Best Hacker History Podcast Podcasts (2025)

1
Learning from the mighty matriarchs of the animal kingdom 52:03

14h ago52:03

52:03

Erna Walraven was one of the first female zookeepers to work at Sydney's Taronga Zoo in the 1980s. Despite practical jokes from her male colleagues, like animal dung in her gumboots, Erna kept her nerve. She was born in The Netherlands, to parents who were involved in the Dutch resistance during World War II. Erna's love of languages took her to Sp…

1
Mawunyo's life in love, journalism and hip hop 52:18

1d ago52:18

52:18

Mawunyo Gbogbo was raised as a church-going African Australian girl in the sleepy mining town of Muswellbrook, before she grew up to become a hip-hop journalist and a writer (R) Mawunyo's parents had met in Ghana, migrating to Australia when she was a baby. At high school, Mawunyo fell hard for a charismatic boy, and for the first time, she was int…

1
Inside the mind of a dog, and a pig named Habib 46:00

3d ago46:00

46:00

Luke Hura has an innate ability to understand and communicate with animals, and for decades he's been training them for film, television and the stage. You’ve probably seen one of Luke's dogs in action — he trained Bouncer, the labrador from Neighbours, the kelpie from the film Red Dog, and the maremma who starred in Oddball. Luke has trained cats,…

1
The Pennsylvania Railroad: The Long Decline, 1933-1968 with Albert Churella 3:16:19

4d ago3:16:19

3:16:19

Hagley’s Ben Spohn interviews Albert Churella about the final volume in his landmark trilogy on the history of the Pennsylvania Railroad. From the publisher: “The final volume of Albert J. Churella's landmark series, The Pennsylvania Railroad, concludes the story of the iconic transportation company, covering its long decline from the 1930s to its …

1
Encore: The case of the unknown sailor 46:34

7d ago46:34

46:34

In 2007, Jeremy Austin was asked by the Royal Australian Navy to help them identify the remains of an unknown sailor from World War II. Using the best forensic DNA technology, he embarked on a quest to figure out who this man was and to track down his surviving descendants. This episode of Conversations explores DNA science, world war 2, Australian…

1
A Stretch of the Imagination: Synthetic Fabrics and the Cold War with Monica Geraffo 20:54

7d ago20:54

20:54

During the Cold War, rival superpowers the USA and the USSR vied with one another for world dominion in many arenas: military, diplomatic, and even haute coture. In the latter connection, French designers played arbiter, judging the synthetic textiles developed under capitalist and communist systems for their value in fashion.In her dissertation pr…

1
Adam Liaw’s longing for food 48:23

8d ago48:23

48:23

The Masterchef graduate shares what he learned from his grandmother, who won the lottery in Malaysia when she was a 25-year-old widow with three children to care for. After Adam's parents met and married, the family emigrated to Australia when Adam was three-years-old. He and his brother sped through school in Adelaide and Adam went on to become a …

1
Listening to a mountain to save workers trapped underground 50:18

9d ago50:18

50:18

In 2023, Arnold Dix helped rescue 41 men trapped in a tunnel after it collapsed high in the Himalayas. As an engineer and tunnel expert, he was uniquely placed to assist, but Arnold also used another skill in the high risk operation: he listened to the mountain.The successful rescue made Arnold a hero to millions of people across India and it was i…

1
Lauren E. Bridges on Fantasies and Realities of Digital Transformation and the Data Center Industry 1:14:53

9d ago1:14:53

1:14:53

Peoples & Things host, Lee Vinsel, talks with Lauren Bridges, Assistant Professor of Media Studies at the University of Virginia, about her work on the political, economic, and environmental politics of big data infrastructures. They focus on some of Bridges’ work on the disconnect between the promises made to localities around digital transformati…

1
China’s Race to Dominate: Listen to Global Tech Wars 25:21

10d ago25:21

25:21

Here’s a preview of a new audiobook, Global Tech Wars: China’s Race to Dominate. For decades, China’s economic rise has been symbolized by its unstoppable force of low-cost manufacturing. Now, it’s the leading country in cutting-edge industries like artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, surveillance technology, and more. In Global Tech Wars, …

1
The physics and feeling of floating — why Angelica learnt to swim 42:30

10d ago42:30

42:30

Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis grew up in Sydney, famous for its coastline and beachside existence. But for reasons beyond her control, she didn't learn to swim until she took the plunge as an adult. Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis has achieved a lot in her young life. She is a social researcher at Western Sydney University, she has represented Australia …

