Advertise on podcast: The Shape of Dialogue

About Brett Hall Brett Hall is an expert in epistemology (the theory of knowledge) and the philosophy of science. From childhood, Brett was motivated by the big questions about the universe. He studied an unconventional Bachelor of Science in astronomy, quantum theory, general relativity, mathematics, logic, and, in particular, the philosophy of science at the University of New South Wales. His degree introduced him to Karl Popper and David Deutsch, whose ideas on knowledge, science, physics, ethics, and philosophy shaped his thinking. Subsequently, Brett gained a Bachelor of Teaching (Mathematics and Science) from the University of Western Sydney, a Postgraduate Certificate in TESOL from Macquarie University, a Postgraduate Certificate from the Australian Catholic University, focusing on further mathematics and a Master of Science in Astronomy from Swinburne University, which he regards as his most rigorous and satisfying qualification. This fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming an astronomer, though he never pursued it professionally. He also briefly started a Diploma of Geoscience (Geophysics). Brett worked as a security guard while studying and later as a science communicator at the University of New South Wales’ Outreach Centre, running planetarium shows and science demonstrations. Read Brett’s writings on the physics, epistemology, the philosophy of science and more at www.bretthall.org Follow Brett’s Theory Of Knowledge (TOK) podcast on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmP5H2rF-ER33a58ZD5jCig X - https://x.com/ToKTeacher Also mentioned: David Deutsch - https://www.daviddeutsch.org.uk

Australian Popperian philosopher, Rafe Champion, outlines the five pillars of peace, freedom and prosperity that are the foundations for our Western civilisation. About Rafe Champion: http://www.the-rathouse.com/aboutRafe.html The Philosophy Site of Rafe Champion - The Rat House http://www.the-rathouse.com/index.html Five pillars of peace freedom and prosperity https://rafechampion.substack.com/p/five-pillars-of-peace-freedom-and?utm_source=publication-search Critical rationalism as articulated by Karl PopperThe principles of classical or non-collectivist liberalism in politicsIn economics, the importance Free trade, entrepreneurialism and a market underpinned by the rule of lawA moral framework founded on honesty, compassion, civility, personal responsibility, community service, and enterprise.Energy - abundant, reliable, and cheap energy. I, Pencil About I, Pencil: https://fee.org/ebooks/i-pencil/ Read I, Pencil here: https://dn790006.ca.archive.org/0/items/i-pencil-pdf-2019/I%2C%20Pencil%20%28PDF%202019%29.pdf Music: Bach B Minor Mass Performed by John Eliot Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir and The English Baroque Soloists https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016 https://open.spotify.com/album/3ELfX4GIPcYOTJBl8PdoKi?si=I8bz8nhaTyK3Qq4E5-ZtXg

Ani O'Brien is a women's rights advocate and political commentator. She has worked previously for the Leader of the Opposition (National) and is a council member of the Free Speech Union. https://aniobrien.substack.com/ Juliet Moses is spokesperson for the New Zealand Jewish Council and is a trust lawyer. This podcast features a discussion between Ani O'Brien (women's rights advocate, political commentator, Free Speech Union council member, and self-described TERF), and Juliet Moses (spokesperson for the New Zealand Jewish Council and trust lawyer), exploring how grand narratives -overarching moral stories that define heroes/villains, good/evil, and acceptable discourse - powerfully shape public conversations, media framing, policy, and perceptions, often inverting reality and sidelining facts through emotional appeals, institutional capture, and social pressure. Music: Bach B Minor Mass Performed by John Eliot Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir and The English Baroque Soloists https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016 https://open.spotify.com/album/3ELfX4GIPcYOTJBl8PdoKi?si=I8bz8nhaTyK3Qq4E5-ZtXg

About Nigel Biggar: https://nigelbiggar.uk/about/ Nigel Biggar CBE is Emeritus Regius Professor of Moral Theology at the University of Oxford and Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Pusey House, Oxford. He holds a B.A. in Modern History from Oxford and a Ph.D. in Christian Theology & Ethics from the University of Chicago. He was appointed C.B.E. “for services to Higher Education” in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours list. The Treaty of Waitangi https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/discover-collections/read-watch-play/maori/treaty-waitangi/treaty-close/full-text-te-tiriti-o Chris Hipkins: How shared values can unite Aotearoa and not divide https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/chris-hipkins-how-shared-values-can-unite-aotearoa-and-not-divide/74ZQEKGFARAWZN7W5OHN27KY3A/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email David Seymour: Treaty should mean equal rights, not race-based policy https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/david-seymour-treaty-should-mean-equal-rights-not-race-based-policy/UBZ5PT56HNCJDCZZEJN6S4PHEU/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email Music: Bach B Minor Mass Performed by John Eliot Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir and The English Baroque Soloists https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016 https://open.spotify.com/album/3ELfX4GIPcYOTJBl8PdoKi?si=I8bz8nhaTyK3Qq4E5-ZtXg

