Best Creative Science Australia Podcasts (2025)

Welcome to She Built That, the podcast series where we discover incredible women and girls who didn't just dream big...they BUILT their futures! In this episode, you'll hear from the incredible Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Australia's first-ever astronaut qualified under the Australian flag. Hear how Katherine went from being a young girl staring up at …

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Special Episode: Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris and Adrian Teal & Dead Ends! 54:41

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4d ago54:41

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Science doesn’t always get it right the first time (or the second, or the third, or even the ninety-ninth!). And while we may chuckle at the outlandish things people believed or the goofy experiments they tried, we forget two things: 1) those failures helped us get where we are today and 2) a hundred years from now, people will probably be laughing…

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S2 E33: Top 50 Dive Sites of Australia and the Great Barrier Reef: Part II 40:48

9d ago40:48

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Marine biologist and scuba legend Steve Sinclair is back again this week to finish revealing the Top 50 Dive Sites in Australia. Steve has spent over five decades exploring every reef, wreck and cave from Tasmania to the Top End — and now he’s sharing his secret spots with us! From world-famous coral gardens on the Great Barrier Reef to secret, wor…

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Imagining the future — sci-fi, doomsday preppers and hope punks 54:03

10d ago54:03

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The way we imagine the future matters. Not only does it change how we feel, those feelings change how we live today — and that might just change how things actually turn out!By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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She Built That: How Abbie Jane's Using Rainbow Shoelaces To Build A Brighter World 13:16

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Welcome to She Built That, the podcast series where we discover incredible women and girls who didn't just dream big...they BUILT their futures! In this episode, you'll hear from Abbie Jane, an inspiring teen using rainbow beads to make every kid feel safe being themselves. Bead by bead, Abbie Jane has built the Rainbow Shoelace Project which has g…

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Ep 191 Famine: More than starvation 1:10:02

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As we learned last week, starvation extends far beyond hunger and what a lack of food does to the human body. Similarly, famine is much more than a food shortage and starvation on a population-level scale. This week, we’re picking up where we left off last episode to explore the definitions, drivers, and many dimensions of famine. We trace famines …

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S2 E32: Top 50 Dive Sites of Australia and the Great Barrier Reef 44:31

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Think you know Australia’s best dive sites? Think again! Marine biologist and scuba legend Steve Sinclair has spent over five decades exploring every reef, wreck and cave from Tasmania to the Top End — and now he’s revealing the Top 50 Dive Sites in Australia. From world-famous coral gardens on the Great Barrier Reef to secret, world-class dive spo…

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Cutting edge technology – virtual reality with Dr Vanessa Moss 13:06

16d ago13:06

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Let’s get immersed in a high-tech virtual world with five fascinating fast facts about virtual reality, an interview with Dr Vanessa Moss, an astrophysicist who uses virtual reality to collaborate with other scientists, and an eye-opening binocular activity for you to try yourself at home. Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and …

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Life without money and the possibilities of the gift economy 54:03

17d ago54:03

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Imagine living life without money — cutting up your credit card, closing up your bank account, and finding new ways to feed and clothe yourself. On Soul Search, we examine what it might look like to step away from the cycle of getting and spending, and towards a gift economy.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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She Built That: How Charli Hately's Carving Out A Surfing Career At Just 15 12:15

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Welcome to She Built That, the podcast series where we discover incredible women and girls who didn't just dream big...they BUILT their futures! In this episode, you'll hear from Charli Hately, an amazing young surfer who has been carving out an incredible career on the waves at only 15 years old. She tells us how she turned her injury setbacks int…

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Ep 190 Starvation: More than hunger 1:04:09

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Deprived of food, our bodies do the best they can to keep us alive and functioning as long as possible. As the days pass, the rhythms of our lives change: our metabolism, our heartbeats, our hormones, even our thoughts shift to adjust to this period of scarcity. This response is evolutionarily engrained, following a variable but fairly prescribed p…

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S2 E31: Art Meets Ocean: How Creativity, Science & Community Are Protecting the Great Barrier Reef 47:11

