The Shape of Dialogue
Episodes
Are empires ethical? with Lord Nigel Biggar - The Shape of Dialogue #46
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
About Nigel Biggar: https://nigelbiggar.uk/about/Nigel Biggar CBE is Emeritus Regius Professor of Moral Theology at the University of Oxford and Disti...
What are schools for? with Katharine Birbalsingh - The Shape of Dialogue #46
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Katharine Birbalsingh, CBE, is the Headmistress and co-founder of Michaela Community School in Wembley, London. She was Chair of the Social Mobility C...
Free Speech & Common Knowledge with Steven Pinker - The Shape of Dialogue #45
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
About Steven Pinker - https://stevenpinker.com/biocv When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, a...
Why don’t we name it? with Brett Hall - The Shape of Dialogue #44
27 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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.bretth...
Are Jews Safe in the West? with Alex Ryvchin - The Shape of Dialogue #43
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Ryvchin is co-Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the author of internationally acclaimed books of history and ...
Narcissistic Transgression with Vaishnavi Sundar - The Shape of Dialogue #42
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vaishnavi Sundar - Feminist, Writer, Filmmaker & ActivistVaishnavi Sundar discusses the narcissistic transgressions of trans ideology and its nega...
Trans: Fact or Fiction? with Helen Joyce - The Shape of Dialogue #44
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trans: Fact or Fiction? with Helen Joyce - The Shape of Dialogue #44Helen Joyce, campaigner for women's rights from Sex Matters, talks about our ...
Postmodernism, Liberal Values & How To Make A Proper British Cup Of Tea with Helen Pluckrose - The Shape of Dialogue #42
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
https://www.hpluckrose.com/Helen Pluckrose is a British liberal humanist writer and social commentator. She is the co-author with James Lindsay of Cyn...
What is the best pathway to knowledge? with David Deutsch - The Shape of Dialogue #41
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
https://www.daviddeutsch.org.uk/David Deutsch is a renowned University of Oxford physicist, philosopher, and the "father" of quantum computation. He i...
Should universities seek truth? with Doug Elliffe - The Shape of Dialogue #40
06 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Meaning & Storytelling with Travis Brown - The Shape of Dialogue #39
24 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
About Travis Brown https://www.thesignalproductions.com/aboutUncomfortable Truths: The Reality of Gender Identity Ideology https://www.thesignal...
The Communism To Woke Pipeline with James Lindsay - The Shape of Dialogue #38
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Critical Race Theory expert Dr. James Lindsay outlines the genealogy of communism and its evolution into woke ideologies.About Dr. James LindsayAn Ame...
Knowledge Based Education with Elizabeth Rata - The Shape of Dialogue #37
01 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Elizabeth Rata is a sociologist of education in the School of Critical Studies, Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Au...
Science 101: Evidence vs Belief with Kendall Clements - The Shape of Dialogue #36
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
About Kendall Clementshttps://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/k-clementsMātauranga Māori Mātauranga Māori with Charles Royal - The Shape of Dialogue ...
To error correct or not to error correct? with Peter Boghossian - The Shape of Dialogue #35
26 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
https://peterboghossian.comhttps://linktr.ee/peterboghossianBruce Gilley - https://www.nas.org/authors/bruce_gilley
Literacy Matters with Dr Melissa Derby - The Shape of Dialogue #34
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Melissa Derby is a Senior Lecturer teaching early literacy and human development at the University of Waikato's Tauranga campus and online. Melissa...
Losing Women’s Rights with Jill Ovens - The Shape of Dialogue #33
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jill Ovens is a New Zealand trade unionist, politician, and women's rights advocate. She is the founder, co-leader and National Secretary of the Women...
Why Study The Classics? with Dr James Kierstead - The Shape of Dialogue #32
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr James Kierstead is a Research Fellow with the Initiative and his main focus will be on higher education policy, including academic freedom.James ho...
Do women have rights? with Sall Grover - The Shape of Dialogue #31
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
gigglecrowdfund.comSall's X handle - @salltweetsA male named Roxy Tickle, who identifies as a woman, has brought a human rights claim against Sall Gro...
The Shape of Liberty with Toby Young - The Shape of Dialogue #30
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A discussion about liberty, free speech and threats to liberal societies with British journalist and founder of the Free Speech Union, Toby Young.http...
A Dialogue On Dialogue with Peter Boghossian - The Shape of Dialogue #29
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
https://peterboghossian.comhttps://linktr.ee/peterboghossianPhilosopher Dr. Peter Boghossian's main focus is bringing the tools of professional philos...
Free Speech Diversity? with Michael Johnston & Jonathan Ayling - The Shape of Dialogue #28
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Johnston https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/about-us/our-people/dr-michael-johnston/Jonathan Ayling https://www.fsu.nz/meet_the_teamThe role of U...
Can we agree to disagree? Free Speech in 2024 with Jonathan Ayling - The Shape of Dialogue #27
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
https://www.fsu.nzJonathan Ayling is Chief Executive of theFree Speech Union. Jonathan has worked in Wellington, the New Zealand capital, for 8 years...
The Constitution of Knowledge with Jonathan Rauch - The Shape of Dialogue #26
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
https://www.jonathanrauch.comJonathan Rauch was brought to New Zealand by the Free Speech Union for a speaking tour in May 2025. See here for more inf...