1
144 - 😎 Mr. and Mrs. Smith 1:41:03

11d ago1:41:03

1:41:03

It's the birth of Brangelina, today we're covering Doug Liman's Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) starring Angelina Jolie and some man. After five (or six) years of vanilla-wedded bliss, ordinary suburbanites John and Jane Smith are stuck in a huge rut. Unbeknownst to each other, they are both coolly lethal, highly-paid assassins working for rival organisa…

1
Encore: Grief, loss and the healing power of the natural world 50:18

14d ago50:18

50:18

In 2013, Raynor Winn and her husband, Moth lost their beloved farm in Wales, it was where they'd lived for 20 years and raised their children. In the same week, Moth was diagnosed with a rare degenerative brain disease and doctors gave him just two years to live. Homeless and with their future together rapidly shrinking, Raynor and Moth decided to …

1
The epic escape story of four ANZAC POWs — through the Italian Alps to freedom 50:06

15d ago50:06

50:06

Writer and tour guide Simon Tancred on the little-known ANZAC story of how a group of POWs made a daring escape on foot to neutral Switzerland. Simon Tancred fell in love with Italy as a young man, and set up a job for himself leading hikes and tours across the country, and into the Alps. So Simon was familiar with the old trails and passes that cr…

1
Made in Burnie — Justin Heazlewood on swapping fame for his hometown 52:00

16d ago52:00

52:00

Justin Heazlewood fled a complicated early life in Tasmania searching for fame as an artist on the mainland. Recently he moved back to his home town of Burnie, and realised community is where you find it. Justin Heazlewood grew up in Burnie, a coastal town on the North West coast of Tasmania. For years he imagined his hometown as somewhere he had t…

1
From Manila to Sydney — how Loribelle found family, love and her art 52:00

17d ago52:00

52:00

The artist Loribelle Spirovski on her unusual childhood in the Philippines, meeting her father for the first time at 7 years old, and making her way as one of Australia's most exciting young painters. Loribelle Spirovski grew up in the Philippines, with her mum and her extended Filipino family. Her Serbian father, whom she had never met, was in Aus…

1
Sound & Music in the du Pont Women's World in the Age of Revolution with Rebecca Geoffroy-Schwinden 22:19

18d ago22:19

22:19

Where can you find music in the archive? Everywhere, if you know how to look. So argues our guest musicologist Rebecca Geoffroy-Schwinden, associate professor at the University of North Texas and former NEH-Hagley postdoctoral fellow.In this episode, Dr. Geoffroy-Schwinden discusses her latest book project about amateur music making in the Francoph…

1
Encore: The poker-playing cardiologist 52:30

21d ago52:30

52:30

As a child, before she escaped communist Hungary, Bo Remenyi had no ambitions. But when she got to Australia all of that changed. She's gone from cruising the casino floor as a high-stakes professional poker player, to saving the lives of children in remote Australia. (R) In 2018, Dr Bo Remenyi was made the Northern Territory’s Australian of the Ye…

1
Miles Franklin's secret life as a 'boy sober' undercover maid 48:30

22d ago48:30

48:30

Journalist Kerrie Davies with the story of how novelist Miles Franklin went undercover as a maid for a year, in Sydney and Melbourne's wealthy houses, well before gonzo journalists became household names. The real-life story of novelist Stella Maria Miles Franklin had an unexpected chapter after publishing My Brilliant Career. In 1903, Miles became…

1
The life-changing power of a choir 51:06

23d ago51:06

51:06

Song propelled Morris Stuart from his early life shepherding sheep in British Guyana to an unlikely love story in London. In his retirement, he found himself shaping a choir of Central Australian Aboriginal women, who had been breathing life into 138-year-old Lutheran hymns. Morris Stuart met his Australian wife, Barbara in London in the 1960s. The…

1
The wisdom of an ancient Pencil Pine 52:12

24d ago52:12

52:12

Nature writer Andrew Darby on what he learned from his rambles through the wilds of Tasmania, communing with the world’s oldest surviving trees. In particular, his ‘buttock clenching’ ascent up a 60-metre-tall eucalyptus known as The Vibe Tower. Nature writer, Andrew Darby spent more than 20 years as a Fairfax correspondent based in Tasmania. His s…

1
Jeremy Braddock on "Firesign: The Electromagnetic History of Everything as Told on Nine Comedy Albums" 1:10:10

24d ago1:10:10

1:10:10

Peoples & Things host, Lee Vinsel, talks with Jeremy Braddock, Associate Professor of Literatures in English and Coordinator of the Media Studies Initiative at Cornell University, about his book, Firesign: The Electromagnetic History of Everything as Told on Nine Comedy Albums. The book explores themes of media and technology through nine albums ma…

