If You're Listening

The race to build a petrol station on the moon

The US, Russia, China and India are all sending missions to the moon — and all to its totally unexplored south pole.Why? Well, in order to make the next giant leap, we need to build a petrol station on the moon.How a discovery made a century ago will allow us to use the moon as a stepping stone to explore the solar system.Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app.Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWhuh87aYOM

16 min

Is the century-long search for a weight loss drug over?

For a century society has bullied and shamed people into trying to lose weight, without much result.Now, a seemingly accidental discovery by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk may be the first weight loss drug that actually works.People are hailing semaglutide, marketed under the names Ozempic or Wegovy, as a miracle weight loss drug — but it comes at a cost.One clear winner is the Danish economy, as semaglutide has shot Novo Nordisk into the stratosphere as the most valuable company in all of Europe.Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app.Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meJItedDm2Y

16 min

China cooked its population data. Now its economy is in crisis

China's economy is struggling. Similar things are happening across Asia but in China it's happening extremely fast.And a big part of the reason why is the disastrous One Child Policy and years of dodgy population data.How can you make plans for a country when you don't know how many people you have?Now the population is going backward, the property sector is faltering, and China is in a world of trouble.Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app.Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4E5qY_tTDg&t

15 min

Why is Russia meddling in West Africa?

While everyone has their eyes on the war in Ukraine, West Africa is threatening to break out into war.There's been a seemingly unstoppable wave of coups washing along the edge of the Sahara, gaining strength each time.After the recent military coup in Niger, locals were seen chanting "down with France" and "long live Putin".What are France and Russia doing in West Africa? And could they end up in a proxy war?Subscribe to If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app.Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_N9w5e9NrE

16 min

How microchip-maker TSMC became the world's most important company

Microchips are in your car, your microwave — there might even be one in your kettle. They run everything.And the best microchips are made by TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.TSMC chips have put Western tech companies and militaries streets ahead of China, and China is not happy about it.TSMC is so important, that the world could go to war over it.Find more If You're Listening on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tC3u8NEqU8&t

14 min

The decision that saved Australia from Argentina's 100 per cent inflation nightmare

Inflation in Argentina is at 100 per cent. The government is printing money fast and locals are spending in US dollars because the peso is so unreliable. The economy is like a rollercoaster.It might be tempting to think, "they're different over there", but here's the thing: they're kind of not. Argentina — one of the wealthiest countries in the world — was once uncomfortably similar to Australia. Until it totally lost control of its own economy.

16 min

How a bunch of boxes might land Trump in prison

Donald Trump has been charged with trying and failing to delete CCTV evidence of farcical, and allegedly criminal behaviour.It's just the latest charge in the case against the former president over his… interesting decision to take classified documents with him when he left the White House.Could it land him in jail? We tell the story of how Trump got into this predicament, and his plan to get out of it.

16 min

How "General Armageddon" and a bromance almost brought down Vladimir Putin

A bromance is a powerful thing. Lennon and McCartney. Holmes and Watson. Gilbert and Sullivan. Han and Chewy. But occasionally a bromance can nearly get you killed.A month ago the entire world watched transfixed as a former chef named Yevgeny Prigozhin marched with his private army on Moscow. At the core of this mutiny is a bromance between Prigozhin and a guy you've probably never heard of — General Sergei Surovikin.Prigozhin assumed his friend Surovikin would back him up, but he flaked, and now both men are missing. So how did Prigozhin's bromance with Surovikin nearly bring down the Russian Government? And what's the punishment for even thinking about trying to roll Vladimir Putin?We now make a video version of If You're Listening! Check us out on YouTube and iView.

18 min

INTRODUCING | If You're Listening

If You're Listening is back, and better than ever. Same espionage, same corruptions, same scandals, but more often.Not only will we be in your feed every Thursday, we'll also cover a different story each week. And if you prefer to watch rather than listen, we're also making videos for iView and YouTube.Episode one drops Thursday, 27th July.

2 min

RUSSIA | S07 E6 - How will the war against Ukraine end?

After ten months of war, a few likely outcomes of the war in Ukraine are emerging.A win for Vladimir Putin. A win for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A bitter frozen conflict. Neither Putin or Zelenskyy will sign a peace agreement and admit defeat. But what if Putin’s regime ends?Guests:Dr Paul Dibb - Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU; Former Director of the Australian Joint Intelligence OrganisationLieutenant General (retired) Ben Hodges - former commanding general of the US Army in EuropeDr Mykhailo Minakov - Philosopher; Editor in Chief of Focus Ukraine blog from the Kennan Institute at the Wilson CenterMichael Bociurkiw - Global Affairs Analyst and former spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in EuropePhilip Short - Former BBC Moscow Correspondent; Author of Putin: His Life and TimesProfessor Daniel Treisman, University of California, Los Angeles, co-author “Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century”

31 min

RUSSIA | S07 E5 - Has Putin finally pushed the Russian people too far?

