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/thesurvey

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00199/

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The 9pm Edict Series 9

The 9pm Bad Nasi Goreng Makes the Merlion Sad with Snarky Platypus

Have you heard? Artificial intelligence is a thing! Maybe it's even out of control? For that and various other reasons, my special guest for the final summer series episode is Professor Johanna Weaver, former cyber diplomat, and director of the Tech Policy Design Centre at ANU.

We talk about making the internet more resilient, diplomacy during the covid times, and Australia's relatively competent approach to regulating artificial intelligence. I even reveal my true age.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00215/

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The 9pm Edict Series 11

The 9pm International Cyber Law without Vodka with Professor Johanna Weaver

A comet! An eclipse! Everything is happening in space! To kick off the autumn series, 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 the plurality of worlds controversy, comets and eclipses, Irish astronomer Agnes Mary Clerke, and what it might take to keep the Moon nice — and much more.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00216/

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The 9pm Edict Series 12

The 9pm Keeping the Moon Nice with Dr Alice Gorman and Rami Mandow

A chicken shop in New York leads into a commentary on the correct use of capital letters in a podcast of a slightly different style.

This mini-episode was commissioned by Jamie Morrison as part of his reward for supporting The 9pm Autumn Series 2024 crowdfunding campaign.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00217/

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The 9pm Curious Case of Case

It may come as a shock, but it turns out the climate crisis has not yet been solved. So joining me for an update is Ketan Joshi, a researcher and communications consultant who works on climate-focused comms.

We discuss why the atmosphere is a bathtub, why bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is absurd, and why more rain and snow doesn't mean things aren't warming up. We also talk about some dodgy statistics relating to hybrid vehicles, and Earth Day.

And, sad to say, we riff off one of Ketan’s blog posts to talk about Elon Musk and X — but trust me, it's interesting.

This conversation was recorded on 22 April 2024

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00218/

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The 9pm It's Raining and We're All Going to Drown with Ketan Joshi

In recent weeks the Australian government has opened multiple fronts in its war against the social media giants. So who better to speak with than Justin Warren, “consultant, freedom of information tragic, hexagon enthusiast, and creator of the CyberRating™ labelling scheme”?

In this episode we discuss the MediSecure data breach, Australia's new Digital ID laws, the pilot of online age assurance technology, plans to ban young people from using social media, how socialisation puts a little police officer in your head, the concept of Reward Cheese, the problem of apostrophes, eSafety Commissioner vs X Corp in the Federal Court, censorship more generally, and why farmers are complaining about space weather.

This conversation was recorded on 21 May 2024

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00219/

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The 9pm Dream Cheese of Digital Tyranny with Justin Warren

As the autumn series of the Edict overflows into Official Winter, we go arty with Esther Anatolitis, editor of Australian literary journal Meanjin and a colossus striding the Melbourne arts scene and beyond.

In this episode we discuss the controversy over Vincent Namatjira's portrait of billionaire Gina Reinhart, and why Melbourne is so arty and, allegedly, so liveable. We touch upon Cole's Book Arcade, Melbourne being a UNESCO City of Literature, being Greek — her not me — and much more.

This conversation was recorded on 20 May 2024, so listen all the way to the end for some updates.

Disclosure: Meanjin is a client, though I am not being paid for this and it was all my idea.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00220/

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The 9pm Arty Greek Melbourne Chat with Esther Anatolitis

The last couple of weeks have been full of online safety news, from eSafety Commissioner v X Corp in the Federal Court to AI to deepfakes. So my guest this time is. Zoe Jay Hawkins, head of policy design at ANU’s Tech Policy Design Centre.

In this episode we talk about the way AI and deepfakes might influence this year's many elections, the polarisation of the online safety debate, free speech, content classification, and much more.

This conversation was recorded on 6 June 2024.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00221/

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The 9pm Devilish Deepfakes of Democracy with Zoe Hawkins

The autumn series of the Edict concludes with a returning special guest, Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous, to chat about the UK election campaigns and much, much more. 

We discuss cocaine and koalas, Scott Morrison's post-parliamentary career, Elon Musk's $56 billion package, the King's Birthday, and an encounter between an echidna and a tiger shark.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00222/

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The 9pm Sunak ScoMo Schadenfreude with David F Porteous

It's more or less the start of the winter series as Stilgherrian vents about three things that got on his wick this week.

In this episode he talks about some stupid political reporting from Canberra about Labor's equally stupid response to Senator Fatima Payman, a stupid law that will change nothing, and a stupid event that kicked off in Kuala Lumpur.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00223/

This season’s crowdfunding campaign has mere hours to run. Please click through and pledge your support. You have until 9pm AEST tomorrow, Thursday 4 July.
https://the9pmedict.com/winter2024

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The 9pm Edict Series 13

The 9pm Three Minor Irritations

Back at the start of the year, my good friend Snarky Platypus and I created some bingo cards for 2024. Two sets of 25 things that might happen. Well, we’re half-way through the year, so let’s see how we went.

