The term ‘looksmaxxing’ has been around for longer than you may think, but it has become a daily go-to for a new generation of people seeking to maximise their physical attractiveness by any means necessary. How did the movement explode in recent times? Why is it mostly associated with men? And why is the Trump administration adopting it in a time of war? 

Host: Fionnán Sheahan

Guest: Nikki McCann Ramirez 

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The rise of ‘looksmaxxing’ and how it infiltrated MAGA wartime politics 

As Jessie Buckley closed out her victorious Oscar speech with a cúpla focal, one might wonder if the majority of Hollywood stars looking on knew what she was saying. But that’s hardly the point – it sounded cool. Being Irish is cool. The Irish language is cool. Irish culture is cool. Has it always been, though? And if there has been a spirited revival in recent times, who led the charge and where does it go from here?




Host: Dave Hanratty

Guests: Hugh Carr and Laura Pakenham

As Jessie Buckley closed out her victorious Oscar speech with a cúpla&nbsp;focal, one might wonder if&nbsp;the majority of&nbsp;Hollywood stars looking on knew what she was saying. But&nbsp;that’s&nbsp;hardly the point – it sounded cool.&nbsp;Being Irish is cool. The Irish language is cool.&nbsp;Irish culture is cool.&nbsp;Has it always been, though?&nbsp;And if there has been a spirited revival in recent times, who led the charge and where does it go from here?
 
Host: Dave Hanratty
Guests: Hugh Carr and Laura&nbsp;Pakenham

When did Irish become cool? Or has it always been? 

Who is Sam Altman and why does he matter so much to artificial intelligence? What do we really know about his views on risk, control and power in the AI race?




Todays episode of the Indo Daily comes from our sister podcast The Big Tech Show, as Ellen Huet, features writer with Bloomberg News and host of the Foundering podcast, joins Adrian Weckler.




Altman, CEO of OpenAI, runs the company behind ChatGPT. The episode explores his rise, his warnings about AI dangers and the controversies surrounding OpenAI. 




This podcast was first published on Wednesday March 11th 2026.




We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

Who is Sam Altman and why does he matter so much to artificial intelligence? What do we really know about his views on risk, control and power in the AI race?
 
Todays episode of the Indo Daily comes from our sister podcast The Big Tech Show, as Ellen Huet, features writer with Bloomberg News and host of the Foundering podcast, joins Adrian Weckler.
 
Altman, CEO of OpenAI, runs the company behind ChatGPT. The episode explores his rise, his warnings about AI dangers and the controversies surrounding OpenAI.&nbsp;
 
This podcast was first published on Wednesday March 11th 2026.
 
We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at <a href="https://independent.ie/ourjournalism">independent.ie/ourjournalism</a>

The man behind ChatGPT: How Sam Altman mastered the art of gaining power 

On 18 December 2022, 32-year-old Natalie McNally was found dead in her Lurgan home.

According to her autopsy, she suffered multiple stab wounds, strangulation and several heavy blows to the head. She was also 15 weeks pregnant at the time.

Her partner, Stephen McCullagh, is now on trial for her murder in one of the highest-profile cases Northern Ireland’s courts have seen in years.

Central to the trial is a gaming livestream which the prosecution allege was staged to create an alibi for the accused.

Host: Fionnán Sheahan, Guest; Allison Morris

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

On 18 December 2022, 32-year-old Natalie McNally was found dead in her Lurgan home.
According to her autopsy, she suffered multiple stab wounds, strangulation and several heavy blows to the head. She was also 15 weeks pregnant at the time.
Her partner, Stephen McCullagh, is now on trial for her murder in one of the highest-profile cases Northern Ireland’s courts have seen in years.
Central to the trial is a gaming livestream which the prosecution allege was staged to create an alibi for the accused.
Host: Fionnán Sheahan, Guest; Allison Morris
We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

The rise of ‘looksmaxxing’ and how it infiltrated MAGA wartime politics

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