abroad.

With Christmas creeping up on us all, one of the most told tales around this time of year is Charles Dickens’s ‘A Christmas carol’. Since its publication in 1843, the story of Scrooge and the three ghosts of Christmas has been made into numerous films throughout the years, with all having a different approach to telling the iconic story. Joining Seán to talk through the different renditions of ‘A...

From supermarket rows to cinematic queue showdowns, how should we respond to everyday rudeness? A witty comeback, or a dose of unexpected kindness? Esther McCarthy, Lifestyle Editor and Weekend Magazine Columnist at the Irish Examiner has found that her attitude to a lack of manners has evolved over time. She joins Seán to discuss.

The race for green energy solutions has forced many countries to consider the potential of geothermal heat. This approach will require the digging of some of the deepest holes on Earth in order to harness that heat. Currently, the deepest mermaid hole on the planet is the Kola Superdeep Borehole at a whopping 12.2km deep, but it has its origin in the cold war era, long before people were seriously...

The Sony PlayStation turns 30 years old today. This video game console sold over 100 million units in its lifetime, being described as a ‘Concorde’ moment in the games industry. With the console loading games via a CD and not cartridges, the perception of games being just for children left, as new generations became hooked. But, aside from its groundbreaking technology, the PlayStation had a signi...

Can a partnership, relationship or marriage thrive without those steamy bedroom antics? Well, to tell us about all of the reasons why a couple might move sex down the priority list of a marriage or relationship, and why there might be other reasons pertaining to life outside of the bedroom is Eithne Bacuzzi, Relationship Counsellor and Psychosexual Therapist…

Thinking about being a tad more sustainable with your gift giving this Christmas? Buying pre-loved clothing could be a thoughtful and unique way to surprise someone special, but how do you know where to start and what you should be looking for? Joining Seán for all her top tips on pre-loved clothing is Laura Mullet, Fashion Expert and Journalist.

Artificial Intelligence is quickly transforming how businesses handle customer service, making it more efficient and personalized. But, as AI improves, how are companies balancing it with human support? Joining Seán to discuss this is Newstalk’s Tech Correspondent, Jess Kelly.

A football coach has found herself in a legal row with a sport governing body over expenses. She claims that spaghetti and chopped tomatoes are “culturally” African ingredients. Is she right? Do foods have a strict nationality? Joining Seán to discuss is Dr Máirtín Mac Con Iomair, Chair of the Masters in Gastronomy and Food Studies at TU Dublin and Co-Editor of ‘Irish Food History: A Companion’.

Could you recognize a loved one in a crowd, or would their face be just another blur? Face blindness, or prosopagnosia, affects at least 2% of people and isn’t just forgetfulness - scientists say it’s a standalone medical condition. From struggling to identify friends to mistaking strangers for family, this genetic or injury-related disorder has profound impacts on social interactions and everyday...

Are you shivering at work, but your boss won’t turn on the heating? Did you accidentally break equipment, only for it to be deducted from your wages? Are you unsure about what your legal rights are in the workplace? Joining Seán to discuss is Anne Lyne, Partner, Hayes Employment Law Solicitors.

What’s dubbed as the ‘Celtic Curse’ or Haemochromatosis, is an over absorption of iron from the food we eat which can lead to an overload of iron in the blood. But, why is it that there’s such a high amount of Irish at risk of developing the condition? To discuss, Seán is joined by Professor John Ryan, Consultant Hepatologist at Beaumont Hospital and the Irish Liver Foundation.

The long awaited metrolink will not be operational in Dublin until 2035…  However, it seems that in the 1970’s, those in charge of planning and design in Dublin Airport thought that an underground metro would be operational in the near future. Joining Seán to discuss is Eoin Burke Kennedy, Economic Correspondent at the Irish Times. Image: PJ Hegarty

What happens when a government controls the size of your family? China's one-child policy changed millions of lives and reshaped society in ways that are still unfolding today. Joining Seán to discuss is Shi Naseer, author of The Cry of the Silkworm, to uncover the personal and global impacts of one of the most controversial social experiments in modern history…

The best travelled mammal in the 18th century wasn’t a human… it was a goat! In fact, this goat was so famous she was eventually given a pension. Joining Seán to tell more is Jackie French, author of ‘The Goat Who Sailed The World’.

If you've ever watched a cooking show and wished you could taste the food on screen, scientists may now have the answer. A lickable VR device has been developed to create ‘adjustable taste’ experiences in virtual worlds. Business and Technology Journalist with the Irish Times, Ciara O’Brien, joins Seán to explain the latest technology.

Have you ever dreamed of staying in The Holiday’s cozy Rosehill Cottage, or imagined Gotham City as the gritty streets of New York? Well, think again! Movie magic often means what you see on screen isn’t filmed where you think it is. Joining Seán to reveal the truth behind iconic movie locations is Ferdia Murphy, Production Director and expert in creating cinematic worlds.