Protest is not allowed inside Russia.There was little resistance from the Russian people to the invasion of Ukraine, and those who didn’t like it simply left. But Vladimir Putin has made a decree that has caused discord across Russia. Has he finally pushed his people too far?Guests:Zoya Sheftalovich - Contributing editor for POLITICODr Christina Ezrahi - Historian; author of Swans of the Kremlin and Dancing for StalinDenis Volkov - Director - Levada Centre, MoscowDr Yevgenia Albats - Chief Editor of The New TimesDr Mykhailo Minakov - Philosopher; Editor in Chief of Focus Ukraine blog from the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center

30 min

RUSSIA | S07 E4 - Undersea sabotage? The mysterious pipe blasts

On 26 September, a series of underwater explosions destroyed a cluster of natural gas pipelines on the bottom of the Baltic Sea.The pipes were designed to deliver gas directly from Russia to Germany, and the explosions exacerbated the already dire energy crisis in Europe.Everyone agrees it was sabotage, but nobody can agree on who did it. Today: the mystery of the Baltic Sea bubbles, and the story of how Germany’s plan for peace-through-capitalism blew up in their face.Featuring:Dr James Henderson - Chairman of the Gas Research Programme at the Oxford Institute for Energy StudiesMichael Bociurkiw - Global Affairs Analyst and former spokesperson for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe

34 min

RUSSIA | S07 E3 - Why it’s hard to fight when you don’t know why

What does war look like on the ground, for the soldiers who go off to fight? What’s it like to be sent into the muddy confusion of a battlefield, asked to lay down your life for your country?In this episode: two soldiers. A Ukrainian in his 50s and a Russian in his 20s. One of them is still on the battlefield. The other fought for a week, and is now serving a 15 year prison sentence.These two stories explain a lot about how Russia messed this up, and how Ukraine was far stronger than anyone realised.Guests:Isabella Higgins - ABC News Europe CorrespondentSean Rubinsztein-Dunlop - ABC News Investigative ReporterTaras Rodtseyvich - Ukrainian Territorial Defence Volunteer; IT ManagerDr Paul Dibb - Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU; Former Director of the Australian Joint Intelligence OrganisationZoya Sheftalovich - contributing editor for POLITICOPOW interview audio courtesy of Volodymyr Zolkin

33 min

RUSSIA S07 E2 | Zelensky's big call: run away or stay to fight

Vladimir Putin's plan for a three day takeover of Ukraine relied on a quick strike to take out Volodymyr Zelenskyy - to kill him, to capture him, or to make him flee. Putin assumed that Zelenskyy was weak, but on the very first day of the invasion, two events showed that Putin was wrong, and led to the transformation of a man into a symbol of defiance against Russian tyranny.Guests:Simon Shuster - Reporter for Time Magazine; author of an upcoming biography of Volodymyr ZelenskyyZoya Sheftalovich - contributing editor for POLITICOPhilip Short - Former BBC Moscow Correspondent; Author of Putin: His Life and TimesDr Paul Dibb - Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU; Former Director of the Australian Joint Intelligence OrganisationPOW interview audio courtesy of Volodymyr Zolkin

34 min

RUSSIA | S07 E1 - How war weakened strongman Putin

For 20 years the Russian President Vladimir Putin was happy to lurk in the shadows, trying and occasionally succeeding to manipulate the rest of the world into doing what he wanted them to do.But this year he chucked that out the window.His invasion of Ukraine has turned global security and the global economy upside down. In this episode we ask, why did he do it?Guests:Philip Short - Former BBC Moscow Correspondent; Author of Putin: His Life and TimesDr Yevgenia Albats - Chief Editor of The New TimesDr Mykhailo Minakov - Philosopher; Editor in Chief of Focus Ukraine blog from the Kennan Institute at the Wilson CenterDr Paul Dibb - Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at ANU; Former Director of the Australian Joint Intelligence OrganisationSimon Shuster - Reporter for Time Magazine; author of an upcoming biography of Volodymyr Zelenskyy

34 min

RUSSIA | 07 INTRODUCING Russia, If You're Listening series seven

In the seventh season of If You're Listening, we tell the story of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Will Putin fulfil his dream of expanding the Russian empire, or has he made the biggest mistake of his life? Episode 1 drops Wednesday November 9!

