Stilgherrian is joined by Snarky Platypus, who's recently returned to the socials after a two-year break, for a long conversation about everything from food to conspiracy theories to stupid names for Sydney suburbs. Quite a lot about food, actually.In this episode we talk about Singapore's famous Merlion, airline food and other airline opinions, Sydney nightlife, dodgy Australian rice recipes from 1966, "Blacktown: The Gathering", bürek, the 15-minute city conspiracy, Coldplay, AI, and women's basketball.I'm currently surveying my podcast listeners to find out what you'd prefer listening to. Please go to The 9pm Quick Survey 2: Whaddyawant? before 30 June 2023.https://the9pmedict.com/thesurveyFull podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00199/Please support this podcast by throwing a few dollars into the tip jar at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

The pilot episode of potential weekly podcast of news and opinion about Elon Musk, the world's most annoying billionaire.I'm currently surveying my podcast listeners to find out what you'd prefer listening to. Please go to The 9pm Quick Survey 2: Whaddyawant? before 30 June 2023.https://the9pmedict.com/thesurveyFull podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/rws0Stock media provided by:Articulated_Sounds/Pond5tony241969/Pixabay

Stilgherrian returns with a solo episode of the Edict in which he has quite a long rant about some of the changes at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. But there's more.In this episode he also talk about Nazis, flat earthers, Republicans, Rishi Sunak, the Metaverse, gas stoves, Boris Johnson, Tony the Tiger, and demanding meat at gunpoint.I'm currently surveying my podcast listeners to find out what you'd prefer listening to. Please go to The 9pm Quick Survey 2: Whaddyawant? before 30 June 2023.https://the9pmedict.com/thesurveyFull podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00198/Please support this podcast by throwing a few dollars into the tip jar at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

Google’s Pixel 7a is here (as is Google I/O), but is the Pixel 7a a worthwhile phone? How is Australia's Federal budget fighting scammers and cybercrime? Are blue skies already turning grey at Bluesky Social? I was on this week's Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News and this is an updated version."Australian technology news podcast Vertical Hold dives into the big stories of the week. Joined by Australia's leading tech journalists every Friday, co-hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman channel-surf through the headlines in search of the big picture," they write.Google’s I/O brought us lots of AI, no Pixel Fold down under and… Time Travel?Well, no, Google didn’t bring us time travel, but in this week’s show, we’re using the power of time travel to tell the story of the Pixel 7a, discuss the Pixel Tablet and more with EFTM’s Dan Tyson and Review.org’s Adam Smith!It’s also budget week, and the tech side of the budget wanted to talk all about the criminals. No, not the ones we may or may not have elected*, but instead criminals of the cyber kind.So Stilgherrian dropped by the Vertical Hold studios to talk all things Cyber, as well as why the skies over at Bluesky might not be that blue…*Allegedly, in case you’re a lawyer reading this.Vertical Hold can be found in all the podcast apps or at:https://verticalhold.com.auFull podcast details at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/vh428/Please consider supporting The 9pm Edict at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

In the first Pubic House Forum episode of the The 9pm Edict since 2018, I was joined by Sydney Morning Herald cartoonist Cathy Wilcox and satirist Mark Humphries at Sydney's Royal Exhibition Hotel in Surry Hills with an enthusiastic live audience.There's also a video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode we begin with our audience rating Anthony Albanese's first year as prime minister on a scale of 1 to 5, and end by getting ChatGPT to ask the questions. They were terrible.We also talk about the late Barry Humphries (no relation to Mark, he claims), Elon Musk and Twitter and SpaceX, so-called "firming strategies", the Doug Anthony All Stars, Doug Anthony, Alan Seale, car parking considered as a superpower, Kyle Sandilands, Gerard Henderson (briefly), how many ducks you'd need to form a herd, and Farmer's Union Iced Coffee.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00197/Please support this podcast by throwing a few dollars into the tip jar at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/Another Public House Forum episode is scheduled for 27 May 2023. Stay tuned.

