Australian Highlights

Innovation in Australia has been happening for tens of thousands of years. Professor Lynette Russell is the co-author of Innovation: Knowledge and Ingenuity, which is part of the First Knowledges series. In conversation with comedian Luke Morris and host Rachel Rayner, we explore the rich history and innovations of Indigenous Australians, particularly in the areas of language, trade, land management, and technology. We discuss how Western historical narratives have often overlooked or dismissed the sophistication and ingenuity of Indigenous societies, and how recent research is finally bringing this all to light. Lynette shares her story of becoming an anthropological historian rather than an archaeologist, and her current line of research into trade relations between Australia and Indonesia thousands of years ago, while Luke spends much of the episode aghast at how little he knew of all this.TranscriptLinks for more:Get the book, or get the whole seriesFind out more on LynetteFollow Luke and Comedy VictoriaCreditsProducer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuests: Professor Lynette Russell AM, Luke MorrisMusic: Michelle CashmanEditing: Graham HunterMade possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.

Not all innovations are gears and coding. Some are a cultural awareness and, always, an ability to use what you have to improve the situation.Between the Wars, Ethel Anderson was bringing visibility to a new art movement that was being overlooked by those in charge of the nation's galleries and newspapers. She supported artists to ensure that Australia had a Modern voice that would endure. Artists like Grace Cossington-Smith, who has the crown of producing Australia's first post-impressionist painting (The Sock Knitter, 1915), were producing a new visual identity for what was happening in Australia. Ethel new this new work was important. She made sure these artists had space and visibility to take the place of the heralded (and dated) pastoral landscapes of "the Australian frontier".Dr Victoria Souliman is an art historian at the University of Sydney. Her research focuses on issues of national identity, expatriatism, and women’s agency in the artistic exchanges between Australia, France, and Britain in the early 20th century. She introduces star of the modernist movement in Australia, Ethel Anderson, to comedian Tori Crisp, who has purposefully avoided the history of art all her life.We also get to learn how much Rachel hates the work of Paul Gauguin, and how easily she can offend those in the field.Visit the website for pictures of the paintings mentioned in this episode.TranscriptCredits Producer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuests: Victoria Souliman, Tori CrispMusic: Michelle CashmanEditing: Harry HughesMade possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.

What does it mean to communicate and, more specifically, what does it mean to communicate science? And then, how can we learn to be better science communicators?Who is helping us understand the big science topics, and what did they do to get there?A niche field of research and career pathway is having its moment as our connected and complex world requires more and more people to accurately communicate the science underpinning it all.Recording live at SciTech in Perth, Western Australia, as part of FRINGE WORLD, hear from head of science communication studies at the University of Western Australia, Dr Heather Bray as she outlines the importance of dedicated science communicators and Australia’s innovative role.Australia had a huge role to play in developing and supporting the growth of science communication as a profession. A part of policy, education, media and pandemics, science communicators are helping everyone navigate the world and make the big decisions.So how did Australia come to be involved in developing a professional discipline, and how is it continuing to lead the world in untangling the big issues for all audiences?Comedian Nicky Wilkinson discovers more about this totally meta field and where science and comedy can work learn from each other.Hosted by Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer, who sounds more nervous than usual.TranscriptCreditsProducer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuests: Heather Bray, Nicky WilkinsonVenue: SciTech, PerthTech: Melody Rachel, Luke MorrisMusic: Michelle CashmanEditing: Graham HuntMade possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria. 

Nearly all of us have a close-encounter story or two. With spiders, that is.In our previous episode, we spoke to arachnologist Caitlin Creak about her work with funnel web spiders. What also came about were our personal interactions with the creatures that live in and around our homes. Collected here are our recollections and questions on what to do with the spiders amongst us, with a bit extra on the behind-the-scenes of Caitlin's research. And we finally get to hear what springs to mind when actor Nicholas Richard hears the phrase, "old-world spider"Hosted by Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer.TranscriptCredits Producer: Rachel Rayner Guests: Caitlin Creak, Nicholas Richard Music: Michelle Cashman Editing: Dianne Weller Made possible through Meta Australia Public Interest Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.

