The 9pm Edict

With massive budget cuts to NASA, claims that we've found alien life, and an important anniversary coming up, it's time once more to talk about Space! My guests, therefore, are space archaeologist Dr Alice Gorman aka Dr Space Junk, and astrophysicist Rami Mandow.

In this episode we celebrate the anniversary of the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, we discuss how Donald Trump's budget cuts will affect space research, and we discuss fast radio bursts, the overview effect, and why Mars is a shithole.

This episode was originally posted as "The 9pm Controversial Alien Discovery and Budget Cuts with Dr Alice Gorman and Rami Mandow" but that misses out the entire reason for posting it this weekend.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00248/

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Let's kick off the Edict's mid-2025 series with a look at Australia's relationship with Indonesia, because Jakarta was the first international city prime minister Anthony Albanese visited after his re-election. Our special guest is journalist Erin Cook, who specialises in South-East Asia.

Erin produces the excellent newsletter Dari Mulut ke Mulut, an English-language summary of what’s happening in the region, and an occasional newsletter specifically on the Australia-Indonesia relationship, Flat White, Kopi Susu.

In this episode we talk about Albo's meeting with Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto back on 15 May. But we also discuss that weird drama over a supposed Russian airforce base in Papua, the long-running Cambodian–Thai border dispute, the decline of specialists journalism, crafting and what counts as copying someone's work, discipline, and horseback adventures.

Oh yeah, and we talk about the presidential cat. Bobby Kertanegara is his name.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00247/

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With just days remaining until Australia's federal election, who better to talk with than Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous? Well, lots of people, but here we are.

In this episode we do talk about the impending election, and quite a bit about sausages. But we also discuss important issues about transubstantiation, whether Princess Diana went straight to hell, why heaven is awash with bears, TV ratings, the taste of tuna, and for some reason the attraction of group face-licking.

There's also quite a bit about genitals. And it's the final episode in the summer series.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00246/

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The summer series is dragging on, and there's still so many things on our minds. So joining me for a bonus episode is my good friend Snarky Platypus.

In this episode we talk about lego, trains full of boomers, the echidnapus, and the panic about a so-called Chinese Spy Ship. And of course there's a few rants about election discourse and political polling.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00245/

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There's a lot going on in The America. You may have noticed. So as the summer series grinds on — way behind schedule — we're joined by Associate Professor David Smith from the United States Study Centre.

In this episode we talk, obviously, about the powers of POTUS and his Yalta 2.0 imperialist desires to annex Canada. And Greenland. And Mexico. We discuss how the new Trumpian America might affect Australia's favourite government program, AUKUS. And inevitably, we talk about Trump's weird relationship with Elon Musk.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00244/

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As the summer series grinds on we’re joined once again — well, after a gap of more than a year — by author and columnist John Birmingham. 

In this episode we talk, inevitably, about the nexus between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. But we also chat about Brisbane and the good old days, cancer, the Apple Vision Pro, World Expo 88, digital locks, physical fitness, and the links between hypermasculinity, Gamergate, and fascism.

It also sees the return of the chia seed protein pudding, and yet more mentions of Umberto Eco.

Full podcast details and credits:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00243/

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Snarky Platypus and Stilgherrian return to that park in North Sydney park to record another uninformative trailer for their new podcast. Please ignore the squealing child.

They’ll be recording two pilot episodes in the coming weeks, just as soon as the paperwork is done for the music license.

The summer series continues, and it's more science. Today's special guest is infectious diseases physician Dr Trent Yarwood.

In this episode we talk about infectious diseases, of course, from smallpox to long covid, and HIV to measles. But we also discuss the appendix, biological warfare, norovirus, poo, and the medical semiotics of bow ties. 

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00242/

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Snarky Platypus and Stilgherrian sit in a North Sydney park to record a brief and uninformative trailer for their new podcast. They’ll be recording two pilot episodes in the coming weeks, just as soon as the paperwork is done for the music license.

Happy New Year. It's time for another look at space news, I reckon, so once more my special guests are space archaeologist Dr Alice Gorman aka Dr Space Junk from Flinders University, and astrophysicist and founder of SpaceAustralia.com Rami Mandow.

In this episode we talk about Mars, including its role as both a source of aliens and as a potential new home for humans. That does mean we dissect Elon Musk's comments about colonising Mars.

We also talk about the space debris that fell on Kenya earlier this month— or was it something else? And we discuss Blue Origin's New Glenn launch vehicle which failed to launch on Monday, the future of human civilisation, early science fiction, O'Neill cylinders, and the pronunciation of Uranus.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00241/

Please consider supporting this podcast with your cash-type money:
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