The Conversation Documentaries
The Conversation Documentaries (formerly The Anthill) is a podcast produced by The Conversation, an independent media organisation. The documentary series explore topics across science, the environment, politics, culture, and economics. The show uncovers stories from the academic world and speaks with experts to address major contemporary questions. Its journalists collaborate with academics to make research accessible to a wide audience.
Episodes
6 | The Making of One Nation: seize the moment?
One Nation didn't emerge in a vacuum, then or now.The global surge in right-wing populism has propelled the party and thirty years on, it’s arguably stronger than ever.But is its popularity a protest or a fundamental realignment of Australian politics? And what happens to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, post Pauline?In the sixth and final episode of The Making of One Nation, we speak to Jill Sheppard
5 | The Making of One Nation: master the media
The media made Pauline Hanson and One Nation, but now the party holds all the power.It’s a perfect storm for democracy: a shrinking and cowering traditional media, the toxic algorithms of the unmoderated social media cess pit and the warped reality of generative AI.But why is the party that once led the charge in the new internet age seemingly so restrained in weaponising AI?In the fifth instalmen
4 | The Making of One Nation: move the centre
It’s never held government, or even opposition, yet One Nation’s managed to exert an outsized influence on the public policy agenda.From borders to migration, multiculturalism to Indigenous affairs, the far-right party has mastered mainstreaming and captured the masses fleeing the Coalition.In the fourth instalment of The Making of One Nation, we speak to Josh Sunman, Associate Lecturer in Public
3 | The Making of One Nation: survive a scandal
We’d all like deeply considered policy and informed debate to be at the heart of politics, but unfortunately controversies and scandals tend to steal the show.For most parties, scandals are disastrous: they lose seats, ministers and elections — but not One Nation.It's weathered defections and punch-ups (including a memorable smearing of blood on a Senate door), jail and chaos, and thirty years on
2 | The Making of One Nation: define the enemy
You might remember this line in Pauline Hanson's maiden speech: "I'm afraid we're in danger of being swamped by Asians."It wasn't the first racist comment she'd made in public and it certainly wasn't the last.Over the years, her enemies have changed and she now targets Muslims and elites, but it's the same tactic and it's infiltrated Australian politics.This episode was written and hosted by Ashly
1 | The Making of One Nation: enter the outsider
Listen to the full series by searching and following 'The Making of One Nation'(click here for Spotify or Apple.)Nearly thirty years on, Hanson's infamous maiden speech — warning that Australia was "being swamped by Asians" — still echoes through Australian political life.But who was Pauline Hanson before she became a phenomenon, and what did she actually represent?Was she a cause of a new kind of
The Making of One Nation: coming soon
Search for "The Making of One Nation" and follow now.From a fish and chip shop in regional Queensland to the heart of Australian politics: this is the unlikely story of the country’s most controversial minor party.For thirty years, One Nation and Pauline Hanson have been ridiculed, dismissed and shut out. Now, no one is laughing. This is the story of how a party built on fear and grievance thrived
The Making of an Autocrat: co-opt the military
In November, six Democratic lawmakers recorded a video directed at members of the US military and intelligence agencies. In it, they issued a blunt reminder:"The laws are clear: […] You must refuse illegal orders."The lawmakers were issuing the warning against the backdrop of US airstrikes on boats off the coast of Latin America the Trump administration claims are suspected drug runners. Many Demo
The Making of an Autocrat: suppress the people
The list of people Donald Trump has punished or threatened to punish since returning to office is long. It includes the likes of James Comey, Letitia James, John Bolton, as well as members of the opposition, such as Adam Schiff, Mark Kelly and Kamala Harris.In fact, he has gone so far as to call Democrats "the enemy from within", saying they are more dangerous than US adversaries like Russia and C
The Making of an Autocrat: beat the courts
In democratic systems, the courts are a vital check on a leader’s power. They have the ability to overturn laws and, in Donald Trump’s case, the executive orders he has relied on to achieve his goals.Since taking office, Trump has targeted the judiciary with a vengeance. He has attacked what he has called "radical left judges" and is accused of ignoring or evading court orders.The Supreme Court ha
The Making of an Autocrat: manufacture a crisis
Donald Trump has sounded the alarm, over and over again, that the United States is facing an “invasion” by dangerous gang members. He blames immigrants for the country's economic problems and claims protesters are destroying US cities.Trump is not the first would-be autocrat to manufacture a crisis to seize extraordinary powers.So, is the United States really facing a national emergency? Or is thi
The Making of an Autocrat: recruit an architect
