Uncommon Sense

People for A Living Moorabool's Cameron Steele and water law and nature rights expert Dr Erin O'Donnell discuss Victoria's most flow-stressed river – the Moorabool River – and a new local documentary film about it called, THE RIVER MOORABOOL.

Rachel Withers, Contributing Editor of The Monthly discusses the latest in federal politics. People for A Living Moorabool's Cameron Steele and water law expert Dr Erin O'Donnell discuss Victoria's most flow-stressed river – the Moorabool River – and a local film about it. Nic Maclellan, Pacific affairs correspondent for Inside Story , talks about Samoa's constitutional crisis, the COVID-19 outbre...

Epidemiologist Professor Mary-Louise McLaws speaks in-depth about Victoria's current coronavirus outbreak and fourth lockdown, as well as the urgent drive to get Australians vaccinated. Mary-Louise talks about how long this lockdown should last based on an epidemiological perspective. Hint: Longer than 7 days! She also talks about the science behind vaccine effectiveness against the COVID variants...

Epidemiologist and WHO Adviser Professor Mary-Louise McLaws speaks in-depth about Victoria's current coronavirus outbreak and fourth lockdown, as well as the urgent drive to get vaccinated. Mary-Louise talks about how we’re progressing and how long the lockdown might last, plus what policies need to be put in place now and in the future to prevent this from happening again. Historian Dr Emma Short...

Dr Richard Denniss talks about his newly updated book, Econobabble: How to Decode Political Spin and Economic Nonsense . Econobabble is the incomprehensible economic jargon politicians and commentators use to dress up their self-interest as the national interest, to make the absurd seem inevitable or the inequitable seem fair. Richard is the Chief Economist at The Australia Institute

Dr Richard Denniss talks about his newly updated book, Econobabble: How to Decode Political Spin and Economic Nonsense . Econobabble is the incomprehensible economic jargon politicians and commentators use to dress up their self-interest as the national interest, to make the absurd seem inevitable or the inequitable seem fair. Richard is the Chief Economist at The Australia Institute. Goongerah En...

The Monthly's Contributing Editor Rachel Withers talks about the political fallout from the federal budget and more. Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sir Paul Nurse sits down with Amy to explore and answer the question, What Is Life? This is considered in Paul's recent book, What Is Life? Understand biology in five steps. Journalist and author Zoe Holman talks about her new book, Where The Water Ends...

Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sir Paul Nurse sits down with Amy to explore and answer the question, What Is Life? This is considered in Paul's recent book, What Is Life? Understand biology in five steps. Paul is director and CEO of the Francis Crick Institute in London. His contributions to cell biology and cancer research were recognised with a knighthood in 1999, and his discovery of cell cycle...

Ben Eltham, National Affairs Correspondent for New Matilda talks about the latest in federal politics, including what we know about tomorrow's budget. Human rights advocate and barrister Geoffrey Robertson QC joins Amy to discuss his new book, Bad People: And How to Be Rid of Them: A Plan B for Human Rights , which is the first book published on 'Magnitsky Laws' that have been adopted by 31 countr...

Human rights advocate and barrister Geoffrey Robertson QC joins Amy to discuss his new book, Bad People: And How to Be Rid of Them: A Plan B for Human Rights , which is the first book published on the 'Magnitsky Laws' that have been adopted by 31 countries worldwide. Geoffrey explains how targeted sanctions can act as a deterrent and punishment for individuals who commit crimes against humanity an...

Barrister Richard Beasley SC joins Amy to discuss why he's angry about the death of the Murray-Darling Basin and what we can do about it. Richard's new book is called, Dead in the Water: A very angry book about our greatest environmental catastrophe... the death of the Murray-Darling Basin, published by Allen & Unwin.

Guardian reporter Luke Henriques-Gomes talks about the many proposed and controversial changes to the NDIS. Luke explains his exclusive report detailing how the proposed "independent assessments" for NDIS recipients would save the federal budget $700m and lead to smaller funding packages “on average” for disabled people. Barrister Richard Beasley SC discusses why he is angry about the death of the...

