A new book suggests that Captain James Cook, while previously known as a man with a distinct knowledge of and respect for Indigenous peoples and with his crew, on his last voyage, misjudged and miscommunicated his way to his death at the hands of once friendly Hawaiians. GUEST: author and historian Hampton Sides Book: The Wide Wide Sea - Imperial A…

The very lucrative practise of lobbying has seen corporate profits soar and transformed America's economy and the political process itself. A glaring example of lobbyist's power must be the failure of President Clinton to win passage of much anticipated health care reform during the 1990s. Once a business using personal connections and access to la…

Is a butcher allowed to make Olympic rings out of sausages? Was the champion Spartan chariot racer Kyniska the feminist trailblazer she is held up to be? Internationally acclaimed sports historian Wray Vamplew puts the spotlight on the myths and misconceptions about the Olympics past and present. Guest: Wray Vamplew, Emeritus professor of Sports Hi…

Renowned war correspondent Robert Fisk was a strong critic of the West’s interference in the Middle East, but he was equally critical of the Western media and the way in which it reported those events. Now his final work has been published by his widow, Nelofer Pazira-Fisk, which she says is a warning about ongoing war. Guest: Nelofer Pazira-Fisk, …

Clare O'Neil and Andrew Giles have been moved from the home affairs and immigration portfolios in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's first major Cabinet re-shuffle. But questions remain about the whether the unwieldy portfolio itself should be broken up. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30…

Popularised by accountants in Renaissance Florence, the paper notebook has a rich cultural history. Prolific notebook users include master doodler Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Darwin, Agatha Christie and Bruce Chatwin who unwittingly inspired the Moleskine. Guest: Roland Allen, author Roland’s new book is ‘The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper…

Frustrated academics are finding new models for publishing academic research that bypasses the big academic publishers who are making millions from their research. And it is the universities that are paying for it - usually twice. Guest: Arash Abizadeh, professor of political science at McGill University and author of the article in the Guardian ti…

A new biography of William Shakespeare looks at the world’s greatest playwright through a queer lens. According to author Will Tosh, “Same-sex desire was particularly evident in Shakespeare’s sonnets and the Elizabethan society he moved in as a young man was much queerer than you might think." Guest: Will Tosh, Head of Research at Shakespeare’s Glo…

Saree Makdisi argues Israel has long presented itself as a bastion of tolerance and democracy in the heart of the Middle East. But he says the war in Gaza is seeing support among progressive voters, particularly in the United States, collapse, and that the Netanyahu regime is lifting the veil of denial over a story of cultural and ethnic dispossess…

A month-long walk from the source of the Brisbane River, eastward to Moreton Bay, leads writer and barrister Simon Cleary to new appreciations of what the river means to people, and how it changes along its course. Guest: Simon Cleary, author of ‘Everything is water’, a non-fiction account of walking the length of the Brisbane River. Published by U…

There have been many scary stories about what could happen if artificial intelligence is allowed free rein, including ultimately the destruction of the human race, but theoretical physicist Paul Davies says there's much to be welcomed about developments in AI, including significant improvements in cancer diagnosis and treatment, and improvements to…

President Biden has pulled out of the race for the Presidency and put his support and his donations behind Kamala Harris. But has he left it too late? Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine; Executive Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.…

Antoni Gaudi, already known as ‘God’s architect’, could soon be beatified by Pope Francis, making him the patron saint of architects. In a new biography, Michael Eaude says the Catalan architect did not always display saintly behaviour. According to Eaude, Gaudi was more of a bad-tempered genius with a wry sense of humour. Guest: Michael Eaude, jou…

Should politicians be claiming defamation for comments made on social media? Senator Linda Reynolds will be in the WA Supreme Court next week making her case that Brittany Higgins defamed her on Twitter and Instagram. Guest: Richard Ackland, editor of Justinian and the newsletter 500 words or thereabouts…

Laura Tingle on how the Opposition is re-jigging its strategy to focus on outer-suburban, regional and rural electorates, and how the CFMEU issue plays nicely into their hands. Guest: Laura Tingle, Chief Political Correspondent, 7.30By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The passport - if you can get one - gives freedom, but it also means state surveillance. This is one of the many passport paradoxes observed by author Patrick Bixby, in an account that ranges from indigenous passports to literary references to passport 'rankings'. Guest: Patrick Bixby, Professor of English at Arizona State University Author of ‘Lic…

Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian is touted as being a reformist, with a more conciliatory approach to a broad range of issues, from the women’s movement, to nuclear co-operation and relations with Western countries. But ultimately the country is still ruled by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini and the ultraconservative Guardian Council. S…