Best Uncommon Knowledge Podcasts (2025)

1
The Signal in the Noise: Speaker Mike Johnson on Elon, the Big Beautiful Bill, and “Our Chance to Save Our Country” | Hoover Institution 45:33

9h ago45:33

45:33

Peter Robinson interviews Speaker of the House Mike Johnson about the contentious passage of the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping budget reconciliation measure crafted to implement core elements of the Trump agenda. Johnson defends the bill against criticism from Elon Musk and others, arguing it delivers historic tax cuts, $1.6 trillion in sa…

1
Episode Eighteen: Protecting Seniors from Identity Theft with Jim Hughes 28:31

5h ago28:31

28:31

🎙️ Episode 18: "Protecting Seniors from Identity Theft with Jim Hughes" Welcome to another episode of Uncommon Knowledge for Seniors hosted by Jim Moran of Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s! In this must-listen episode, we sit down with Jim Hughes, a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist and founder of Business Risk Solutions. Jim brings over …

1
History of with Dr Grant Morris 8:16

36m ago8:16

8:16

Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, artificial intelligence has gone from strength to strength. We are now at the point where it is threatening to displace whole occupations and take over many tasks from humans. But how did we get to this point? Today, Jesse and Grant discuss the history of AI.…

1
Solving the World's Problems with Dave Armstrong 10:01

37m ago10:01

10:01

It's another instalment of Solving the World's Problems, where Dave Armstrong gives their reckons on the issues of the day in today's edition.

1
NZ Sporting History: Phil Gifford on Stu Wilson 25:31

1h ago25:31

25:31

New Zealand rugby lost another great this week with Stu Wilson dying at the age of 70. For most of his career, Stu served as a winger, playing 85 games for the All Blacks and almost 200 for Wellington. He scored 19 test tries in that time. Off the field he was known for his colourful sense of humour and was later praised for his match commentary. F…

1
Podcast Critic: 'Lost Boys' & 'Bush Deep!' 11:00

1h ago11:00

11:00

RNZ newsreader reviews Lost Boys and Bush Deep!

1
Are smartphones extensions of our mind? 12:19

34m ago12:19

12:19

Rather than being cognitive extensions of our minds, our smartphones are parasites devices designed to steal our, money and data - says a team of Australian philosophers. A recent paper in the Australasian Journal of Philosophy argues smartphones pose unique societal risks to humanity - all while benefiting technology companies and advertisers. Rac…

1
This salmon farm in the middle of nowhere is for sale 6:05

43m ago6:05

6:05

South Westland Salmon Farm on State Highway 6 is surrounded by mountains, rivers and valleys. Whoever buys the farm from the Monk family will get an off-the-shelf salmon farm business complete with cafe with a commercial kitchen, gift shop and office space. The current owner is Ben Monk and he joins Jesse.…

1
The National Library set to destroy 500,000 books 17:21

1h ago17:21

17:21

Yesterday morning, the National Library of New Zealand began the process of destroying half a million books and says they're going to be shredded and fed back into the recycling system. The library claims they've been trying to re-home them since 2018, that there's no demand, and that most haven't been requested in decades. Book dealer and Hard To …

1
Our Changing World: Tagging green sea turtles 11:46

5h ago11:46

11:46

Late last year an unprecedented number of green sea turtles, or honu, washed up on New Zealand’s coastline. Many were nursed back to health and released back into the wild – and some were returned carrying special hardware that could help change the way we care for these ocean taonga On Our Changing World today, Liz Garton meets with the people beh…

1
James Kimmel Jr. on revenge politics 26:41

23h ago26:41

26:41

Revenge is front and center in American politics as the world witnesses the bitter break up of Elon Musk and US President Trump. Revenge is an addiction says Dr. James Kimmel Jr who knows the impulse to get your own back having spent 20 years in what he calls the business of revenge as a lawyer. Now as a professor in psychiatry at the Yale School o…

1
Bookmarks with Peau Halapua 25:18

6h ago25:18

25:18

Violinist and musical director Peau Halapua talks to Jesse about her life, career, and favourite things.

1
Easy Eats with Sam Parrish 8:40

6h ago8:40

8:40

Sam Parrish shares her midweek recipe for egg noodles.

1
Heading Off: Katie Fitzgerald in South Korea & Japan 9:36

6h ago9:36

9:36

Morning Report producer Katie Fitzgerald takes us on an overland adventure through South Korea & on to Japan.

