Uncommon Sense – Triple R FM

British philosopher A. C. Grayling returns to discuss his new book, The History of Philosophy. Amy and Antony discuss the vital role of philosophy, ancient philosophical traditions and ideas including stoicism, Platonism, and the legend of Socrates. As well as Antony's key role in the pro-remain campaign in Britain, which seeks to stop Brexit from going ahead. Broadcast on 13 August 2019.

Emeritus Professor John Burns from The University of Hong Kong gets to the heart of the reasons behind the escalating protests in Hong Kong and at the airport, as well as the political view from mainland China's central government. John will be appearing at a Melbourne University forum on the political crisis this week. Broadcast on 13 August 2019.

Owen Jones, British political columnist for the Guardian, activist and bestselling author, joins Amy in the studio to discuss the bungling of Brexit, the Tory push to populism and the future of progressive Corbynist politics in Britain. Broadcast on 6 August 2019. Owen Jones was in Melbourne for the Progress 2019 Conference.

Antony Dapiran, lawyer and author of 'City of Protest: A Recent History of Dissent in Hong Kong,' joined Amy from Hong Kong to discuss the mass-scale protests against the government's proposed extradition bill, as well as the long history of protest in the city. Broadcast on 18 June, 2019.

Playwright Rory Godbold and Dr Carolyn Johnston from Melbourne Law School, discuss Victoria's new voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws which come into effect this week. Rory's new play, When The Light Leaves, was inspired by his dad, Ray's advocacy for VAD and his wish to have greater control over his death from oesophageal cancer. It is now showing at La Mama Theatre. (Broadcast on 18 June 2019)

Tonia Eckfeld on the remarkable history of China's famous Terracotta Warriors from the Qin dynasty (221-207 BCE). The NGV is currently showing several pieces of the terracotta army as part of their Winter Masterpieces exhibition. Tonia was one of the first Western women allowed entry to the excavation site of the terracotta warriors. Professor Tonia Eckfeld is a Principal Fellow in History at the...

American author, climate activist and co-founder of 350.org, Bill McKibben discusses his latest book, 'Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?' Amy and Bill explore the pivotal moment when the course of environmental history could have changed and our climate protected. They also explore the reasons why there is as much reason for optimism as there is for despair. Broadcast on 4 June,...

Princeton Uni philosopher and writer Eleanor Gordon-Smith came in to chat about her new book, 'Stop Being Reasonable,' which explores and challenges us to expand our understanding of rational argument, its role in public discourse, and through real life stories, we discuss what really changes people's minds and perceptions. Broadcast on 28 May, 2019.

Malcolm Farnsworth, Australian political history expert and publisher of AustralianPolitics.com, analyses the 2019 federal election results, how Labor lost the "unlosable election" and what it all means for Australia. Plus, we remember former Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke. Broadcast on 21 May, 2019.

Historians Ruth Lee and Heather Sheard came in to discuss the brave and tenacious Australian women doctors who set up their own military hospitals and served overseas and on the frontline in World War I. Their book is called, 'Women To The Front.' Broadcast on 7 May, 2019.

Professor David Walker was in the studio to discuss his new book, 'Stranded Nation: White Australia in an Asian Region'. He provides a new untold history of Australia's relationship with and curiosity about its "Near North" - Asia. David and Amy focus on Australia's approach to China and Japan from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century. David is Professor Emeritus in Australian Studies at...

World renowned philosopher Peter Singer joined Amy to discuss utilitarianism and his concept of effective altruism, as well as his philosophical arguments on how we should treat animals. We also discuss his seminal work, 'Animal Liberation,' first published in 1975, which gave rise to the global animal rights movement. Peter Singer is appearing as part of Law Week for Lawyers for Animals.

Acclaimed actors John Bell and Jessica Tovey came in to discuss Bell Shakespeare's production of Molière’s 17th century classic comedy, 'The Miser' and how they’ve brought the new (and very Aussie) adaptation by Justin Fleming to life!

