Best Isolated Ape Podcasts (2025)

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Is $4,000 Gold the First Crack in the Fiat Era? 31:54

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17m ago31:54

31:54

Broadcasting from under the Hollywood sign in the middle of a rare Californian downpour, we follow the water straight into the gold. Starting with LA as a city built on pure imagination, we jump back to the original gold rushes that reshaped the map: California in 1849, the Australian fields, the Klondike, and the deep shafts of South Africa. We me…

1
Hollywood, Soft Power & Ireland’s Anti-American Left? 47:55

35m ago47:55

47:55

Reporting from West Hollywood, in a rock ’n’ roll hotel with no parties and no drugs as house rules. We take a walk down Sunset Boulevard and into the strange engine of L.A.: a city built almost entirely on imagination, storytelling and constant reinvention. From Mulholland’s aqueduct to the studios that wrote America’s myths, we asks: what does a …

1
Vibecession, AI Mania & The New Casino Economy with Kyla Scanlon 37:57

9m ago37:57

37:57

Live at Kilkenomics, we welcome Roscommon's own economics star Kyla Scanlon author of In This Economy for a fast, funny, and razor-sharp tour of where money and mood collide. We get into her “vibecession” idea on why feelings beat spreadsheets, the AI splash that’s propping up markets, and why America is drifting from a work economy to a casino eco…

1
The Tech Crash, The Demographic Time Bomb, and Ireland’s Future 40 39:18

4m ago39:18

39:18

A tech bubble always feels rational until it doesn’t, as Wall Street fuses with Silicon Valley and the entire American economy becomes a single hyper-leveraged bet on AI, we trace the early tremors: falling job numbers, concentration of risk, a market propped up by story over profit. The real shock comes at home, Ireland’s new Future 40 report quie…

1
The Pope’s Children at 20: How Ireland Grew Up 38:03

9h ago38:03

38:03

Twenty years ago, The Pope’s Children changed how Ireland saw itself; a country high on credit, confidence, and Celtic Tiger ambition. Two decades later, we’re back where it all began: the suburbs, the shopping centres, the bouncy castles and breakfast rolls that built a new middle class. We revisit the characters who defined an era, Decklanders, R…

1
Australia, Argentina & Ireland: A Tale of Three Economies 41:07

7d ago41:07

41:07

Australia is the country Argentina should’ve been, and the country Ireland could become. Seventy years ago, Argentina and Australia stood side by side as the world’s great hopes, rich in land, resources, and ambition. Today, one is a model of steady prosperity, the other a warning wrapped in inflation and political theatre. We dig into how two nati…

1
The Truth about the African Ghost Hominid 16:25

14d ago16:25

16:25

Explore the fascinating history of the African Ghost Hominid, an elusive ancestor that intrigues archaeologists and historians. Join us on this journey to uncover the mysteries of ancient human history and archaeology. Follow and connect with us on social media: Website: north02.com YouTube: Paleolithic Production Instagram: north.o2 Discord: Join …

1
The Life Raft for Billionaires: Why Tech Titans Are Buying New Zealand 33:27

9d ago33:27

33:27

As Ireland square up to the All Blacks at the weekend, we are all New Zealand this week, podcasting from the edge of the world, Richie McCaw's old stomping Christchurch, New Zealand. We explore why the world’s richest men are turning NZ's quiet and beautiful South Island into their apocalypse insurance policy. Peter Thiel has bought hundreds of acr…

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The Tiny Humans Species Who Lived Among Monsters 19:56

17d ago19:56

19:56

Incredible discoveries on the island of Flores reveal that an ancient tiny species survived among terrifying creatures. Could these ancient humans still exist today? Find out! Click this link to support our project! Support Our Project Check out my stuff! North02 Website YouTube: Paleolithic Production Instagram: north.o2 Discord: Join our Discord …