1
Safer dining options needed for our gluten-free community 8:35

7h ago8:35

8:35

A call has gone out to restaurants across the motu to buck up their ideas when it comes to their gluten-free dining offerings. More than 100,000 New Zealanders are estimated to be living with coeliac disease, with thousands more likely undiagnosed. Now Coeliac New Zealand says people too often are navigating a minefield of hidden ingredients, cross…

1
The man reimagining teacher training 8:55

7h ago8:55

8:55

Last year, Westlake Boys School headmaster David Ferguson left his job of 15 years to address a critical issue - a lack of teachers.

1
Sonia Gray on her mind altering mental health journey 17:18

7h ago17:18

17:18

Broadcaster Sonia Gray has been on a journey to find out if psychedelics could be the answer to New Zealand's ongoing addiction and mental health crisis.

1
Dr Greg Walton: How we can achieve big change with small acts 23:39

2h ago23:39

23:39

Dr Greg Walton is a professor of psychology at Stanford University. He says a kind word, a tiny shift in thinking or a feeling of belonging can create big, lasting changes in people's lives. His new book is a reminder that big outcomes can grow from the smallest, most ordinary beginnings. It's called Ordinary Magic: The Science of How We Can Achiev…

1
Update on Oz with Brad Foster 8:53

2h ago8:53

8:53

Brad Foster is our man on the ground in Australia.

1
Book Critic: Pip Adam 9:04

2h ago9:04

9:04

Pip reviews Prairie, Dresses, Art, Other by Danielle Dutton (Coffee House Press), American Precariat: Parable of Exclusion by Zeke Caligiuri (Coffee House Press) and Sound Museum by Poupeh Massaghi (Coffee House Press).

1
Tech Tuesday 8:17

3h ago8:17

8:17

Time for Tech Tuesday and Mark Leishman is joined by Tim Batt.

1
Catherine Knight: An Uncommon Land 12:05

3h ago12:05

12:05

The commons or common land are cultural and natural resources available to all members of a society. In Europe they are prevalent but when early colonists came to Aotearoa they instead prioritised private ownership. The theory at the time was private ownership derives progress. But as we're now seeing that comes with its own drawbacks. In her lates…

1
No single approach to migraine prevention is effective, research finds 11:49

3h ago11:49

11:49

Around half of people with migraine disease turn to non-medication treatments to ease their symptoms, new research has revealed. The Migraine in Aotearoa New Zealand survey from University of Otago researchers asked participants about supplements and treatments they've used including magnesium and vitamin B2 or meditation, yoga and massage. Dr Fion…

1
Christchurch schools offering an alternative to the manosphere 10:46

3h ago10:46

10:46

Figures like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson regularly pop up in news headlines and the stories about them are rarely good - yet they offer easy solutions to the question of what it means to be a young man in 2025. Now, thirteen South Island boys schools are teaming up to share resources and provide an alternative sense of belonging for their stude…

1
Louise Perry on sex, freedom, and responsibility 27:14

5h ago27:14

27:14

In her last book, she made the case that the sexual revolution sold women freedom but mostly ended up giving men more sex without responsibility. .

1
Expert Feature: Bees 27:36

5h ago27:36

27:36

Each Monday, we pick a subject and invite an expert in that field to answer our burning questions. Today we're exploring the fascinating world of bees with Jenny Jandt, researcher in the Zoology department at the University of Otago, and one of New Zealand's premier bee researchers. If you have any questions for Jenny you can text them through, 210…

1
Information Center Cold Call: Te Anau Fiordland 11:43

5h ago11:43

11:43

Every week Jesse cold calls a different information centre somewhere in Aotearoa. They don't know he's calling and he doesn't know who will answer the phone. Will it be a disaster or a lovely, fun chat? You'll have to listen to find out.

1
Television Critic: Caitlin Cherry 10:52

6h ago10:52

10:52

Caitlin has been watching Sirens (Netflix) and Murderbot (Apple TV) and tells us what she thinks.

1
The 12-year campaign to keep New Chum Beach from developers 11:17

6h ago11:17

11:17

For the last 12 years, a group of locals have been fighting a planned 25-house development.

1
One man's mission to pass an online safety bill 9:49

6h ago9:49

9:49

Online safety campaigner Rob Cope has written his own online safety bill to protect young people online and is lobbying MPs for support.

1
MenzShed sheds save lives - but we need more of them 16:00

7h ago16:00

16:00

MenzShed chairman David Broadhead says the charity needs more land, buildings and funding

1
Critter of the Week: The Frostfish 16:58

6d ago16:58

16:58

Meet the Frostfish! This beautiful iridescent silver fish is found all over the world, but are also native to our waters. They are known for stranding on beaches after especially frosty nights, hence the name! These long silver ribbons are ambush predators, hanging vertically in the water column with their mouths ready to snap at the nearest unsusp…

1
Weekend Stuff: DIY with Stan Scott 11:30

3h ago11:30

11:30

Our DIY expert Stan Scott answers your DIY questions. Sent them in to [email protected]

1
Food with Sean Connolly 7:25

5d ago7:25

7:25

Sean shares the recipe for his Wedge Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

1
Film Review: The Surfer & Mountainhead 12:15

4h ago12:15

12:15

Film reviewer Dom Corry shares is take on new Nicolas Cage thriller 'The Surfer' & 'Mountainhead' a new comedy from Succession creater Jesse Armstrong.

