Best Australian Design Radio Podcasts (2025)

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Where to now — transforming anger into action after the Voice referendum 53:44

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1h ago53:44

53:44

In October 2023, Australians voted no to a Voice to Parliament for First Nations people. In this panel from the 2025 Melbourne Writers Festival, four speakers who saw the campaign up close discuss what went wrong, and even whether the whole endeavour was worth it. Ultimately they’re all trying to answer the question, where do we go from here? Speak…

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Pyromania vs revenge – why do people light fires? 29:42

1d ago29:42

29:42

Australians know the devastation of bushfires all too well. So why would anyone deliberately light a fire? In this episode of Criminal Psychology, our new four-part series on unusual crimes and unusual minds, we're exploring the psychology of arson. Answering questions like, how does it relate to pyromania? What do we know about the profile of a ty…

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What would a feminist utopia look like? 54:13

10h ago54:13

54:13

What would religion, work, sex or technology look like if we lived in a truly feminist world? In a perfect world would the messy stuff make the cut? Or would stuff that makes us human be left in the real world? Join two big thinkers who unpack it all as they build their own feminist utopia in this episode of Big Ideas. This was a live philosophy ev…

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Dark tourism, death, design, and the macabre — should some places stay untouched? 57:19

1d ago57:19

57:19

Dark tourism is increasingly popular. Sites of suffering like old gaols, asylums, orphanages hold a certain allure. Can we honour their dark heart and histories, whilst also re-imagining their future? Should some 'traumascapes' be left untouched so the scars of the past are never forgotten, or can we turn them into happier settings with sensitivity…

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Is language power? With American linguist John McWhorter 54:08

2d ago54:08

54:08

Language is always evolving, and reflecting back to us our society, politics and identity. From profanity, to personal pronouns, to the politics of translation and cultural appropriation, why do we use the words we do? This event was recorded at the University of Sydney. Speakers John McWhorterAssociate Professor of English and Comparative Literatu…

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Hard new world — our post-American future, with Hugh White and Allan Behm 52:56

3d ago52:56

52:56

Under Donald Trump's second presidency, America's retreat from global leadership has been swift and erratic. With Russia's war in Ukraine still raging on Europe's doorstep, and China and India on the move, how is the international rules based order being reshaped? And how should Australia position itself in this dangerous, volatile, hard new world?…

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Munchausen by Proxy: when parents hurt their kids 31:50

11d ago31:50

31:50

Why would any parent lie about their child's health? Or worse, intentionally make their child sick? In episode one of Criminal Psychology, our new four-part series on unusual crimes and unusual minds, we dive into a disorder that’s long been sensationalised in the media: Munchausen by Proxy – and ask: how do these parents get away with their lies? …

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Baby boycott — the fertility crisis and the big decision 53:28

12d ago53:28

53:28

When you enter your childbearing years, it can feel like everyone from the treasurer, your mum, and probably your Instagram reels really wants you to have a kid. But is it the right decision? Few women escape this conundrum of modern family-making, and unfortunately there is no easy or simple answer. But in this talk presented by the Sydney Opera H…

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Love your gut — understanding the microbiome 51:09

13d ago51:09

51:09

Are fermented foods really good for us? Do antibiotics destroy our gut flora? And have you heard about poo transplants? Our gut is teeming with trillions of microbial cells, and we are learning more all the time about how this affects everything from our digestion, to immunity, to mental health. So crack open your kombucha, because these leading re…

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Adapt or collapse — can we meet the moment of environmental peril 53:41

14d ago53:41

53:41

Do humans really have what it takes to change our lives – our world – to arrest climate collapse?It might be the defining question we face as a society, and the panellists from this WOMADelaide Festival discussion are throwing everything they’ve got at this intractable issue, drawing on knowledge from the oldest continuing culture in the world and …

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Kate McClymont on the complete insanity of investigative journalism 56:56

