Australian Highlights

Extracted from our conversation on Innovation vs Invention (Ep 26), Mandy Scotney expands on the innovative world of the comedian, the fountains of funny, and where the politics comes in.Follow Mandy and find out what she’s up to nextCreditsProducer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuests: Jonathan Englert, Mandy ScotneyMusic: Michelle CashmanEditing: HoboHut MediaMade possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.

Innovation is a loaded term, a buzzword. When this is a podcast on innovation, what do we mean? Are we using the term correctly? Where does invention sit in all of this?Jonathan Englert and Mandy Scotney from Episode 6, Culture Shocks, are back to unravel the conundrum of language and entrepreneurship. Jonathan draws from his PhD looking into Australian innovation, where he interviewed various inventors and explored his relationship to Australian culture.Comedian Mandy Scotney, on her own PhD journey and fresh off a successful tour of her award-nominated show, Married for Six Weeks, brings some much-needed rationality to Jonathan and Rachel's whimsy.Links for more:Highlight article by Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer from Episode 6Bonus episode on Mandy's stand up comedy process, is our episode 27!Exploratorium's Tinkering Studio, and an article on making bubble-blowing machinesBarry Marshall, who worked out that bacteria cause stomach ulcers in the 1980sLawrence Hargrave, who is credited as supplying key innovations to enable airplanes in the 1890s.David Skellern, a key figure in the story of inventing fast Wifi in the 1990s.Henry Hoke, who built a collection of innovations like the rope hammer and the leg pull from the first half of the 20th century. Mark Thomson, keeper of Henry Hoke’s archives and founder of the Institute for Backyard Studies.Follow Mandy and find out what she’s up to nextCreditsProducer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuests: Jonathan Englert, Mandy ScotneyMusic: Michelle CashmanEditing: HoboHut MediaMade possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.

What snack would you like on a trip to Mars?Professor Jenny Mortimer is a space horticulturalist, who is looking at the best nutritious solutions for astronauts hurtling through the solar system. She has already sent food into space, all to test whether it would survive a trip to Mars. Will it whet the appetite of cabaret star Minnie Andrews?CreditsProducer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuests: Jenny Mortimer, Minnie AndrewsRecorded at the Adelaide Fringe FestivalTech: Luke MorrisMusic: Michelle CashmanEditing: Graham HuntMade possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria. 

We’re all about the good life – but we’re not heading to a wellness retreat in Byron Bay. We’re measuring our quality of life using cold, hard stats, and looking at our brains with a portable scanner. No ice baths required! Champagne encouraged.See images discussed in the episode and more on the website.In this live recording of the Australian Highlights series for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival we’re exploring local medical innovations, from a portable brain scanner currently being tested by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, to advancements in statistical measurements of patient outcomes: can the numbers really be centered on what is important to patients?Dr Freda Werdiger, who was at the University of Melbourne at the time, takes us through the numbers and dials of her field to illuminate the promising leaps in human health happening across Australia right now, including improving care for Indigenous peoples in aged care and reducing the effects of strokes in emergency situations.Host Rachel Rayner may faint (she’s quite squeamish, despite having her own aneurysm problems) but she’ll be joined by local comedy legend, Laura Davis, to laugh at how amazing and ridiculous the human condition is.CreditsProducer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuests: Freda Werdiger, Laura DavisVenue: The Library at the Dock, Australia’s first six Green Star-rated public building Tech: Luke MorrisMusic: Michelle CashmanEditing: Graham HuntMade possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria. 

Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer and confidante, Kirsty Kapp, catch up on a flash of five episodes.They consider the statistical definition of deadly, argue about the failures of communicating acid rain, poke at Rachel's hatred of Paul Gauguin, and get excited about ancient trade routes. Head to each individual episode for more information on our website: Australian Highlights, Season 2.CreditsProducer: Rachel Rayner, Science ExplainerGuest: Kirsty KappMusic: 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.