1
Mixed Bag Mysteries: The Film Set Fatality 2:03:41

25d ago2:03:41

2:03:41

It's time for a very special episode! Our favourite foe, Mike, purchased a Ko-Fi request for an on-mic murder mystery and we were happy to oblige. Matt, Mike and Detective Jamie (daughter of Sherlock Holmes) are all extras in the upcoming sci-fi horror film Blood Red Planet. But when the star, Jacob Stone, is discovered dead in his trailer, our tri…

1
Encore: A daring escape from Vietnam to the halls of prestigious American universities 50:48

28d ago50:48

50:48

Anh Nguyen Austen's family fled Vietnam by sea in 1982, on a wooden boat bound for the Philippines. When a once-in-a-century storm struck in the South China Sea, they thought all hope was lost (R) Anh is an academic and community volunteer who grew up in Vietnam in a Catholic family. Anh's childhood was idyllic, with a big extended family and a clo…

1
How Vincent Fantauzzo's life was saved by love and painting 52:00

29d ago52:00

52:00

When artist Vincent Fantauzzo was a boy he was a street-fighting petty criminal with dyslexia and a blazing talent for drawing. He escaped jail time, and grew up to become one of Australia's most well-known portrait artists. VIncent Fantauzzo is one of Australia's most successful portrait artists. For his luminous, photo-realistic paintings he's wo…

1
'Mistakes were made' — a live storytelling experience 52:22

30d ago52:22

52:22

Rebecca Huntley, Rick Morton, Julia Zemiro and Sarah Kanowski bring you stories of human failure, misadventure and outright fiasco in a live storytelling event recorded at Adelaide Writers Week. A few weeks ago, some former guests of Conversations, and our two presenters gathered at the Adelaide Town Hall. The event was a live storytelling hour, wi…

1
Two sisters, Dod and Brattle - the lesbian poet, and the evangelical Christian 54:18

1M ago54:18

54:18

Josie McSkimming on growing up with her bohemian sister, the poet Dorothy Porter, and how their lives took off on wildly diverging paths as they grew up. Sisters Dorothy and Josie Porter grew up in an interesting and sometimes volatile home on the northern beaches of Sydney in the 1970s. Together with their middle sister Mary, they lived in a world…

1
CPIT Bonus Episode 4: Hackers 1:48:20

1M ago1:48:20

1:48:20

a commentary track for jonny lee miller's magnum opus, 1995's sublime "Hackers". as always, cpit consists of J, who is something of a hacker herself, Ariadne, who isn't, and Kyra, who is constantly bemused by the other two.

1
International Business Associations & Regulations on Multinational Corporations with Maia Müller 22:50

1M ago22:50

22:50

The mid-twentieth century emergence of multinational corporations wealthier and more powerful than many nations presented a problem for organizations tasked with overseeing international cooperation and development. How to create a regulatory framework around multinationals that would protect the interests of disadvantaged peoples and regions, whil…

1
Encore: Doctor Koppe — PTSD and me 52:06

1M ago52:06

52:06

Hilton Koppe was a beloved country GP for 30 years before an unexpected health crisis of his own forced him to reassess everything (R) Hilton Koppe grew up knowing his parents wanted him to become a doctor and so when he got the marks to make it into medicine, they were overjoyed. By the time he was 30, he'd started working as a country GP. Hilton …

1
Shaking — escaping the grip of a lifelong tremor 51:18

1M ago51:18

51:18

Journalist and author Sonya Voumard on the rare neurological condition that has stalked her since a family tragedy during her childhood. Sonya Voumard was on the precipice of teen hood when her father suddenly and unexpectedly died. In the months following his death, Sonya developed a tremor in her right hand, not dissimilar to the shaking she some…

1
Loneliness — it's not only you 52:18

1M ago52:18

52:18

Loneliness is a universal experience, for each of us at some point in our lives. Journalist Ros Thomas travelled the world to investigate, and find the antidote. Ros spent a year travelling around the world to research something all of us have experienced — loneliness. She met an old man who had learned to thrive through crushing grief with the hel…

1
The fearless Kate McClymont — weathering death threats and court cases for work 53:30

1M ago53:30

53:30

The chief investigative reporter on her work exposing criminals and corruption, including former politician, Eddie Obeid and financial fraudster, Melissa Caddick. Kate McClymont is chief investigative reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. She grew up on a farm in NSW, and during university, funded her start in Sydney by setting up a busking booth…

