Best yBCMark Podcasts (2026)

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Ep.19: Siouxsie Wiles on bioluminescent superbugs, infectious diseases, sexism, misogyny and reinvention 1:24:36

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1M ago1:24:36

1:24:36

An outstanding science communicator who became a household name in New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic, but paid a harsh price for her brilliant work. Award winning, energetic Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles talks bioluminescent superbugs, infectious diseases, Covid, sexism, misogyny, menstrual cups and reinvention.…

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Ep.18: Mahi and mana: Securing the future of his tribe, and then protecting its past 1:20:42

9M ago1:20:42

1:20:42

25 years ago, the people of Ngāi Tahu settled a dispute with the New Zealand government - a settlement which dates back to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 and has sealed the fortunes of the tribe into the future. Tipene O’Regan was the lead negotiator for Ngāi Tahu, and since negotiating the settlement has gone on to lead development …

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Ep.17: Awkward conversations: how philosophy can help us navigate mankind’s biggest issues 1:09:23

9M ago1:09:23

1:09:23

A conversation with Professor Lisa Ellis: as we face a complex matrix of pressing realities, philosophy provides a vital framework for understanding and addressing them. It challenges us to re-examine our assumptions about many of these issues, and how we consider, discuss and solve them.By yBC.tv / yBCMark

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Ep.16: An “oasis of sanity”: leading NZ anthropologist reflects on knowledge systems past, present and future 1:26:51

10M ago1:26:51

1:26:51

Dame Anne Salmond is a leading social scientist and New Zealander of the Year 2013, whose life-long work has focussed on the history and anthropology of the Pacific and in particular Māori. She has a long-standing interest in environmental issues. Dame Anne’s perspective on our past, present and future is fascinating and enlightening.…

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Ep. 15: The law of the land: dodgy deals and doctrines in Aotearoa New Zealand’s past 1:00:56

10M ago1:00:56

1:00:56

Long before European settlers arrived in New Zealand, Māori called Aotearoa home. As in many parts of the world, colonisation was swift and dramatic, with a new social framework, land ownership structure and laws replacing the Māori way of life, making life very difficult for Māori. In this interview, one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s top legal scholar…

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Ep.14: A mountain of carrots. A clean energy expert discusses the pivotal role of hydrogen. 1:04:23

11M ago1:04:23

1:04:23

Clean energy is a very big topic. There’s also a lot of excitement (and hype) about new technologies which promise to revolutionise energy production, transportation, smart infrastructure and life in general. Hydrogen is right up there. But how much of this is real?By yBC.tv / yBCMark

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Ep. 13. Learning from the generous dead: the curious world of full body donation and dissection 1:02:57

1y ago1:02:57

1:02:57

Some of us might have thought about what we want done with our remains after we die. Burial alongside family members? Cremation, with our ashes scattered in a special place? But how many of us have considered giving our body - all of it - to science? Well, as it turns out, according to journalist and author Jackie Dent, quite a few ……

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Ep. 12: We’re getting older: how to tackle ageing with optimism and live well 1:01:57

1y ago1:01:57

1:01:57

In this episode, Dr Lucy Pollock reflects on 30+ years in geriatric medicine, emphasising the importance of understanding older patients as individuals with unique life stories. She highlights the societal challenges of ageing, the need for empowerment through information, and the misconceptions surrounding ageing and health. She advocates for hone…

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Ep.11: The young neuroscientist helping to replace teen doom-scrolling with positive, fulfilling habits 53:22

1+ y ago53:22

53:22

TJ Power is an author, professional speaker and neuroscientist. He’s dedicating his life to answering our modern world’s mental health challenges, one of which will resonate with just about every parent on the planet. TJ has developed an extraordinarily clever model to help people - particularly teenagers - to replace social media “doom-scrolling” …

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Ep. 10: George Monbiot on oligarchs, the environment and not letting other people do your thinking for you. 39:57

1+ y ago39:57

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If you’re one of the 81 million people who read the Guardian online each month, then chances are you’ll be familiar with the name George Monbiot. George is a regular columnist for the publication and writes hard-hitting, thought provoking pieces. In fact, “hard-hitting and thought provoking” probably sums him up very well in just a few words. In th…

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Ep.9: ComaDad (Part 2): Institutionally Unsafe. The episode Transport for London definitely doesn’t want you to hear. 1:11:27

1+ y ago1:11:27

1:11:27

If you thought that catching a London bus or walking the busy streets of London were relatively safe, think again. That’s because London buses have been seriously injuring and killing people - mainly pedestrians - with alarming frequency and predictability, for decades. And the fact of the matter is - these crashes are largely avoidable. In this ep…

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Ep.8: ComaDad (Part 1): Two weeks in a near-death coma after being hit by a 12 tonne London bus 1:03:38

1+ y ago1:03:38

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In Tom Kearney’s house, the 18th of December each year is “Bus Day”. That’s the date in 2009 Tom was hit by a 12 tonne Transport for London bendy-bus (Route 73) and flung to the side of Oxford Street bleeding out from his mouth and head. Against the odds, after being in a near-death Coma for a fortnight, Tom slowly rehabilitated and recovered. In t…

