Best David Sobel Podcasts (2025)

1
Curing All Disease with AI with Max Jaderberg 49:36

2d ago49:36

49:36

Can AI help us model biology down to the molecular level? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly learn about Nobel-prize-winning Alphafold, the protein folding problem, and how solving it could end disease with AI researcher, Max Jaderberg. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://startalkm…

1
Safe at home – who profits when you’re afraid of your neighbours? 54:04

2d ago54:04

54:04

Your personal safety is big business, so much so that it’s given rise to “security capitalism”, a phenomenon where attempts to buy personal safety shape the world around us. As security becomes just another status symbol, do these gadgets make us safer or do they create a whole new list of anxieties – a self-fulfilling prophecy of perceived threat …

1
The Sumner Files, Episode Seven: Susan Lehman 1:18:42

2d ago1:18:42

1:18:42

In Adam’s memory, Sumner’s life is divided into the pre-Sue and Sue eras, with Sue being Susan Lehman, aka Sue Crane, aka Aunt Sue to Adam and his sister. Sue came originally from California, moved around in her youth, wound up in New York by the mid-1980s, and met Sumner sometime around 1990, right when he moved up to the Catskills for a few month…

1
Russell Shorto with Aidan Flax-Clark: Taking Manhattan 58:49

3d ago58:49

58:49

Bestselling author and historian Russell Shorto talks to Aidan Flax-Clark about his latest book, Taking Manhattan.

1
The ghosts are here — Tasma Walton, Darren Rix, Craig Cormick, Anthony Sharwood with Natasha Mitchell 56:43

3d ago56:43

56:43

The ghost people arrived by boat. They never left. But the stories of first encounters and what came next live large, 250 years later, in First Nations families and communities. An ambitious journey to reclaim the names and stories disappeared by Captain James Cook, but never lost. A deeply personal excavation of herstories and the women wrenched f…

1
Words to sing the world alive — waking up First Nations languages 54:05

4d ago54:05

54:05

At the time of colonisation, there were more than 250 Indigenous languages spoken in Australia, but these days, all are considered endangered. Many First Nations people are working hard to revive and reclaim their mother tongues. In the anthology, Words to Sing the World Alive: Celebrating First Nations Languages, 40 Indigenous Australians share wo…

1
Things You Thought You Knew – Zombie Apocalypse 38:52

4d ago38:52

38:52

How empty is space? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice break down things you thought you knew about asteroid belts, the sun’s highest point in the sky, and what the real danger is in a zombie apocalypse. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://startalkmedia.com/show/things-you-thought-you-knew-zombie-…

1
From vulture bone flutes to ‘organised sound’— Andrew Ford's short history of music 52:45

5d ago52:45

52:45

Music has been around for at least as long as humans, and possibly even longer. How have forces like religion, the economy, society and technology, shaped music over time? And why, in lullabies and concert halls, songlines and streaming services, have humans always been irresistibly drawn to making it? This event was recorded at Sydney's Gleebooks.…

1
If it bleeds it leads – Bruce Shapiro on documenting the violence of modern life 54:39

9d ago54:39

54:39

From wars with global consequences to violent crimes in the suburbs, trauma underpins so much of the news cycle. It’s something award-winning journalist Bruce Shapiro came to understand intimately when, as a young crime reporter, he was stabbed. It changed his whole perspective on his profession, dedicating a large part of his career to the questio…

1
Haleh Liza Gafori with Maya C. Popa: Water Translating Rumi 58:37

10d ago58:37

58:37

Acclaimed poet Haleh Liza Gafori discusses her latest translations of Rumi's lyric poetry in Water with prize-winning poet Maya C. Popa

1
Live to 150? David Sinclair on why we age — and why he thinks we don't have to 1:07:03

10d ago1:07:03

1:07:03

What if we could turn back time on our biological clock and slow down — even reverse — aging? High profile Harvard scientist David Sinclair is co-author of the New York Times bestseller Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Don’t Have To. His lab’s work is as ambitious as it is controversial. He wants to radically change the way we live our lives — and p…

1
Australia and the spectre of war — from Vietnam to today 1:00:04

11d ago1:00:04

1:00:04

It's been 60 years since then Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies sent Australians to fight in the Vietnam War. Since that time, the defence force has been involved in many armed conflicts and peace keeping missions around the world — but with varying degrees of public support. So how have successive Australian governments managed public conse…

1
The Language of the Universe with Grant Sanderson (3blue1brown) 55:57

12d ago55:57

55:57

Why can’t you divide by zero? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice discuss higher dimensions, dividing by zero, and math’s unsolved questions with math YouTuber Grant Sanderson (3blue1brown). NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://startalkmedia.com/show/the-language-of-the-universe-with-grant-sanderson…

1
Australia votes — what message should we take from this election result? 54:57

12d ago54:57

54:57

If democracy is the will of the people, what does this federal election result say about Australia? In his election night victory speech, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australians had voted for Australian values, claiming these were fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all. But is this right message we should take from the election resul…