1
The AI Bubble: Boom, Bust & Baked in Nimbin 42:47

9d ago42:47

42:47

Somewhere between a biker bar in Nimbin and a data centre in Virginia, we try to make sense of the biggest capital boom in history. The AI revolution has garnered $400 billion of spending this year alone, nearly half of all US growth. What if it’s all built on industrial lettuces, tech that expires faster than it earns? From NVIDIA’s chip race to M…

1
The Lost Sailors: From Aboriginals to Schumpeter 38:37

24d ago38:37

38:37

Deep in an Australian rainforest, surrounded by birds older than any cathedral, We unpack one of the greatest mysteries in human history, how the first people to sail across open seas, 60,000 years ago, became a civilisation that forgot how to sail. The Aboriginal Australians, the oldest continuous culture on Earth, arrived when Europe was still un…

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The Land of Opportunity Down Under: Australia 41:47

16d ago41:47

41:47

Cycling through Brisbane in the heat, we've found a country that hasn’t had a recession in nearly half a century; a statistical miracle in modern capitalism. Australia’s economy has grown steadily since the 1980s, powered by the luck of geography and the grit of immigration. Iron ore alone earns more than €100 billion a year, and one in three resid…

1
The Bizarre Skull Cults of the Stone Age 20:47

28d ago20:47

20:47

Explore the intriguing world of Stone Age skull cults, delving into archaeological findings and their historical significance. Support Our Project: Click this link to support our project! Stay Connected: North 02 Website YouTube Instagram: north.o2 Discord: Join our Discord Twitter: NORTH_o2 Spotify: Listen on Spotify Facebook: Follow us on Faceboo…

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Saudi the Kingmaker: Gaza, Trump & a New Middle East with Andrew Maxwell 54:43

30d ago54:43

54:43

Live from Christchurch, literally tomorrow, we bring on Andrew Maxwell, fresh off stage in Riyadh, to ground-truth the social shift you won’t see in think-tank PDFs: 8k-seat comedy arenas, mixed audiences, and a culture moving at startup speed. With approximately 17% of the world’s proven crude reserves, a sovereign fund near $900bn, and a populati…

1
The Behavioural Budget: How Tax Shapes Us 36:44

1M ago36:44

36:44

We promise this isn’t another boring budget breakdown! This week, we’re asking a bigger question: what if taxation isn’t really about raising money, but about changing behaviour? With Ireland awash in corporate tax revenue, the old logic of “tax to fund spending” doesn’t quite hold. So, should we start using taxes to shape how people act, from dere…

1
The Evolution of the Human Face 15:47

1M ago15:47

15:47

Explore the fascinating journey of human facial evolution with a deep dive into archaeology and history. Follow and Connect: Check out my stuff! north02.com PaleolithicProduction on YouTube Instagram Join the discussion on Discord Twitter Listen on Spotify Facebook Contact us at: [email protected] Media Credits: All media is used with pe…

1
The Art of Creation with The Edge - Part Two 42:38

28d ago42:38

42:38

We’re back with The Edge for part two of our conversation. This time, on the creative mind itself, we talk about what connects the artist and the entrepreneur: the instinct to imagine something that doesn’t exist and make it real. From James Joyce’s Volta Cinema to U2’s Berlin reinvention, we explore how creativity and risk are two sides of the sam…

1
Why This 7,000-Year-Old Painting Terrified Archaeologists 16:08

1M ago16:08

16:08

We’re bringing the Stone Age to life — and we need your help. Support The Uncanny Valley now: Support The Uncanny Valley. Every contribution pushes this series closer to becoming real. This episode discusses various cave paintings from the Stone Age that depict images of violence, challenging previous assumptions about the era. Explore the contrast…

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The Art of Creation with The Edge 44:17

1M ago44:17

44:17

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When Eagles Preyed Upon Our Ancestors 14:49

1M ago14:49

14:49

Explore the fascinating intersection of history, ancient human life, and archaeology in this episode. Dive deep into the intriguing narratives of our ancestors and their interactions with eagles. Check out our project "The Uncanny Valley" and donate today! Visit our website at north02.com. Follow us on social media: YouTube: @PaleolithicProduction …