22d ago47:11

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What do underwater art museums, bomb tests, and citizen science have in common? They're all part of the story of the Great Barrier Reef’s past, present—and possible future. Our guest this week is Dr. Adam Smith—freediver, marine biologist, and founder of Reef Ecologic, a Townsville-based social enterprise leading innovative reef conservation throug…

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Big Questions in Books – Negotiating the sacred in Australian literature 54:04

24d ago54:04

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The novelist Patrick White once said yes, religion was behind all his books – but his religious and spiritual identity was far from straightforward. In the final instalment of the Big Questions in Books series we explore the (sometimes ambivalent!) Australian expressions of the sacred in literature, from Helen Garner to Tim Winton.…

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She Built That: The Moment Chloé Hayden's Acting Dreams Came True 19:48

24d ago19:48

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Welcome to She Built That, the podcast series where we discover incredible women and girls who didn't just dream big...they BUILT their futures! In this episode, Chloé Hayden tells us how she overcame obstacles, and built her dream life as an actor. She even shares how she turned what some others saw as a challenge, into her superpower. Tune in to …

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Special Episode: Antonia Hylton & Madness 56:32

25d ago56:32

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By Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

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S2 E30: Seeing Green: Divers Investigate South Australia's Algal Bloom Disaster 42:18

29d ago42:18

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Today we're traveling back to South Australia for an update on the devastating toxic algal bloom that's been unfolding there over the last seven months, and what it it's been like for the divers who know and love these waters. Marine Biologist and Divemaster Sarah Franke from Divers for Climate has just returned from a research trip to learn about …

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Remembering ethologist Jane Goodall, champion of hope 54:05

1M ago54:05

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The acclaimed scientist Jane Goodall has died on October 1st, at the age of 91. But Dr Goodall's legacy, along with her study of chimps, is arguably as much to do with hope – and the spiritual curiosity that underpinned her quest for hope in difficult times.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Ep 14: The Facilitative Systemic Intervention Skills (FSIS) Measure: Research-informed Clinical Practice to Train Effective Therapists 45:09

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Today on the podcast, we have Dr. Adam Jones from Texas Woman's University and his amazing Master's student, Madeline Schock. Questions about the FSIS Rating Scale that we discussed today: You helped develop the Facilitative Systemic Intervention Skills measure. Can you help us understand a little bit about why you developed the measure and what it…

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Ep 189 Newborn screening: The future is here 1:18:14

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Every year, millions of babies around the world are screened for dozens of treatable conditions within the first day or two of life. What it takes is a few drops of blood on some filter paper, and what it gives is profound: potentially life-saving information. The advent of newborn screening is one of the greatest public achievements of the 20th ce…

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S2 E29: Caring for Yirrganydji Sea Country on the Great Barrier Reef with Gavin Singleton 38:19

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First Nations people have been caring for land and sea along the Great Barrier Reef Coast for thousands of years. In this powerful interview, Traditional Owner Gavin Singleton explains the enduring connection First Nations people have with the Reef, what they're doing to help protect it, and how we can all foster a stronger connection with each oth…

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Art, music and the ecologies that make and exceed us 54:05

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Making art and music has been an endeavour for at least as long as humans have existed, and it has the power to connect us in all kinds of ways. From the mountains of the southern Philippines to urban Melbourne, people are creating things that connect us to each other — and the transcendent.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Ep 188 Candida yeast: Here, there, and everywhere 1:17:17

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None of us are ever truly alone. Our bodies are home to untold numbers of microbes, chilling on our skin, in our guts, throughout our respiratory tract, inside our bellybuttons, under our fingernails, and beyond. For the most part, we live in harmony with these critters, never giving them a second thought. But occasionally, they may grow a bit too …

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S2 E28: Corals' Last Stand: The Fight to Save Scott Reef 42:39

1M ago42:39

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💸 WIN $100! Fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey before 30 September 2025 to go in the draw. 🪸 Scott Reef, Australia’s largest remote offshore reef, is a breathtaking sanctuary for corals, fish, rare sea snakes, nesting turtles, and pygmy blue whales. But this natural wonder is under threat from a mega gas drilling and carbon dumping propo…