15d ago56:56

56:56

Murderers, fraudsters, mobsters, dodgy doctors, and corrupt politicians. Kate McClymont has exposed all manner of shady characters, and lives to tell the tale. Here, she reveals some of the perils of investigative journalism over her career, and what she sees are the threats and promises for its future. The 2025 Brian Johns Lecture, in partnership …

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INTRODUCING — Criminal Psychology

15d ago

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On All in the Mind, we investigate why people behave the way they do. But there are some perspectives we don't often hear about. Introducing Criminal Psychology, a special series diving into just that. On this four-episode series, we'll cover arson, kleptomania, serial killers and Munchausen by proxy as we look at what drives people to the extremes…

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Chronically stressed? These small changes can help 32:01

16d ago32:01

32:01

Time and time again, Dr Rangan Chatterjee has seen chronic stress wreak havoc on his patients' lives — contributing to autoimmune disorders, gut problems, low libido and more. But the most devastating blow struck his own family, when his father's punishing work schedule forced him to medically retire in his 50s. It’s an experience that led Rangan t…

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The second coming of quantum — the next scientific revolution is here 54:43

19d ago54:43

54:43

There are some leaps in science and technology that change everything. Scientists say we’re living through the second quantum revolution, so we're going deep into the quantum world with leaders at the forefront of this field. If you think quantum is all about computers think again – like how could this vast science help female athletes reach their …

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The past is a foreign country — Santilla Chingaipe, Sita Sargeant, Steve Vizard with Natasha Mitchell 57:51

20d ago57:51

57:51

When Santilla Chingaipe stumbled on the names of enslaved Africans who arrived on the First Fleet in 1788 she couldn't look away. For Steve Vizard, an argument with his adult kids lead him to the battlefields of Gallipoli. When Sita Sargeant threw a mattress in a car and drove around Australia, what hidden herstories did she unearth?At school, the …

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Will American democracy survive the Dark Enlightenment? Sarah Churchwell on Gone with the Wind and the roots of extremism 54:47

21d ago54:47

54:47

Sarah Churchwell takes you on a gripping and confronting journey into America's recent past to explain its extraordinary present, starting with dark story at the heart of that American classic Gone with the Wind. Knowledge lies at the heart of a healthy democracy, and its many custodians include libraries, universities, cultural institutions, and a…

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We are the evidence — empowering change in Indigenous Australia 1:00:31

22d ago1:00:31

1:00:31

In 2017, the Uluru Statement called for Voice, Treaty and Truth as a roadmap to reconciliation. With the Voice defeated, what is the path now to meaningful reform that will improve the lives of Indigenous Australians? From the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, to Victoria's truth-telling Yoorook Justice Commission, two Indigenous leaders argue…

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Eyes On Gilead Live + The Handmaid's Tale S6 Finale Watch Party 1:40:50

22d ago1:40:50

1:40:50

Live recording from the 'Serena Joy & Gabriel Wharton Centre For Kids Who Can't Read Good', aka the magnificent Library Auditorium of The State Library of New South Wales. Join Fiona Williams, Haidee Ireland, Natalie Hambly, and Sana Qadar and 400 of their friends, fans and fellow resistors, for a final, unforgettable recap of The Handmaid's Tale. …

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Loneliness — you're not alone, from Ladies, We Need To Talk 32:04

23d ago32:04

32:04

Loneliness hurts. And we know it's bad for us, worse than smoking or obesity. Even though a third of us are lonely, we're embarrassed to say so. So, what would happen if we talked about our loneliness openly? And how can we build more meaningful connections? This week we have a special episode from our friends at Ladies, We Need To Talk. Host Yumi …

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Daina Reid on directing episodes of The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 (Interview) 48:46

24d ago48:46

48:46

Director Daina Reid joins Fiona and Haidee in the Eyes On Gilead Zoom room for a deep dive on her episodes of The Handmaid's Tale through the years, including 'Holly', and the penultimate episodes of Season 6. She offers amazing insights and easter eggs, and we go deep, because of course we do. Advance apologies to Team Nick: Daina is here to set t…