Every autocrat needs a clan of loyalists, strategists, masterminds – these are the figures behind the scenes pulling the strings.They’re unelected and unaccountable, yet they wield a huge amount of power.This is the role Stephen Miller has played for Donald Trump – he is the architect in chief for the second Trump administration. He has so much power, in fact, he’s reportedly referred to as the "p
The Making of an Autocrat: hijack a party
We used to have a pretty clear idea of what an autocrat was. History is full of examples: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, along with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping today. The list goes on.So, where does Donald Trump fit in?In this six-part podcast series, The Making of an Autocrat, we ask six experts on authoritarianism and US politics to explain how exactly an autocrat is made – and wheth
The Making of an Autocrat, coming soon
We used to have a pretty clear idea of what an autocrat was. History is full of examples: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, along with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping today. The list goes on.So, where does Donald Trump fit in?In this six-part podcast series, The Making of an Autocrat, we are asking six experts on authoritarianism and US politics to explain how exactly an autocrat is made – an
Scam Factories Ep 3: Great Escapes
Every day that he was locked up in a scam compound in Southeast Asia, George thought about how to get out. "We looked for means of escaping, but it was hard," he said. Scam Factories is a podcast series taking you inside Southeast Asia's brutal fraud compounds. It accompanies a series of multimedia articles on The Conversation.In our third and final episode, Great Escapes, we find out the differen
Scam Factories Ep 2: Inside the operation
A few weeks after Ben Yeo travelled to Cambodia for what he thought was a job in a casino, he found himself locked up in a padded room. “It’s a combination between a prison and a madhouse,” he remembers. He was being punished for refusing to conduct online scams.Scam Factories is a podcast and multimedia series taking you inside Southeast Asia's brutal fraud compounds. The Conversation collaborate
Scam Factories Ep 1: No skills required
Scam factories is a special three-part series taking you inside Southeast Asia's brutal fraud compounds. Hundreds of thousands of people are estimated to work in these scam factories. Many were trafficked there and forced into criminality by defrauding people around the world.The Conversation collaborated for this series with three researchers: Ivan Franceschini, a lecturer in Chinese Studies at t
Know Your Place part 5: the real class divide
The neglect of working-class voters in the past few decades has had profound consequences for British political life. Disillusioned with the two main parties, many have turned to Nigel Farage’s Reform and others are simply not voting at all. With the next election likely to be a tight race in many key constituencies, something must be done to win these voters back.But as we find out in this fifth
Know Your Place part 4: a working class parliament?
After the 2024 election, the British parliament looks very different, with a large Labour majority for the first time in more than a decade. Several cabinet ministers come from working-class backgrounds, including the prime minister, deputy prime minister and foreign secretary. What impact will the upbringing of this new parliament have on the way Britain is governed?In the fourth part of Know You
Know Your place part 3: what class means now
In the third part of Know Your Place: what happened to class in British politics, we explore how class is defined and measured, and how the UK’s changing class identity interacts with identity politics. Featuring Daniel Evans, lecturer in criminology, sociology and social policy at Swansea University, Gillian Prior, deputy chief executive of the National Centre for Social Research, John Curti
Know Your Place part 2: a history of class politics
In the second episode of Know Your Place: what happened to class in British politics, host Laura Hood, senior politics editor at The Conversation, looks back at a century of class in British politics to understand why Tony Blair's decision to move Labour away from the working class was such a watershed moment. Featuring Mark Garnett, senior lecturer in politics at Lancaster University, Martin
Know Your Place part 1: the class shift
In the first episode of our new podcast series Know Your Place: what happened to class in British politics, host Laura Hood, senior politics editor at The Conversation, explores when the relationship between class and voting broke down and why. Featuring John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde and senior research fellow at the National Centre for Social Research,
Know your place: what happened to class in British politics – trailer
The relationship between class and political preference in Britain used to be clear cut – Labour for the working class, the Conservatives for the middle class. But not any more. In a new five-part series, Know your place: what happened to class in British politics, Laura Hood, senior politics editor at The Conversation, explores what fractured the relationship between class and voting in the UK, a
An update and a name change
We’re changing our name, from The Anthill, to The Conversation Documentaries! Over the last few years we’ve used The Anthill podcast to run in-depth series on a range of issues. And that’s exactly what we’ll keep on doing. But we’re changing our name to better reflect that what you’re listening to are documentaries from The Conversation. We’re a not-for-profit independent news website and our
Theory of everything: do we really need one?
