My Love Letter to Late Night Live - But First!

This is the 1st part of a series of three blogs which form My Love Letter to Late Night Live. We know that there has been a loyal growing audience for LNL, especially as podcasts. I hope that this series of blogs will provide readers with a glimpse of how one particular listener - an ordinary scientist - enjoys an eclectic mix of episodes. I trust that LNL, and other quality programs on the ABC, will continue to expand their reach, educating listeners with matters vital for growing our nation’s wisdom, culture and democracy.

Listenings, Musings, IdeasJames ScottJuly 27, 2025158 Beardy StComment

My Love Letter to Late Night Live - Highlights, Critique, Praise

This is the 2nd part of three in this series My Love Letter to Late Night Live. It starts with some Content links to a wide range of topics covered in this eclectic mix of interviews I have listened to and thought they were worthy of letting others know about them. It is a long blog and I don’t expect many will want to read it all. Hopefully, you can skip around from topic to topic, find something that interests you, note down the number in brackets and then find links to any of them in part 3 of this blog, My Love Letter to Late Night Live - 52 Links.

Listenings, Writings, Readings, Musings, Ideas, GemsJames ScottJuly 27, 2025158 Beardy StComment

My Love Letter to Late Night Live - 52 Links

This is the 3rd blog of this series about my Love Letter to Late Night Live. It provides details and links to the 52 interviews referred to in the previous two blogs.

ListeningsJames ScottJuly 27, 2025158 Beardy StComment

Worth listening to ... Andrew O’Hagan's defence of literature and truth in the age of the machines

If you - like me - ever find yourself a little despondent about the state of human affairs on our little blue planet, treat yourself to listening to this breath of fresh air: Andrew O’Hagan - in this keynote address to the 2024 Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival … - has a wonderful way with words, giving me hope that humanity can rise to our challenges.

Enjoy!

ListeningsJames ScottApril 21, 2025Comment

Solving Earth’s problems ever so slowly - one element at a time ...

There are so many chemical elements that are critical for life on earth - but mankind is paying such little attention to them - seemingly just one at a time. And we can’t even solve the problems surrounding the cycling of just one of them - carbon!

If only we were all educated about the vital importance and wonder of key elements, we could solve the globe’s problems so much more quickly.

Here, we see the media presenting some in-depth understanding about two of the most important elements - nitrogen and phosphorus - but with too much focus on the elements of fear and danger!

Readings, Musings, Ideas, ListeningsJames ScottJune 20, 2023158 Beardy StComment

Learning about 'The Future of Life on Earth' ...

“The future is in our hands” … “it is our urgent task today … to repurpose (the march of the megamachine) … so it may serve the needs of all life on Earth …” What an inspiring talk by Professor Roberto Trotta - his final lecture at Gresham College in the UK - which spans from the largest dimensions to the smallest lifeforms on our “pale blue dot” spinning through the universe!

Listenings, Readings, GemsJames ScottOctober 28, 2022Comment

Reflections on CSIRO Larry Marshall's address to National Press Club (July 2022)

My concerns about Marshall’s well-delivered ‘sales pitch’ include trust in science, obstacles to collaboration, the importance of job security and the need for our national research agency to be free from commercial conflicts of interest.

Writings, ListeningsJames ScottSeptember 4, 2022CSIRO, Research funding, Trust in scienceComment

Making money from carbon using pseudo science ...

Sadly, in Australia, our governments listen to the latest Pied Pipers instead of seeking out objective facts from its agricultural and land management science agencies. Thank you to Geoff Thompson and Background Briefing for their podcast “Boom time in carbon farming country”!

ListeningsJames ScottDecember 19, 2021 Comment