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Artwork for The Minefield

The Minefield

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

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes502Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PhilosophySociety & Culture

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Artwork for The Minefield

Latest Episodes

Evidence has been mounting for more than a decade that social media tears away at the fabric of democratic life by eroding the conditions of deliberation, shared understanding and mutual trust; that it is the conduit of widespread misinformation, dis... more

It is surely one of the more perverse achievements of modern marketing to have taken words that have a certain moral valence — which is to say, words that connote intimacy or an interpersonal bond — and use them to describe purely commercial or easil... more

It is suitably ironic that one of the most poignant, and pertinent, moments in Homer’s The Odyssey was airbrushed out of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster adaptation. The first time we meet Odysseus, the endlessly resourceful architect of the fall of T... more

It is hard to imagine a series of events more tragic, more unseemly, more emblematic of the performativity and polarisation that dominate our time, than the premature rise, sudden fall and untimely death of Jason Arday.

In 2023, the University of Ca... 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

Jay Daniel Thompson
Senior Lecturer in Digital Communication at RMIT University
RMIT University
Episode: Does a ‘digital duty of care’ threaten free speech?
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?
Craig Calhoun
University Professor of Social Sciences at Arizona State University and visiting Professor of Sociology at Princeton University
Arizona State University; Princeton University
Episode: Is opposition to data centres good news for democracy?
Renae Fomiatti
Australian Research Council Decra Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society
La Trobe University, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society
Episode: Should fat from cadavers be used for cosmetic procedures?
Yee-Fui Ng
Associate Professor of Law at Monash University
Monash University
Episode: How to protect democratic politics from the malign influence of money?
Adam Piovarchy
Research fellow examining ethics and politics of prediction markets
University of Notre Dame Australia
Episode: Do prediction markets enhance our understanding of the world or corrupt it?
Clare Bowditch
Australian musician, broadcaster, author, actress, film critic
Independent guest on The Minefield
Episode: ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ — high fashion or vision of hell?

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
  • 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 Kingdom4 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
    Australia6 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
    Australia10 months ago
  • Listener Questions . . .

    Brilliant‼️ More please‼️

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    M.G.Gaede
    Australiaa year ago
  • Great Show But…

    This is a fabulous show but I’ve been listening less. Mainly because it’s virtually impossible to contact the team. Guving feedback and asking for subjects to be included is sadly very difficult. So I came here! Hopefully they read this

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    davehammond
    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.

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.
What happens to our moral lives when we stop reading books?
Q: Can modern technology support or hinder this deep reading practice?
Technology can both hinder and help: it can enable discussion and access to texts, but excessive AI assistance or distraction can erode cognitive offloading and deep engagement unless used to supplement genuine reading and dialogue.
What happens to our moral lives when we stop reading books?
Q: Why do we need reading to have this kind of deep contemplative engagement?
Reading trains us to linger with difficult ideas, to imagine being in another mind, and to develop a broader working vocabulary that underpins complex thought and empathy, which in turn supports virtuous social living.

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?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Minefield. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Minefield and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Minefield get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Minefield?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Minefield, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

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 11 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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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Minefield?

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What guests have appeared on The Minefield?

Recent guests on The Minefield include:

1. Jay Daniel Thompson
2. Farid Zaid
3. Lucinda Holdforth
4. Bernard Baffour
5. Craig Calhoun
6. Renae Fomiatti
7. Yee-Fui Ng
8. Adam Piovarchy

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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