Late Night Live (Australia)

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Quick links: Key, Headlines, 2026, Smart Speaker Commands

Radio fave and recommended listening: Late Night Live – abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive – a Monday-Thursday evening (10pm Australian Eastern Daylight) conversations spanning the globe hosted by David Marr. // Radio favorita y recomendada para escuchar: Late Night Live – abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive – conversaciones de lunes a jueves por la noche (10pm, hora del este de Australia) que abarcan todo el mundo presentado por David Marr.

In June 2024 there was a fond farewell to Phillip Adams as he stepped away from the LNL microphone // En junio 2024 fuera una cariñosa despedida para Phillip Adams cuando se aleje del micrófono de la LNL

Key Links
Late Night Live
In BedWith Phillip
iTunes (Separate Stories)
Close Encounters

Questions // Preguntas

• Which timezone would you like to listen in? // ¿En qué zona horaria te gustaría escuchar? abc.net.au/radionational/live

Smart Speaker Commands

• <Smart Speaker> Play Radio National Late Night Live
• <Smart Speaker> Stream Radio National Sydney

Headlines
Phillip Adams has fronted ABC RN’s Late Night Live for 33 years. Here are some of his best conversations
Farewell to the ‘ancient and soon to be ex-broadcaster’: Phillip Adams’ last Late Night Live – RadioInfo Australia

David Marr
David Marr to host RN Late Night Live – About the ABC
David Marr to replace Phillip Adams as host of ABC radio’s Late Night Live after three decades – Guardian
David Marr to replace ABC’s Phillip Adams at Late Night Live

2026
Humboldt: the philosopher who started the ecology movement – The idea that everything in nature is interconnected comes largely from the German philosopher, geographer, naturalist and explorer, Alexander von Humboldt. After a scientific expedition to the Americas at the turn of the 19^th century, Humboldt came to realise that nature existed in interconnected ecological zones, and that humans were not nature’s overloads, but part of nature itself, something which profoundly challenged religious beliefs about man’s place in the world. His observations were published in five volumes called Kosmos, a scientific work which would have a significant influence on evolutionary thinkers like Charles Darwin, and would ultimately kick off the ecology movement.  Guest: Dalia Nassar, Professor of Philosophy at The University of Sydney, author of Romantic Empiricism – nature, art and ecology from Herder to Humboldt, published by Oxford University Press, and host, The Wednesday Society podcast

Gerontocracy – how the dominance of the old is holding America back – The wealth and power of American elders was epitomised in the US 2024 election, with Joe Biden vs Donald Trump. But elder power spreads beyond political leadership, and is preventing the US from becoming as forward thinking and economically successful as it could be, argues guest Samuel Moyn, the Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University.

Ian Dunt’s UK: Nigel Farage resigns as MP to force by-election – Farage is under investigation from Parliament’s standards commissioner after not declaring a £5m gift he received in 2024 – before his election – from billionaire donor Christopher Harbornen. He is also facing questions about ‘gifts’ received from another supporter, convicted criminal George Cottrell. Farage denies any wrongdoing, and has vowed to win back his seat in a by-election.

America’s first president was an aggressive land speculator – Late Night Live – Professor Colin G. Calloway details Washington’s intense interest in land speculation, in the vast native territories west of the Appalachian mountain
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In conversation with the UK’s Ian Dunt – For the first time, Late Night Live UK political commentator Ian Dunt, meets David Marr in person.