TRANS - Biology or Ideology? with Helen Joyce - The Shape of Dialogue #25
05 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Joyce is a journalist and was a staff writer for The Economist between 2005 and 2022. Helen held various leading positions at The Economist...
Richard Dawkins in New Zealand - Auckland - The Shape of Dialogue Podcast #24
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Dawkins - https://richarddawkins.com/In February 2023, Richard Dawkins asked me to host his New Zealand speaking tour. Today's podcast is the ...
Curriculum Update – Nick Matzke - The Shape of Dialogue Podcast #23
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
About Nick Matzke - https://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/n-matzkeBackgroundIn July 2021, seven University of Auckland professors published a letter to the ...
Save Our Schools – Education – Michael Johnston - The Shape of Dialogue Podcast #22
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Save Our Schools Reporthttps://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-and-media/reports/save-our-schools-solutions-for-new-zealands-education-crisis/document...
China's Genocide - Jewher Ilham - The Shape of Dialogue Podcast #21
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jewher Ilhamhttps://www.allstaticandnoise.com/Twitter https://twitter.com/jewherilhamJewher Ilham: A Uyghur's Fight to Free Her Father (Broken Silence...
All Static & Noise - Genocide in China - The Shape of Dialogue Podcast #20
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Director David Novack talks about All Static & Noise, his documentary on the Uyghur genocide in western China.www.allstaticandnoise.comw...
Doc Edge & The UnRedacted with Alex Lee - The Shape of Dialogue Podcast #18
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Lee, co-founder and director of the Doc Edge International Documentary Film Festival, talks about the worldwide banning of Meg Smaker's feature-l...
Identity, Mitochondrial Gene Transfer & Science with Mike Berridge - The Shape of Dialogue Podcast No 17
19 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Mike Berridge completed a doctoral degree in cell biology at the University of Auckland in 1971 exploring the mechanism of action of plant g...
Metaphors with Steven Pinker The Shape of Dialogue Podcast #16
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Pinker is an experimental psychologist who conducts research in visual cognition, psycholinguistics, and social relations. He grew up in Montre...
Mātauranga Māori with Charles Royal - The Shape of Dialogue Podcast #15
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
About Charles Royal - http://www.charles-royal.nz/In 2021, 7 University of Auckland professors penned a letter to the editor in the Listener, titled I...
Non-science in the science classroom with Professor Anthony Poole The Shape of Dialogue Podcast No 14
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Anthony Poole School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Aucklandhttps://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/appo310Professor Poole’s ArticlesJapan’...
Mātauranga Māori & the Science Curriculum with Paul Kilmartin The Shape of Dialogue Podcast No 13
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Paul Kilmartin - https://unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/p-kilmartinIn July 2021, seven University of Auckland professors publ...
Occam's Razor & Science with Professor Johnjoe McFadden - The Shape of Dialogue Podcast #11
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is part of an ongoing investigation into what is and isn't science and whether indigenous "ways of knowings" have a scientific basis.In July 2021...
Mātauranga Māori & Science with Dr Daniel Hikuroa -The Shape of Dialogue Podcast #10
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Daniel Hikuroa discusses Mātauranga Māori and its relationship to science and why he believes aspects of Mātauranga Māori should be included in...
Science vs "Other Ways of Knowing" with Professor Jerry Coyne - The Shape of Dialogue Podcast # 9
06 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
About Jerry Coyne - www.whyevolutionistrue.com/about/Jerry’s Why Evolution Is True blog - “Ways of knowing” - https://tinyurl.com/3tmmx59dEmail...
What is science? with Professor Steven Pinker - The Shape of Dialogue # 8
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In July 2021, seven University of Auckland professors published a letter to the editor in the New Zealand Listener, titled In Defence of Science.The p...
Antiracism rhetoric with Dr Erec Smith - The Shape of Dialogue # 7
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Erec Smith is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. Although he has eclectic scholarly interests, Dr Smith’s primar...
What is science? with Dr Kyle Gibson - The Shape of Dialogue # 6
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A recent "letter to the editor" penned by seven University of Auckland professors was published in The Listener, a national magazine in New Zealand - ...
Street Epistemology with Anthony Magnabosco - The Shape of Dialogue # 5
13 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Anthony Magnabosco is a skeptic and atheist from San Antonio Texas who has been practicing and promoting Street Epistemology since 2013. Ant...
Freedom of Speech with Elliot Ikilei - The Shape of Dialogue # 4
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Elliot Ikilei discusses freedom of speech and other thingshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliot_IkileiMusic: Kyrie from Bach B Minor Mass conduct...
Freedom of Speech with Simon Wilson - The Shape of Dialogue # 3
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Leading New Zealand journalist, Simon Wilson, discusses freedom of speech.Music: Kyrie from Bach B Minor Mass conducted by Sir John Eliot GardinerBuy ...
Freedom of Speech with Professor James Flynn - The Shape of Dialogue #2
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
My first guest is a world-renowned political and moral philosopher, University of Otago's Emeritus Professor James Flynn defines what freedom of ...
Freedom of Speech with Michael Goldwater - The Shape of Dialogue #1
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
An investigation into freedom of speech and why it's so important. In this episode I'll discuss why and how freedom of speech is a fundamental princip...