3 min

AUSTRALIA | S06 E8 - The 49-year-old energy prophecy that is finally coming true

Australia is now in a race to build enough renewable energy to replace our coal fired power stations before they close. We’re in this situation because of a series of ignored warnings and missed opportunities over the last five decades.Now, experts are telling us that the transition to a decarbonised economy presents a big opportunity for Australia. The question is - can we grasp it?Guests:Dr Alan Finkel - Commonwealth government energy advisor and former Australian Chief ScientistAlison Reeve - Deputy Program Director of Energy and Climate at the Grattan Institute; former Commonwealth energy policy advisor; author of the National Hydrogen PlanDr Kerry Schott - Independent chair of the Energy Security BoardScott Hamilton - Australia-German Energy Transition Hub & former energy policy advisor to federal and Victorian governmentsDr Ross Garnaut - Economist, Author of Superpower: Australia's Low Carbon Opportunity Dr Marcia Langton - Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of MelbourneRobert Hill - former Federal Environment MinisterDr Graeme Pearman - Former Chief of Atmospheric Research, CSIRO

37 min

AUSTRALIA | S06 E7 - The countdown on coal fired power

Over the last five years, politicians in Australia and around the world have regularly tried to blame renewable energy whenever something goes wrong with our electricity supply.But lately whenever something catastrophic has happened to our energy supply, it’s been old technology at fault.This is the story of a series of disasters that show how the system we’ve always relied on to deliver electricity is faltering.Guests:Dr Alan Finkel - Commonwealth government energy advisor and former Australian Chief ScientistWendy Farmer - Latrobe Valley resident and founder of “Voices of the Valley”Alison Reeve - Deputy Program Director of Energy and Climate at the Grattan Institute; former Commonwealth energy policy advisor; author of the National Hydrogen PlanDarren Chester - Federal MP for GippslandDr Kerry Schott - Independent chair of the Energy Security BoardScott Hamilton - Australia-German Energy Transition Hub & former energy policy advisor to federal and Victorian governmentsIan Macfarlane - Chief Executive of Queensland Resources Council & former federal resources ministerGraham Richardson - Former Federal Environment Minister

38 min

AUSTRALIA | S06 E6 - Can we keep digging for energy?

Australia has always found energy underground - digging up coal, gas and uranium. As climate change begins to change the way we get our power, our leaders regularly argue that we can keep on digging for power while also saving the planet. But do nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage, and gas fired power have a role to play in the future?

35 min

AUSTRALIA | S06 E5 - What we missed while we were knifing PMs

For more than a decade, Australian politicians have discovered - the hard way - that climate policy is a dangerous game. But as the Federal Parliament tore itself apart, the rest of the world moved on, finding new ways to understand the effects of climate change, and deal with it. This is the story of how Australia fell behind the rest of the world, and why we might finally be ready to catch up.Guests:

37 min

Episodes

The race to build a petrol station on the moon

Is the century-long search for a weight loss drug over?

China cooked its population data. Now its economy is in crisis

Why is Russia meddling in West Africa?

How microchip-maker TSMC became the world's most important company

The decision that saved Australia from Argentina's 100 per cent inflation nightmare

How a bunch of boxes might land Trump in prison

How "General Armageddon" and a bromance almost brought down Vladimir Putin

INTRODUCING | If You're Listening

RUSSIA | S07 E6 - How will the war against Ukraine end?

RUSSIA | S07 E5 - Has Putin finally pushed the Russian people too far?

RUSSIA | S07 E4 - Undersea sabotage? The mysterious pipe blasts

RUSSIA | S07 E3 - Why it’s hard to fight when you don’t know why

RUSSIA S07 E2 | Zelensky's big call: run away or stay to fight

RUSSIA | S07 E1 - How war weakened strongman Putin

RUSSIA | 07 INTRODUCING Russia, If You're Listening series seven

AUSTRALIA | S06 E8 - The 49-year-old energy prophecy that is finally coming true

AUSTRALIA | S06 E7 - The countdown on coal fired power

AUSTRALIA | S06 E6 - Can we keep digging for energy?

AUSTRALIA | S06 E5 - What we missed while we were knifing PMs

PEP with Chas and Dr Dave

Insiders

Politics Now

Episodes

The race to build a petrol station on the moon

Is the century-long search for a weight loss drug over?

China cooked its population data. Now its economy is in crisis

Why is Russia meddling in West Africa?

How microchip-maker TSMC became the world's most important company

The decision that saved Australia from Argentina's 100 per cent inflation nightmare

How a bunch of boxes might land Trump in prison

How "General Armageddon" and a bromance almost brought down Vladimir Putin

INTRODUCING | If You're Listening

RUSSIA | S07 E6 - How will the war against Ukraine end?

RUSSIA | S07 E5 - Has Putin finally pushed the Russian people too far?

RUSSIA | S07 E4 - Undersea sabotage? The mysterious pipe blasts

RUSSIA | S07 E3 - Why it’s hard to fight when you don’t know why

RUSSIA S07 E2 | Zelensky's big call: run away or stay to fight

RUSSIA | S07 E1 - How war weakened strongman Putin

RUSSIA | 07 INTRODUCING Russia, If You're Listening series seven

AUSTRALIA | S06 E8 - The 49-year-old energy prophecy that is finally coming true

AUSTRALIA | S06 E7 - The countdown on coal fired power

AUSTRALIA | S06 E6 - Can we keep digging for energy?

AUSTRALIA | S06 E5 - What we missed while we were knifing PMs

Similar podcasts

PEP with Chas and Dr Dave

Insiders

Politics Now