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The Conversation Weekly

The Conversation
Donald Trump
Climate Change
South Africa
Israel
Covid-19
Artificial Intelligence
United States
Iran
Gaza
Creative Flow
Far-Right Politics
Anti-Feminism
Social Media Influence
Women's Roles In Politics
Right-Wing Nationalism
Traditional Gender Roles
Social Media Influencers
Online Radicalization
Democracy
Biodiversity

A show for curious minds, from The Conversation. Each week, host Gemma Ware speaks to an academic expert about a topic in the news to understand how we got here.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes302Founded6 years ago
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News CommentaryNewsScience

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Latest Episodes

In Tennessee, death row inmate Christa Pike survived an attempt to execute her by lethal injection in late September. Meanwhile, plans to livestream a US military execution recently sparked outrage, prompting President Donald Trump to walk back the b... more

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In the western Canadian province of Alberta, a political battle is playing out on people’s front lawns. Separatists are flying the royal blue Alberta flag, others the red and white maple leaf of Canada to show their support for a united Canada.

It's... more

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What is it that makes us conscious? How does the firing of neurons in one part of our brain make us feel aggressive, while others make us hungry or anxious?

These are the questions that drove the discoveries behind the 2026 Nobel Prize for Physiolog... more

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Israel is heading to the polls on October 27 and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing perhaps the toughest political battle of his career.

He's been accused of treason over fresh allegations he was warned of a major Hamas plot ahead of the Oc... more

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Recent Guests

Jared Wesley
Professor of political science at the University of Alberta and expert on provincial politics.
University of Alberta
Episode: In Alberta, far-right populism drives bid to leave Canada
Karl Deisseroth
Professor at Stanford University, Nobel Laureate
Stanford University
Episode: Nobel laureate Karl Deisseroth on how light is changing what we know about the brain
Dov Waxman
Professor of Israeli studies at UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
Episode: Could a former IDF chief break Benjamin Netanyahu’s grip on power in Israel?
Nick Jennings
Vice Chancellor and President of Loughborough University, AI expert
Loughborough University
Episode: Can we ever fully trust AI agents?
Hugh White
Defense and security analyst at the Australian National University, author of Hard New World
Australian National University
Episode: Australia's 'barking mad' bet on nuclear submarines
Olivera Simic
International law professor at Griffith University in Australia; Bosnian Serb
Griffith University
Episode: Ratko Mladić: the war criminal who became a martyr for Bosnian Serbs
Justin Hastings
Professor of International Relations
University of Sydney
Episode: Inside the booming ‘shadow fleet’ industry keeping rogue states afloat
Lydia Hamersley
Professor of Music at Hamilton College, author of Unlikely Angel, the Songs of Dolly Parton
Hamilton College
Episode: The music that made Dolly Parton a global icon
Matthew Sussex
Russia expert, associate professor at Griffith University, visiting fellow at ANU
Griffith University; Australian National University
Episode: How Ukraine is bringing the war home to Russia

Hosts

Gemma Ware
Host of The Conversation Weekly
Neil Seewang
Host of The Conversation Weekly

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 407 ratings
  • Happy with

    Heard almost all so far, thanks, looking forward to more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ZoomStrange
    Australia7 months ago
  • Top

    Great job

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Alfelfe
    France8 months ago
  • I had high hopes but this seems to be more biased than advertised. Still, it's an interesting podcast.

    Podcast Addict
    3
    bjt282
    9 months ago
  • This is a great initiative! So glad i found this. I listen to nearly every episode. Great for learning about the leading edge of our world.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Aurorespera
    a year ago
  • Informative & Fascinating

    Try listening! You will keep going back to this podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Reading Ruth
    Australiaa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some criticism about background music or production style not being to everyone's taste.
Audience appreciates accessible yet rigorous coverage of global issues.
High-quality interviews with knowledgeable guests from academia and research.
Listeners praise the show's calm, rational discussions and expert-hosted insights.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

In Alberta, far-right populism drives bid to leave Canada
Q: Isn't overwhelmingly Canadian kind of a version for Donald Trump? Is it hurting the Alberta separatist movement?
Wesley says Trump's trade actions and the prospect of U.S. coercion divide separatists and make some Albertans wary of sending a signal that Canada is divided. This has helped keep support for separatism from growing.
In Alberta, far-right populism drives bid to leave Canada
Q: So how did a relatively small right-wing populist movement gain so much political influence?
Wesley says separatist organizers changed tactics, moving from attempts to form their own parties to infiltrating and influencing mainstream parties, especially the governing United Conservative Party. Networks and organizers connected to the Freedom Convoy also shifted their attention from vaccine mandates to separatism.
Nobel laureate Karl Deisseroth on how light is changing what we know about the brain
Q: What was the first evidence that optogenetics could influence behavior in living animals?
The breakthrough came in 2007 when a fiber optic was implanted into the mouse motor cortex and light switched on; the mouse started turning left and moving in circles, demonstrating a direct causal link between the activity of a specific neural circuit and deliberate movement.
Nobel laureate Karl Deisseroth on how light is changing what we know about the brain
Q: Tell me about the first experiments you did. What were you trying to accomplish at the beginning?
The goal was to achieve genetically targeted control of specific neurons, using genes that could be targeted to distinct cell types, and to test a gene from a photosynthetic algae to see if it could function in mammalian neurons, which it did. This opened the door to controlling neural activity with light.
Can we ever fully trust AI agents?
Q: What is the main risk you see with large-scale AI agents behaving autonomously?
The risk is that with many interacting agents, the system can reach unpredictable states, making it harder to ensure safe outcomes without robust governance, testing, and external controls.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Conversation Weekly

What is The Conversation Weekly about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful weekly briefing that pairs academic experts with current events to unpack how we arrived at today's headlines. Topics span politics, science, technology policy, and global affairs, with a consistent emphasis on rigorous context, history, and evidence from researchers and practitioners. Notable traits include a strong grounding in scholarly insight, clear explanations of complex systems (from shadow libraries to El Niño dynamics), and a preference for balanced, calm discourse that connects policy implications to everyday life. Listeners who value credible analysis, expert perspectives, and in-depth conversations about how research shapes policy and public understanding will likely find it particularly engaging and trustworthy.

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Which podcasts are similar to The Conversation Weekly?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Conversation Weekly:

1. Politics with Michelle Grattan
2. Big Ideas
3. Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today
4. Full Story
5. Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

How many episodes of The Conversation Weekly are there?

The Conversation Weekly launched 6 years ago and published 302 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Conversation Weekly?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Conversation Weekly?

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What guests have appeared on The Conversation Weekly?

Recent guests on The Conversation Weekly include:

1. Jared Wesley
2. Karl Deisseroth
3. Dov Waxman
4. Nick Jennings
5. Hugh White
6. Olivera Simic
7. Justin Hastings
8. Lydia Hamersley

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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