Moncrieff

When you hear Wuhan in China, most would immediately think of the initial Covid outbreak in 2019.   However, it’s now home to the world’s largest experiment in driverless cars.   500 robot-taxis are already whizzing around the city of 11 million people, 4.5 million cars, eight-lane expressways and towering bridges – and Baidu have announced they’ll add 1,000 more into the fleet...

As the Natural History Museum prepares to close its doors in September for major building works, the process of moving thousands of very old specimens out is a delicate one.  Joining Seán to discuss this is Paolo Viscardi, Keeper of the Natural History Museum.

With Ireland’s wins at the European Athletic Championships in Rome last week, the tricolour has been somewhat unavoidable. But why are we so obsessed with the flag and what does it stand for in today’s Ireland? Joining Seán to discuss is Columnist for the Irish Examiner, Colin Sheridan.

North and South Korea have recently been sending balloons towards each other - with the South sending soap operas and KPop in them, and the North sending bags of rubbish.  UCD’s Graham Finlay joins Seán to discuss this, and other examples of psychological warfare throughout history.

A mathematician at Oxford University claims that he has cracked the code of the hotel breakfast buffet. But what is the best way to make the most of it?  Joining Seán to discuss is Culinary Consultant and TV Chef, Aisling Larkin.

Have you ever wanted to teach your cat (or dog) Irish? Well, Anne Cakebread, illustrator and creator of the book ‘Teach Your Cat Irish’ joins Seán to discuss how this is possible!

Sunday is Bloomsday, but one thing that makes Ulysses so special is the role of food in the book. Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, Chair of the MA in Gastronomy and Food Studies at TU Dublin, has been writing about this and joins Seán to discuss.

A new coffee making process uses ultrasonic sound waves to create an apparently stronger and less bitter beverage. But how does it work?  Joining Seán to explain is Dr Francisco Trujillo, a senior lecturer in the school of chemical engineering at the University of New South Wales.

The election counts have finally finished, where we saw crushing defeats and exhilarating wins at counting centres. What could also be seen were the winners often being lifted up into the air in celebration. Why is this a thing? To discuss, Seán is joined by Green Party TD Patrick Costello.

An Irish photographer has a new exhibition which is running currently as part of the Belfast Photo Festival. Richard Mosse’s work focuses on documenting the deforestation of the Amazon where he has spent an extensive amount of time.  He joins Seán to discuss.

A 25 year old man from Cork called Patrick O'Connell died as a prisoner of war in a German prison camp during World War Two. The indignity didn’t end there. Posthumously, he became a victim of Nazi medical experiments.  Now, a project is aiming to trace his family and return some honour to him and other victims.  Joining Seán to discuss is Dr. Aisling Shalvey, Project Coordinator with th...

The 13th of June is World Albinism Awareness Day, a condition that gives a person very light skin, hair and eyes - and can affect their quality vision. Jonathan DeBurca Butler went out to find people with the condition to learn more, and joins Seán to discuss. Image: Albinism Fellowship

SoftBank has developed AI voice-conversion technology to reduce call centre operators' psychological stress by altering the voices of angry customers to sound calmer.  But for many of us, calling a customer care line is the last resort. So what is the best way to navigate them in order to reduce stress for everyone?  Conor Pope is the Consumer Affairs Correspondent at the Irish Times, an...

From forgetting your passport to forgetting your trousers - there’s been times where we’ve been caught out. Newstalk’s Henry McKean has collected various stories of fumbles and failures, and joins Seán Moncrieff to share.

In an apparent act of reckless criminality, a fire was deliberately lit in the crypt of St. Michan’s Church yesterday, causing extensive damage to a number of precious mummies which have laid there for hundreds of years. Joining Seán to discuss this is Rob Buchanan, an amateur historian, who runs the Dublin Time Machine History Blog.

As many people get ready to pack their bags for holidays and travel, the Irish accent will be heard around the world this summer. But, is the Irish accent always a passport to acceptance and connection? Joining Seán to discuss is Melanie May, Travel Writer and Presenter of Talk Travel on Dublin City FM.

If you’ve ever wanted a toy Father Ted, or an Éamon de Valera figurine, well good news, the day has finally arrived!  Richard Collier has set up Hiberno Toys, which creates toys based on Irish culture. Gaining a fair bit of attention on Instagram and Reddit. Seán is joined by Richard to check out the figures and discuss. Image: @hibernotoys on Instagram

If you could meet a dead relative in Virtual Reality, would you?   That’s a question that’s been asked by Dr Jennifer O’Meara, Associate Professor of Film Studies, in Trinity College Dublin.  Film and cinema has always utilised the latest technologies, but if it bleeds into our real lives by creating illusions, is that a good thing?   Jennifer joins Seán to discuss.

Taylor Swift’s upcoming gigs in Lansdowne Road are due to last for 3 hours, with some describing this as too long. But how long is too long when it comes to gigs? Joining Seán to discuss is journalist and broadcaster Pat Carty.

The Church of Ambrosia was set up as a way to take drugs, including marijuana and magic mushrooms - but has quickly gained a sizable following. Mattha Busby, reporter with Vice, visited the church and joined Seán to discuss.

Swim Ireland currently has 3 pop up pools in its possession, major swimming infrastructure that can be moved around the country. However, only two are operational, which is causing controversy.  Mary McMorrow, Operations Director at Swim Ireland, joins Seán to discuss.

Ireland’s summers are not what they used to be! One look outside will tell you that we are no longer guaranteed a dry spell in June and July.  Is this our new reality? Cathal Nolan is a Climate Scientist, and the founder of Ireland’s Weather channel, and has been studying this. He joins Seán to discuss.

While the number of pubs in Ireland has been diminishing over the past 15 years, the cause is usually put down to drink driving laws, price increases and a change in culture. But, is the housing crisis to blame too?  Joining Seán to discuss is Mark Keenan, Property Editor for the Irish Independent, who has been writing about this.

Having been established back in 1978, the Vegetarian Society of Ireland recently changed its name. What is the reason for this? And why are the majority of their members women? Joining Seán to discuss is James O’Donovan, Secretary of the Vegan Society of Ireland.

One of the shock revelations from this election is that Danny Healy Rae has been using the same phone since 1997! He says it’s because he’s not a fan of the smartphone. What are some other things that we’ve kept from a long time?  Newstalk’s Henry McKean went out to ask the public for their items that have stood the test of time.