All podcast episodes

Podcast

Personality Hires, Heatwaves & the Evolution of Kissing

Writer and producer Tony Briggs talks about writing from the heart; Jonathan Schuester explains why he is a personality hire rather than a competence hire; environmental historian Rochelle Schoff takes us through the…

Podcast

Narcissistic Signatures, Amuse-bouche & Porepunkah

Dr Jen highlights an interesting link between the size of someone’s signature and narcissism; Nat has immersed herself in french food terminology; Neil Cabatingan aka Kya Neil talks about the community discussion event…

Podcast

Propagating, Luddites & Multi-day Weddings

Justin ‘Digga’ Calverley teaches the best way to succeed with propagating plants; journalist and writer Matilda Boseley talks about her new book The ADHD Brain Buddy; tech expert Vanessa Toholka shares some brighter…

Podcast

Lab Grown Quails, Speed Dating and 80’s Dinner Parties

Izzy Burns encourages dating in real life with her Crush Club: Speed Dating; Nat describes her ideal dinner party theme; the team discusses the historic win by Zhoran Mamdani in New York; Christine…

Podcast

Watermelons, Confusion & Tech Savvy Glasses

Author Kate Mildenhall talks about her new novel The Hiding Place; Justin ‘Digga’ Calverley explains how to grow watermelons; film reviewer Anthony Carew has seen Yorgos Lanthimos newest adaption Bugonia; the team invents…

Podcast

Realistic Restaurants, Exclamation Marks & Snack Etiquette

Michael Harden recommends movies and TV series that do a good job of portraying the restaurant industry; Dr Jen explains how the effect of exclamation marks in our communication; Linden New Art’s curator…

Podcast

Better Off Said, Echidnas & Radio Interferences

Melbourne multitalent Marieke Hardy talks about her next installation of Better Off Said for Queenscliffe Literary Festival; book reviewer Fi Wright shares her thoughts after reading On the Calculation of Volume I by…

Podcast

Metro, Mandarins & Metroidvania

The team burrow into Melbourne's new tunnel; pop culture writer Tara Kenny explains literary dumpster diving; Michael Harden goes all sweet on mandarins, novelist Murray Middleton explores artists' ways with his latest collection…

Podcast

Planting Parties, Marathons & Birding

Writer and performer Lorin Clarke chats about her documentary, But Also John Clarke, in honour of her father; Russel Larke, head gardener at Fed Square, shares all the details about the exciting new…

Podcast

Shark Bites, Gorilla Fights & Salad Days

Film buff Flick Ford chomps into five decades of Jaws; author and music journlist Liz Pelly streams her Spotify-scepticism with Mood Machine; Jas takes a dive into virtrual reality; gamechanger Adam Christou goes…

Podcast

Brain Power, Ribald Poetry & Froggy Portions

Dr Jen prods the impressive brains of 'SuperAgers'; poet PiO gets fired up for Hatred of Poetry; the team swap stories about everyone's favourite frog; Simone Ubaldi brandishes her passion for mystery…

Podcast

Chatbot Therapy, Scared Sick Brains & Miffed Mums

Author Patrick Marlborough shoots straight with his screwball revenge comedy, Nock Loose; Dr Jen joins the dots between our immune systems and brains; Nat lays out her self-imposed rules; Dr Ahona Guha…

Podcast

Private wealth, Pageantry & Pineapples

Author Peter Coleman confesses his fascination with the Sins of the Filthy Rich; Dr Jen takes time out of her busy schedule to discuss new science surrounding the four-day work week; Breakfaster beauty…

Podcast

Character acting, Catfishing & Complaints

Aussie actress Yael Stone takes on a role for the ages in the fresh-from-Broadway hit, Mother Play; for Down & Dirty, Digga plates up his picks of the citrus crop; digital expert…

Podcast

Lefties, Trendies & Trophies

Dr Jen weighs up the weird science of left-handedness and creativity; Artistic Director Al Cossar dives into upcoming movies at MIFF; the team judges the best trophy designs; Michael Harden lifts the lid…

Podcast

Vibing, Storytelling & Stealing

Pop culture encyclopedia Sam Cummins explains why people are boycotting Spotify (again); poet Evelyn Araluen offers a rapid-fire rundown of three generations of story; techspert Vanessa Toholka debugs the term vibe coding; the…

Podcast

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice & Beetlejuice

Beacons of local laughter Kyran and Rhys Nicholson crack open the red cordial for Comedy Republic's 5th birthday; uplifting author Jacinta Parsons shares some lessons on living with her new book, A Wisdom

Podcast

Rhubarb, Profanities & Expensive Art

Linguist Kate Burridge details the role of swearing and vulgarity in the English language; foodie Michael Harden shares his love of rhubarb; playwright Emilie Collyer explains the idea behind her play Super

Podcast

Staying-in, Going Down & Voyaging Out

Intrepid author Jenny Valentish opens up about her latest book, An Introvert’s Guide to Leaving the House; tech (slang) talker Vanessa Toholka asks who among us has been pwned?; literally underground artist…

Podcast

Making Moolah, Breaking Bread & Dunking on Biscuits

Oscar-winning animator Joan Gratz reflects on her artistic life in houseboats and limos; the team make it rain with metaphors for money; Masterchef Emma Dean rises to the challenenge of making the perfect…

