A Tribute to Professor Des Gorman

After interviewing Des Gorman for Podcast 105, this is what we wrote for the podcast email…

“This week we drill down on the knowledge, wisdom and opinion of of Des Gorman, Professor of Medicine in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland.

Of course, Covid-19 but we talk about many other matters that affect us all. We discuss science, philosophy, education, intelligence, the shortcomings of governance and what binds us together.

Share it with your friends... and the not so friendly.”

We can’t think of any good reason to change that for our tribute replay of that discussion in podcast 292. His opinions will remain valid… maybe even more so, with the passing of time.

At age 71, Des Gorman died a week ago, on July 2nd. He became a good friend and will be sorely missed.

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Ramesh Thakur has a world of history, literally, in international affairs.

He has taught at a number of Universities including Otago and the ANU, Canberra.

But his time spent at the United Nations, culminating as an Assistant Secretary General, provides a wealth of knowledge.

That makes his comments on Iran, Israel, and Donald Trump a must listen in Podcast 290.

And after The Mailroom we offer some thoughts on multiculturalism.

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The similarities between Ukraine’s attack on Russian bombers and the Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites have been noted. But the parallels don’t stop there.

The U.S. is involved in both conflicts and the script for each is flexible on a daily basis. The influence upon each is Donald J Trump.

Geopolitical authority George Friedman opines on both wars, employing the theory of geopolitical cycles as explained in his book “The Storm Before the Calm”.

And, finally, we see what you think in The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.

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Romanians are still navigating the difficult path of building democratic institutions and a culture of transparency.

At the same time, widespread perceptions of corruption and cronyism have caused many Romanians to see little change from communist leadership.

Antonia Colibasanu, a lecturer on International Relations at the Romanian National University, backgrounds Romania’s position and future influence in Europe and analyses the difficulties the country is faced with.

She also summarises the country’s relationship between Russia, Ukraine, Poland and the rest of Europe.

And finally, we visit The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.

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This week we talk with Patrick Basham on President Trump's approval ratings and the Democracy Institute’s latest poll, “Is Trump Fixing America or Breaking it?”

Patrick gives a very good analysis on the most critical issues on the planet; Iran and nuclear developments, Ukraine and the drone strike on Russia and the South Korean and Polish elections.

And we visit The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.

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The rush of technology that is confronting us has gone unnoticed by most of the world’s inhabitants.

That is, until now. The moment we, as individuals start to recognise the magnitude of A.I. is likely to rearrange our view of the future: both short and long term.

The question is, how do we handle it going forward.

Nigel Horrocks and Justin Matthews recently established a Substack, CREATIVE MACHINAS.

Nigel has had an illustrious career in journalism, internet development and is a recent graduate from Oxford University in AI.

Justin Matthews is a senior lecturer in digital media at AUT.

They share with us what they know of the present and what’s ahead.

And we visit The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.

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Consulting power supply engineer Bryan Leyland updates us on the dire straits confronting the nation. And why we should be very concerned.

We address a second matter of public importance; New Zealand’s Gene Technology Bill fails the public interest transparency test, according to submissions from PSGR (Physicians & Scientists for Global Responsibility).

Sociologist J. R. Bruning explains the need for that concern, including the threat to democracy.

Should we shed tears over Biden’s prostate?

And we visit The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.

File your comments and complaints at Leighton@newstalkzb.co.nz

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Leighton Smith's podcast also available on iTunes:
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.