1
Curing Medical Misinformation with Dr. Noc & Scott Hamilton Kennedy 1:10:03

16d ago1:10:03

1:10:03

Can you trust medical information on the internet? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly team up with pharmaceutical scientist and social media “medfluencer” Morgan McSweeny (aka Dr. Noc) to break down common internet medical myths from Big Pharma to raw milk to vaccine hesitancy. Plus a discussion with filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy…

1
What are you wearing? Why we aren’t buying Australian made fashion 54:11

16d ago54:11

54:11

Australians are now the biggest consumers per capita of clothes in the world. But just three per cent of clothing is made here in Australia. So is it time for a fashion rethink? This event was held at the Melbourne Museum as part of Melbourne Fashion Festival's Fashion Talks program on 4 March 2025. Speakers Tara MosesChief Operating Officer, RM Wi…

1
The Sumner Files, Episode Six: Cynthia Sobel 1:05:41

17d ago1:05:41

1:05:41

Cynthia Sobel, born Cynthia Schoenwetter, is Adam’s mother, and Sumner’s sister. So she knew Sumner from the very beginning of his life to the end, and there’s no one else alive who remembers the things about him that she does. She talks at length about their parents, Charles and Sylvia Schoenwetter, and their childhoods in Elmhurst, Queens — essen…

1
Chris Hughes with Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway: Marketcrafters 54:51

17d ago54:51

54:51

Economist and writer Chris Hughes talks to Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Allowa about his latest book, Marketcrafters.

1
Mark Zuckerberg claims corporations are culturally neutered — are they? Men, women, work, and the manosphere 54:03

17d ago54:03

54:03

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg has said “a lot of the corporate world has become culturally neutered” and that it needs more “masculine energy”? Has it and does it? At Meta, he recently shut down initiatives that promote equity and diversity in his workplace. In the USA, so has Ford, Mcdonalds, Walmart, and the Trump administration. But in Australia, less …

1
History lessons — historians Orlando Figes, Bettany Hughes, Matthew Longo and Dava Sobel with Annabelle Quince 55:53

18d ago55:53

55:53

Democracies in retreat, attacks on science, border disputes, death and destruction. It can feel like we are living in unprecedented times - but here's the thing: world history has a habit of repeating itself. So what lessons does history teach us about this moment in which we find ourselves? Do we humans learn anything from the past, or are we dest…

1
Cosmic Queries – Negative Gravity 47:50

19d ago47:50

47:50

What happens to gravity when matter converts to energy? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Paul Mecurio dive into fan questions about the speed of light, time machine mistakes, and what Neil would do if he were an alien. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free. Thanks to our Patrons daniel gordon, Amadeusz Synowski, G…

1
Chatting with 2025 Grammy winner Ruthie Foster 53:49

19d ago53:49

53:49

After five nominations, Ruthie Foster has taken home the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album - affirming her status as an American music legend. In this intimate conversation, she shares what made her want to be a singer; the roles of her grandmother and mother in her life; why faith is so important to her and why she wants to sing …

1
Cosmic Queries – Life on Exoplanets with Sara Seager 48:14

23d ago48:14

48:14

Is there life on other planets? On this episode of StarTalk, Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Matt Kirshen dig into the search for extraterrestrial life with exoplanet expert and author of the memoir, “Smallest Lights in the Universe,” astrophysicist Sara Seager. Originally Aired March 15, 2021 NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episo…

1
Vladimir Putin’s Russia — with exiled journalist and author Mikhail Zygar 52:17

23d ago52:17

52:17

The exiled founder of Russia's only independent television news channel, Mikhail Zygar, takes us inside Vladimir Putin's Russia, with a firsthand account of how the President has successfully silenced the media, opposition and Kremlin critics, to cement his hold on power. The 2025 AN Smith Lecture: Journalism against autocracy: Putin, Trump and the…

1
Mike Hixenbaugh on his Award-Winning Book 'They Came for the Schools' 55:50

24d ago55:50

55:50

On this special episode of Library Talks, we speak with Mike Hixenbaugh, winner of the 38th annual Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism, for his book They Came for the Schools: One Town's Fight Over Race and Identity, and the New War for America's Classrooms.

1
Rituals, rats, and reeded vertebrae! The mysteries of Machu Picchu and Ancient Peru revealed 53:24

24d ago53:24

53:24

A story of continents crashing and cleaving apart, the making of a civilisation, the language of the dead, and ... a mummified rat makes a cameo too. The Incan empire was vast and sophisticated. It built the stunning citadel in the clouds of Machu Picchu in the Andes mountains. But within a century its people were catastrophically wiped out by the …

1
Mental ill-health and the power of words 53:28

25d ago53:28

53:28

The language used to talk about mental ill-health can play a key role in reducing or enforcing stigma. And it's constantly evolving. But what terms should be used and when? And by whom? The wrong word can not only deeply hurt a person's feelings. It can end careers, destroy relationships, cut access to support systems. This special World Mental Hea…