1
What is Radical Politics? 46:20

1M ago46:20

46:20

We like to think of the centre as steady, sensible, and grounded, but what if the “centre” is actually the most radical place in politics right now? The real fault line in modern politics isn’t about tax or spending, it’s about culture. Onn those cultural questions the political class has drifted miles away from the people they claim to represent. …

1
Culture Wars in the West, Alliances in the East 36:33

1M ago36:33

36:33

While the West burns itself out on culture wars, the East is quietly stitching together something bigger. This is the age of geo-economics, where oil, factories, and sheer population size matter more than headlines. On Russia’s border, the numbers tell the story: 4.5 million Russians facing 107 million Chinese. Add India into the mix and you see th…

1
Are We Wired for War? - The Science of Tribalism 28:33

1M ago28:33

28:33

Explore the concept of tribalism and its impact on human history. Dive into the science behind our predisposition for conflict and cooperation. Check out more content on North 02, YouTube, and Instagram. Join our community on Discord and follow us on Twitter, Spotify, and Facebook. For inquiries, contact us at [email protected]. #history…

1
Who Owns the Flag? From the American Revolution to Charlie Kirk 38:14

1M ago38:14

38:14

We’re in New York this week, celebrating my mam’s 90th birthday and launching The History of Money in the U.S., but the backdrop is America’s deepening culture war. With the 250th anniversary of the Revolution looming, both liberals and MAGA are fighting to “own” the flag, the story, and the soul of America. We dive into Ken Burns’s new PBS series …

1
The Economics of Golf 48:21

2M ago48:21

48:21

What does golf tell us about money, power, and the way economies work? From billion-dollar sponsorship deals to the rise of LIV Golf, from Tiger Woods to Trump’s golf courses, the fairways of golf are lined with lessons about globalisation, soft power, and the business of status. In this episode, we tee off on the economics of golf, how a game that…

1
From Cod to Culture: What Inishmore Teaches Us About the Experience Economy 36:52

2M ago36:52

36:52

Between 250,000-300,000 tourists land on the island every year, 2,500 a day in summer, and yet it still feels authentic, alive, and deeply Irish. In this episode, we ask: how do remote places like Inishmore thrive in today’s economy, while once-wealthy regions like France’s Île de Ré struggle with emptying out? We dig into the wild history of cod a…

1
Could the GAA Solve Ireland’s Housing Crisis? 34:57

2M ago34:57

34:57

What if the solution to Ireland’s housing crisis has been sitting on our doorstep all along? We dive into the Danish model of cooperative housing, where 7% of Danes live in co-ops, and a full third of Copenhageners do too, and explore how the GAA, with its 2,200 clubs and pristine community pitches in every village, could spearhead something simila…

1
The Lost Metallurgy of the Ancient Americas - From Bronze to Platinum 38:53

2M ago38:53

38:53

Explore the fascinating history of metallurgy in the ancient Americas, tracing the journey from bronze to platinum. Delve into the archaeological discoveries that shed light on how ancient societies harnessed these metals. For more content, visit our website and follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Join our community on Discord a…

1
Deepfakes, Big Tech, and the Coming AI Crash? 37:47

2M ago37:47

37:47

AI investment is exploding: the “Magnificent Seven” of Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, Tesla, and NVIDIA, are ploughing almost 7% of US GDP into AI and data centres. That’s the same scale as the US housing boom in 2006, and greater than the dot-com bubble at its peak. Today, just seven firms make up 34% of the S&P 500, the highest concentra…

1
France on the Brink: Debt, Drama, and a Possible Sixth Republic 39:05

2M ago39:05

39:05

Broadcast from Île de Ré, we dive into France’s mounting fiscal mess and political paralysis. With Macron a lame-duck, bond markets charging Paris more than Athens, and a nationwide strike looming, we ask: could Europe’s cornerstone become its weakest link? We unpack France’s towering state-and-semi-state debts, why Japan can print and Paris can’t,…

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Vikings, Phoenicians, or Natives Americans? Who Really Mined America’s Copper? 21:04