1
Jeffrey Lee Funk on Unicorns, Hype, and Bubbles 59:23

1M ago59:23

59:23

Peoples & Things host, Lee Vinsel, talks with retired professor, consultant, Discovery Institute fellow, and a winner of the NTT DoCoMo Mobile Science Award, Jeffrey Lee Funk, about his recent book Unicorns, Hype, and Bubbles: A Guide to Spotting, Avoiding, and Exploiting Investment Bubbles in Tech (Harriman House, 2024). The book provides readers …

1
143 - 🔫 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider 1:39:52

1M ago1:39:52

1:39:52

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A STAR IS BORN, HONEY! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A major event in Joliewood's history, it's time to crown her. No, it's not her Oscar, it's more important, it's 2001's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider! Orphaned heiress, English aristocrat and intrepid archaeologist, Lara Croft, embarks on a dangerous quest to retrieve the two halves of an ancient artifact w…

1
Encore: Krystyna Duszniak and Poland's lost histories 52:04

1M ago52:04

52:04

As a young woman, Krystyna thought her father had taught her everything about Poland’s history, but she didn’t know that what he’d left out would become a focus of her life (R) Growing up, Krystyna Duszniak's father didn't speak a word of English to her, instilling in her a love of the Polish language, literature, history and culture. As the child …

1
Life on the lam — how Peter escaped from under his fugitive father's shadow 53:00

1M ago53:00

53:00

Peter Norris's father was a notorious bank robber who lived life on the run, dragging his boy across the country with him, until Peter refused to go with him one last time. It was the hardest decision he ever had to make. Peter Norris grew up on the run with his criminal father, Clarence 'Clarry' Norris. Every time Clarry was arrested, he would fin…

1
Martha, baby Michael and the police officer who cried 49:00

1M ago49:00

49:00

Martha Jabour was a young mum when her baby son Michael died suddenly. In the thick of her grief, she worried for the devastated young police officer who had come to her home that day, before he unexpectedly reappeared in her life (CW: this conversation discusses the death of a child). Martha Jabour has lived through the worst possible day for a pa…

1
The history of Thug Shells 29:40

1M ago29:40

29:40

Thug Shells is a freestyle rapper who hacks the english language, making it do whatever she wants. Did you know a group of rappers is called a cypher? It's a super fun conversation where we learn a lot about Thuggy as well as how rapping works, and all the uncanny connections to the world of […]By Josh Bressers

1
Undercover hitmen, shady drug deals and covert surveillance — life as a top cop 53:00

1M ago53:00

53:00

While working as an undercover cop, Nick Kaldas played a drug baron in the market for vast quantities of hemp oil, tracked a fugitive with a penchant for hair transplants, and posed as a hit man for a spurned lover. Nick was a 21-year-old immigrant lad from Egypt when he decided to join the NSW Police Force. He soon rose up the ranks from working a…

1
On Ice: America's Nineteenth-Century Ice Age and the Making of Modern Life with Andrew Robichaud 32:49

2M ago32:49

32:49

Ice, ice, baby. In nineteenth-century America ice was everywhere. Extracted from northern ponds and shipped around the world, ice became a valuable commodity and a vital input in numerous industries. In his latest research Dr. Andrew Robichaud, Associate Professor of History at Boston University, explores the ice industry in nineteenth-century Amer…

1
Encore: Andy Paschalidis on the death on the football pitch which changed everything 48:30

2M ago48:30

48:30

Football tragic Andy Paschalidis was in his 50s when a dear friend and fellow player died during an over-35s soccer game. The tragedy inspired him to begin a whole new story for himself, and the sport (R) Andy grew up in Sydney's Balmain when it was a working-class suburb, full of migrant families. His parents had arrived in Australia from Greece a…

1
Tim Winton on staying alive, in extremis 47:24

2M ago47:24

47:24

Australian writer Tim Winton on the stories which inspired his latest novel, 'Juice', a story of determination, survival, and the limits of the human spirit. 'Juice' is an astonishing feat of imagination. It takes us to a far-off future on a superheated planet, where people must live like desert frogs in Northwest Australia. They go underground for…

1
Love, death and duels — Marie Curie's radioactive life 53:54

2M ago53:54

53:54

The Polish-French physicist and chemist is famous for discovering radium, but Marie Curie was more than her accomplishments. From 'the flying university' to great loves and losses, Dava Sobel investigates her extraordinary life. Marie Curie was the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize, and the first person to win a second Nobel Prize. But alongs…

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