Uncommon Sense – Triple R FM Amy Mullins

Professor Andrew Walter from the University of Melbourne updates us about the UK election campaign, which is in its third week. With voting to be held on July 4th, will the UK population show up and vote according to what the polls presently indicate, which is a landslide victory to Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party? Or will there be an increase in the popularity of minor parties, or an unlikely resurgence of the embattled Tories led by PM Rishi Sunak? Broadcast on 11 June 2024.

Dr Richard Denniss talks all about inequality in Australia and how we fix it – the topic of his current national speaking tour. Richard is Executive Director of The Australia Institute. To attend the online live-streamed event being hosted in Adelaide, visit: https://australiainstitute.org.au/event/unequal-australia-adelaide/
To listen back to Amy's past interview with Richard about his book, Econobabble: How to Decode Political Spin and Economic Nonsense: https://soundcloud.com/uncommonsense-rrr/interview-with-richard-denniss-econobabble
Broadcast on 11 June 2024.

Acclaimed writer Ceridwen Dovey brings real space objects to life in her new collection of short stories, Only The Astronauts (Penguin Books). Ceridwen reflects on the stories and inner lives she creates for Elon Musk's rocket test mannequin, 'Starman,' as well as the International Space Station, the first sculpture ever taken to the Moon, the Voyager 1 space probe carrying the Golden Record, and more. Ceridwen speaks with Amy in-depth about the restorative effects of reading and writing fiction, as well as her process for writing these wonderful short stories in the form of a fable. Listen to Amy's past interview with Ceridwen on the commercial satellite mega-constellations damaging the night sky: https://soundcloud.com/uncommonsense-rrr/interview-with-ceridwen-dovey

Amy speaks with Bruce Pascoe and partner Lyn Harwood about their new book, Black Duck: A Year at Yumburra (Thames & Hudson), which is a personal reflection on life, Country and the consequences of Dark Emu through six seasons on Bruce and Lyn’s farm. Bruce Pascoe is a Bunurong, Yuin and Tasmanian Aboriginal writer of literary fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays and children's literature. He is the enterprise professor in Indigenous Agriculture at the University of Melbourne. He is best known for his work, Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture (Magabala Books, 2014). Lyn Harwood has worked as a teacher, a dancer, an editor, a publisher and an artist. She is a director on the Board of Black Duck Foods, promoting Indigenous food agriculture and has instigated a community based fuel management practice for the Mallacoota township.

British best-selling author Johann Hari joins Amy Mullins to talk about his excellent new book, Magic Pill, which examines the benefits and risks of controversial new weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy. Johann has in fact tried this medication himself and is conflicted about whether they are the miracle solution for obesity that they appear to be. We get into all the nuances of the science and debate around these medications, as well as the real causes of obesity and why people who try to lose weight the old-fashioned way (through diet and exercise) – may initially lose weight but struggle to keep it off. Hint: it actually isn’t your fault. This interview is essential listening for all people wanting to understand how our modern society has geared us towards obesity and disrupted our metabolic systems. Broadcast on 7 May 2024.

Julian Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton joined Amy Mullins to update us as to Julian's state of mind and health ahead of the UK High Court's impending decision, which is to be handed down tonight 9.30pm AEDT (10.30am London time). The court will decide whether Wikileaks founder and journalist Julian Assange will be able to appeal the decision to extradite him from Britain to the United States where he faces 18 charges for publishing US military documents and diplomatic cables and up to 173 years in prison or even the death penalty. Gabriel tells us about his attendance as a guest of Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie at President Joe Biden's 2024 State of the Union Address and the intense lobbying efforts happening behind the scenes at the US Congress. When will the Australian government make greater representations to the United States on its citizen's behalf? To support Julian Assange and take action, visit the campaign website: www.action.assangecampaign.org.au
Broadcast on 26 March 2024.