You might want to follow along with the original blog post.
https://stilgherrian.com/essay/bingo-card-2024/

In this episode we talk about Thai politics, the ongoing myth of a Melbourne airport railway, Rupert Murdoch and the nature of marriage, music created by AI, Nirvana, The Veronicas, the ongoing battle against HIV, mental illness, the South Pacific nations, Peter Dutton, and much more.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00224/

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The 9pm Half-time Bingo Card Update 2024 with Snarky Platypus

Finally the real special guests start hitting the Edict's winter series. It's Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous. We do touch upon the recent UK election results, but there's much, much more.

In this episode we talk about Armando Iannucci, lacerated ears, magic shoes, serial killers, haggis smuggling from Kenya, the weight of a teaspoon of sugar. and other things.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00225/

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The 9pm Collapse of an Evil Empire with David F Porteous

Have you ever been a victim of cybercrime? I know I have. I bet you have too. So let’s talk about that now with Dr Miranda Bruce from UNSW Canberra, because she's been working on the World Cybercrime Index.

In this episode we talk about the types of cybercrime and its different characteristics around the world, cybercrime factories and human trafficking, and how law enforcement agencies' views about their role all this  role seem to different those of us ordinary citizens.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00226/

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The 9pm Geography of Cybercrime with Dr Miranda Bruce

Victorian-era Melbourne had a thriving sex industry, and the flashiest of the flash madams was Caroline Hodgson, aka Madame Brussels. My guest today is Barbara Minchinton, author of the new book, “Madame Brussels: The Life and Times of Melbourne's Most Notorious Woman”.

In this episode we talk about Madame Brussels' life in the context of Victorian-era Melbourne. We cover sectarian disapproval her so-called "mixed marriage", some of the myths surrounding her, and the do-gooders who tried to shut her down.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00227/

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The 9pm Tale of Madame Brussels with Barbara Minchinton

It's time for another podcast about space, so we're joined once again by astrophysicist Rami Mandow, founder of SpaceAustralia.com.

In this episode we talk about what may be a new kind of pulsar, the cancellation of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, three ways in which the solar system is being a jerk, Japanese folklore (no really), those astronauts who are definitely not "stuck" or "stranded" on the International Space Station because NASA says they're not, and the ZWO Seestar S50 smart telescope.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00228/

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The 9pm the Solar System is Being a Jerk with Rami Mandow

With so much news about social media in Australia right now, I thought I'd wrap up the winter series by speaking with Professor Axel Bruns from the Digital Media Research Centre at Queensland University of Technology.

In this episode we discuss whether anything can replace what was Twitter, Australia's News Media Bargaining Code and Meta refusing to pay for news content, age restrictions for social media, the arrest of Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov, and why filter bubbles really aren't a thing.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00229/

Please consider supporting this podcast via the current crowdfunder:
https://the9pmedict.com/spring2024

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The 9pm War on Social Media with Professor Axel Bruns

It's more or less the start of the spring series as Stilgherrian vents about three more things that got on his wick this week. He also plugs his current crowdfunding campaign, because of course he does.

In this episode he talks about the shoddy journalism of the US presidential campaign, the problems of artificial intelligence, and his disturbing dreams.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00230/

Please consider supporting this podcast via the current crowdfunder:
https://the9pmedict.com/spring2024

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The 9pm Edict Series 14

The 9pm Three More Minor Irritations

The spring series of the Edict kicks off properly with our first special guest and it's David Gerard, co-editor of the newsletter Pivot to AI. So guess what we talk about.

Yes, in this episode we talk about artificial intelligence. Specifically, we test out Google's NotebookLM podcast creator, we discuss why the much-promoted AI utopia won't happen, we put the idea of a robot uprising into its cultural context, and much more.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00231/

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The 9pm AI Just Doesn’t Work with David Gerard (#NotAllAI)

As regular listeners to the Edict will know, I reckon Australians should know more about the other nations in our region. So our special guest today is journalist Erin Cook, who covers South-East Asia, and we're talking Indonesia and Thailand. Mostly.

Erin produces the excellent newsletter “Dari Mulut ke Mulut”, an English-language summary of what's happening in the region.
https://darimulut.beehiiv.com

In this episode we talk about Indonesia's soon-to-be president Prabowo Subianto and the nation's plans to move the capital from Jakarta to the new city of Nusantara. We attempt to give you an introduction to the complicated and often amusing politics of Thailand. And we take a side journey into the politics of Myanmar and two varieties of popular music.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00232/

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The 9pm Indonesia and Thailand Crash Update with Erin Cook

Australian has chosen its face for Eurovision 2015, and it needs a shave. Christopher Pyne explains science. And Malcolm Turnbull explains reality.

In this podcast, there's talk of logic, leadership, public relations, science and Florida. Obviously.

