Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod.

The world feels like a really bad parody movie right now – but it’s not funny. There’s a constant background hum of dread – climate change, biodiversity collapse, war – and it’s no wonder eco-anxiety has become a collective condition.

Because of all this, I’m replaying one of our most popular episodes: my conversation with psychologist Dr. Susie Burke about eco-anxiety.

It’s a surprisingly uplifting conversation about climate change ...

MSG causes headaches, chest tightness, tingling arms and weakness - or at least that’s what we’ve all been told. For decades, MSG was considered public enemy number one, banned from restaurants and demonised in the media. But why?

MSG is everywhere: in tomatoes, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, soy sauce, even breast milk. So how did it become a “toxic chemical killer” in the public imagination?

Today I’m breaking down the bizarre story...

There is a food trend that aims to give you glowing skin, supercharged memory, endless energy, and protection from every disease that you can probably think of. You’ll have seen the word for it stamped on cereal boxes and blended into smoothies, and it’s always talked about by wellness influencers.

What is that magic word? Well, it’s superfood, of course.

But are superfoods really all that super? Short answer: no. But the longer answ...

Why do people still believe in horoscopes, even when we know they’re not true? (If this is you, I'm curious, not judging.)

For nearly a century, people have turned to horoscopes for all sorts of advice, and they’re actually more popular now than ever. But how is this still so widespread when it’s been clearly debunked time and again?

Turns out, there are a lot of reasons - and the story is more complicated (and fascinating) than ...

I have the best news: we already have the solution to all of our problems.

This could save over 8 million lives a year, make us live longer with fewer sick days, save billions of dollars, and make us all a lot happier to be around... I feel like this should be front-page news?

The problem is, it’s boring. Because it’s cycling.

It turns out the issue of cycling is actually far, far more complicated than most of us realise. The health...

So, bottled water is kind of a scam. People think it’s healthier and safer, despite zero evidence to back that up. So… is it all just one giant marketing con? Well… kinda.

In this episode, I’m taking you through the wild history of bottled water to show exactly how we ended up here - and why it’s so, so, so ridiculous!

Quick note: I originally did the research and writing for this podcast in July 2024, so the stats I mention are cu...

Welcome to another This or That episode!

I break down the least impactful options from things you’ve been asking about.

This episode is actually a repost, because some of you have sent in these questions - clearly, we all have choices that keep us up at night. And often, what we expect isn’t actually the truth!

In this week’s selection we have tea vs. coffee, and which is worse for the environment, what the best and worst options are ...

Welcome to a This or That episode!

I break down the least impactful options from things you’ve been asking about.

This episode is actually a repost, because some of you have sent in these questions - clearly, we all have choices that keep us up at night. And often, what we expect isn’t actually the truth!

This week’s selection has a pretty controversial topic, and one that maaay just surprise you.

See if you can guess the answers befo...

Welcome to the first episode under the brand-new banner, Because Why?! The show where my curiosity gets the better of me, and I drag you along for the ride. (You're welcome?)

We’re still talking about the environment, but now the scope is much wider: science, ethical business, politics (even when it makes my eye twitch), and the weird, wonderful, and occasionally infuriating claims floating around out there.

In this episode, I’m kick...

A few weeks ago, we had the amazing physicist, science writer, and communicator Laurie Winkless on the podcast. She was so great, one episode wasn’t enough... so she’s back to do some mythbusting!

In this episode we talk about:

• If glass is really a liquid
• A bunch of physics myths that have been debunked
• What 5G actually is and whether 5G towers kill or control people
• How microwaves work and if they are safe
• Whether you can use your m...

Welcome back to Part 2 of a fascinating kōrero with science journalist and author Bethany Brookshire. This one gets a smidge more controversial...

We talk about the animals we hate because they’re successful (looking at you, pigeons), the cultural weirdness of how we define pets vs pests, and how control - or our lack of it - shapes our relationship with the natural world.

Plus, there's a story involving Burmese pythons and a pa...

You know when you see someone on social media and you just KNOW they'll be amazing to chat to? Well, that's Bethany Brookshire for you.

Bethany is a science journalist, animal behaviorist and author who writes about the animals most people hate. Rats, cockroaches, spiders, pigeons... And how our feelings about them are mostly cultural, not scientific.

We talked about where fear and disgust come from and how cute a mouse eati...

Today's guest is Laurie Winkless. She's a physicist, a science writer and she's the only person I know who's actually made writing about friction interesting. You could say she's a science friction writer...

She’s appeared everywhere from Forbes to Wired to BBC, and she has written two books. Oh and she won a scholarship to do some training at NASA. As you do.

I am very excited to talk about her transition from sc...

I wanted to talk about politics and combating polarising opinions… but I didn’t want to get dark about it.

So, to help, I’ve called in my friend and optimism security blanket, Dave Richards. He’s one of those people who has realistic but optimistic insight into the world. He’s lived all over the world, has a deep cultural understanding, and just makes me feel better about the state of things.

So I thought I’d have him join me for a b...

About half of the oxygen that you are breathing right now is made in the ocean. And last year, scientists found that some of it is made three kilometres down in total darkness by microbes that live on the seabed.

We had no idea about any of this before then, and now, next month, the United Nations International Seabed Authority is deciding whether they will let industrial rigs strip minerals out of the seabed. But is that a good ide...

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the last few episodes have been somewhat… bleak.

There’s been a lot to discuss around climate change, governments, and corruption, but I realised if we kept focusing only on that, it was going to get all-consuming.

So this week, I’m welcoming back Kate to help me share some good news stories instead!

In this episode, we cover:

• What are drop bears?
• Some fun community topics
• What happened at the UN O...

You reckon you’re immune to propaganda and disinformation, right? A critical thinker who sees through the rubbish.

I thought the same - until I realised I’m way more likely to believe something if it backs up what I already think.

That’s not a personal flaw. It’s how we’re all wired. But we need to get better at spotting it, because it’s fuelling polarisation and making it harder to have real conversations with people we disagree wit...

Well, we are officially halfway through the election cycle. The coalition government has been in place for about 18 months now. David Seymour is our Deputy Prime Minister.

So, how are things going?

I did my first ever political roundup episode - I think it was episode three - and it ended up being one of our most popular ever.

Interestingly, you lot seem to care about what's going on out there, which is nice. So I thought we’d do a c...

Are you tired of arguing about climate change with your uncle, or your co-worker, or that weird person online?

Welcome to the club. Now, if you really want to keep banging your head on that wall, I'm not here to stop you, but I am here to try and give you some facts that might help - because even though you are almost certainly not going to convince those people, it is often worth trying to combat some of that misinformation.

You...