2025
Helen Garner on Erin Patterson’s trial and a lifetime of keeping diaries – Author Helen Garner sat through the trial of Erin Patterson, who was convicted of murdering members of her family with deadly mushrooms. She reflects on coming face to face with a murderer, her love of the courts, her faith and what happens when people have to face the consequences of their actions.  Minute 20: Psalms

The pushback against Welcome to Country ceremonies – – Welcomes to Country have become commonplace at all sorts of cultural and ceremonial events around Australia. But where did the modern ceremony begin? And why are some politicians pushing back against the custom? Guest: Rhoda Roberts AO, Australian theatre and arts director, Widjabul woman of the Bundjalung nation

Have we forgotten the value of shade? – On a warming planet, heatwaves are proving increasingly deadly. But in the cities where most of us live, shade can be hard to come by. In ancient times, shade was prioritised for urban comfort, but in the age of the air-conditioner its value is often overlooked. Guest: Sam Bloch, journalist and author of Shade: The Promise of a Forgotten Natural Resource

The Patagonia story: how to make a fortune and give it all away – Patagonia is an outdoor clothing retailer than has grown into a global giant with a hundred stores around the world and an enormous online business, posting sales of more than a billion dollars a year. For decades, it has also been a beacon for social change and corporate activism. But in 2022 its founder, Yvon Chouinard, determined to get off the Forbes Billionaire list, gave his whole business away. He set up the Patagonia Purpose Trust, with 100 percent control given to the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature. But while Chouinard spent a lifetime trying to protect the environment, he also did lots of damage along the way.  Guest: David Gelles, climate reporter for the New York Times and author of “Dirtbag Billionaire: How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made a Fortune, and Gave It All Away” published by Text publishing

Why does Silicon Valley love this old French philosopher? – Some of the most powerful figures in America – from Silicon Valley to the White House – are enamoured with a dead French philosopher by the name of René Girard. Girard’s claim is that all human desire is ‘mimetic’ or based on imitation. His musings on human behaviour and psychology eventually lead him to God. But why is Girard all the rage amongst tech entrepreneurs? Guest: Alexander Douglas, philosopher and author of Against Identity: The Wisdom of Escaping the Self

John Menadue critiques Australia’s media and our relationship with the United States – John Menadue has been at the heart of Australian public life for over fifty years, working for the Whitlam, Fraser and Hawke governments. He oversaw the effective end to Australia’s White Australia Policy, was CEO of Qantas and set up the Centre for Policy Development. In the media he ran The Australian for Rupert Murdoch, launched the online weekly New Matilda and founded the influential public policy platform, Pearls and Irritations. Now aged ninety, John reflects on Australia’s media, in particular its coverage of the war in Gaza, our attitudes to race relations, AUKUS, our relationship with the United States and how Australia is navigating its place in the world during a global power shift.

Are architectural replicas bad taste? – From Dresden to Notre Dame, rebuilding or replicating in architecture, is never a neutral act. The art of the rebuild is about politics, national identity and sometimes, even just plain mimicry.

Themes of Late Night Live – Composer Elena Kats-Chernin, responsible for previous Late Night Live themes Russian Rag and Eliza Aria, joins David Marr to play some of the show’s old music on the grand piano, and introduce our new theme: Chatterbox Rag. 

China’s renewable energy domination – In China, more wind turbines and solar panels were installed last year than in the rest of the world combined.  Chinese companies are building electric vehicle and battery factories in Brazil, Thailand, Morocco, Hungary and beyond. The superpower is well on its way to world energy dominance.  Guest: Jennifer Turner

Deep history: an Indigenous way of seeing the past – This nation’s past can be understood a whole lot better if indigenous perspectives on history are listened to. It means considering rock art and other forms of storytelling, and the experiences that First Nations people have when they walk on country.  Guests: Jackie Huggins, historian and author, a Bidjara Elder of the Carnarvon Gorge area of Central QLD. Director of Indigenous Research at the University of QLD  Ann McGrath, WK Hancock Chair of History at the ANU, where she also leads the Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Program on Deep History. Ann and Jackie are the co-editors of ‘Deep history: country and sovereignty’ (UNSW Press) 

The traditional owners tracking a disappearing moth – Not long ago, bogong moths were abundant in the caves of the Australian alps during summer, and in towns and cities like Canberra during their Spring migration. But since 2019, their numbers have crashed by as much as 99.5%. A research project lead by the Taungurung people in collaboration with the University of Melbourne is working to gather much-needed data on these culturally-significant moths – known as deberra in the local language. Guest: Matt Shanks, Nira-balluk man from the Taungurung Land and Waters Council

Unraveling the mysteries of ancient string writing – ABC – We’re only now figuring out how to read the string writing of the Indigenous people of Peru, which until recently was thought to be essentially indecipherable. That was until Professor Sabine Hyland of the University of St Andrews found a remote village in the Andes where the elders had a superb collection of ancient string writing – known as khipus – and remembered a good deal of how they could be read.