How much do we know about the world’s deadliest spider, which lives only in Australia’s largest city?Turns out, not much!The Sydney funnel web, Atrax Robustus, has a venom only toxic to primates. While their venom has been studied in depth, resulting in an antivenom, little is known about their life and habits.Arachnologist Caitlin Creak studies the Sydney funnel web spider unlike anyone else before – in the wild. This dangerous, cold and wet field work has never dampened her love for these spiders and her quest to know more about them.Hear actor behind Hoot from Giggle and Hoot, Nicholas Richard, grapple with his respect and fear of our eight-legged neighbours. Will he come to love the creature we’ve been taught to avoid?TranscriptLinks for moreThe Australian Museum page on funnel websThe Australian Reptile Park page on handling funnel webs for the antivenom programCaitlin’s website for more spider insightsFollow Nick on InstagramCreditsProducer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuests: Caitlin Creak, Nicholas RichardMusic: Michelle CashmanEditor: Dianne WellerMade possible through Meta Australia Public Interest Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.

Why do we not know this? Why is this not in the mainstream?This is a catch up that generates more questions than answers. As we unfold insights from each episode in our latest flash, there are a few tangential revelations: Rachel drops a koala-related bombshell; Kirsty learns about Australia’s feral cat problem; and Rachel wants everyone to know about the true Australian highlight, the numbat. Overall, Kirsty is astounded at how much from our previous episodes are not common knowledge. How many of our topics and tangents were you aware of?See our episode writeups on the website: australianhighlights.com.auTranscriptCredits:Producer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuest: Kirsty KappMusic: Michelle CashmanEditing: Graham HunterMade possible through Meta Australia Public Interest Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.

Can science really be the perfect inspiration for poetry?Tricia is one of many poets around the world embedding science into their writing. The award-winning writer and editor lives in a world where there is no divide between the artistic and the scientific. She has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Honours in Biochemistry, and a Masters in Women’s and Gender Studies, specialising in literature. After spending some time as a biochemist, she realised that words were her preferred medium for experimentation.Tricia wrote her first poem at seven, and hasn’t stopped. She is a founding member of Plumwood Mountain, the ecopoetry journal and was the first Australian poet to be invited to the international Poetry on the Move festival.  Comedian Jeeves Verma begins by aligning poetry with onions: can he be inspired to consider science poetry an exciting genre of creativity?Hosted by Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer.TranscriptLinks for moreHighlight article by Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerTricia's book, AutobiochemistryA selection of her poetryFollow Jeeves on InstagramCreditsProducer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuests: Tricia Dearborn and Jeeves VermaMusic: Michelle CashmanEditing: Graham HunterMade possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.

This is the recording of our launch event for the Australian Highlight series, which took place at SciTech’s Chevron Theatre on 8 Feb, 2025 in front of a live audience.See Natasha's radio sky image.Did you know Australia leads the world in the field of radio astronomy, and is the home to some of the biggest discoveries?The newest mystery from space is called a Long Period Transient.Yes, the name is uninspiring, but hearing any astronomer or quantum physicist talk about it illuminates the exciting possibilities it opens up for our understanding of the Universe and makes us ask, is anything really impossible?Perth-resident behind the 2022 discovery, Prof Natasha Hurley-Walker, will reveal the roller-coaster journey that brought her here: forging opportunities and following a hunch after multiple set-backs and disparagement from established modes of thinking.The world-leading mind for long period transients, Natasha has also led a project to make the best radio-image of our sky. Using the Murchison Widefield Array, a telescope operated by an international consortium and located in Western Australia, she produced an iridescent image that illuminates what had gone unseen in our own galaxy. Will we convince comedian Zeppo that Long Period Transients are the most exciting thing in our sky?Hosted by Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer, who sounds more nervous than usual.TranscriptLinks for more:Highlight article and event photosAbout the GLEAM image (also the episode picture)GLEAM image on the ABC newsThe Murchison Widefield Array (MWA)Natasha's discovery paper for Long Period Transients (her second paper, and her third paper).Article on the third paperFollow Zeppo to find out where they're performing nextCreditsProducer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuests: Natasha Hurley-Walker, ZeppoVenue: SciTech, PerthTech: Melody Rachel, Luke MorrisMusic: Michelle CashmanEditing: Graham HuntMade possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.