Highlights From Moncrieff

Influencers can seemingly make content out of anything, be it brushing their hair or playing a video game.For the most part, it is harmless enough, but what happens if the thing that’s bringing in the likes and the shares is videos of your kids? Should you stop?This is just one of the questions arising from a new documentary called ‘An Update On Our Family’.Rachel Mason is the Director, and joins Seán to discuss.

Are you feeling burned out at work?Well, it seems the new trend that is being embraced by some is ‘micro retirements’...So, could unplugging completely from your career for a period of time leave you feeling more motivated and more refreshed when you come back?Career Psychologist and author of ‘Total Reset’, Sinead Brady, joins Seán to discuss.

Are you a nosy neighbour?We know that this country is property mad, but does that mean that we’re very nosy neighbours? Especially if a home nearby goes up for sale, many people love nothing more than a look at the photos online, or even worse - a trip to the open house!Comedian Emma Doran has strong views on this, and joins Seán to discuss.

How often do your kids call you? Did you give them a deposit for a house or apartment?The question is: do adult children rely too heavily on their older parents to pick up the pieces? Are millennials just flakes, or is it not their fault?Henry McKean has been out asking the public, and joins Seán to share what he’s heard.

Imagine for a moment that it’s a million years in the future.You’re walking along a rocky shoreline, when suddenly you notice something jutting out of the cliff face.It’s a plastic rectangle with 104 buttons on its face. Each button has a symbol on it that is completely unfamiliar to you.Today, we recognise this object as a computer keyboard, but what will the archaeologists of the far future make of it and what could it tell them about us?Sarah Gabbott is Professor of Palaeontology at the University of Leicester and co-author of ‘Discarded: How Technofossils Will be Our Ultimate Legacy’. She joins Seán to discuss.

Are you always running late?Some people are notoriously bad time keepers and it can be annoying to wait around for somebody who is constantly running late.Thirty year old Isabelle Duff set herself a mission to be on time, was she able to become punctual?Isabelle joins Seán to discuss.

Do you bring your phone with you everywhere? And by everywhere, does that mean the toilet, and even the shower?Podcaster and Influencer Ellie Kelly has admitted to scrolling on her phone in the shower(!) in a true sign that we are having a hard time putting our phones down...Ellie joins Seán to discuss.

In the late 1940’s, Frank Lloyd Wright built a planned community an hour north of New York City.The community remains an iconic example of Lloyd Wright’s pioneering style to this day, and indeed still houses one of its founding members, 100 year-old Roland Reisley. Seán to discuss.Image: Architectural Digest

The search for Malaysian Airline MH370 has resumed over a decade since it disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 2014…Joining Seán to discuss is Kevin Byrne, Airport Safety & Security Auditor and former Lieutenant Colonel in the Irish Air Corps.

In the biggest shakeup in 3 years on Channel 4’s Countdown, Mathematician Tom Crawford is currently filling in for Rachel Riley as the show’s math wizard.Tom joins Seán to discuss what the role is like.Image: Channel 4 / Countdown / PA Wire

Have you bought yourself a walking pad?Rather than head out for a walk on a dark winter’s evening, it seems that people are snapping up stationary treadmills instead. These walking pads are quite the rage when it comes to fitness trends – especially for women as an alternative to pounding the pavements on a dark winter’s night...Comedian and Coach Enya Martin just got one, and joins Seán to discuss.Image: Fitness Equipment Ireland

The 97th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday night (early Monday morning Irish time).One person who will be in attendance is Ruth Treacy, a Producer on the Donald Trump biopic ‘The Apprentice’.The film has two nominations, but at one point it looked like it might not even get released thanks to cease and desist letters from the President of the USA.Ruth joins Seán to discuss.Image: Studio Canal

Telekinesis has been a staple of mythology, fantasy and science fiction probably for as long as human beings have been telling such stories, but it’s always been something that was clearly confined to the world of fiction.That is until 2024, when Noland Arbaugh became the first person in human history who could move things in the external world merely by thinking about it…Noland is the world’s first recipient of Neuralink, and joins Seán to discuss.Image: Neuralink

Ever worry that you’re not charging your phone properly? Is it really not a good idea to charge to 100%?Joining Seán to debunk the myths and to offer his tips is Colin Baker, AKA Gadget Guy Colin, CEO of Back from the Future IT Support…

It took Seán’s guest a long time to figure out why she was struggling with pain. Eventually, she discovered that she had entered menopause early, at the age of just 34…Now, she wants to share her journey. Joining the show to discuss is Tralee hair salon owner, Emma Quirke…

A newlywed couple has landed the much-coveted position of caretaker to the Great Blasket Island. But, how will they cope without electricity and what exactly will be their duties?Joining Seán to discuss is artist James Hayes…Image: greatblasketisland.net

Being a parent can be overwhelming, chaotic and challenging, but if you’ve got ADHD - then the chances are that staying on top of things can feel even harder...Karen Beckett is a mother of four young children who was diagnosed with ADHD after becoming a parent. As a Chartered Psychologist, she is doing research into how parents like herself, juggle (and struggle) with the daily jobs that come with managing a busy household…She joins Seán to discuss.

It’s clear for all to see that a major rupture now exists between the USA and Europe in relation to mutual security.So, with the US backing away from its role as defence guarantor of Europe, and Vladimir Putin expressing his willingness to use Nuclear weapons where necessary, do we need a European nuclear deterrent?John O'Brennan is Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration at NUI Maynooth, and joins Seán to discuss.

Writing in today’s Irish Times, Sarah Moss wants to know why she has to pay over €50 for a simple haircut, when her friend could do it in 5 minutes for free, but has emigrated to Australia...So, how much do you pay for your hair and beauty needs? Is there simply a ‘female tax’ that men don’t have to pay? Is it unfair, or just a part of life?Henry McKean has been out asking the public for their thoughts, and joins Seán to discuss.

The Department of Public Expenditure is currently welcoming tenders from service providers for a four year shredding contract. The seven million euro project will entail the destruction of everything from paper documents to USB flash drives. As we now live in the world of GDPR, shredding is experiencing a boom, but where did it all begin?Newstalk’s Simon Tierney, who has been investigating, joins Seán to discuss.