The quest for a theory of everything – explaining all the forces and particles in the universe – is arguably the holy grail of physics. While each of our main theories of physics works extraordinarily well, they also clash with each other. But do we really need a theory of everything? And are we anywhere near achieving one?Featuring Vlatko Vedral, a professor of physics at the University of Oxford
Will we ever have a fundamental theory of life and consciousness?
What’s the difference between a living collection of matter, such as a tortoise, and an inanimate lump of it, such as a rock? They are, after all, both just made up of non-living atoms. The truth is, we don’t really know yet. Life seems to just somehow emerge from non-living parts.Featuring Jim Al-Khalili, professor of physics at the University of Surrey, and Sara Imari Walker, professor of physic
Quantum mechanics: does objective reality exist?
It is hard to shake the intuition that there's a real and objective physical world out there. If I see an umbrella on top of a shelf, I assume you do too. And if I don't look at the umbrella, I expect it to remain there as long as nobody steals it. But the theory of quantum mechanics, which governs the micro-world of atoms and particles, threatens this commonsense view.Featuring Chiara Marletto, R
Is there a multiverse?
Interest in the multiverse theory, suggesting that our universe is just one of many, has spiked since the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once was released. The film follows Evelyn Wang on her journey to connect with versions of herself in parallel universes to stop the destruction of the multiverse. The multiverse idea has long been an inspiration for science fiction writers. But does it have
Fundamental constants: is the universe fine tuned for life to exist?
Imagine a universe with extremely strong gravity. Stars would be able to form from very little material. They would be smaller than in our universe and live for a much shorter amount of time. But could life evolve there? It after all took human life billions of years to evolve on Earth under the pleasantly warm rays from the Sun. Now imagine a universe with extremely weak gravity. Its matter
Is time an illusion?
Without a sense of time, leading us from cradle to grave, our lives would make little sense. But on the most fundamental level, physicists aren't sure whether the sort of time we experience exists at all. We talk to three experts and find out if time could potentially be moving backwards as well as forwards. Featuring Sean Carroll, Homewood professor of natural philosophy at Johns Hopkins Uni
Uncharted Brain 3: the role viruses may play in Alzheimer’s
There are many competing theories about what causes Alzheimer's disease. For more than 30 years, Ruth Itzhaki has been accumulating evidence that viruses are involved in its development in the brain. We investigate this evidence in the third and final episode of Uncharted Brain: Decoding Dementia, hosted by Paul Keaveny and Gemma Ware from The Conversation.Featuring interviews with Ruth Itzhaki, p
Uncharted Brain 2 : the family trauma of dementia from sports injuries
Dementia doesn’t just affect older people. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a form of dementia that athletes from a whole range of sports can develop. It’s now at the centre of a number of legal challenges involving sports from rugby to American football. In the second episode of Uncharted Brain: Decoding Dementia, hosts Gemma Ware and Paul Keaveny from The Conversation find out about the
Uncharted Brain 1: a lifelong study unlocks clues to Alzheimer’s
Scientists have been doing an array of regular health checks on the same group of people since they were born in 1946 – the world's longest running cohort study. Now the brains of some of its participants are revealing new insights into the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. We find out more in the first episode of Uncharted Brain: Decoding Dementia, a new series from The Anthill hosted by
Uncharted Brain: decoding dementia – trailer
Uncharted Brain: decoding dementia is a new series from The Conversation exploring new research unlocking clues to the ongoing mystery of how dementia works in the brain.In this three-part series, hosted by journalists Paul Keaveny and Gemma Ware from The Conversation, we'll delve into some of the findings from the world's longest continuously running cohort study, hear about the trauma of familie
Climate Fight part 5: the art and chaos of negotiating the Glasgow Climate Pact
A good negotiation is supposed to leave everyone feeling a little unsatisfied. So what happened at the world's biggest one – over the future of our planet? In part five, and our final episode of Climate fight: the world’s biggest negotiations, host Jack Marley reports from Glasgow where he spoke to academics who have been researching the UN climate negotiations for decades, and the people represen
Climate Fight part 4: the youth movement grows up