Is a cow a thing? Is the ocean a thing? We ponder these and other important questions with Justin Warren, "consultant, freedom of information tragic, hexagon enthusiast, and creator of the CyberRating™ labelling scheme". He's also chair of Electronic Frontiers Australia, but I'm sure they'll disown him.In this episode we talk about robodebt and ministerial responsibility, cyber weapons, the little-known capital punishment round in the Eurovision Song Contest, Australia's online safety regime, how privacy is the opposite of transparency, and even a bit about Mastodon.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00195/Please support this podcast by throwing a few dollars into the tip jar at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

In the news this week we've been reminded that so-called "superbugs" are going to kill millions of us, so I thought we should talk once more with infectious disease physician Dr Trent Yarwood.In this episode we talk about antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, but also some interesting research relating to Alzheimer's disease, the nature of research journalism, Victoria's plans to put everyone's health records in one big database and matters of medical privacy, the human genome project, and even a little xenodocheionology, the lore of hotels and inns.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00196/Please support this podcast by throwing a few dollars into the tip jar at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

As the war in Ukraine continues, Russian disinformation is becoming somewhat unhinged. Joining me to explore that further is Elise Thomas, freelance journalist and OSINT analyst with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.In this episode we also talk about Russian disinformation operations in Africa, the future of open-source intelligence, the Russian bureaucracy in occupied Ukraine, and why the French are Nazis. We even touch upon the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. And how could we not talk about Elon Musk and all the changes at Twitter?Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00194/Please support this podcast by throwing a few dollars into the tip jar at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

Happy New Year! The Premier of NSW once dressed as a Nazi and people are losing their minds. It's the perfect start to 2023.We also talk about the demise of conservative dating site The Right Stuff, Prince Harry's willy, Bill Gates' opinion of cryptocurrency, and some stories from the early days of interactive computers.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00193/Please support this podcast by supporting my current crowdfunding campaign, The 9pm Hardware Refresh 2023, by 26 January:https://stilgherrian.com/refresh2023If you miss that deadline, you can always throw a few dollars into the tip jar at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

The spring series of The 9pm Edict comes to a belated finale with special guest Yun Jiang, the inaugural China Matters Fellow at the Australian Institute of International Affairs. And guess what? We're discussing news from China.In this episode we talk about the historic meeting between Australia's foreign minister Senator Penny Wong and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the lifting of China's zero-covid policy, China's efforts to attract and retain scientific talent, China's ambitions in Antarctica, the plight of international students and how their experiences change their views of Australia, Chengdu rapper Xie Di, and of course cardboard dogs.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00192/Please support this podcast by supporting my current crowdfunding campaign, The 9pm Hardware Refresh 2023, by 26 January:https://stilgherrian.com/refresh2023If you miss that deadline, you can always throw a few dollars into the tip jar at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

Once again there’s so many things happening, but in this episode of The 9pm Edict podcast we simply must talk about Space Karen and his bizarre management style at his new $44 billion plaything, Twitter.We also talk about artificial intelligence conversation generator ChatGTP, Peter Dutton's inability to say anything other than "Mr Speaker", Pancake Kitchen, and much more.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00191/Please support this podcast by supporting my current crowdfunding campaign, The 9pm Hardware Refresh 2023, by 26 January:https://the9pmedict.com/refresh2023If you miss that deadline, you can always throw a few dollars into the tip jar or subscribe for ore benefits at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

Finally, it's time to talk about submarines. The spring series of The 9pm Edict continues with a conversation about what submarines in the 21st century can and can't do with defence analyst and illustrator H I Sutton of Covert Shores.Before we can answer questions about whether Australia "really needs" nuclear submarines, we need to step back a bit. So in this episode we compare nuclear subs with conventional boats, and we talk about underwater drones, Russia's intercontinental nuclear torpedo, Operation Ivy Bells, American submarine NR-1, air-independent power, and much more.Needless to say, we mention some films: Das Boot, The Hunt for Red October, Fail-Safe, and The World is Not Enough.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00190/Please support this podcast at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