Katharine Birbalsingh, CBE, is the Headmistress and co-founder of Michaela Community School in Wembley, London. She was Chair of the Social Mobility Commission from 2021 to 2023. Michaela School is renowned for its high standards of behaviour and academic achievement, knowledge curriculum and teaching of kindness and gratitude. In 2017, Ofsted graded the school as ‘Outstanding’ in every category. In 2022, almost 75% of all GCSEs were graded 9 to 7 (A* to A). 98% of pupils achieved a 4+ (C or above) in both English and Maths, with 99% of all pupils achieving grade 9 to 4 (A* to C) in at least 5 subjects. Katharine read Philosophy and Modern Languages at the University of Oxford and has always taught in inner London. She has made numerous appearances on television and radio and has written for several UK publications. Katharine has written 2 books and edited 2 more, including The Power of Culture (published in June 2020). Katharine was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours by the Queen. https://michaela.education/

About Steven Pinker - https://stevenpinker.com/biocv When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life https://stevenpinker.com/publications/when-everyone-knows-everyone-knows-common-knowledge-and-mysteries-money-power-and Tickets: An Evening with Steven Pinker https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/event/2400635CC1573F86 Antisemitic protest outside the Sydney Opera House chanting "Gas the Jews" https://youtube.com/shorts/cQcoLR4y1P8?si=ajGQYmsC_lPzylHN Music: Bach B Minor Mass Performed by John Eliot Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir and The English Baroque Soloists https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016 https://open.spotify.com/album/3ELfX4GIPcYOTJBl8PdoKi?si=I8bz8nhaTyK3Qq4E5-ZtXg

Brett Hall talks about why the Australian government can’t name the cause of the Bondi Beach massacre of Jews. About Brett Hall - https://www.bretthall.org/about.html Josh Frydenberg urges PM Anthony Albanese to take tougher action after Bondi massacre https://youtu.be/PPVkyzg5x9M?si=o2_DKw5ymqJHih0u Music: Bach B Minor Mass Performed by John Eliot Gardiner, The Monteverdi Choir and The English Baroque Soloists https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016 https://open.spotify.com/album/3ELfX4GIPcYOTJBl8PdoKi?si=I8bz8nhaTyK3Qq4E5-ZtXg

Vaishnavi Sundar - Feminist, Writer, Filmmaker & Activist Vaishnavi Sundar discusses the narcissistic transgressions of trans ideology and its negative impact on women and girls. https://vaishnavisundar.com/ https://vaishnavisundar.com/about/ Behind The Looking Glass - FIRST EVER Documentary about the Wives & Children of Trans-Identified Men https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frffv2sB8zE&t=6s https://limesodafilms.com/btlg/ https://limesodafilms.com/ Music: Bach B Minor Mass Performed by The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque SoloistsJohn Eliot Gardiner https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016

Trans: Fact or Fiction? with Helen Joyce - The Shape of Dialogue #44 Helen Joyce, campaigner for women's rights from Sex Matters, talks about our ancient common knowledge of the difference between men and a women, and the three recent seismic events pushing back against trans-ideology and its harm to women's rights and children -  The UK Cass Report in April 2024 The United States President’s EXECUTIVE ORDER 14168 - Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government - January 2025 The For Women Scotland UK Supreme Court ruling in April 2025 Helen Joyce  https://www.thehelenjoyce.com/ https://www.thehelenjoyce.com/p/about-me Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality -  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0861540492?ref_=mr_referred_us_au_au Music: Bach B Minor Mass  Performed by The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque SoloistsJohn Eliot Gardiner  https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016

https://www.hpluckrose.com/ Helen Pluckrose is a British liberal humanist writer and social commentator. She is the co-author with James Lindsay of Cynical Theories, Social (In)justice, as well as her own book, The Counterweight Handbook, about Principled Strategies for Surviving and Defeating Critical Social Justice at Work, in Schools, and Beyond.  At university, Helen studied late medieval women's religious writing. Her work now focuses on critiques of postmodernist philosophies, Critical Social Justice scholarship and activism and their negative effects on the humanities and the political left. With James Lindsay and Peter Boghossian, Helen was instrumental in the now famous "Grievance Studies Affair" which exposed the dubious scholarship in academic fields captured by Postmodernism, critical theory and identity politics. They succeeded in publishing a number of fake, hoax papers in academic journals. The project was inspired by Alan Sokal's 1996 hoax paper he published in the academic journal, Social Text. From 2018 to 2021, Helen was the editor-in-chief of Areo, an online magazine focusing on politics, culture, science and art. You can read her current writings on her Substack called The Overflowings of a Liberal Brain - https://substack.com/@helenpluckrose Helen's books - https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08GSPKP4M Helen's Quillette articles - https://quillette.com/author/helen-pluckrose/ Music: Bach B Minor Mass Performed by The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque SoloistsJohn Eliot Gardiner https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016