The Haka Party Incident – ABC – Maori MPs were issued record bans from the New Zealand Parliament recently for their impromptu haka last year protesting a bill to wind back the Treaty of Waitangi. But haka has been pivotal in race relations in Aotearoa before. An event in 1979 at the University of Auckland triggered significant debate and change. Yet the incident was buried until Katie Wolfe helped dig it up to create first a play and now a documentary.

What do Greenlanders really think of Trump’s offer to buy the icy island? – Late Night Live – From Erik the Red, to the battle for independence. Rachael Lorna Johnstone, Professor of Law at the University of Greenland, explores the complicated and fascinating history of Greenland.

2024

Late Night Live’s US election special 2024 – Analysis of the US election 2024. What went right for Donald Trump? What went wrong for Kamala Harris? 

Learning the language of birds – Learning bird language is a unique way of bird watching. Our ancestors learned bird language for survival but also to live a better life – the more in-tune with nature, the more you could predict the weather and food opportunities. Guests: Andrew Turbill, Dan Lyon

Who was Kosciuszko? – With changing the name of Australia’s highest peak still undecided, Mount Kosciuszko remains named after a Polish revolutionary. Who was this man, and why was he so revered – not only in his native Poland, but across continents? Guest: Anthony Sharwood, author of ‘Kosciuszko, The Incredible Life of the Man behind the Mountain’.

The adventures of Simon Winchester – Simon Winchester has appeared on Late Night Live many times over the years to discuss his bestselling books. Now he and Phillip discuss Simon’s own phenomenal life – from entering boarding school in England at the age of 4 to having his beehives in Massachusetts raided by bears.

George Monbiot on the invisible forces behind neoliberalism – In his new book, George Monbiot says the trend towards neoliberalism began in the 1930s, and has so dominated the political narrative that its now seen as the natural way of things. So as the far-right once again marches to power, is this moment a political tipping point in the direction of fascism? And can this be reversed before the planet reaches its own ecological tipping point?

Hope for the climate and for restoring the atmosphere – Climate scientist Rob Jackson travelled the world in search of climate solutions and explains what he found and how we can feasibly return the atmosphere to pre-industrial times.
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Re-joining Paul Salopek on his walk across the world – Back in 2020, we met Paul Salopek, a journalist who was retracing the steps of human migration out of Africa – a 24,000 mile journey across the world. Originally projected to take 7 years, it’s now been over a decade and he is still walking… When we last caught up with Paul he was in Myanmar; Now, he’s back in Georgia after walking the span of China. We find out how he’s going and what still lies ahead. 

Johann Hari and the magic weight loss drugs – Health risks and rewards of the new weight loss drugs. What does the huge demand for these drugs say about our troubled relationship with food?

Wild Quests: Journeys into Ecotourism and the Future for Animals – Over the last thirty years, watching wildlife in nature became Satyajit Das’ gravitational centre. His new book Wild Quests is a literal and metaphorical record of these travels. 