Elon Musk finally owns Twitter, but is the social media giant circling the drain or about to become something entirely new? Should Medibank pay the ransom to keep customers’ sensitive medical data safe? I was on this week's Vertical Hold: Behind The Tech News and this is an updated version."Australian technology news podcast Vertical Hold dives into the big stories of the week. Joined by Australia's leading tech journalists every Friday, co-hosts @adam_turner and @alexkidman channel-surf through the headlines in search of the big picture," they write."A week is a long time in politics, they say… and it turns out it’s a long time when you’re the new owner of Twitter, having spent $44 billion dollars to own it. Elon Musk has been on an absolute tear this week, but what will his changes mean for Twitter? Will anyone pay $8/month for a verified tick, and what are they worth if anyone can just do that anyway?"Meanwhile the breaches are coming thick and fast as we dive into the details (such as they are) behind the Medibank data breach, and Sony reveals its PSVR2 pricing!"Vertical Hold can be found in all the podcast apps or at:https://verticalhold.com.auFull podcast details at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/vh403/Please consider supporting The 9pm Edict at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

As the spring series of The 9pm Edict continues, Rishi Sunak becomes the new prime minister of the UK — at least at the time of recording — so who better to join us than Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous?In this episode we talk about the joy that is British politics, plus Elon Musk's imminent purchase of Twitter, Vegemite, poetry, hope, transparency, the concept of a "wellbeing budget", some weird conspiracy theories about Rishi Sunak, and whether Queen Elizabeth II is actually dead.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00189/Please support this podcast at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

There's so much happening at once! In this episode of The 9pm Edict podcast, it's all the excitement of history being made — for 45 days.We talk about the political chaos in the UK, especially the magnificent possibility of the return of Boris Johnson. But we also talk about Donald Trump and his allies, and Scott Morrison (sorry).Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00188/Please support this podcast at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

The spring series of The 9pm Edict continues with another visit from author, columnist, and man of words in so many, many dubious contexts, John Birmingham. We talk about food crimes, JB's Big Green Egg, Margaret Thatcher, Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton, custard, trickle-down economics, how the world has changed since Peter Dutton became opposition leader, the war in Ukraine, Liz Truss, the history of TV clip shows, iceberg lettuce, and sparkles.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00187/Please support this podcast at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

As the world, and in particular the UK, emerges from the period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, regular service is resumed — by which I mean the usual mix of the stupid and the bizarre.[Update: This episode was edited on 25 September 2022 to reflect developments across the weekend in the Optus data breach story. If you're after just that update, scroll in to 55m02s.]In this episode we talk about the decline of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the massive Optus data breach, Donald Trump, Liz Truss, guinea pigs, and the many unusual ways in which people process their grief.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00186/Please support this podcast at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

The first special-guest episode in the spring series is a fascinating chat about artificial intelligence, killer robots, and more with UNSW Scientia Professor Toby Walsh, chief scientist of the brand new UNSW AI Institute.In this episode we talk about neural networks, the dangers of algorithmic policing, Google Duplex, cryptocurrency, HAL 9000 (obviously) and other disembodied computers, tribbles, whether red-eyed robots will take over the world, and even the Australian government's illegal "robodebt" scheme.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00185/Please support this podcast at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

The spring series of The 9pm Edict kicks off in a strange week, especially in British politics and the monarchy. This episode is a disjointed set of personal observations and complaints.We talk about Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, drugs, space, the metaverse, mental health, mediocre Australian politicians including Angus Taylor and Tim Smith, our JobSeeker program, and a goose.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00184/Please support this podcast at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

The winter series of The 9pm Edict concludes with another look at all the plagues and many other things — some of them fun — with infectious diseases physician Dr Trent Yarwood.In this episode we talk about COVID-19, of course, but also ebola, monkeypox, Scott Morrison's secret ministries, the sexual proclivities of backpackers, leeches, dinosaurs, William Shatner, Langya henipavirus, how we decide whether to call something a sexually-transmitted infection, and cake.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00183/Please support this podcast at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/