1
The Beginning of the Universe with Brian Keating 52:34

26d ago52:34

52:34

Could the Higgs field vary across space and time? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice answer fan questions on cosmic inflation, quantum fluctuations, and the earliest moments after the Big Bang with cosmologist Brian Keating. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://startalkmedia.com/show/…

1
Worried about the future? A mosquito could help you to live in the present 54:05

26d ago54:05

54:05

What can a mosquito teach us about time? Noone likes a mosquito bite — but for a brief moment when it stings you, you know you are alive. Humans are temporal beings, but across cultures, our concepts of time are vastly different. This event explores what we can learn from science, philosophy and Indigenous perspectives that can alter experiences of…

1
Assembloids: Recreating the Brain with Sergiu Paşca 1:05:24

30d ago1:05:24

1:05:24

How do you recreate a brain circuit in a dish, and what can it unlock about our minds? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly explore the frontier of neuroscience with Stanford neuroscientist Sergiu Pașca, to break down stem cells, how the brain forms itself, and assembloids: self-organizing brain circuits. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can l…

1
Australia votes— are our political parties on the nose? 54:05

1M ago54:05

54:05

This election has been described as a boring campaign, but with some fascinating contests. So just what is going on in the minds of voters as Australia heads to the polls this weekend? This event was recorded at the Sorrento Writers Festival on 27 May 2025. Speakers Frank BongiornoProfessor of History, Australian National UniversityPresident, Counc…

1
The Sumner Files, Episode Five: Arto Lindsay 54:17

1M ago54:17

54:17

As the front man in DNA, Arto Lindsay was one of the core No Wave figures from the start, and he and Sumner were good friends from the mid-1970s, when Arto arrived in NYC (along with Mark Cunningham and Connie Burg, from Eckerd College in Florida), into the 1980s and beyond. Arto played on Sumner’s opera record John Gavanti, and in the early 1980s …

1
Vicky Nguyen with Tracey Nguyen Mang: Boat Baby 1:00:53

1M ago1:00:53

1:00:53

News anchor Vicky Nguyen talks to Tracey Nguyen Mang about her new memoir, Boat Baby.

1
Has the world lost the plot? John Lyons, Greg Sheridan, Emma Shortis, Josh Taylor with Natasha Mitchell 56:11

1M ago56:11

56:11

Are we living through a key turning point in world history? How do we make sense of this present moment, and what's on the horizon?Trump's trade wars, long-held alliances dismantled, the deadly conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the rise and rise of AI, the tech oligarch takeover, China's military build-up, NATO's demise, and much more. It's a confusin…

1
The painting that changed Australia — the story of Blue Poles 56:03

1M ago56:03

56:03

It's been called a coming-of-age story for a nation. The Whitlam Government's purchase of Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles in 1973 helped to bring down the government. So how did this abstract expressionist masterpiece become the most famous, most controversial artwork in Australia? Then: how does political portraiture affect how we feel about politici…

1
Einstein’s Crumbs with Janna Levin 52:17

1M ago52:17

52:17

How did Einstein’s work influence the world we know today? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Harrison Greenbaum team up with astrophysicist Janna Levin, PhD, to explore Einstein’s physics and its resulting discoveries, from Walmart laser pointers to black holes and wormholes. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: htt…

1
Are Donald Trump and US politics bringing global health to its knees? 54:04

1M ago54:04

54:04

Until recently, the USA provided about 30% of global health funding. It was dominant in supplying HIV/AIDS medication and funded a major part of medical research. Much of this has now stopped with Donald Trump restricting gender affirming care, withdrawing from the WHO and holding funds from USAID - and the list goes on. What are the impacts on pan…

1
Sir Simon Schama — On antisemitism 49:51

1M ago49:51

49:51

Acclaimed British historian Sir Simon Schama reflects on the history of antisemitism, the Holocaust and contemporary culture. He says that for millennia Jewish people have been "the other of convenience. We are the dark mirror in which the wish fulfilment of other societies takes it out on people who are said to represent its opposite." Presented a…

1
José Andrés with Gail Simmons: Change the Recipe 1:16:47

1M ago1:16:47

1:16:47

Michelin-starred chef José Andrés talks to Gail Simmons about his latest book, Change the Recipe.

1
How do we make cancer treatment worth it, work better, and less harmful? 57:41

1M ago57:41

57:41

Cancer is common and chemo and radiotherapies can save or extend our lives. But sometimes they don't, or they stop working, or they come with disabling long-term side effects. In a state of desperation, some of us seek out unproven alternatives which might even put us at greater risk of cancer. Join Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell and guests to fin…

1
Pankaj Mishra — the world after Gaza 53:35

1M ago53:35

53:35

For the past 18 months, Israel's war in Gaza has polarised the world. The Indian author and essayist Pankaj Mishra reckons with the conflict through the lens of colonialism, morality and history. This event was recorded at the University of NSW Centre for Ideas on 27 February 2025. Speakers Pankaj MishraAuthor, The World After Gaza, From the Ruins …

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