Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

Rutger Bregman, a Dutch historian and author of 'Moral Ambition', challenges the privileged to shift from lucrative careers to tackling global issues like climate change and disease prevention. He argues that awareness isn't enough; action is crucial. Rutger critiques the allure of traditional paths like finance, advocating for 'moral ambition' in careers. He emphasizes strategic thinking in activism, highlights past figures like Thomas Clarkson and Ralph Nader, and offers practical steps for professionals to pursue high-impact work that measures real-world results.

Rope weaves together the fascinating story of one of humanity’s oldest inventions — a simple twist of fibres that literally held the world together. From hauling stones for the pyramids to anchoring ships on daring voyages, rope has been the silent hero behind some of history’s greatest achievements.GUEST Tim Queeney, Author, “Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibres Became the Backbone of Civilisation".PRODUCER: Ali Benton

IN 1947, Herbert Vere "Doc" Evatt was Australia's external affairs minister and the appointed chair of the United Nation's Ad-Hoc Committee on the Palestinian Question, which was tasked with devising a plan for Palestine in the wake of World War II, as Britain planned to relinquish its mandate over the area. According to Jewish-Australian historian Dr Suzanne Rutland, Evatt's manoeuvrers at the UN were instrumental in securing the narrow two-thirds majority support required for the partition of Palestine and the creation of a Jewish state. Guest: Dr Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emeritus at the University of Sydney, Department of Hebrew, Biblical & Jewish StudiesProducer: Rebecca Metcalf, Jack Schmidt

At the turn of the 20th century, one American became obsessed with the idea of life on Mars, and carried his obsessions into a public movement that may have sparked actual space exploration and scientific advancement.Guest: David Baron, an author, journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who writes about astronomy and other sciences. His latest book is “The Martians: A True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America.” Producer: Alex Tighe

The new documentary Surviving Malka Leifer reveals the inside-story of the Malka Leifer saga, when three sisters from Melbourne's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community fought for years to bring their abuser and former-headmistress to justice. The documentary recently screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival and is available to stream on Stan from October 5. Guest: Adam Kamien, journalist and director of Surviving Malka Leifer (2025)

In the mid-1800s, Tasmanian sheep farmer James Youl embarked on a fanciful mission, to transport live Atlantic salmon eggs from the northern hemisphere to the south, thousands of miles across the seas, in the hopes of spawning a viable salmon colony in Australia. It was a mad endeavour that stretched the limits of science and technology, and defied the accepted laws of nature. Guest: Steve Harris, author of Under the influence of salmon: how a man and a fish turned the world upside downProducer: Jack Schmidt

When Nila Ibrahimi was 13 and living in Kabul, the local government banned girls from singing. She sang anyway, and was part of a protest movement that had the ban reversed. Months later Nila and her family fled to Canada when the Taliban took over Afghanistan. Nila has continued to advocate for the rights of girls in her home country, and in 2024 she won the International Children's Peace Prize. This week she's giving the Gandhi Oration at UNSW.Guest: Nila Ibrahimi, girls' education activistProducer: Alex Tighe

Ian Dunt explores the political culture surrounding the UK’s party conference season, considers whether Reform’s Nigel Farage has become the default Opposition leader in the UK, and looks at Donald Trump’s plans involving Tony Blair and Gaza.Guest: Ian Dunt: iNews columnist and regular LNL commentatorProducer: Ali Benton

For centuries, carpets have been coveted by shahs, emperors, conquerors and chieftains. Historian Dorothy Armstrong tells the stories of twelve fascinating carpets, from the 5th Century BC, to the rug under the boots of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill at Yalta in 1945.Guest: Dorothy Armstrong, historian of the material culture of South, Central and West Asia, University of Oxford. Author of Threads of EmpireProducer: Alex Tighe

ASIC, the Australian financial regulator, has licensed a stablecoin for the first time in its history. A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency, and we're at a moment where cryptocurrencies could change the plumbing of the global  financial system... with profound consequences for geopolitics. Guest: Ross Buckley, Scientia Professor at UNSWProducer: Alex Tighe