Locked out of conferences and company boardrooms, young people have tried to influence the international response to the climate crisis with strikes and protests. In part four of Climate Fight, the world's biggest negotiation, we explore what effect this youth activism has, and where the movement will go next.Featuring Harriet Thew, researcher in climate change governance at the University of Leed
Climate fight part 3: the left behind
In the shift away from fossil fuels, how do countries make sure not to widen inequalities in the process? In part three of our series Climate fight: the world’s biggest negotiations, we travel to the Cumbrian town of Whitehaven on England’s north-west coast that could soon host the UK’s first deep coal mine in more than three decades. We talk to local people for and against the mine, as well as ex
Climate Fight part 2: the path to net zero
In part two of Climate Fight: the world’s biggest negotiation, we’re talking to experts about the grand goal of the negotiations: reaching net zero emissions by 2050. We explore what net zero means, and the technologies that will be needed to get the world there.Featuring Mercedes Maroto-Valer, assistant deputy principal for research & innovation and director of the Research Centre for Carbon
Climate Fight part 1: where's the money?
In the first episode of our new series Climate fight: the world's biggest negotiation, we're talking about climate finance – money pledged by the world's richest countries to help the poorest parts of the world adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. Where is it being spent and is it really working?Featuring Jessica Omukuti, COP26 Fellow in Climate Finance at the University of York an
Climate fight: the world's biggest negotiation – trailer
How will we actually tackle the climate crisis? And who gets to decide? As Glasgow gets ready to hold the COP26 climate summit in November, The Anthill Podcast is launching Climate fight: the world's biggest negotiation, a new podcast series taking you inside the fight for our planet's future.We'll speak to some of the academic experts influencing climate policy, and to some of the people around t
Recovery part six – 2008 financial crisis and lessons for today
The 2008 financial crisis resulted in the worst global recession since the second world war. The collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers in September 2008 caused a meltdown of the global financial system. Money markets froze and there was a major credit crunch as the ability to borrow money suddenly dried up. To stop contagion and make sure other major financial institutions didn’t col
Recovery part five – the post-Soviet transition
In this fifth episode of Recovery, a series from The Anthill Podcast exploring key moments in history when parts of the world recovered from a major crisis or shock, we’re looking at what happened in the former Soviet Union during the transition from communism to capitalism in the 1990s.When the USSR was finally dissolved at the end of 1991 it was a massive shock to the system for millions of peop
Recovery part four – the second world war
In this fourth episode of Recovery, a series from The Anthill Podcast exploring key moments in history when the world recovered from a major crisis or shock, we’re looking at what happened in the UK after the second world war.The second world war decimated landscapes, killed tens of millions of people and left many more unable to work, in need of long-term healthcare and help to rebuild their live
Recovery part three – Spanish flu and the first world war
In this third episode of Recovery, we’re looking at what happened after the combined shocks of the Spanish flu and world war one.It was called the Spanish flu because the first reports of the virus were in Spanish newspapers, due to wartime censorship restrictions elsewhere. The 1918-19 flu was the worst pandemic in human history. More than half the world’s population was infected. Estimates for t
Recovery part two – Lisbon earthquake
In this second episode of Recovery, a series from The Anthill Podcast exploring key moments in history when the world recovered from a major crisis or shock, we’re looking at what happened after the earthquake, tsunami and fires that devastated Lisbon in 1755 and shocked Europe.In 1755, the grand and prosperous city of Lisbon was devastated by a huge earthquake. The Portuguese capital we see today
Recovery part one – Black Death
Welcome to Recovery, a new series from The Anthill podcast, exploring key moments in history when the world recovered from a major crisis or shock.In this first episode, we find out what happened after one of history’s worst epidemics, the Black Death. This was the name given to the bubonic plague that hit Europe in the late 1340s. Somewhere between a third and half of Europe's population died fro
Recovery – introducing a new series
We all want the global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic to be swift and painless. But history tells us that isn’t always possible.When the world has suffered a massive shock to its system before – be that a pandemic, a war, an economic crisis – the rebuilding can take decades. There will be missteps along the way. More people will suffer.But past recoveries can also offer us lessons about wh
