The Conversation Weekly

As Australians prepare to vote in federal elections on May 21, in this episode we explore how the country’s political landscape is shifting – and why it's not looking good for Prime Minister Scott Morrison.Featuring Michelle Grattan, a professorial fellow at the University of Canberra and political correspondent for The Conversation in Australia. Grattan, who is one of Australia's most respected political journalists, also hosts the Politics with Michelle Grattan podcast for The Conversation.We'd love to hear what you think about The Conversation Weekly. Please let us know via our listener survey, which should take about five minutes to complete. Thank you!This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Further readingHow does Australia’s voting system work?In a year of endless floods, why isn’t disaster governance front and centre in the election campaign?If the polls are right, he may soon be the next Australian prime minister. So who is Anthony Albanese?‘His beating heart is a focus group’: what makes Scott Morrison tick?

We'd love to hear what you think about The Conversation Weekly. Please let us know via our listener survey, which should take about five minutes to complete. Thank you!Parents and doctors have known about childhood ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – for decades, but it is only recently that the medical field has started to recognise, diagnose and seriously study ADHD in adults. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we explore what adult ADHD looks like, how it is diagnosed today and the many new treatments available to help those with the disorder live better lives.Featuring Laura E Knouse an associate professor of psychology a the University of Richmond in the US, and Tamara May, senior research fellow at Monash University in Australia. This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Mend Mariwany. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here.You can also read a full transcript of this episode too.  Further readingADHD looks different in adults. Here are 4 signs to watch forWhy many women with autism and ADHD aren’t diagnosed until adulthood – and what to do if you think you’re one of themADHD in adults: what it’s like living with the condition – and why many still struggle to get diagnosedThese strategies and life hacks can help anyone with ADHD, as well as those who struggle with attention problems but don’t have a diagnosis

We'd love to hear what you think about The Conversation Weekly. Please let us know via our listener survey, which should take about five minutes to complete. Thank you!When war breaks out, what does it mean for a country to remain neutral? In this episode we explore the advantages and disadvantages of neutrality – and what responsibilities come with the choice not to take sides. We talk to an historian about how an age of neutrality emerged in the 19th century and what lessons it has for the war in Ukraine. And we dig down into the reasons why one country – India – has decided to remain neutral on the conflict. Featuring Maartje Abbenhuis, professor of history at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and Swaran Singh, professor of diplomacy and disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India.This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Gemma Ware and Mend Mariwany. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. You can read a transcript on The Conversation's website. Further readingWhy India chose a path of ‘proactive neutrality’ on UkraineWhat does it mean to be ‘neutral’ over Ukraine – and what responsibilities come with it?As Ukraine war deepens great-power divisions, a revitalized non-aligned movement could emergeRussia’s war with Ukraine: Five reasons why many African countries choose to be ‘neutral’History may explain South Africa’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is challenging the structures of international collaboration in space. In this episode, we talk to two experts about how space is entering a new era of international competition – and whether the existing laws are ready for what comes next. Featuring Kuan-Wei (David) Chen, executive director of the Centre for Research in Air and Space Law at McGill University in Canada and Svetla Ben-Itzhak, assistant professor of space and international relations at Air University in the US.This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Gemma Ware. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here. A transcript is also available to read. Further readingSpace Blocs: The future of international cooperation in space is splitting along lines of power on EarthRussia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens space co-operation, business and securityUkraine war: how it could play out in space – with potentially dangerous consequencesRussian invasion of Ukraine and resulting US sanctions threaten the future of the International Space Station

How much does your cultural background influence the way you react to music? Or whether you think a piece of music sounds happy or sad? That's what George Athanasopoulos and his colleagues decided to investigate. They travelled to a remote part of northwest Pakistan to spend time with the Kalash and Kho people who live there and find out how they reacted to western music. Athanasopoulos, an ethnomusicologist at Durham University in the UK, tells us what they discovered.This episode is an extended version of an interview first published on February 3.The Conversation Weekly is produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here.Further reading:How your culture informs the emotions you feel when listening to musicThe global music community must help Afghan musicians resist a Taliban music ban

Indonesia plans to move its capital city from Jakarta on the island of Java to a new forest city on the island of Borneo called Nusantara. We talk to three experts in urban planning and ecology to find out why, what the problems are with Jakarta – and what the environmental impacts of the project could be.Featuring Eka Permanasari, associate professor in urban design, Monash University Australia, Hendricus Andy Simarmata, lecturer in urban planning at the University of Indonesia and Alex Lechner, associate professor in landscape ecology at Monash University Indonesia.The Conversation Weekly is produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here.Further readingHow not to build a capital: what Indonesia can learn from other master-planned cities’ mistakesDoes Indonesia really need to move its capital?Assessing Jokowi’s $33-billion project to move Indonesia’s capital for the country’s economic developmentMoving Indonesia’s capital city won’t fix Jakarta’s problems and will increase fire risk in Borneo