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The ancients on life, death and the cosmos, with John Behr 54:04

1M ago54:04

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What does it mean to live a good life? According to some of the earliest Christians, the answer has a lot to do with... death! Orthodox scholar John Behr tells the stories of some of these saints and martyrs, and unpacks what they are telling us today.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Special Episode: Mary Roach & Replaceable You 48:02

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When your car breaks down or your fridge goes on the fritz, you can order a replacement part and get things back up and running in no time. The same cannot always be said for another intricate machine: the human body. For centuries, scientists have grappled with making or transplanting suitable replacements for nearly every body part, from hearts t…

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Spaced out science – space junk with Mars Buttfield-Addison 13:07

2M ago13:07

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Get ready to launch into fascinating fast facts about space junk, an interview with Mars Buttfield-Addison, a computer scientist and science communicator who knows a lot about space debris, and an easy orbital activity for you to try yourself at home. Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purpl…

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Peacebuilding in Jerusalem 54:04

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Jerusalem is one of the most fraught cities on earth. It's a city that has broken the hearts, yet also inspired the hopes, of millions around the world. In the midst of conflict in and around a city that means so much to so many, how does one work for peace?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Ep 187 Hypothermia Part 2: How it helps 1:05:37

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Last week, we took you through all the ways that cold can harm us and the harrowing history of humans perishing at its icy hands. Ending the story there would be skipping over the parts where cold gets to play the hero, rather than the villain. In the second installment of this frosty miniseries, we explore the situations in which we might use cold…

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S2 E27: Stronger Storms, Stronger Solutions: Saving Coral After Cyclones 41:17

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Cyclones are part of life in the tropics, but climate change is making them stronger and more destructive. On the Great Barrier Reef, their force can pulverise thriving coral gardens into unstable rubble fields where baby corals struggle to grow. But there’s hope! In this week’s episode, we dive into an innovative solution that’s helping damaged re…

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Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint 54:04

2M ago54:04

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The world is due to have its very first millennial saint — Carlo Acutis, the 'saint in sneakers' who died at the age of 15 in 2006. He's usually depicted holding a phone or laptop, and his cause for sainthood blends the medieval and mystical with the hyper modern.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Ep 186 Hypothermia Part 1: How it hurts 57:35

2M ago57:35

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For all our wondrous adaptations as a species - our big brains, our capacity for language, our opposable thumbs - we humans are not well-equipped to deal with the cold. Take us out of our insulated dwellings, take away our winter clothes, and things can get dicey fast. From frostbite to hypothermia, the cold can settle into our bones, leading us do…

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Ep 13: Integrating Systemic Therapy & Somatic Practice: Dr. Tequilla Hill on Therapist Self-Care, Creative Healing, and Teaching MFT 44:26

2M ago44:26

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Today's guest is the amazing Dr. Tequilla Hill! She is a licensed systemic psychotherapist, seasoned somatic educator, healing artist, and mindful entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in wellness and behavioral health. Grounded in systemic psychotherapy and somatic practices, she integrates talk therapy, meditation, breathwork, and somatic…

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S2 E26: Restoring Seagrass on the Great Barrier Reef with Dr Tim Smith 39:36

2M ago39:36

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💸 WIN $100! Fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey before 30 September 2025 to go in the draw. 🌱 Seagrass meadows are the unsung heroes of the Great Barrier Reef – nurseries for fish, food for turtles and dugongs, and a frontline defence against climate change. But after a massive die-off, Dr Tim Smith and the team at JCU TropWATER faced a h…

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Big Questions in Books – The Mahabharata and its epic afterlives 54:04

2M ago54:04

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In this fast-paced world where so much of our attention is focused on the now, why do complex ancient texts still speak to us? Soul Search explores the multigenerational epic, the Mahabharata.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Special Episode: Lina Zeldovich & The Living Medicine 51:44

2M ago51:44

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The development of antibiotics was one of the greatest turning points in the history of medicine. Bacterial infections that were once death sentences were cured within a matter of days after administration of these lifesaving compounds. But the honeymoon didn’t last long, as resistant bacterial strains emerged and spread. Now, antimicrobial resista…