1
Freaky Friday: Rochelle 5:12

4h ago5:12

5:12

Rochelle joins us to share some spooky occurrences that took place in her first home. If you have a Freaky Friday story to share please send it to [email protected]

1
Rethinking investment 13:53

20h ago13:53

13:53

In March, the government made it easier for community housing providers to borrow money in a bid to address our chronic affordable housing shortage. The $150 million the government has promised to providers will arrive via the Community Housing Funding Agency and should address the 21,000 households currently waiting on the Housing Register. Last n…

1
Grand ideas: a new prosthetic leg 8:49

5h ago8:49

8:49

Ruby Keegan is working on a prosthetic limb which can be worn in and out of the water - giving amputees the freedom to move easily between land to sea. She's just won Massey University's Grand Ideas competition for student-driven innovation that tackles real world challenges.

1
The legacy of Jerry Collins 2:55

5h ago2:55

2:55

Today marks 10 years since All Black Jerry Collins and his partner Alana Madill were both killed in a fatal car crash in the south of france. At 6pm tonight Porirua's Jerry Collins Stadium hosts a special memorial match, put on by his first amateur club Norths United RFC.

1
The case against designer dogs 14:55

5h ago14:55

14:55

Dogs with flat faces and bulging eyes have become a popular choice for pet owners, but we're being warned their selective breeding puts them at risk for a large number of health problems.

1
Financial Knowledge Quiz with Mary Holm 23:28

1h ago23:28

23:28

This week, a quiz to test your financial literacy. How many questions can you get right?

1
The A to Z of Aotearoa - A is for Aviation 24:42

2h ago24:42

24:42

This week we're launching a new Thursday feature and each fortnight from today (alternating with NZ Sporting History) we'll be taking a look at a subject close to our collective kiwi hearts - starting with A and working out way down to Z. Whether that's Pies, Forestry, xylophone clubs, or Zorbing... which was invented in Rotorua apparently. Today w…

1
Podcast Critic 9:14

2h ago9:14

9:14

Regular Afternoons podcast critic Alan Doak has been listening to Instant Genius by the folk that make BBC Science Focus Magazine and The Economics of Everyday Things hosted by journalist Zachary Crockett.

1
Will our favourite music artists ever make it to New Zealand? 9:36

1h ago9:36

9:36

Muso and Afternoons regular Chris Schulz says we need big artists, major shows and large-scale touring to return to Aotearoa - immediately. Recently, the likes of Taylor Swift, Oasis, Billie Eilish, Green Day, The Killers, Katy Perry, Korn and Kylie Minogue have toured the globe extensively, including Australia - but then gave New Zealand a wide be…

1
Limpets are smarter than we might think 9:52

1h ago9:52

9:52

Limpets, which are technically a type of snail, are found on rocks, boat hulls, glued to the side of jetties. In spite of - or maybe because of - their ubiquity, we often overlook them in favour of assuming they just sit there doing nothing. But it turns out that isn't the case. They're surprisingly active and adaptive. Postdoctoral fellow at the U…

1
Getting lower income communities onto e-bikes 12:46

2h ago12:46

12:46

We all know e-bikes are increasingly popular - but they're not cheap. Research shows it's financially well-off households which lead the way in e-bike sales. But three pilot programmes have just wrapped up - looking at how to get more communities charged up and onto a bike. Dr Caroline Shaw is Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health …

1
Our Changing World: Tūī translocation 12:32

2h ago12:32

12:32

Today on Our Changing World – we have a piece from the archives – from 15 years ago. Chatham Island tūī once were common on the main Chatham Island, but from the 1930s their numbers started to decline, and by the 1990s they were all but gone. In 2009 fourteen tūī were transferred from nearby predator free Rangatira island to the main island. They a…

1
Feature interview: The issues with Pronatalism 25:25

2h ago25:25

25:25

"Start procreating or start panicking." That's the core message of a once-fringe ideology now pushing its way into the mainstream called pronatalism. Elon Musk is one of the movement's loudest voices, boasting 14 kids and calling population decline humanity's biggest threat. The pronatalist movement is largely led by white conservatives and tech el…