2M ago21:04

21:04

If you've been thinking about therapy, consider trying BetterHelp. Click here to get 10% off your first month. Follow us on social media and stay connected: Visit our website: north02.com YouTube: Paleolithic Production Instagram: north.o2 Discord: Join our Discord Twitter: NORTH_o2 Spotify: Listen on Spotify Facebook: Our Facebook Profile Email: N…

1
Economics in a Tent: Live at Electric Picnic 2025 46:27

2M ago46:27

46:27

We took economics to a music festival, and somehow packed the tent. In this Electric Picnic highlights episode from Mindfield, we rock up bleary-eyed and buzzing, then dive straight into the big stuff: what Trump’s assault on America’s institutions means for money, markets, and the rest of us. We map the new super-cycle from post-war social democra…

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Is America The Richest Third World Country? 40:49

2M ago40:49

40:49

Is the US drifting into Peronism? We trace the playbook, tariffs and import substitution, national champions, censorship-by-intimidation, and a war on independent institutions, and map it onto Trump’s America: sacking a Fed governor, menacing J-Powell, firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, deploying the National Guard, and the Treasury…

1
I Found Metal Artifacts In America Older Than the Pyramids 15:56

3M ago15:56

15:56

Explore a fascinating discovery of metal artifacts in America that predate the Pyramids. Follow us on social media for more updates: north02.com YouTube Instagram: @north.o2 Discord: Join our Discord Twitter: @NORTH_o2 Spotify Facebook Email us at [email protected] for any inquiries. All media displayed in this video is with permission o…

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Germany, 10 Years After “Wir Schaffen Das”, What Really Happened? with Katja Hoyer 36:52

3M ago36:52

36:52

Ten years ago, Angela Merkel opened Germany’s doors to more than 1.1 million asylum seekers in a single year with the words “Wir schaffen das” (“We can do this”). Today, Germany has over 3.4 million asylum seekers, about 4% of its population, and politics, society, and culture have been transformed. In this episode, we dive into what really happene…

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The Nationalisation of the New Home Market 33:56

3M ago33:56

33:56

The state has quietly become the biggest buyer of new homes. In fact, builders like Cairn Homes now have forward sales of nearly €946 million, much of it locked in by government deals. That means up to 80–85% of new builds are being bought by the state, at an average price of €382,000 per unit, while wages lag far behind rising house prices, which …

1
The Old Copper Culture - America’s 10,000-Year-Old Mystery 54:44

3M ago54:44

54:44

Explore the intriguing world of the Old Copper Culture, an ancient North American civilization shrouded in mystery for 10,000 years. Visit my website: north02.com Watch on YouTube Follow on Instagram: north.o2 Join us on Discord Follow on Twitter: @NORTH_o2 Listen on Spotify Connect on Facebook Contact: [email protected] All media is use…

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Ukraine at the Crossroads: From Donetsk to the Garrison State 41:14

3M ago41:14

41:14

After nearly 11 years of war, Putin’s maximalist demands have shrunk to a sliver of land in Donetsk, a pyrrhic victory after countless lives lost and millions displaced. But while the Kremlin clings to a symbolic scrap of territory, we explore whether Ukraine’s true future lies not in NATO membership but in becoming what political economist Harold …

1
Ireland is a Hostage to Fortune 38:47

3M ago38:47

38:47

Have we caught a case of Dutch Disease? Ireland’s dependence on foreign multinationals looks less like a golden goose and more like Japanese knotweed, invasive, overwhelming, and slowly strangling everything around it. Yes, the jobs are plentiful and the tax coffers are bulging, but the hidden costs are piling up: small businesses being elbowed out…

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The Uncanny Ancient Monkey That Roamed Europe Before Humans 12:35

3M ago12:35

12:35

Explore the fascinating history of ancient monkeys that roamed Europe before humans. Delve into archaeological discoveries and understand their significance in history. Follow and connect with us on our platforms: Visit our website YouTube Channel Instagram Discord Twitter Spotify Facebook Email: [email protected] For more information, c…

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America’s Dutch Disease: How Debt Became the World’s Hottest Export 40:09