Vandana Shiva on ecocide, ecological apartheid and food as a tool of war – Eco-feminist and food sovereignty activist Dr Vandana Shiva welcomes the news that the International Criminal Court will this year consider whether it can add ecocide as a prosecutable crime under international law.\\

How languages reveal differences in the way we see the world – Linguistics professor Caleb Everett explores how language shapes the way we think and feel about the world, as well as our perceptions of fundamental life experiences — and what linguistic diversity can tell us about human culture. Book: A Myriad of Tongues — How Languages Reveal Differences in How We Think

Buried treasure: how did medieval African coins end up in Arnhem Land? – A trip to the Wessel Islands in north-east Arnhem land has uncovered the location where ancient African coins from the island of Kilwa in Tanzania were found in the 1940’s. Since the story went viral in 2014, many people have tried to solve the mystery of how they got there. PastMasters: Historical Research Together

What’s behind the human need to count everything? – The human urge to document and quantify has been long and varied. Multiple systems of measurement have been devised over thousands of years. But it’s a way to make sense of our world. So, too, is the desire to encapsulate what life is like at a given time, and store it safely somewhere for future populations to examine.

2023

The long campaign for Indigenous Rangers to care for country – The Gunditjmara people of Western Victoria have just been recognised with a UNESCO award for their work safeguarding and maintaining their country at Budj Bim cultural heritage site. It’s the culmination of years of work campaigning for the right of Indigenous people to care for their own country and for funding the work of Indigenous Rangers. Budj Bim is now just one of around 80 Indigenous Protected Areas covering a vast amount of Australian land.Guests: Denis Rose, Gunditjmara Traditional Owner and Chair, Country Needs People and Patrick O’Leary, CEO and Founding Director of Country Needs People.

South Africa’s thousands of captive bred lions – In South Africa,  the lion-breeding industry continues to produce lions for tourists to shoot, and for bones to send to Asia as ‘tiger’ bones. Despite findings that there is no conservation value in this industry, and that it is harming South Africa’s international reputation, there is a political stalemate. Guest: Adam Welz, South African writer, photographer, and filmmaker based in Cape Town. Author of an article on the Yale Environment 360 site, ‘The ongoing disgrace of South Africa’s Captive Bred Lion Trade’ 

Why the Voice – and the Constitution – matter, with Megan Davis and George Williams – ABC Radio National – Midway through this referendum year, a re-set on the debate, including exactly what the hopes and intentions are for the Voice amendment, and why the Constitution even matters! Guests: Megan Davis, co-author with George Williams of ‘Everything you need to know about The Voice’ (UNSW Press); Balnaves Chair in Constitutional Law, Director of the Indigenous Law Centre at UNSW Law, and Pro Vice-Chancellor at UNSW.   Cobble Cobble woman from south-west Queensland; George Williams, co-author with Megan Davis of ‘Everything you need to know about The Voice’ (UNSW Press); Anthony Mason Professor and a Scientia Professor, as well as a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, at UNSW.   

The Kakhovka Dam explosion – the environmental legacy – The exploded Kakhovka dam in Ukraine has done obvious environmental damage, but more of that impact will become clearer with time. More broadly, the environmental damage in the Ukraine/Russia war has become possibly the most observed, and monitored, of any war. 

Sally Young on Australia’s ‘media monsters’ – Political scientist Sally Young discusses how media power in Australia came to be concentrated in the hands of a few men, and how this influenced politics during the period 1941-1972.

Bangladesh is becoming a ‘dumping ground’ for foreign fossil fuels – As the rest of the world transitions away from fossil fuels, Bangladesh is pressing ahead with major gas projects and importation terminals. Munira Chowdhury and Bernadette Maheandiran led an NGO delegation to Chattogram – Matarbari to meet the people most affected by these developments.

Strolling through the history of Australia’s botanic gardens – From colonial estates to leisure grounds for the masses, Australia’s botanic gardens have evolved over time. Now these gardens are on the frontline of climate change adaptation. Guest: Susan K Martin, Emeritus Professor in English, La Trobe University. Co-author of Reading the Garden

Fazlur Rahman Khan, father of the modern skyscraper – Guests: Sneha Mehta, independent writer and design strategist based in Mumbai; Snigdha Sur, founder and CEO of The Juggernaut

Can humanity solve the world’s water crisis? – This week, thousands of delegates will assemble in New York to attend a UN Water Conference, as the world faces an escalating water crisis. Guest: Mike Young, Research Chair in Water and Environmental Policy at the University of Adelaide