Dr Monica Bell, associate professor of law and sociology at Yale University joins Amy to discuss the murder of George Floyd and the trial of Derek Chauvin, as well as pervasive police violence against Black and brown Americans and the push for racial justice in the United States.

Hong Kong-based lawyer and author Antony Dapiran discusses the latest developments in Hong Kong politics, including Beijing's overhaul of the electoral system and LegCo, the prosecution of an investigative journalist, and the jailing of pro-democracy activists. Dr Monica Bell, associate professor of law and sociology at Yale University joins Amy to discuss the murder of George Floyd and the Derek...

With the mushroom season well underway, Amy chats with fungi expert Dr Alison Pouliot about her new book, Wild Mushrooming: A Guide for Foragers . Epidemiologist and WHO Adviser Professor Mary-Louise McLaws talks about what Australia must do to "reset" and fix the vaccine rollout. PhD student, author, and photographer James Dorey explores his fascinating rediscovery of the rare cloaked bee, Pharoh...

Amy talks with fungi expert, ecologist, natural historian, and photographer Dr Alison Pouliot about her new book, Wild Mushrooming: A Guide for Foragers, co-authored with Tom May (CSIRO Publishing). Alison takes us on a foray and forage through the Kingdom Fungi. She shares how we can forage for mushrooms with safety, respect for nature, and conservation at the forefront. This is a special extende...

Guardian Australia reporter Luke Henriques-Gomes returns to discuss poverty, disability and unemployment policy in Australia, as well as the government’s proposed introduction of controversial NDIS ‘independent assessments’. A special panel of experts join Amy to discuss the Declaration of the Rights of the Moon , which they co-authored. Hear from US-based nature rights advocate Mari Margil, Execu...

A panel of experts join Amy to discuss why the Moon has a "right to exist, persist and continue its vital cycles unaltered, unharmed and unpolluted by human beings." Hear from co-authors of the 'Declaration of the Rights of the Moon’; US-based nature rights advocate Mari Margil, space archaeologist Alice Gorman aka 'Dr Space Junk', and landscape architect Thomas Gooch. They talk about why we must...

Rick Morton, senior reporter at The Saturday Paper speaks in-depth about the aged care sector in crisis, which has been deteriorating since 1997. Rick also discusses the major findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and its recommendations to the federal government.

Rick Morton, senior reporter at The Saturday Paper speaks in-depth about the aged care sector in crisis and which has been deteriorating since 1997. Rick also discusses the major findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and its recommendations to the federal government. Philosopher Danielle Celermajer talks about her new book, Summertime: Reflections on a Vanishing Future...

Former war correspondent Elizabeth Becker talks about three brilliant women war reporters who made their own way to report on the frontline during the Vietnam War – Australian combat reporter Kate Webb, French daredevil photojournalist Catherine Leroy, and American intellectual Frances FitzGerald. Elizabeth draws out their fascinating careers in her new book, You Don’t Belong Here: How Three Women...

It's an International Women’s Day special. Maddison Connaughton, Editor of The Saturday Paper talks about sexual assault allegations in politics and the Aged Care Royal Commission findings. Author and former war correspondent Elizabeth Becker talks about three brilliant women war reporters on the frontline during the Vietnam War, from her new book, You Don’t Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote th...

Award-winning investigative reporter Marian Wilkinson joins Amy to talk in-depth about her revealing book, The Carbon Club: How a network of influential climate sceptics, politicians and business leaders fought to control Australia's climate policy . The Australia Institute’s chief economist Dr Richard Denniss discusses the permanent change (ie. cut) to the rate of the unemployment allowance. Afte...

Award-winning investigative reporter Marian Wilkinson joins Amy to talk in-depth about her revealing book, The Carbon Club: How a network of influential climate sceptics, politicians and business leaders fought to control Australia's climate policy .

Acclaimed historian Henry Reynolds brings us some serious truth-telling with his book of the same name, Truth-Telling: History, Sovereignty And The Uluru Statement. Henry takes us through the historical reality of the British colonisation of Australia, and why it is legally, historically and morally clear that Indigenous sovereignty was never ceded. The Monthly's contributing editor Rachel Withers...