3M ago40:09

40:09

We’ve always known Dutch Disease as what happens when a country strikes oil or gas and accidentally hollows out the rest of its economy. But what if the United States’ great “resource discovery” wasn’t energy, it was debt? This week we talk to Brendan Greeley about his brilliant framework for understanding America’s political economy: the world’s i…

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From The Godfather to the Blockchain: How Easy Money Seduced Wall Street (and the White House) 26:46

3M ago26:46

26:46

We’ve always said to understand the economy, you have to understand human nature, and nothing reveals that better than watching the biggest players do a Godfather-style U-turn for easy money. In this episode, we connect the dots between Marlon Brando’s Don Corleone and Jamie Dimon’s pivot from calling crypto “a fraud” to using it as loan collateral…

1
The Most Horrifying Neanderthal Discovery Yet 17:08

3M ago17:08

17:08

This episode dives into archaeological discussions about human remains, revealing historical evidence of cannibalism. It is educational and based on peer-reviewed research. There are no graphic visuals, and all information is presented with care and respect. Viewer discretion is advised. Check out my stuff! north02.com YouTube Instagram: north.o2 D…

1
Japan: Lost in Translation Part Two 41:13

3M ago41:13

41:13

We all love a boom story, until it turns into a 40‑year hangover. In 1995, Japan’s nominal GDP hit its high‑water mark. It took until the 2020s to get back there. Debt has exploded to 250% of GDP. The population is shrinking so fast that by 2070, one in three Japanese will have vanished, down from 128 million in 2010 to just 87 million. What went w…

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Japan: From Feudal Isolation to Economic Superpower 43:12

3M ago43:12

43:12

This week marks 80 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and we’re taking a deep dive into Japan’s extraordinary economic story. In part one of our two-part series, we explore how Japan went from a feudal, isolated society to one of the most powerful economies in the world. With our guest Russell Jones, a brilliant economist an…

1
The Ancient Hunter Gatherer Found Frozen in a Glacier 14:10

3M ago14:10

14:10

Explore fascinating discoveries as we delve into the life of an ancient hunter-gatherer found frozen in a glacier. This episode uncovers the history and archaeology behind this incredible find, shedding light on the past through the lens of real archaeology. For more content, visit our website, and check out our YouTube channel. Follow us on Instag…

1
Generation Rent: How Housing Costs Are Exporting Ireland's Future 33:16

3M ago33:16

33:16

This week we talk to Matthew Ruddy, a young Dublin entrepreneur who did everything right - built his first business at 17, worked alongside the lads at Dogpatch Labs. Except he's now living in Brisbane, not Dublin. Matthew's story captures what's happening to an entire generation. These aren't traditional emigrants heading to London building sites,…

1
Did Europe Just Surrender to Trump? 32:46

3M ago32:46

32:46

Not so fast! We unpack the surprise EU-US trade deal that has everyone shouting sellout but we see it differently. In this episode, we take a deeper look at what really went down in the Trump-triggered tariff negotiations. The headlines scream defeat: Europe folds, Trump wins, 15% tariffs slapped on all EU goods while the US gets full access to the…

1
This Ancient Pebble Could Rewrite Human History 18:03

4M ago18:03

18:03

#history #ancienthuman #archaeology #realarchaeology Thanks for watching! Make sure to like, share, comment, and subscribe! Check out my stuff! north02.com YouTube: Paleolithic Production Instagram: north.o2 Discord: discord.gg/qqa6CmEREh Twitter: @NORTH_o2 Spotify: Listen on Spotify Facebook: Facebook Profile Email: [email protected] So…

1
When the West Woke Up: How Yugoslavia Fell Apart 46:31

4M ago46:31

46:31

This week, we take you back to the final years of Yugoslavia, a country that exploded into one of the bloodiest wars Europe has seen since WWII. We trace how ethnic tensions, decades of suppressed rivalries, and opportunistic leaders tore the region apart, while Europe watched on, paralysed. We explore how the Serb army launched brutal assaults acr…