Can makeup really kill you? That’s the myth attached to Maria Gunning, the Countess of Coventry, an 18th century socialite who reportedly died from her lead-based makeup in 1760, aged just 27. In this episode, we speak to Fiona McNeill, a professor of physics at McMaster University in Canada, who has recreated some centuries-old recipes for white lead makeup to test how dangerous these cosmetics really were. Plus, an extract from a special episode of The Conversation's Don't Call Me Resilient podcast, about Will Smith's Oscar slap.The Conversation Weekly is produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware, with reporting from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra by Ellen Duffy. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here.Further readingDying for makeup: Lead cosmetics poisoned 18th-century European socialites in search of whiter skinThere’s a complex history of skin lighteners in Africa and beyond

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy – a site of First Nations protest in Canberra, Australia – marks its 50th anniversary this year. In this episode, Carissa Lee, First Nations and public policy editor at The Conversation in Australia, explores its history and hears how the ongoing protest has influenced a new generation of Indigenous activism.Featuring Bronwyn Carlson, professor of Indigenous studies and director of the Centre for Global Indigenous Futures at Macquarie University in Australia; Lynda-June Coe, a PhD candidate at Macquarie University and her Aunty Jenny Munro, a member of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy protest site in Canberra.Plus, new research into how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the lives of young people born into poverty around the world – and their job prospects. We talk to Catherine Porter, director of the Young Lives study at the University of Oxford. (Listen from 33m46s)This episode of the The Conversation Weekly is supported by the UK/Australia Season Patrons Board, the British Council and the Australian Government as part of the UK/Australia Season, which centres on the theme Who Are We Now? The season's programme reflects on the two countries’ shared history, explores their current relationship, and imagines their future together.The Conversation Weekly is produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware, with reporting from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra by Ellen Duffy. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here.Further readingA short history of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy – an indelible reminder of unceded sovereigntyWho are the ‘Original Sovereigns’ who were camped out at Old Parliament House and what are their aims?Whose sovereignty is really being fought for? What happens when First Nations People are dragged into extremist protestsHunger, lost income and increased anxiety: how coronavirus lockdowns put huge pressure on young people around the world

It's been five years since Emmanuel Macron rocked the French political establishment with his victory in the 2017 presidential elections. France is now returning to the polls for two rounds of voting and Macron is favourite to win a second five-year term on April 24. In this episode, we ask two French politics experts: how has Macron changed the French political system?Featuring, Gilles Ivaldi, a researcher in political science at Sciences Po Paris in France, and Anne-Cécile Douillet, a professor of political science at the University of Lille.And, we talk to bee expert Adrian Dyer, an associate professor at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, about humanity’s long love affair with bees – and his research showing how people expressed this appreciation through art for thousands of years. (From 33m55)And Claudia Lorenzo, culture editor for The Conversation in Madrid, Spain, talks about the Ukrainian cultural heritage at risk from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (From 44m20)The Conversation Weekly is produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware, with sound design by Eloise Stevens Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Thanks to Dale Berning Sawa for the voiceover in this episode. Full credits for this episode available here.Further readingWar anxiety makes French voters rally round Macron. For how long?An assessment of Emmanuel Macron: a neoliberal agenda and pragmatism in the face of crises (in French)Is Emmanuel Macron, the secret heir of Nicolas Sarkozy ?Film and war throughout time in Odessa (In Spanish)A look at the novel 'She came from Mariupol' (In Spanish)

What does it mean to be a Ukrainian? In this episode, we talk to three experts about the origins of Ukrainian nationalism, and how Ukrainian national identity is changing. Featuring Volodomyr Kulyk, head research fellow at the Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv; Dominique Arel, professor and holder of the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa in Canada; and Olga Onuch, senior lecturer in politics, University of Manchester in the UK. And we hear about a rare archive of Ukrainian dissident literature from the Soviet era. Katja Kolcio, associate professor of dance and environmental studies at Wesleyan University in the US, whose father collected the archive, explains why it's now in danger. (From 36m)Finally, Moina Spooner, news editor for The Conversation in Nairobi, Kenya recommends some analysis marking the two-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. (From 48m)The Conversation Weekly is produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware, with sound design by Eloise Stevens Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here.Further readingKyiv has faced adversity before – and a stronger Ukrainian identity grew in responseWhy Ukrainian Americans are committed to preserving Ukrainian culture – and national sovereigntyHow Moscow has long used the historic Kyivan Rus state to justify expansionismWins, missteps and lessons: African experts reflect on two years of COVID responseHow COVID has affected the control of neglected tropical diseases