Expert guide to conspiracy theories part 6 – coronavirus
A number of conspiracy theories have sprung up in relation to the coronavirus pandemic. The false idea that the virus is somehow linked to the rollout of 5G technology has led to a number of attacks on broadband infrastructure and engineers. We explore this and many others in the sixth and final part of our Expert guide to conspiracy theories.Media expert Marc Tuters talks us t
Expert guide to conspiracy theories part 5 – how dangerous are they?
Conspiracy theories might be entertaining but they can also be dangerous. Sadly, what often starts off as a bit of fun can turn sour quite quickly – even if it’s laughing about the idea that Rihanna or Katy Perry are part of the Illuminati. We find out how.This episode delves into some of the psychology behind what makes conspiracy theories dangerous. It also explores the relationship between cons
Expert guide to conspiracy theories part 4 – how they spread
Part four of the Expert guide to conspiracy theories from The Anthill podcast explores whether the internet has been a game changer in helping conspiracy theories go viral. First, though, we find out how conspiracy theories spread before platforms like Facebook and YouTube came along and gave everyone the power to broadcast their thoughts to the world.It’s important to differen
Expert guide to conspiracy theories part 3 – their history
How are the origins of the French Revolution connected with Beyoncé, Jay Z and Rihanna? The answer lies with one of the world's most mysterious – and misunderstood – secret societies, the Illuminati. The strange evolution of the conspiracy theory surrounding this short-lived secret society, mirrors the modern history of conspiracy theories. We find out how in part three of our podcast series.
Expert guide to conspiracy theories part 2 – who believes them and why?
Polls show that most people believe in at least one conspiracy theory. Considering the number of conspiracy theories there are, perhaps this isn’t surprising. But research shows that people who believe in one conspiracy theory are more likely to believe in others.Part two of the Expert guide to conspiracy theories, a series from The Conversation’s Anthill podcast, discovers who these peo
Expert guide to conspiracy theories part 1 – how to spot one
There are a lot of conspiracy theories out there. Some are bizarre – like the idea that Elvis faked his own death. Or that Britain’s royal family are actually shape-shifting alien lizards. A growing number of people believe the world is flat.A lot of conspiracy theories relate to politics. That 9/11 was orchestrated by the US government so it could start wars in the Middle East. Or that power
Expert guide to conspiracy theories – trailer
Conspiracy theories no longer feel like a fringe phenomenon, with people claiming that Elvis isn’t dead or the royal family are shape-shifting alien lizards, put down as crackpots. Now presidents push them and major events are regularly followed by a slew of sinister ideas involving dark forces at work behind the scenes. Coronavirus is just the latest.Some conspiracy theories may be harmless
Medicine made for you part 3: Your treatment
Medicine made for you is a series from The Anthill, a podcast from The Conversation. Across three episodes we're taking a deep dive into the future of healthcare – to find out how it could soon get a lot more personal.In this third and final episode of the series, we’re exploring how treatment offered by your doctor could become more tailored to you in the future.In the past, if you walked into a
Medicine made for you part 2: Your diet
In the second episode of Medicine made for you we’re looking at the food we eat and how dietary advice could soon get a lot more personalised. Listen to our producer Gemma Ware go through a two-week experiment with her identical twin sister, aimed at trying to better understand which factors influence the way people react to particular foods. The PREDICT study involved eating lots of spe
Medicine made for you part 1: Your genes
Medicine made for you is a brand new series from The Anthill, a podcast from The Conversation. Across three episodes we're taking a deep dive into the future of healthcare – and find out how it could soon get a lot more personal.In this first episode, we look at genes, clinical trials and how possible it might be for the NHS to take on a more personalised approach when it comes to our health. And
Introducing Medicine made for you
In Medicine made for you, a new series from The Anthill podcast, we’ll be taking a deep dive into the future of healthcare – and find out how it could soon get a lot more personal.We’ll hear from leading academics about the personalisation of healthcare, how it’s changing the way we think about our bodies, and the choices we might make about our health in the future.The Anthill is a podcast produc
To the moon and beyond 5 – what space exploration will look like in 2069
Episode five of To the moon and beyond, a podcast series marking the 50th anniversary of the moon landings.
