Best Peter Birch Podcasts (2025)

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Edouard Machery on Variations in Responses to Thought Experiments 21:36

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28m ago21:36

21:36

Philosophers who use thought experiments often believe their own intutions in response to them are unviersal. But that's not always so. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Edouard Machery discusses his research on this topic, and some of his surprising conclusions. This episode was made in association with the Institute of Philosophy an…

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Episode 697: Thalia Zedek of Come, Live Skull and Thalia Zedek Band 1:07:13

1d ago1:07:13

1:07:13

On today's episode, I talk to musician Thalia Zedek. Originally from Washington DC, Thalia attended college at Boston University for one semester before dropping out to pursue a musical career instead. Each band she formed saw a little more success than the last, and her breakthrough was the group Uzi in 1984. They only stayed together for a short …

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Episode 696: Gina Birch of The Raincoats 58:01

10d ago58:01

58:01

On today's episode, I talk to musician Gina Birch. Originally from Nottingham in the UK, Gina formed the seminal art-punk band The Raincoats with Ana da Silva in 1977. They released three incredible records on Rough Trade - self-titled, Odyshape and Moving - and then broke up in 1984. But this was merely the start of Gina's artistic career. She wor…

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Lewis Gordon on Frantz Fanon 23:11

15d ago23:11

23:11

Frantz Fanon, who was born in Martinique, died aged 36. He nevertheless made very significant contributions to the discussion of racism and colonialism, influenced strongly by the existentialist tradition. In this episode of the Philosphy Bites podcast David Edmonds discusses Fanon, his ideas, his cultural background, and his impact, with Lewis Gor…

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Episode 695: Joelton Mayfield 59:58

17d ago59:58

59:58

On today's episode, I talk to musician Joelton Mayfield. Originally from the Marble Falls/Granite Shoals area of Texas, Joelton grew up in a family where music was intertwined with religion. As a teenager, he was even the music director of his church and led Wednesday night worship services. As he gradually moved away from the church, both geograph…

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34. [Caribbean Echoes] Susannah Andrews: Jamaican Matriarch to Footy Legends and Mining Startups 39:41

16d ago39:41

39:41

What connects a VFL “Champion of the Colony” to a woman born enslaved in Jamaica? In 1919, Richmond footballer Vic Thorp won the league’s highest honour for the second time — the equivalent of today’s Brownlow Medal. But just a century earlier, his great-grandmother Susannah Andrews was enslaved in Jamaica, before gaining her freedom. This episode …

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Episode 694: Julia Kugel of The Coathangers 1:09:39

24d ago1:09:39

1:09:39

On today's episode, I talk to musician Julia Kugel. Originally from Belarus, Julia and her family immigrated to Atlanta, GA when she was a child. In 2006, she formed The Coathangers along with Meredith Franco and Stephanie Luke. In the last 19 years, they've released over a dozen albums, EPs and singles, mostly on Suicide Squeeze Records. In additi…

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33. [Caribbean Echoes] Nellie Small: Queer Black Caribbean-Australian Icon 48:48

23d ago48:48

48:48

Who was the Caribbean-Australian cabaret star who could bring down the house — and come back at racism with a joke? "Come sit by me, we don’t eat people anymore." Nellie Small was born in Sydney in 1900, just before the White Australia policy was introduced. She became one of the country’s most beloved performers, famous for wearing men’s suits on …

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David Edmonds on Peter Singer's Shallow Pond Thought Experiment 19:12

27d ago19:12

19:12

In this interview of the Philosophy Bites podcast Nigel Warburton interviews David Edmonds about Peter Singer's famous thought experient about what you would do if you saw a child at risk of drowning in a shallow pond, and what the moral implications of that. David has recently published a book about this thought experiment called Death in a Shallo…

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Episode 693: Hannah Frances 1:06:54

1M ago1:06:54

1:06:54

On today's episode, I talk to musician Hannah Frances. Growing up just outside of Philly, Hannah was doing all kinds of creative work from a young age, from singing to poetry to composing. In 2018, she made her first album White Buffalo, and since then has recorded four other albums. Her fourth album Keeper of the Shepherd garnered a great deal of …

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32. [Caribbean Echoes] From slavery to anticolonialism: John Maynard and Tony Birch on Black and Indigenous boxing 46:19

1M ago46:19

46:19

What does boxing have to do with anticolonial politics? How did the sport become a space where Black and Indigenous fighters in Australia pushed back against racism and empire? From Peter Jackson to Jack Johnson, Marcus Garvey to Les “Ranji” Moody, this episode explores how Black and Indigenous fighters turned the ring into a stage for resistance a…

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31. [Caribbean Echoes] Peter Jackson: Boxing Champion and Innovator in Black Self-Representation 42:02

1M ago42:02

42:02

Did you know that the most famous Australian in the world in 1890 was from the Caribbean? Peter Jackson was born in St Croix in the Caribbean in the years after slavery was abolished. He arrived in Sydney as a teenager and got noticed when he single-handedly fought off seven in a brawl at Wynyard Square. He soon stepped into Sydney’s boxing rings a…

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30. History Lab is changing 3:33

1M ago3:33

3:33

History Lab is back—refreshed and reimagined. From now on, you’ll hear us in regular seasonal runs, dropping new episodes once or twice a fortnight over six to eight weeks. Each run will showcase a mix of formats: History Lab Originals – our signature investigative storytelling that digs into the gaps between us and the past. History Lab Studio – i…

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Episode 692: Anamanaguchi 1:39:05

