Curious Worldview

Joshua Bandoch, Head of Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute and author of How to Get What You Want, explores why we feel before we reason. He traces persuasion from Aristotle to modern neuroscience. Short, lively segments cover authenticity vs manipulation, tone and body language, storytelling and aesthetics, moral foundations, and practical persuasion tactics for politics and everyday life.

Tony Abbott, former Australian prime minister, Rhodes Scholar and author of 'Australia: A History', discusses national identity and the debate over a 'black armband' reading of the past. He covers frontier relations and the Myall Creek massacre, why Australia’s post-1788 history feels recent, technology and energy challenges, and the roots of Australian egalitarianism.

Eric Jorgenson, author and CEO of Scribe Media known for The Navalmanac and The Book of Elon, shares sharp takes on Elon Musk’s purpose-driven risk-taking and pattern of compounding bets. He unpacks attacking bottlenecks, vertical integration, talent attraction, and how a curated almanac style reframes big biographies. Short, focused, and provocatively practical.

Will Marshall, CEO and co-founder of Planet and former NASA scientist, built a fleet of 200+ satellites to create a queryable Earth. He discusses indexing daily global imagery, using AI and computer vision to make it searchable, applications for economic signals, conservation and disaster monitoring, and the technical and governance challenges of space-based data and compute.

Joe Aston, an Australian investigative business journalist and author who transformed AFR’s Rear Window and founded Rampart. He talks about literary influences and writing craft. He reflects on leaving a masthead to build a subscription-first media model. He also discusses sobriety, newsroom culture, and balancing journalism’s ethics with running a new media venture.

Dennis Voznesenski, an Australian agricultural analyst and author of War & Wheat, studies global grain markets and geopolitics. He discusses how geopolitics and energy policy ripple through food systems. He maps major wheat exporters and shipping risks. He explores Africa’s logistical limits, Australian farm scale and tech, on-farm storage as a market tactic, and why historical crises illuminate today’s agriculture trends.

Jeff Farrell 'Cocaine Diaries' My Substack (Subscribe)Jeff Farrell Website*Leave a review on Apple or Spotify* (nothing does more to help grow the show)Podcast Starter PacksOffshore Finance/Kleptocracy & Money LaunderingGeopolitics/Economics/Economic DevelopmentExplorers & AdventurersInvestigative Journalists---When Irish journalist Jeff Farrell arrived in Venezuela during the Chávez years as a Latin American correspondent, he couldn't have chanced a more serendipitous encounter that lead to one of the most harrowing stories he'd ever tell. That encounter was with the Irish drug mule, Paul Keeney, and his story that followed became the bestselling book, 'Cocaine Diaries', which pulls back the curtain on the nightmarish reality of Venezuela's prison system: the corruption, the violence, the abuse and the absurdity.Jeff discusses the extraordinary risks facing foreign correspondents trying to report from Venezuela today, where journalists are turned back at the airport and armed civilian militias called 'colectivos' who patrol the streets. We discuss his forthcoming novel 'Last Call of Caracas', which he's been writing for eight years and life imitated art a bit early in this case because by sheer coincidence, the novel ruptures to a scene of the US attacking Venezuela Throughout it all, Jeff reflects on a country he clearly loves but can no longer safely visit—and holds onto hope that one day, when the regime falls and the diaspora returns, he might get to write something positive about Venezuela for a change.Timestamps00:00 Jeff Farrell & The Story03:00 The Risks of Reporting from Venezuela06:13 The Challenges of Foreign Correspondence09:03 Life Under a Regime of Fear11:59 The Complexities of Venezuelan Society14:57 The Impact of Corruption and Socialism18:12 The Beauty and Paradox of Venezuela21:06 The Geography and Demographics of Venezuela24:04 The Journey of a Foreign Correspondent27:07 The Serendipitous Encounter with Paul Keeney44:27 A Journey into the Venezuelan Prison System51:47 Serendipity and the Book Deal54:07 Paul Keeney's Life and Struggles01:00:22 The Harsh Realities of Venezuelan Prisons01:08:14 Escape from Venezuela01:13:54 The Aftermath of the Book and Future Plans01:18:04 Reflections on Journalism and Human Experience

Jeremy Dicker, co-founder of International Intrigue and former Australian diplomat with 14 years in the Americas, offers lively geopolitical forecasts. He discusses Taiwan and South China Sea risks. He covers Europe's reliance on the US, crypto's move toward mainstream use, tech firms eyeing nuclear energy, AI market dynamics, Latin America political shifts, BRICS vs Quad, and China’s tech strategy.

Nicolas Niarchos, a journalist for The New Yorker and author of *Elements of Power*, dives deep into the cobalt supply chains that spark geopolitical tensions. He unpacks the brutal history of cobalt extraction in the Congo, linking it to the rise of China's technological power and the modern kleptocracy. Niarchos reveals the complexities of artisanal mining, corruption, and how multinational companies shape local economies. He also highlights the urgent need for ethical practices in the mining industry as electrification fuels skyrocketing demand.

Tim Cope, an Australian adventurer and author, shares his remarkable journey across the Eurasian steppe on horseback. He discusses the profound sense of freedom he experienced, along with the historical misconceptions about nomadic cultures. Cope recounts heartwarming and harrowing moments, like gaining a loyal dog during his travels and facing social challenges tied to alcohol. He also reflects on the emotional impact of his father's passing and the lessons learned about resilience, trust, and the future of nomadism in a changing world.