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From Bangalore to Balmain – Padma Raman’s lifelong advocacy for women and girls 54:39

26d ago54:39

54:39

The racism and resilience Padma Raman’s parents experienced lit a social justice fire in her early on. She landed on the sunny shores of Sydney in the 1980s and watched both her parents face racism and discrimination seeking work. She’s gone on to dedicate her career to making the world a better place for women and girls. It’s taken her to the hall…

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Fashion's fails — we can fix its toxic legacy! Kit Willow, Natasha Mitchell, and guests 58:10

27d ago58:10

58:10

Australians have a hardcore addiction to fast fashion. That means dyes in our waterways, microplastics in our bodies, and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of textiles dumped in landfill. Fashionista or not, do you feel powerless to change an industry dominated by global fashion giants making giant profits? Meet four passionate crusaders with fashion…

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Warren Ellis on why he bought a Sumatran wildlife sanctuary — with Justin Kurzel and Zan Rowe 54:06

28d ago54:06

54:06

Warren Ellis is best known as the charismatic violinist with legendary Australian instrumental rock trio Dirty Three and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Justin Kurzel's new documentary Ellis Park is a both portrait of Ellis as he comes to terms with his Ballarat childhood, and a film about the devastating impacts of wildlife trafficking, and why Ellis…

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To infinity – who's in charge of outer space? 46:56

29d ago46:56

46:56

How do nations work together to control access to our vast universe, negotiate who gets what resources, or even who gets to set up new colonies on far away planets? And how do we ensure that we don’t just export earthly conflicts on take-off? ‘Unlocking Cooperation: Space Diplomacy’ is a talk from the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Af…

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The confusion about concussions 30:03

1M ago30:03

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Concussions are hard to diagnose, often get missed, and don't always get taken seriously. And if you're not a professional athlete, it can be surprisingly hard to get clear information on how to manage and recover afterwards. Why? The brain is your most important organ, after all! This week, we try and make sense of the confusion around concussions…

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Being Jewish after the destruction of Gaza — with Peter Beinart and Sarah Schwartz 55:06

1M ago55:06

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What's happening in Gaza is horrifying and shocking. As the world watches on, how are different Jewish communities reckoning with a war being waged in their name by Israel, against Hamas and the Palestinian people? This event was recorded at The Wheeler Centre on 27 May 2025 in partnership with the Jewish Council of Australia. Speakers Peter Beinar…

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We asked for workers and got people — inside the temporary visa scheme putting food on your plate 1:06:04

1M ago1:06:04

1:06:04

A workforce we rarely hear about, lives in limbo, and stories from the coalface. From economic gains and cultural exchanges to exploitation and absconding, what are the successes and problems of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme? Who picks and processes those yummy strawberries you're about to put in your shopping trolley, or the …

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The unbearable intimacy of voicing someone’s words — with Forced Entertainment 1:00:01

1M ago1:00:01

1:00:01

Words can mean everything, or nothing at all: it all depends on how they're delivered. This relationship between writer, script, actor and audience creates a particular tension that lies at the heart of performance. Who gives meaning to the words, interprets the creative material, who holds the power? This is a lecture, but not as you know it, by m…

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Gina Chick on what dark nights of the soul can teach us about life and living 55:06

1M ago55:06

55:06

Gina Chick made her name as the inaugural winner of Alone Australia, but her story begins a long time before that. It involves unimaginable hardship, death grief, illness and injury. How has she learnt to sit with all that life has thrown at her, and remain joyful and true to herself, in the face of adversity? This event was recorded at the Athenae…

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Managing your emotions so they don't manage you 31:16

1M ago31:16

31:16

Avoiding your emotions is generally a recipe for disaster — but Ethan Kross makes a case for occasional 'strategic' avoidance. He’s a professor of psychology from the University of Michigan, and he’s appeared in some of our most popular episodes: Controlling the chatter in your head and What influences your inner voice? Controlling 'chatter' part t…

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Safe at home – who profits when you’re afraid of your neighbours? 54:04

