Neil Mitchell Asks Why

There's no denying AI will shape the future of human life: How we work, live and communicate. In this episode, I speak to Australia's leading expert on Artificial Intelligence, Professor Toby Walsh, the Chief Scientist at the UNSW AI Institute. He's written a number of books on the subject, and been a vocal supporter of AI intelligence - but he has his concerns too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're four months into the year, so i'm roping in friends and colleagues Tony Jones and Heidi Murphy, 'The Jock and the Beast', to re-cap this years events so far, debate and discuss the big issues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I dive into the unexpected, unassuming world of fungi - and what I've found is astounding. I speak to Mycologist Dr.Teresa Lebel and discover fungi has the potential to change, save and shape the world like you wouldn't believe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who controls space will control the Earth. What happens up there impacts every aspect of modern life: Satellites, GPS, power grids. And there are some weird things going on. What's happing in space today could help save the world - but it could also help destroy it. In this episode I speak to Rebecca Shrimpton, director of Defence and National Security at ASPI, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. She has a warning of what we stand to gain, and what stands to be lost See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After ten years as the Victorian Ombudsman, Deborah Glass is now free to explain how the systems designed to keep the bastards honest are working, when they are failing, and WHY they are so important. In one of her last interviews as Ombudsman, Deborah Glass opens up on the personal side of a life spent battling bureaucracy, and standing up for the little guy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They say it's inevitable. But what sort of world are we heading into with legalised cannabis? In this episode, former head of the AFP, barrister and advocate for cannabis reform Mick Palmer, and adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, discuss the PROS and CONS of an Australia where cannabis is legal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than 20 years, David Koch had one of the most recognisable faces in Australian show biz. But very little is known about Kochie since he stepped down from his role as host of Sunrise in 2023, and what he’s planning for the future. In this episode, David Koch tells Neil Mitchell WHY finding fame was an accident, and why the future of small business is so important to him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you were terminally ill, what would you pay to survive? It's an ugly question, but life is always above money. In this episode, multiple myeloma patient Geoff Nyssen and Professor Miles Prince, explain how Geoff's CART T cell treatment in the US saved his life, after he was told he'd only have 10 years to live. Neil finds out WHY Australian lives are being lost, because they can't access this treatment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Rule and John 'Sly' Silvester are the odd couple of crime. One can write, the other can talk. They've built their careers writing, and talking, about the most unpleasant things in life. Murder. Armed robbery. Gang wars. They revolutionised the way journalists wrote about crime, and they're responsible for bringing one of Australia's most notorious, and now infamous criminals, into public consciousness: Chopper Read. In this episode, Andrew Rule and Sly explain why they write, and why some cases still haunt them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Immigration is one of the greatest policy failures of the past 20 years. It's also one of the least understood. In this episode, Victorian Chamber of Commerce boss Paul Guerra and former Deputy Secretary for the Department of Immigration, Abul Rizvi, explain how it works, how it's failing, and what it all means for Australia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Richard Scolyer is the world's leading melanoma pathologist, and along with his colleague Professor Georgina Long, has been named co-Australian of the year. Thanks to them, Australia's national cancer, melanoma, has become a curable disease. Now Richard is on a journey to beat another cancer. His own. In this episode, professor Richard Scolyer tells Neil why he's become a human guinea pig. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harry Garside surged into the public consciousness at the Tokyo Olympics. He won a lightweight bronze boxing medal, Australia's first for 33 years, and now he's chasing gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But he's not your average jock. In this episode, Harry Garside and his mum Kate, tell Neil Mitchell why: This episode discusses sensitive issues around suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, please seek help from a mental health professional, or contact the Lifeline helpline: 13 11 14 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From making headlines with Eddie McGuire, debating protestors on the streets of Melbourne, to his last interview with former Premier Daniel Andrews, this episode is a compilation of some of the most memorable clashes of Neil Mitchell's radio career. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over his career, Neil has had his fair share of the weird, the whacky and the wonderful interviews. Perspectives from a different point of view, different ways of life and ways of thinking. From international superstar Jordan Peterson, to closer to home with Fiona Patten and Sam Newman, this episode is a compilation of some of the more unusual conversations, that stuck with Neil over the years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neil Mitchell has quit his day job. In this special episode, Neil sits down with two friends and colleagues, Heidi Murphy and Tony Jones, to look back at his radio career; The highs and lows, the behind the scenes chaos, the on air (and off-air) spats, the deadlines, the regrets and the editorial decisions that made Mornings with Neil Mitchell so successful. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke McLeod has put himself through a gruelling reality TV series, not once, but twice. Now, the former Bachelorette star turned meditation guide, opens up on the challenges of life in the public eye, finding enlightenment and fatherhood. In this episode, Luke McLeod tells Neil Mitchell Why: A recent medical scare turned his life upside down Saying sorry is so hard for a parent He desperately wants to be a father Reality TV changed him Social media is one of the biggest threats to happiness He feared his life was on the line See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgie Purcell and Joe McCracken are no ordinary politicians. Joe is a Liberal MP who came out as gay in his maiden speech to parliament. Animal Justice MP Georgie is a lawyer, a former stripper and covered head to toe in tattoos. They're both in their early 30s, opinionated and passionate. In this episode, Georgie Purcell and Joe McCracken tell Neil Why: The writing is on the wall for the Melbourne Cup Shame is shaping public debate They don't agree on 'that' Jacinta Allan cartoon Politician's work "bloody hard" They both suffer from anxiety People don't care about politicians Also in this episode, Georgie and Joe switch places and ask Neil a couple of questions of their own... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What you're about to hear sounds like science fiction. Professor Nicholas Opie is leading the world in developing a brain chip, capable of mind control. Through the company he co-founded, Synchron, Nick Opie is close to helping millions of people living with paralysis do things they never dreamed of doing. Synchron may have been created in Melbourne, but it’s a big deal in Silicon Valley and it’s backed by some of the world's richest and most powerful men - Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. But Nick Opie is not your average professor. He’s something of a genius. An inventor with an altruistic vision. In this episode, Professor Nicholas Opie tells Neil Mitchell Why... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Abbott was Australia's 28th Prime Minister, but he was only in office for two years before the revolving door hit him on the way out. He was a divisive figure as a politician, and now as a conservative commentator and business person. In this episode, Tony Abbott tells Neil Mitchell Why: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Coulthart is a distinguished investigative journalist with a sparkling career. But, he's made an extraordinary pivot into the realm of UFOs and the extraterrestrial. Coulthart has become the face of a growing, global fascination into the world of aliens. In this episode, he tells Neil Mitchell Why he's convinced we are not alone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.