How borders make and break our world – Today, there are more borders in the world than ever before. In fact, the building of border walls, barriers and barricades has increased sixfold in the past two decades alone. Conversation with James Crawford’, author of The Edge of the Plain (Canongate)

2022

2022 Year in Review: An irreverent look back at an eventful year – Last live Late Night Live for the year. It was the year of overturned abortion rights, a federal election, an infamous Oscars slap and a new European war. The year no one could afford a head of lettuce and the year a lettuce outlived a British Prime Minister. Join an all-star cast for a tour of the highs and lows of 2022. 1:00 It’s awful ; 4:30 You would think an anti-vaccer would have done more of his own research on Australia’s visa requirements. – James Schloeffel

A ‘fungi first’ approach to climate change – Vast underground fungal networks sequester carbon and sustain much of life on Earth. Yet they have so far been overlooked by efforts to tackle the climate crisis. A new fungi-focused non-profit – spun.earth – is working to change that.

How millennial Sam Vincent fell into farming – Sam Vincent was working as a writer in Canberra when he agreed to start an apprenticeship with his father on the family farm. Now eight years later he has taken over the farm and has established a successful fig orchard as well as some cattle and sheep. What has he learnt about the land, its history and his father in that time?

An ecological manifesto for thriving under climate change – Tim Hollo has written an ecological manifesto for how we can not only survive, but thrive under climate change, highlighting the communities taking steps towards transformative collective action through mutual aid, ecological thinking, protest and more.

The story behind the Aboriginal Tent Embassy – Fifty years ago, Gary Foley was among the protestors that established the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the lawns of Parliament House. What started out as a media stunt turned into one of the most significant and enduring protests for Aboriginal land rights and sovereignty. This year it is celebrating fifty years of endurance.

Stolen Focus – why you can’t pay attention – Author Johann Hari argues our collective attention span is declining rapidly, and there are sinister reasons behind it. (23/28:42 Collective awareness)

2021
Year in review, with laughs aplenty and sombre reflection as well – Our cheery panel find the humour in some of the most challenging parts of a difficult year.

The joy and mystery of mazes – Mazes have gone in and out of fashion over the centuries but in recent years, Adrian Fisher has played a major role in reinvigorating the art and business of creating them. He estimates he has built 700 mazes in 42 countries, ranging from traditional hedge mazes to ones made of water. His Blenheim Palace maze now features on the British five-pound note.

Fire legacies – It’s widely accepted, including by two inquiries, that climate change was a significant factor in the Black Summer fires of 2019/20. But in the response to the fires, and in the opportunities for preparation in the years before, many human, political and systemic errors were made.  Journalist Bronwyn Adcock lived through the huge Currowan fire on the NSW South Coast, and in a new book has dissected it from every angle, including policy and politics.

Wayne Quilliam; Culture is Life – Adjunct Professor Wayne Quilliam’s camera has been his ticket around the world. From picking up his first camera whilst serving in the navy, to now having held over 300 exhibitions across the globe and being published in over 1000 publications, he is one of Australia’s pre-eminent Indigenous photographic artists, curators and cultural advisers.

The frontline of koala conservation – The koala is listed as one step below endangered so why aren’t we saving them? The Australian Koala Foundation’s Deborah Tabart and specialist koala ecologist Dr Steve Phillips discuss all things koala: their personalities, their history and how a broken political system is pushing them to extinction.

Return American national parks to tribal owners – America’s famed national parks are heralded as a triumph of democracy.  Vast swathes of land set aside in the late 1800s, ‘for the people’. But not all people.  Native Americans were removed from this land which had sustained them.  There was bloody conflict, and shoddy deals. Now, says an eminent Native American academic and writer, it is time to transfer the national parks back to tribal ownership. 