https://www.daviddeutsch.org.uk/ David Deutsch is a renowned University of Oxford physicist, philosopher, and the "father" of quantum computation. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, and his work includes fundamental issues in physics, particularly the quantum theory of computation and information, and the new field of constructor theory. In 1985, he proposed a universal quantum computer and went on to make some of the most significant advances in the field, including the discovery of the first quantum algorithms. He is renowned for his theoretical advances, including the theory of quantum logic gates and quantum computational networks, as well as several fundamental quantum universality results. His work set the agenda for subsequent international research efforts in quantum computation. David was awarded the Paul Dirac Prize and Medal by the Institute of Physics in 1998 and he won the Edge of Computation Science Prize in 2005. His books are highly influential. The Fabric of Reality explores the synthesis of ideas uniting Quantum Theory, and the theories of Computation, Knowledge and Evolution. The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World argues that explanations have a fundamental place in the universe and that improving them is the basic regulating principle of all successful human endeavour.  He has published many articles and research papers and has presented three TED talks. The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0143121359?ref_=mr_referred_us_au_au The Fabric of Reality: Towards a Theory of Everything https://www.amazon.com.au/Fabric-Reality-Towards-Everything-Penguin-ebook/dp/B004YB9HVY?ref_=ast_author_dp Music: Bach B Minor Mass Performed by The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque SoloistsJohn Eliot Gardiner https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016

Douglas Mark Elliffe is a New Zealand academic and Professor of Psychology at the University of Auckland, where he has been affiliated since 1979 as a student and later as faculty. He completed his PhD in Psychology at the university, with a thesis titled "Multiple-schedule performance in closed economies," and joined the academic staff in 1992 to help establish the Psychology programme at the Tāmaki campus. Elliffe's research specialises in the experimental analysis of behaviour, focusing on learning and choice in animals and humans, with a particular interest in reconceptualising reinforcement as a signal guiding future behaviour rather than merely strengthening past actions. He has authored over 84 publications, garnering more than 2,000 citations. Throughout his career, he has held key leadership roles, including Head of the School of Psychology from 2010 to 2013 and Deputy Dean of Science since 2016. In 2021, Elliffe co-authored the now-famous Listener Letter, "In Defence of Science", which argued that Māori indigenous knowledge, while valuable, is not equivalent to science. Professor Elliffe decided to resign from the acting dean position amid the backlash within his department to the "In Defence of Science" letter. Climbing Mount Improbable by Richard Dawkins https://www.richarddawkins.com/books/book/climbing-mount-improbable- https://the-shape-of-dialogue.captivate.fm Thanks to Guy Quartermain for the videography - https://www.keyframe.co.nz/ Music: Bach B Minor Mass Performed by The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque SoloistsJohn Eliot Gardiner https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016

About Travis Brown https://www.thesignalproductions.com/about Uncomfortable Truths:  The Reality of Gender Identity Ideology https://www.thesignalproductions.com/ The Woke Reformation is a documentary series that chronicles the origins of Woke ideology, helps people understand it and gives advice on how to push back.  https://www.wokereformation.com/ What Killed Michael Brown? https://whatkilledmichaelbrown.com/ https://vimeo.com/ondemand/whatkilledmichaelbrown?utm_medium=vod&utm_source=hp Reconciling Results on Racial Differences in Police Shootings By Roland G. Fryer, Jr https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/fryer/files/fryer_police_aer.pdf Surprising New Evidence Shows Bias in Police Use of Force but Not in Shootings https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/12/upshot/surprising-new-evidence-shows-bias-in-police-use-of-force-but-not-in-shootings.html 10,429 people have been shot and killed by police from 2015 to 2024 https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/police-shootings-database/ Number of people shot to death by the police in the United States from 2017 to 2024, by race https://www.statista.com/statistics/585152/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-race/

Critical Race Theory expert Dr. James Lindsay outlines the genealogy of communism and its evolution into woke ideologies. About Dr. James Lindsay An American-born author, mathematician, and professional troublemaker, Dr. James Lindsay has written six books spanning a range of subjects including religion, the philosophy of science and postmodern theory. He is a leading expert on Critical Race Theory, which leads him to reject it completely. He is the founder of New Discourses and is currently promoting his new book "Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity―and Why This Harms Everybody", currently being translated into more than fifteen languages. https://newdiscourses.com/author/jameslindsay/ Music: Johann Sebastian Bach: Mass in B Minor Performed by The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque Soloists John Eliot Gardiner https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016

Professor Elizabeth Rata is a sociologist of education in the School of Critical Studies, Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland where she is Director of the Knowledge in Education Research Unit (KERU). Her main research areas are in knowledge in the curriculum, knowledge politics, ethnic revivalism, Māori education, research methods, and the history of New Zealand education. https://elizabethrata.com/bio/ https://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/e-rata https://the-shape-of-dialogue.captivate.fm Thanks to Guy Quartermain for cinematography and editing this podcast - https://www.keyframe.co.nz/ Music: Bach B Minor Mass Performed by The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque SoloistsJohn Eliot Gardiner https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016