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Ep.7: Taking silk, taking on the tobacco companies and taking a break 56:22

1+ y ago56:22

56:22

Catherine Callaghan is a talented, high achieving barrister who has become recognised as one of the best in her field - in a very competitive field - by becoming the 424th woman ever to "take silk" as a King's Counsel in the UK. In doing so, she has also achieved a first (for the UK). But that first is not her only one, and it won't be her last.…

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Ep 6. We’re all going to die, so let’s talk about it. Also, Tony Blair. 1:33:10

1+ y ago1:33:10

1:33:10

Clare Montagu’s career - so far - has been far from conventional. Fresh out of Oxford University and London School of Economics, Clare got stuck into the world of politics, including two years working for Tony Blair when he was PM. In recent years, she’s been in the business of death and dying, most recently running a disruptive funeral business in…

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Ep.5: Mai Chen: Putting a superdiversity lens on business, government and life. 1:03:21

1+ y ago1:03:21

1:03:21

Mai Chen is a super-high achieving, super productive, highly intelligent, go-getting human being with a long list of awards, achievements, publications and accolades. She arrived in New Zealand from Taiwan at an early age, and has experienced racism in many forms - even now after all these years. Her views on race, diversity and equality are strong…

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Ep.4: The friends who decided to row across the Atlantic without doing “too much research” in advance. 1:05:51

1+ y ago1:05:51

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Giles Johnson lives in a small, idyllic village in Somerset, England. But a year ago, he was on the high seas, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, rowing from the east coast of Canada to the west coast of Ireland. It was the latest of his audacious (possibly crazy) adventures with good friend and adventure partner, Matthew Ponsonby. Hear Giles des…

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Ep.3: His life in books: the classic, epic, real life adventure of Red Széll. 1:02:30

1+ y ago1:02:30

1:02:30

As a young man, Red Széll got some news - very badly delivered - which instantly changed the course of his life. Find out what he did next (hint: as a young man, he didn’t react well), how his life has ultimately panned out, how he broke a climbing record, and what he is doing to help others who might face a journey in some way like his.…

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Ep.1: A lifetime of climate change science: “I feel positive about the future; it’s important to keep doing things” 55:30

1+ y ago55:30

55:30

Dr Jim Salinger is regarded as one of the most important figures in climate change science worldwide. He has devoted his life to measuring, analysing and communicating about climate change. In 2007 he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize (shared with a group of scientists and also former Vice President Al Gore). In 2024, he was named New Zealander of th…

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Ep.2: From grisly crime scenes to fields of honey bees: the professor of forensic science bringing great minds together to solve big problems. 58:20

1+ y ago58:20

58:20

In this episode, we talk with Professor Ruth Morgan about the world of forensic science, a field which has seen incredible advancement in recent years, and what this means for crime scenes . She also talks to us in detail about a project she’s spearheading to bring together experts from a broad range of disciplines and fields, to work on some of th…

YBCMark Podcasts

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yBC.tv / yBCMark

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Ep.19: Siouxsie Wiles on bioluminescent superbugs, infectious diseases, sexism, misogyny and reinvention 1:24:36

1
Ep.18: Mahi and mana: Securing the future of his tribe, and then protecting its past 1:20:42

1
Ep.17: Awkward conversations: how philosophy can help us navigate mankind’s biggest issues 1:09:23

1
Ep.16: An “oasis of sanity”: leading NZ anthropologist reflects on knowledge systems past, present and future 1:26:51

1
Ep. 15: The law of the land: dodgy deals and doctrines in Aotearoa New Zealand’s past 1:00:56

1
Ep.14: A mountain of carrots. A clean energy expert discusses the pivotal role of hydrogen. 1:04:23

1
Ep. 13. Learning from the generous dead: the curious world of full body donation and dissection 1:02:57

1
Ep. 12: We’re getting older: how to tackle ageing with optimism and live well 1:01:57

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Ep.11: The young neuroscientist helping to replace teen doom-scrolling with positive, fulfilling habits 53:22

1
Ep. 10: George Monbiot on oligarchs, the environment and not letting other people do your thinking for you. 39:57

1
Ep.9: ComaDad (Part 2): Institutionally Unsafe. The episode Transport for London definitely doesn’t want you to hear. 1:11:27

1
Ep.8: ComaDad (Part 1): Two weeks in a near-death coma after being hit by a 12 tonne London bus 1:03:38

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Ep.7: Taking silk, taking on the tobacco companies and taking a break 56:22

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Ep 6. We’re all going to die, so let’s talk about it. Also, Tony Blair. 1:33:10

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Ep.5: Mai Chen: Putting a superdiversity lens on business, government and life. 1:03:21

1
Ep.4: The friends who decided to row across the Atlantic without doing “too much research” in advance. 1:05:51

1
Ep.3: His life in books: the classic, epic, real life adventure of Red Széll. 1:02:30

1
Ep.1: A lifetime of climate change science: “I feel positive about the future; it’s important to keep doing things” 55:30

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Ep.2: From grisly crime scenes to fields of honey bees: the professor of forensic science bringing great minds together to solve big problems. 58:20