1M ago54:04

54:04

Your personal safety is big business, so much so that it’s given rise to “security capitalism”, a phenomenon where attempts to buy personal safety shape the world around us. As security becomes just another status symbol, do these gadgets make us safer or do they create a whole new list of anxieties – a self-fulfilling prophecy of perceived threat …

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The ghosts are here — Tasma Walton, Darren Rix, Craig Cormick, Anthony Sharwood with Natasha Mitchell 56:43

1M ago56:43

56:43

The ghost people arrived by boat. They never left. But the stories of first encounters and what came next live large, 250 years later, in First Nations families and communities. An ambitious journey to reclaim the names and stories disappeared by Captain James Cook, but never lost. A deeply personal excavation of herstories and the women wrenched f…

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Words to sing the world alive — waking up First Nations languages 54:05

1M ago54:05

54:05

At the time of colonisation, there were more than 250 Indigenous languages spoken in Australia, but these days, all are considered endangered. Many First Nations people are working hard to revive and reclaim their mother tongues. In the anthology, Words to Sing the World Alive: Celebrating First Nations Languages, 40 Indigenous Australians share wo…

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The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 Episode 10 Finale Recap 1:09:16

1M ago1:09:16

1:09:16

It's the end of an era! Six seasons have led to this moment and the final episode of The Handmaid's Tale is now streaming. Unpack every moment with Eyes On Gilead as we discuss all of our thoughts about how the story ends, and Fiona observes an easter egg buried within the episode that justifies all of her rewatching. Join Fiona, Haidee, Natalie an…

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The Handmaid's Tale Costume Designer Leslie Kavanaugh (Interview) 32:39

1M ago32:39

32:39

Join us for a deep dive into the finer details of The Handmaid's Tale's costume design, with Leslie Kavanaugh, who took on the task of creating the looks for season 5 and 6. Leslie talks the evolution of the wifely colour palette, the creation of the plums, June's Canada and Mayday garb, and Serena's New Bethlehem outfits and colour theory. Enjoy t…

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From vulture bone flutes to ‘organised sound’— Andrew Ford's short history of music 52:45

1M ago52:45

52:45

Music has been around for at least as long as humans, and possibly even longer. How have forces like religion, the economy, society and technology, shaped music over time? And why, in lullabies and concert halls, songlines and streaming services, have humans always been irresistibly drawn to making it? This event was recorded at Sydney's Gleebooks.…

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Do people really behave differently in a crowd? 31:25

1M ago31:25

31:25

Panicky. Irrational. Impulsive. These are the traits that have long been associated with crowd behaviour. But modern crowd science suggests that’s an incomplete, if not inaccurate picture. From crowd crushes to terrorist attacks, we take a closer look at how people really behave in crowds, and what you can do to keep yourself safe in one. Want to l…

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If it bleeds it leads – Bruce Shapiro on documenting the violence of modern life 54:39

2M ago54:39

54:39

From wars with global consequences to violent crimes in the suburbs, trauma underpins so much of the news cycle. It’s something award-winning journalist Bruce Shapiro came to understand intimately when, as a young crime reporter, he was stabbed. It changed his whole perspective on his profession, dedicating a large part of his career to the questio…

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Live to 150? David Sinclair on why we age — and why he thinks we don't have to 1:07:03

2M ago1:07:03

1:07:03

What if we could turn back time on our biological clock and slow down — even reverse — aging? High profile Harvard scientist David Sinclair is co-author of the New York Times bestseller Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Don’t Have To. His lab’s work is as ambitious as it is controversial. He wants to radically change the way we live our lives — and p…

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Australia and the spectre of war — from Vietnam to today 1:00:04

2M ago1:00:04

1:00:04

It's been 60 years since then Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies sent Australians to fight in the Vietnam War. Since that time, the defence force has been involved in many armed conflicts and peace keeping missions around the world — but with varying degrees of public support. So how have successive Australian governments managed public conse…

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The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 Episode 9 Recap 1:09:49

