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Artwork for The Minefield

The Minefield

ABC Australia
Democracy
Artificial Intelligence
Philosophy
Ramadan
Social Media
Education
Australia
Ethics
Donald Trump
Comedy
Climate Change
Moral Philosophy
Social Cohesion
Friendship
Populism
Taylor Swift
Politics
Australian Federal Election
Australian Politics
Freedom

In a world marked by wicked social problems, The Minefield helps you negotiate the ethical dilemmas, contradictory claims and unacknowledged complicities of modern life.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes502Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PhilosophySociety & Culture

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Artwork for The Minefield

Latest Episodes

Over the last decade, large majorities of voters in advanced democracies like the United States, the UK, France, Germany and Australia have come to feel that their elected representatives are not responsive to their needs, do not put the interests of... more

The alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines outside her electorate office in regional Victoria came as a shock to a nation with so little history of violence directed at elected representatives. The driver of the Toyota LandCruiser that pinned ... more

Over the last decade, the proliferation of streaming services made more movies and television series available to more people than ever before. It revolutionised what we watch (including the importance of recommendation algorithms to help us sort our... more

Writing in the 1850s, at the advent of what we would come to understand as the popular press — which is to say, periodicals for mass distribution, rather than aimed at paid-up members of unions and parties, or mercantilists with particular interests ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

Rob Manwaring
Associate Professor of Politics and Public Policy at Flinders University
Flinders University
Episode: Will the alleged attack on Helen Haines change Australia and its politics?
Lauren Rosewarne
Associate Professor in the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
Episode: Why do we keep remaking films and TV shows?
Intifar Chowdhury
Lecturer in government at the Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies at Flinders University
Flinders University
Episode: These days everything is political — is that bad for politics?
Masoud Kamgarpour
Professor of Mathematics, University of Queensland
University of Queensland
Episode: If AI can’t be brought under human control, why are we still pressing ahead?
Jade O'Regan
Program Leader, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Music Practice
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Episode: Last Words: Is ‘Abbey Road’ a fitting end to the Beatles?
Jay Daniel Thompson
Senior Lecturer in Digital Communication at RMIT University
RMIT University
Episode: Does a ‘digital duty of care’ put free speech at risk?
Farid Zaid
Senior lecturer in cognitive psychology at Monash University
Monash University
Episode: Is loyalty a virtue?
Lucinda Holdforth
Author of Going On and On, Why Longevity Threatens the Future
Author and former speechwriter/advisor
Episode: Live from the Festival of Dangerous Ideas: Does longevity threaten the future?
Bernard Baffour
Associate Professor in the School of Demography at Australian National University; Associate Dean of Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Access
Australian National University
Episode: What response does Jason Arday’s life, and death, morally demand?

Hosts

Waleed Aly
Host; long-time commentator known for bridging philosophy, ethics, and public discourse.
Scott Stephens
Co-host; brings political analysis and philosophical framing to discussions.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.5k ratings
  • Variable quality

    Listened to the recent episode on Jason Arday and found Scott unconvincing, and the guest a poor choice with some odd ideas. Waleed is a clear thinker and gifted communicator.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Marlie8424
    Australia2 months ago
  • Could have handled this better

    Surprised by Waleed’s cold commentary of Jason Arday’s death, without sympathy and with blind faith in fellow journalists and without consideration of the nuance of the circumstances of a man who can no longer defend himself. He repeatedly dismissed the points raised by the guest Bernard Baffour. As an academic and a person of colour I was appalled by the callousness of this very sensitive, and very real issue of discrimination that exists in academia, which the guest repeatedly brought up and w... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    An270
    Australia2 months ago
  • Great topics but a little less verbosity please

    I really enjoy the topics Waleed and Scott unpack and I think the debate is excellent but I do struggle with Scott’s verbosity

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Gj_h
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • Funny and wise

    A huge fan. But Scott could speak more clearly and simply. Waleed gets the tone right and is a wonderful communicator.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SimonAlfref
    Australia7 months ago
  • Thankyou

    The episode on incarceration of children was excellent and easy listening, I loved you all but the guest was terrific on this episode

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    pakkykid
    Australiaa year ago

Listeners Say

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

Audience engagement sometimes notes host pacing and verbosity.
Guests appreciate rigorous, cross-disciplinary perspectives.
Consistently strong on ethics and governance topics.
Thoughtful, civil debate with deep analysis.
High-quality guests and challenging ideas.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Will the alleged attack on Helen Haines change Australia and its politics?
Q: What sort of policy or institutional responses do you have in mind there?
Manwaring cites councillors' support for stronger legal protections, stronger social media regulation and better modeling of rhetoric by political leaders.
Will the alleged attack on Helen Haines change Australia and its politics?
Q: Rob, sorry to interrupt there, but is that for security reasons or are there broader things going on as well about, well, the engagements are a waste of time now or I'm engaging with people in all sorts of other perhaps less enjoyable ways online?
Manwaring says security plays a part, but interviews suggest that councillors often withdraw because repeated harassment makes public engagements feel unproductive rather than physically unsafe.
Live from the Festival of Dangerous Ideas: Does longevity threaten the future?
Q: What do you think about the idea that longevity could undermine social cohesion or accelerate inequality?
Lucinda Holdforth argues that longevity should be reframed as a prompt to reinforce ethical duties toward others, including intergenerational contracts and responsibility to future generations, rather than a luxury that deepens inequality.
Should fat from cadavers be used for cosmetic procedures?
Q: Can we be clear about longevity aesthetics and how it differs from simple cosmetic enhancement?
The guest clarifies that longevity aesthetics seeks to stimulate bodily processes to sustain appearance and perceived vitality, blurring lines between appearance and health, rather than pure superficial improvement.
Should fat from cadavers be used for cosmetic procedures?
Q: What do you mean by aesthetic medicine?
A guest explains that aesthetic medicine focuses on procedures and surgeries aimed at cosmetic outcomes, not just corrective or reconstructive work, and involves a broad range from implants to non-surgical treatments.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Minefield

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

A thoughtful, rigorous conversation show that tackles ethical dilemmas at the intersection of philosophy, politics, technology, and culture. Across episodes, discussions thread through AI, democracy, regulation, literature, and social policy, often with expert guests who provide empirical or scholarly context. The format emphasizes civil, in-depth debate and consideration of long-term implications for society, governance, and personal conduct. Notable strengths include a willingness to challenge assumptions, a broad, cross-disciplinary approach, and guests who bring both academic and practical perspectives. This makes it appealing to listeners who enjoy analytical, idea-forward exchanges that connect ideas to real-world issues and policy im... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Minefield?

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How many listeners does The Minefield get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Minefield?

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How many subscribers and views does The Minefield have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Minefield has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Minefield?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Minefield:

1. Big Ideas
2. Late Night Live — Full program podcast
3. Philosopher's Zone
4. Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today
5. Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

How many episodes of The Minefield are there?

The Minefield launched 12 years ago and published 502 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 Minefield?

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 Minefield?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Minefield from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on The Minefield?

Recent guests on The Minefield include:

1. Rob Manwaring
2. Lauren Rosewarne
3. Intifar Chowdhury
4. Masoud Kamgarpour
5. Jade O'Regan
6. Jay Daniel Thompson
7. Farid Zaid
8. Lucinda Holdforth

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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