The Modern Mann

Ian Mudge was a teenage punk, whose exploits included chucking chairs out of a train window. 

He became a teacher, whose unconventional methods and connection with kids saw him rise through the ranks, becoming Headteacher of a Pupil Referral Unit - responsible for educating some of Britain’s most challenging children, many with histories of violence and abuse.

As he explains to Olly in this lively conversation, it was a career that required lateral thinking and exhaustive energy - but ultimately left him burned out.

When Putin’s army invaded Ukraine in 2022, Ian’s wife suggested he should collect aid to support Ukrainian refugees… and that was all the prompt he needed to organise five trips personally delivering aid to Poland.

Ian’s website is https://stroudukrainesupport.com/

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - who owns a book about wood-chopping, don’t you know - explores the phenomenal potential of A.I. chatbot Chat GPT.

How will ‘large language models’ change the way we search, write and study? How will Microsoft’s investment into Open AI affect the usability of the program? And will all journalists soon be out of a job?

With the help of The Economist’s science correspondent, Alok Jha, Ollie has the answers. (And also thinks up some unspeakable things in the name of A.I-generated erotic literature.)

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox prepares for Valentine’s with some up-to-date figures on the amount of nerve endings in the clitoris.

Then, she assists listener Delores, who wants to support ‘ethical porn’ sites. Is it worth seeking out studios who offer safer working environments for their stars? Are free Tube sites necessarily ‘unethical’? And what about the ‘farm-to-table’ models like OnlyFans?

Alix has a long list of suggestions for Delores - and any wanker who wants to do the right thing…

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Finally, our record of the month is ‘This Is How We Move’, another laid-back charmer from Billie Marten.

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This episode is sponsored by Stitch Fix, the personal styling site that sends you great clothes to try on at home. Try their service FREE at StitchFix.co.uk/mann

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… and we’ll see you on March 10th.

Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox, Ian Mudge, Billie Marten. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2023.

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