For full episode credits, see:
http://stilgherrian.com/edict/00038/

The 9pm Shut Up It's Called Logic

The spring series grinds on — and I do mean grinds — with friend of the pod, satirist Mark Humphries.

In this episode we do talk about the thing that happened last week — the Trump thing — but we also talk about edible underwear, North Korean soldiers, British comedians Ben Elton, Rik Mayall, and Steve Coogan, whether straight people can do camp, and pixellated genitals.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00234/

Please consider supporting this podcast through this season’s crowdfunder, The 9pm Summer Series 2024, by 5 December:
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The 9pm Gorging on Pornography with Mark Humphries

No, we're not really on ketamine. But as the spring series continues we're going sideways with a bonus episode featuring my good friend Snarky Platypus and many, many topics.

In this episode we talk about robot whales, the secrets of Dinosaur Club, Australia's proposed social media age restrictions (again), the truly horrible side effects of ketamine addiction, how Donald Trump and Elon Musk might change our world, the problem with our news media, and premix drinks.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00235/

Please consider supporting this podcast through this season’s crowdfunder, The 9pm Summer Series 2024, by 5 December:
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The 9pm Secrets of Dinosaur Club on Ketamine with Snarky Platypus

We’re joined today by one of my favourite guests, space archaeologist Dr Alice Gorman aka Dr Space Junk from Flinders University.

In this episode we talk about the research she and her colleagues have been doing with the International Space Station. Apparently it's rather like a share house. We wonder how you might develop a feminist map of the Moon. And as usual we veer off on plenty of tangents.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00236/

Please consider supporting this podcast through this season’s crowdfunder, The 9pm Summer Series 2024, by 5 December:
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The 9pm Scruffy Share House in Space with Dr Alice Gorman

It's the final episode of the spring series, finally. And with all the weird digital policy action in Australia in recent weeks, I figured we'd better chat once more with Justin Warren, "consultant, freedom of information tragic, hexagon enthusiast, and creator of the CyberRating™ labelling scheme".

In this episode we talk about Australia's newly-legislated social media ban for under-16s, sure. But we also talk about something called "systems intentionality", product safety, the new AI tool from MyHeritage that turns old photos into videos, and wine decanters,

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00237/

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The 9pm Chickens of Cyber Necromancy with Justin Warren

The first summer series episode of the Edict features Stilgherrian telling a personal story, plus a few other bits and pieces.

In this episode he talks about his recent injuries and related hospital visits, the history of those hospitals, content warnings, dildos in Texas, and some old anti-vaxxers.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00238/

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The 9pm Major Irritation (and certain other amusements)

Our first special guest in the summer series is Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous, and we’re going to talk about everything that happened in 2024. Every single thing.

Well, no. However we do have to talk about Donald Trump. Sorry, but we do.

We also talk about the latest challenge to honesty on OnlyFans, the latest in adult diapers, certain aspects of biology, the Spanish Armada, Australia's love of Olympic-level breakdancing, and much more.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00239/

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The 9pm Weeds of Disappointment with David F Porteous

Back at the start of the year, my good friend Snarky Platypus and I created some bingo cards for 2024. Two sets of 25 things that might happen. Well, we’re now at the end of the year, so let’s see how we went.

You might want to follow along with the original blog post.
https://stilgherrian.com/essay/bingo-card-2024/

You might also want to listen to our half-time update from July.
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00224/

In this episode we talk about sex education, high-speed trains, Nauru, Hong Kong, South Korea, television, NIMBYism, brain scans, and much more.

Full podcast details and credits at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00240/

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The 9pm Full-time Bingo Card Update 2024 with Snarky Platypus

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/

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The 9pm Colonisation of Mars and the Universe with Dr Alice Gorman and Rami Mandow

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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The 9pm Medical Semiotics of Bow Ties, Long Covid, and Poo with Dr Trent Yarwood

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 at:
https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00243/

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The 9pm Nostalgia for Corruption with John Birmingham

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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The 9pm Dreams of American Empire with Associate Professor David Smith

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/

Please consider supporting the current crowdfunder. You have until 9pm AEST this Tuesday 22 April.
https://the9pmedict.com/mid2025

If you miss the deadline, there’s always these links:
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The 9pm Triple Mammal Chinese Spy Ship Panic with Snarky Platypus

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 9pm Bears of Heaven with David F Porteous

Australian author and reprobate John Birmingham joins me for the first in this podcast's Spring Series 2020.

We talk about Cobra Kai, Elon Musk's high-energy cyberpig, QAnon and weaponised BS, pea and ham soup, the nature of democracy, baby fascists, the re-election of Donald Trump (obviously), and the collapse of civilisation generally.

Full podcast details at:
https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00115/

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The 9pm Edict Series 6

The 9pm End of Civilisation with John Birmingham

Skank Media is the umbrella business for projects produced by Stilgherrian, including The 9pm Edict and Corrupted Nerds podcasts.

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