What’s Modern Monetary Theory? – As the rate of global debt continue to rise at unprecedented levels, some economists argue that there’s no limit now to how much you can borrow. Printing money endlessly appears to be part of President Biden’s recovery plan, and is part of the theory known as MMT, or Modern Monetary Theory. Guest: Satyajit Das, author of A Banquet of Consequences: Reloaded.

The clans, clicks and culture of sperm whales – New research indicates that sperm whales were able to communicate to each other in order to avoid the whalers of the 19th century. Our guest is Hal Whitehead, professor and marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Canada.

Growing popularity of ‘Doughnut’ economics – Late Night Live – British Economist Kate Raworth’s ‘Doughnut’ Economics aims to ensure that no one falls short on the essentials of life, while ensuring that collectively we do not overshoot our pressure on Earth’s life-supporting system. Her theory is being attempted by cities across the world.

The new era: Space 2.0 – With the US, China and Russia increasingly flexing their space muscles, and more companies heading to the moon and beyond, a panel of experts discuss the current state of astro politics, business and culture. Guests: Steven Freeland, Alice Gorman, Donna Lawler

America’s waning war on drugs – Gonzo journalist Michelle Lhooq discusses the legalisation of drugs like marijuana and psychedelics in parts of the US and the impact on counterculture.

2020

Tim Flannery on solving the climate emergency – The latest State of the Climate Report has confirmed our worst fears: the climate crisis has arrived here in Australia, and we’re running out of time to act. Does Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic hold important lessons for dealing with this existential threat?

Songlines: the power and the promise – Margo Neale and Lynne Kelly offer an Indigenous and Non-Indigenous perspective on the meaning and significance of Songlines, why they have been so successful in keeping Indigenous knowledge intact for tens of thousands of years and how they work as an effective memory technique and tool. 

Why Scientific American endorses Joe Biden – For the first time in Scientific American’s 175 year history the popular magazine has decided to endorse a candidate in the US Presidential election. Editor in Chief Laura Helmuth explains why it’s not Donald Trump.

Is Donald Trump a fascist? – Conversation with Sarah Churchwell
Mentioned: American Fascism: It Has Happened Here
16:00 We could get ourselves in a lot of trouble trying to figure out what Trump is aware of at the moment. Whatever he was was once aware of, he is clearly less aware of on a daily basis.

Funding species survival – With over 1 billion animals dead and species extinction already an issue before the wildfires, how adequate is funding for the survival of threatened species in Australia?

Wendell Willkie, the last internationalist? – Wendell Willkie lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt in his bid to be President of America in 1940. But although he was from the opposing party, Roosevelt asked him to be an international envoy for America across the globe. They shared a strong commitment to internationalism. A new biography called The Idealist has been written by Samuel Zipp, published by Harvard University Press. Quote: “I want to be a free spirit. If I wasn’t one, I would be still sitting on a cracker box in Indiana.”
– Wendell Willkie, quoted in The Idealist

Background

Farewell Phillip Adams
Phillip Adams farewells Late Night Live
radioinfo.com.au

About the program: Affectionately known as ‘the little wireless program’, Late Night Live has been presented by Phillip Adams for a record breaking 25 years. He says, and many an envious broadcaster and journalist agrees, ‘I’ve got the best job in Australian media.’ That’s because the little program isn’t so little, casting the widest net in wireless, gathering its guests and topics from around the planet—the best and the brightest discussing history, current affairs and the world’s most challenging ideas. Adding even more interest, the program’s style is famously friendly, good humoured and irreverent. Listen and you’ll learn why Phillip calls his listeners ‘gladdies’ and ‘poddies’ – G and Ps.

Videos

Manus Island Contract

Kevin Rudd interviews Phillip Adams

ABC Features
ABC Late Night Live host Phillip Adams on life at 80 and his hope of dying at the mic – ABC News
Phillip Adams to farewell his Gladdies and Poddies

Stray Notes

• Contemplative question: When does the new year begin? Third week of January or so when new episodes of Late Night Live air after RN’s summer season?

Wikipedia
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