Episodes

  • Marcia Bjornerud on how rocks share secrets of our planet’s past

    Marcia Bjornerud on how rocks share secrets of our planet’s past
    Nov 8 2024
    In “Turning to Stone: Discovering The subtle wisdom of rocks”, Dr Marcia Bjornerud brings us the fascinating story of how rocks and stones “speak” to us if we’re willing to listen. Rocks are alert, responsive and communicative, writes Dr Bjornerud. They tell us about our own past and how the Earth has evolved over centuries and millenia. What can a single crystal tell us about ancient tectonic shifts? Why are earthquakes so hard to predict? How is a day in the life of a geologist who is on the field? Do they have fun? How is technology changing geology? Tune in to know more.

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    39 mins
  • Andrew Leigh on economics and why it matters

    Andrew Leigh on economics and why it matters
    Nov 5 2024

    In this podcast Andrew Leigh talks about economics to someone unfamiliar with the subject, all drawn from his book, "How Economics Explains the World: A Short History of Humanity".


    Andrew touches upon the impact of the industrial revolution, the balance between Keynesian and Hayekian ideas, why interest rates are important, where the gender gap came from and much much more. He also covers how technology drives societal change, the role of government in managing economic stability and the importance of storytelling in making complex ideas accessible given that he has managed to do exactly that.


    When he isn't writing or working as a member of the Australian Parliament, Andrew is a keen ultra-marathoner and an Ironman triathlete.


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    43 mins
  • The future of our oceans with Helen Scales

    The future of our oceans with Helen Scales
    Nov 2 2024
    What mysteries do the world underwater hold for us? Dr Helen Scales, a marine biologist, has dedicated her life to find out. Her most recent book “What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World's Ocean” is an ode to life underwater and what we can do to preserve it. Dive in to listen to Helen talk about what got her interested in the subject, why sea creatures are smarter than we think and what we can do to scale back climate change, a scourge for both land and water.

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    56 mins
  • Jean-Martin Bauer on world hunger and what we can do about it

    Jean-Martin Bauer on world hunger and what we can do about it
    Nov 2 2024

    Jean-Martin Bauer is the author of "The New Breadline: Hunger and Hope in the 21st Century". It’s a brilliant account of why hunger is ravaging the world and what we can do about it.


    In this podcast Jean-Martin talks about his career at the World Food Programme, starting from his first field experience right out of college to confronting heartbreaking stories like a mother in Mauritania cooking imaginary meals for her children. He delves into the staggering global hunger crisis, the complexities of humanitarian work, role of technology in recent times and the challenges of fighting food insecurity in war-torn countries.


    For someone who works on the frontline, JM is hopeful that we can all make a difference in our own way to help the cause.


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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Nicola Twilley on how refrigeration has changed the world

    Nicola Twilley on how refrigeration has changed the world
    Sep 21 2024
    Among the many things that we take for granted in the age of indulgence is refrigeration. In “Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves”, Nicola Twilley brings us the history of what is arguably among the top three inventions of the century. She went far down many rabbit holes including orange juice tank farms, meat lockers, banana ripening rooms and frigid warehouses to uncover the different layers of refrigeration. What is the story behind tunas being transported in coffins? What is fridge dating? And why didn’t Abraham Lincoln ever have a banana? Tune in for many such anecdotes both amusing and revealing in equal measure.

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    56 mins
  • Untold stories of unsung Maths legends with Kate Kitagawa and Timothy Revell

    Untold stories of unsung Maths legends with Kate Kitagawa and Timothy Revell
    Sep 15 2024
    What are the human stories behind mathematics? How did mathematicians collaborate over centuries to further its cause? “The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Global History of Mathematics & its Unsung Trailblazers” co-authored by Kate Kitagawa and Timothy Revell tells us just that. Kate and Tim dig into rabbit holes from across eras to unearth fascinating stories of geniuses from ancient civilisations who questioned the status quo. How far does modern mathematics date back to? What is the story behind calculus? How did zero change the game and why did it take a while for folks to warm up to the concept? How did women take on the establishment to make their way into history books? In this podcast the authors bring us many such anecdotes and speak passionately about a subject that is close to their heart.

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    55 mins
  • Nobel Laureate Thomas R. Cech on why Ribonucleic Acid rocks

    Nobel Laureate Thomas R. Cech on why Ribonucleic Acid rocks
    Sep 7 2024
    Dr Thomas R. Cech shared the nobel prize in chemistry with Sidney Altman in 1989. Their work showed that RNA is not only a molecule that carries genetic information but can also act as a catalyst in biochemical reactions, a role that was previously thought to be exclusive to proteins. His book titled “The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life's Deepest Secrets”, released in June, is a brilliant read. RNA has helped us understand the mysteries of the origins of life during the big bang and saved millions of lives by concocting life-saving vaccines during the pandemic. It does more, of course. In this podcast Tom also talks about his first lab, how he helps students to deal with failures in their experiments, how to write without using jargons and his experience of winning the Nobel Prize.

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    45 mins
  • Carl Öhman on what happens to our data after we die

    Carl Öhman on what happens to our data after we die
    Aug 18 2024
    In his short and punchy book, "The Afterlife of Data", Carl Öhman writes about "What Happens to Your Information When You Die and Why You Should Care". After crunching lots of numbers, he found that in the next few decades the dead on Facebook will outnumber the living. The power around what to do with "digital remains" lies with a handful firms like Meta and Alphabet. Dr Öhman opines that we can't solve the privacy of the living unless we solve privacy of the dead. The dead, by the way, have no privacy rights. And now Artificial Intelligence is changing the way we grieve. What does this mean for all of us and what can we do about it?

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    47 mins