To the moon and beyond 4 – why go back to the moon?
Episode four of To the moon and beyond, a podcast series marking the 50th anniversary of the moon landings.
To the moon and beyond 3 – the new space race
Episode three of To the moon and beyond, a podcast series marking the 50th anniversary of the moon landings.
To the moon and beyond 2 – How humanity reacted to the moon landing
Episode two of To the moon and beyond, a podcast series marking the 50th anniversary of the moon landings.
To the moon and beyond 1 – What we learned from landing on the moon
The first episode of a new podcast series marking the 50th anniversary of the moon landings.
To the moon and beyond - trailer
A new podcast series exploring the last 50 years of space exploration and the 50 years to come.
India Tomorrow part 7: what Narendra Modi's landslide victory means for India
A panel of academic experts assess Narendra Modi's victory in the final episode of our India Tomorrow series.
India Tomorrow part 6: what young Indians want
Part six of The Anthill podcast's India Tomorrow series focuses on the concerns of young Indians.
India Tomorrow part 5: economic growth, inequality and jobs
Part five of India Tomorrow takes a look at India’s economy.
India Tomorrow part 4: women, gender and love
🎧 Part 4 of India Tomorrow digs into what life is like for women in India.
India Tomorrow part 3: Kashmir
We focus on Kashmir in the third part of our India Tomorrow podcast series: its history, the lives of its people, and the conflict over its future.
India Tomorrow part 2: the politics of Hindu nationalism
The second part of this series from The Anthill podcast looks at the trajectories of Hindu nationalism in India.
India Tomorrow part 1: fake news and the battle for information
India Tomorrow part 1 explores how fake news and the battle for information shapes Indian society.
India Tomorrow podcast series from The Anthill – trailer
As the world's largest democracy heads to the polls, we explore the big issues facing India in a seven-part podcast series.
Anthill 33: an announcement – and a trip back to the future
An exciting announcement about upcoming plans – and we revisit an old favourite episode.
Anthill 32: the 'mother of all demos' when computers first got personal
It's been 50 years since the first prototype for the mouse was demonstrated in San Francisco. This the story of how it changed Silicon Valley – and the world.
Anthill 31: World War I remembered – podcast
A podcast on World War I – from a meeting between the three great war poets, to what happened to conscientious objectors in both Britain and Germany.
Anthill 30: Extremes
A podcast on extremes: from far-right politics, to life in conflict zones and the extreme weather of Australia.
Anthill 29: Inheritance
From wealth, to the natural world, to genes and intelligence, a podcast exploring the theme of inheritance.
Anthill 28: On nothing
A podcast all about nothing. From the importance of doing nothing to the ill-effects of time spent in solitary confinement and what nothing means in space.
Anthill 27: Confidence
A podcast about confidence – from how it works in our brains and whether it can get us ahead at work to how confidence tricksters fool people into falling for their scams.
Anthill 26: Twins
A podcast on twins, including why stereotypes about their relationship are so damaging, and why they are so useful to scientists.
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