1M ago1:39:05

1:39:05

On today's episode, I talk to musicians Peter Berkman and Ary Warnaar of the band Anamanaguchi. In 2004, school chums Peter Berkman and James DeVito would form the chiptunes band Anamanaguchi, and two years later, they released their debut EP Power Supply on the 8bitpeoples label. In 2009, Ary Warnaar and Luke Silas joined the band cementing the li…

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Episode 691: Nick Dragotta 1:31:51

2M ago1:31:51

1:31:51

On today's episode, I talk to comic artist Nick Dragotta. Originally from Cape May, NJ, Nick came to prominence working on Fantastic Four with Jonathan Hickman, which then led to their incredible creator-owned work East of West. Beyond this, Nick has done the art for a number of great books including X-Statix, wrote and drew his own book Ghost Cage…

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Carlos Alberto Sánchez on Mexican Philosophy 21:22

2M ago21:22

21:22

What is distinctive about Mexican philosophy? How much is it linked to its geopolitical context? Carlos Alberto Sanchez, author of Blooming in the Ruins, a book about major themes in 20th century Mexican philosophy discusses this topic in conversation with David Edmonds. This episode was supported by the Ideas Workshop, part of Open Society Foundat…

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Episode 690: Dan Wriggins of Friendship 1:01:46

2M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

On today's episode, I talk to musician Dan Wriggins. Originally from Yarmouth, ME, Dan started playing piano and guitar in high school, and around this time he met his future bandmates in Friendship, Michael Cormier-O'Leary and Peter Gill. In the last ten years, Friendship have released five records starting with 2015's You're Going to Have to Trus…

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Episode 689: Peter Salett 1:03:12

2M ago1:03:12

1:03:12

On today's episode, I talk to singer/songwriter Peter Salett. Born in Princeton, NJ, Peter grew up near Washington DC in Columbia, MD. As part of the New York arts scene in the 1990s, Peter crossed over with the vibrant film and comedy scenes at the time and has written or contributed to the music for a number of films including Wet Hot American Su…

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My QP Journey Ep6 - Carol Felgar 56:40

3M ago56:40

56:40

In this latest episode of My QP Journey, Carol Felgar joins host Peter Deegan to share her full journey to becoming a Qualified Person, from early doubts to eventual success. Along the way, Carol reflects on: How the thought of the Viva almost knocked her off course The critical role building a network of trusted colleagues, mentors and a support s…

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Ellie Robson on Mary Midgley on Animals 16:05

3M ago16:05

16:05

Mary Midgley didn't begin publishing until she was 59 years old, but nevertheless made a significant impact and had a distinctive approach. In this episode of Philosophy Bites Ellie Robson discusses some of her key ideas about our relationship with other animals.

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Sari Nusseibeh on Philosophy and Conflict 24:23

3M ago24:23

24:23

Many people think philosophical discucssion is a luxury in times of conflict, but the Palestinian philosopher Sari Nusseibeh is more optimistic. In this episode of Philosophy Bites, recorded in early 2025, he explains why.

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Episode 688: Laura Ballance of Superchunk 1:08:56

3M ago1:08:56

1:08:56

On today's episode, I talk to musician Laura Ballance. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Laura moved around a fair amount as a child, eventually ending up in Chapel Hill for college where she met Mac McCaughan, who convinced her to be in a band. That band is Superchunk, who over the last 36 years have released twelve albums, numerous EPs, …

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Episode 687: Carson McHone 1:08:47

3M ago1:08:47

1:08:47

On today's episode, I talk to musician Carson McHone. Originally from Austin, TX, Carson has been playing music live since she was a teenager. Her first EP came out in 2013 and brought her immediate attention. Over the next five years, Carson built a reputation for herself in the country scene, and her second album Carousel was named by Rolling Sto…

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Episode 686: Mark Russell 1:10:05

3M ago1:10:05

1:10:05

On today's episode, I talk to Eisner and GLAAD Award-winning comics writer Mark Russell. Born in Springfield, OR, Mark broke into professional writing with his book God Is Disappointed in You, a modern retelling of the Bible. This led to comics work writing Prez for DC in 2015 and a number of other comics in the last decade including The Flintstone…

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Robert Talisse on Civic Solitude 17:42

3M ago17:42

17:42

Democracy is about acting as a group, but, surprisingly, Robert Talisse argues that what it needs to function well is a degree of solitude for citizens. In-group and out-group dynamics mean that individuals become vulnerable to being pushed towards more extreme views than they would otherwise hold. There is, Talisse, maintains, a need to balance ti…

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Episode 686: Rory Blank 1:16:05

3M ago1:16:05

1:16:05

On today's episode, I talk to cartoonist Rory Blank. Originally from Carrollton, Georgia, Rory eventually ended up in Austin for college, where he began making cartoons for the student newspaper. In the early 20-teens, Rory began posting his comics online on places like Tumblr and Twitter and began to gain a following. Most recently, Rory was voted…

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Episode 685: Selwyn Seyfu Hinds 1:08:06

4M ago1:08:06

1:08:06

On today's episode, I talk to writer and showrunner Selwyn Seyfu Hinds. Originally from Georgetown, Guyana, Selwyn and his family moved to Brooklyn in the 1980s, when he was 14-years-old. After graduating from Princeton, he began writing for The Village Voice. Then in the late 1990s, he became a hip-hop critic and then editor-in-chief at The Source…

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Hanno Sauer on The World History of Morality 24:33

4M ago24:33

24:33

How did morality evolve? Why do different cultures have such a similar set of moral norms and values? Hanno Sauer gives an evolutionary story that explains the genealogy of morality through human co-operation.