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S2 E25: Just Say Yes: Why You Should Volunteer with Reef Check on the Great Barrier Reef 43:09

2M ago43:09

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Ever dreamed of exploring the Great Barrier Reef for free—while making a real difference? With Reef Check Australia, volunteers can join survey dives and help clean up marine debris, all while experiencing the Reef up close. But what does it take to become a qualified reef surveyor? In this episode, Reef Check Australia’s General Manager, Jodi Salm…

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The surprising role of grass in shaping who we are 54:03

2M ago54:03

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It’s a big thought — that our story as a species is partly to do with grass. But it turns out that grasses and grasslands can play a surprising role in moulding who we are. How do we restore our relationship with native grasses, and what are some of the threats from introduced grasses like buffel?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Hacking Yeast With A Microbiologist: How Microbes Are Powering the Future of Food 1:03:30

2M ago1:03:30

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Send us a text Think yeast is just for bread and beer? Think again! Discover how this tiny microorganism is driving the future of biofuels, cleaning up oil spills, transforming sustainable food, and creating eco-friendly materials. On Emerging Tech Unpacked, host Lucy Lin dives deep into the incredible world of “yeast hacking” with trailblazing mic…

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Ep 185 The Great Smog of London: “Thick, drab, yellow, disgusting” 1:14:18

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Some things just go together: peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, milk and cereal, London and smog. Or at least, that’s the way things used to be until the Great Smog of 1952. (Don’t worry, the first three pairings are safe). If you’ve watched The Crown, you may remember an early episode in which a thick, noxious smog surrounded the entire cit…

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S2 E24: Not Just a Pretty Shell: The Beautiful and Terrifying Molluscs of the Great Barrier Reef 40:13

3M ago40:13

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What has no arms, no legs, and no brain, but can flash like a disco light, help control pests and kill you in minutes? Queensland Museum's mollusc expert Darryl Potter has spent three decades fearlessly tracking down these armoured beasts all along the Great Barrier Reef, and he's here to tell us why they're more than just an ornament for your bath…

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A Palestinian doctor in Israel, on treating the human being 49:45

3M ago49:45

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What does it take to be a good doctor in an us-and-them struggle? Dr Lina Qasem Hassan is a Palestinian doctor in Israel and head of the Israeli NGO, Physicians for Human Rights. What’s it like to be a Palestinian doctor in Israel, and what do health services even look like in Gaza right now?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Ep 184 The Gallbladder: Humor us 1:22:41

3M ago1:22:41

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For most of us, there probably hasn’t been a good reason for you to think about your gallbladder. Ever. Much of the time, it sits there, silently storing, concentrating, and, when needed, churning out bile every day. But occasionally, this unassuming organ will announce itself through waves of unceasing, excruciating pain brought on by a blockage o…

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S2 E23: Swimming Against the Current: Overcoming Fear, Failure, and Neurodivergence to Become a Global Shark Advocate 43:04

3M ago43:04

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Growing up with ADHD and Dyslexia, Aliah Banchik never thought she could achieve calm focus, let alone become a successful scientist, artist and Netflix star. Then she discovered sharks. In this inspiring episode, Aliah shares her mission to reshape how we see both sharks and neurodivergence, revealing the beauty in misunderstood animals and people…

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Mind blowing science - National Science Week 12:29

3M ago12:29

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Saturday 9 August to Sunday 17 August 2025 is National Science Week in Australia, so it’s time to blow your mind with five fun and fascinating fast facts about different types of science, some mind-blowing recent discoveries in science, a few different voices sharing their favourite mind-blowing science, and an activity that’s oozing with science f…

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The science and spirituality of soil 54:04

3M ago54:04

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The Biblical phrase “from dust to dust” tells us humans were made from soil and shall return to it. And care of soil is a shared teaching among the major religions. Science too, tells us we’re connected. Yet it’s being degraded across the world, and there are warnings that 90 per cent of the planet's soil could be seriously damaged by 2050. Can we …