Australia’s first music thanatologist Peter Roberts plays the harp for the sick and dying. Farshid Akhlaghi has made a film about Peter and the special impact he’s had on the lives of many, especially in Geelong. Farshid and Peter joined Amy in the studio to discuss the Australian Premiere of 'From Music Into Silence' – screening at Cinema Nova in May. Peter also played his harp for us.

Local comedians and friends Annie Louey and Diana Nguyen join Amy to discuss their shows at the 2019 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Annie and Diana discuss forgetful Millenials, the online dating jungle, Asian-Australian family life, and women supporting women in comedy. Broadcast on 16 April 2019.

Macquarie University historian Associate Professor Michelle Arrow joined Amy to talk about her book, 'The Seventies: The Personal, the Political and the Making of Modern Australia.' She details the great social transformations that took place in Australia during the 1970s - particularly the women’s liberation movement, and the push for gay and lesbian rights.

Barry Award-winning comedian and theatre-maker Zoë Coombs Marr joined Amy in the studio to discuss the encore season of her acclaimed show, Bossy Bottom, showing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival – April 9-14. She also discusses what it was like to perform “Dave”: "a sexist beer-swilling caricature of the dregs of masculinity" in stand-up comedy. Zoë is also supporting Hannah Gadsby a...

Dr Andrew McGregor and Amy Mullins explore the cinematic brilliance of French New Wave auteur Claude Chabrol, ahead of the Melbourne Cinémathèque's upcoming season, 'The Unblinking Gaze of Claude Chabrol.' They discuss his films, Les Biches (1968) and La Cérémonie (1996), as well as his influential place in the nouvelle vague. Chabrol has been largely overlooked for his better known colleagues, su...

Social researcher Rebecca Huntley talks with Amy about reviving social democracy in Australia and takes the political temperature of the nation in her new Quarterly Essay, 'Australia Fair, Listening to the Nation.' Broadcast on 26 March 2019.

Historian Carolyn Rasmussen discusses Melbourne's progressive power-couple of the early 20th century, Doris and Maurice Blackburn. They were both socialists, feminists, parliamentarians, and passionate about peace. Carolyn's book is called, 'The Blackburns: Private Lives, Public Ambitions.' Broadcast on 19 March 2019.

Andrew Walter, Professor of International Relations at Melbourne University, explores the most recent and dramatic developments in Brexit and the UK parliament. As the clock ticks down to March 29, what could happen next? The only things parliament can agree on is that it doesn't want a cliff-edge "no deal Brexit" and that it needs more time. Broadcast on 19 March 2019.

Journalist and scholar Leta Hong Fincher discusses the rising gender inequality in China, the widespread concept of 'Leftover Women', and her new book, 'Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China.' Fluent in Mandarin, Leta is the first American to receive a Ph. D. from Tsinghua University's Department of Sociology in Beijing.

Historian David Walker discusses his essay in the AFA Journal, 'Great Australian Divide: The Western outpost faces the Asian Century.' David discusses the history of Australia's complex national identity and relationship to Asia. In Australia, Asian immigration was at once viewed with anxiety but also with positivity and optimism – it is here we discover the surprising origins of the multicultural...

Feminist and political economist Professor Marilyn Waring became the youngest female MP in New Zealand’s history. She joined Amy to talk about the limits of GDP as an economic measure of national success and how it doesn’t count the contribution of women's unpaid work and the inherent value of our environment. She wrote a landmark book 31 years ago, 'Counting for Nothing: What Men Value and What W...

Tim Flannery, palaeontologist, scientist and author, joins Amy to discuss his book, 'Europe: A Natural History.' When researching this book, Tim Flannery asked himself, "When did the first distinctively European organisms evolve? ...on a tropical archipelago 100 million years ago, [when it looked] much more like the Solomon Islands today than contemporary Europe."