2M ago1:09:49

1:09:49

Things are really ramping up in The Handmaid's Tale (because there is only one more episode to go!). Blessed be the penultimate episode: June faces her biggest challenge as Gilead cracks down on the rebels. The Eyes On Gilead team has broken with tradition and watched the episode together, and we are itching to talk it out. What did we just see? Wh…

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Australia votes — what message should we take from this election result? 54:57

2M ago54:57

54:57

If democracy is the will of the people, what does this federal election result say about Australia? In his election night victory speech, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australians had voted for Australian values, claiming these were fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all. But is this right message we should take from the election resul…

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O-T Fagbenle on playing Luke Bankole in The Handmaid's Tale (Interview) 23:07

2M ago23:07

23:07

O-T Fagbenle braves our six seasons' worth of questions about Luke Bankole, June's husband, Hannah's dad, and the "best man" Moira knows. He reflects back across the seasons, about Luke's time as a refugee in Little America and lately, in his role as a wannabe Mayday fighter. And: Team Luke or Team Nick? Let's get to the bottom of it, once and for …

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Why do we love collecting? 29:06

2M ago29:06

29:06

Whether it's stamps, figurines, antiques or toys, plenty of people love collecting. But why? What are the psychological drivers behind the hobby? How much is marketing influencing us, and is there a risk of collecting turning into hoarding? If you enjoy the show or if you have feedback you'd like to share, please check out our survey here. Guests: …

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Blessed Be the Finale: Come and Say Goodbye to The Handmaid's Tale with Eyes On Gilead Live 2:31

2M ago2:31

2:31

After six seasons of red cloaks, ominous music, questionable alliances, and unforgettable performances, the global phenomenon and Emmy® Award-winning series The Handmaid’s Tale is finally coming to an end—and SBS Australia, the exclusive home of the finale season, is saying goodbye in style. If you are in Sydney - or can get here - come and be a pa…

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What are you wearing? Why we aren’t buying Australian made fashion 54:11

2M ago54:11

54:11

Australians are now the biggest consumers per capita of clothes in the world. But just three per cent of clothing is made here in Australia. So is it time for a fashion rethink? This event was held at the Melbourne Museum as part of Melbourne Fashion Festival's Fashion Talks program on 4 March 2025. Speakers Tara MosesChief Operating Officer, RM Wi…

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Mark Zuckerberg claims corporations are culturally neutered — are they? Men, women, work, and the manosphere 54:03

2M ago54:03

54:03

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg has said “a lot of the corporate world has become culturally neutered” and that it needs more “masculine energy”? Has it and does it? At Meta, he recently shut down initiatives that promote equity and diversity in his workplace. In the USA, so has Ford, Mcdonalds, Walmart, and the Trump administration. But in Australia, less …

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History lessons — historians Orlando Figes, Bettany Hughes, Matthew Longo and Dava Sobel with Annabelle Quince 55:53

2M ago55:53

55:53

Democracies in retreat, attacks on science, border disputes, death and destruction. It can feel like we are living in unprecedented times - but here's the thing: world history has a habit of repeating itself. So what lessons does history teach us about this moment in which we find ourselves? Do we humans learn anything from the past, or are we dest…

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The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 Episode 8 Recap 57:58

2M ago57:58

57:58

Join us as we recap episode 8 of season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale for which you are cordially invited to the wedding of the century. Serena makes a big commitment, June and Moira execute their dangerous plan, and Aunt Phoebe tries every which way to send Aunt Lydia off to sleep. We don't know about you, but we won't sleep a wink until we understand …

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D'Arcy Carden on playing Aunt Phebe in The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 (Interview) 24:24

2M ago24:24

24:24

D'Arcy Carden is our guest in this special bonus episode of Eyes On Gilead, recorded on the Toronto set during production of The Handmaid's Tale Season 6 episode 7. D'Arcy talks about playing the mysterious new character of Aunt Phoebe, and how she personally handled being a die-hard fan of the show when she landed the role.…