Podcast

Sloppy Songs, Gnome Homes & Powerful Pics

Justin ‘Digga’ Calverley dishes the dirt on garden gnomes; performer Leah Shelton reconsiders 'crazy' in her one-woman show BATSHITCulture Popper Sam Cummins holds his nose and dives into AI music slop…

Podcast

Mustard, Circuses and Doormen

Nat finds an unexpected upside to noisy roadworks; Michael Harden spreads his love for mustard; Circa's acrobats swing by between performances of Humans 2.0; Fi Wright illustrates her apprecition of Jostein Gaarder’s …

Podcast

Saffron, Global Flourishing and a Life-Changing Honeymoon

Dr Jen summarises the findings from the recent Global Flourishing Study; artist Iluka Sax-Williams reflects on his new exhibition Dabana for YIRRAMBOI; Michael Harden weighs in on the world’s most expensive spice; writer…

Podcast

Urban Nanna, Craigslist & Luxury Food Heists

Comedian, author and former doctor Adam Kay chats about his MICF show; tech expert Vanessa Toholka celebrates the 30th anniversary of Craigslist; the team discuss the boom of luxury food heists; author Anna…

Podcast

British (comedy) Takeover, Smart Exercises & Hundreds of Beavers

Comedian Nish Kumar reflects on the state of the world at the moment ahead of his MICF show; Dr Jen helps us understand how exercise affects our brain function; Nat had a drunken…

Podcast

Daylight Savings, Spaghetti Trees & How to live with your Parents

British comedian Chloe Petts talks about her MICF show How You See Me, How You Don’t; journalist Peter Greste chats about his life and how it became the subject of the film The

Podcast

Flo States, Finger Foods & Comedy Foals

Musical comedy duo Flo & Joan sing the praises oftheir One Man Musical; Michael Harden gets us salivating over small plates; the team get inside the lives of bouncers; comedian Zoey Combs…

Podcast

Funny Lines, Silver-Linings & Accidental Larceny

Comedy writer Lorin Clarke heralds a new honour in humor writing, Dr Jen highlights some scientific lessons of lockdown, UK comic Carl Donnelly shouts about his new show, Another Round; memoirst Susan…

Podcast

Old Slang, Small Plates & Traffic-Stopping Sketches

The team have a natter about Victorian-era slang; writer and director Tony Wilson scores a cinematic banger with his new football film, Ange and the Boss; Michael Harden gives his fulsome appraisal of…

Podcast

Stinky Names, Sleeping Aims and Tumeric Stains

Nat finds solace in below-average singing; writer and performer Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa talks growing up Fully Sikh; Dr Jen debunks some sleeping myths and Friday Funnybugger Bronwyn Kuss lets rip on her own…

Podcast

Spit-takes, Post-humans and Pinball Machines

Movie star David Wenham reflects on the revival of his iconic Australian anti-hero, Spit; Besha Rodell shares the special ingredients that go into her restaurant reviews; the team get into the cut…

Podcast

Potholes, Perfeggsion and Personal Care

The team get off to a bumpy start; for Weird Science, Dr Susi Seibt gives the hard shell on cooking the perfect egg; playwright Patricia Cornelius unmasks her new play, Truth and Oliver…

Podcast

Political Insiders, Personal Growth and a Perfect Match

Acclaimed political journalist Barrie Cassidy casts his eye over the state of politics; the team give the skinny on their chosen dips; Simon 'Bugman' Hinkley breaks down the architecture of ants; forensic psychologist…

Podcast

Scheming, Strayan and Sci-fi GFs

Culture critic Brodie Lancaster breaks down the cardinal sin of Oscar sabotage; linguist Kate Burridge briefs us on Australia's semantic border security; comedian Tom Ballard goes full steam ahead with his new play …

Podcast

Beach Swings, Bridezilla and Brain Rot

In their first week back for 2025, the team gets into the swing of summer - literally; Dr Jen breaks down the Weird Science of 'brain rot'; Michael Harden shines a spotlight on…

Podcast

Clouds, Table Tennis & Tech Treats

Nat introduces the team to some interesting table tennis facts; Chris KP shares some interesting facts and stats on clouds; art curator Meg Slater talks about the upcoming Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the…

Podcast

Cars, Schnittys & Pigeons

The team share their happiest car memories; Megan McKeough reviews new horror film Heretic by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods; artist Scotty So talks about his exhibition Maybe She Was There at MARS…

Podcast

Sharks, Desks & Christmas Cards

Author and rewilding facilitator Gina Chick talks about her new memoir We Are The Stars; palaeontologist John Long describes the history the misunderstood shark; the team brainstorm how to make Christmas cards…

Podcast

Eloping, Psychopaths & Manifesting

The team share their predictions for word of the year 2024; theatre maker Susie Dee chats about upcoming show F Christmas at the Malthouse Theatre; Dr. Jen explains how handwriting and typing has…

Podcast

Doppelgängers, Aspic & the life of a Zoo veterinarian

Food historian Lauren Samuelsson describes the significance of Women's Weekly; tech talker Vanessa Toholka explains the proposed social media ban for under 16s; Nat stores her secrets in her note-taking app; Sarah Frith…