Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod.

A few weeks ago, we had the amazing physicist, science writer, and communicator Laurie Winkless on the podcast. She was so great, one episode wasn’t enough... so she’s back to do some mythbusting!

In this episode we talk about:

• If glass is really a liquid
• A bunch of physics myths that have been debunked
• What 5G actually is and whether 5G towers kill or control people
• How microwaves work and if they are safe
• Whether you can use your mobile phone at petrol stations
• If you really need to turn off your phone on a plane
• Whether a plane toilet could suck your innards out (yes, really)
• If you are safe in a car during a lightning storm
• What would happen if you dropped a coin from a building... would it slice through someone?
• And even what happens if you stick toast to a cat

Quotes from the episode:

“People want simple answers, and the reality is that few things are simple.”

“The less you know, the more arrogant you are about the little bit you know.”

More about Laurie

Find her via her ⁠website ⁠or on social media.

You can get involved with the podcast online too of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen⁠

You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/⁠

Tiktok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest⁠

Linkedin: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/⁠

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: ⁠https://incrediballs.com/⁠

Welcome back to Part 2 of a fascinating kōrero with science journalist and author Bethany Brookshire. This one gets a smidge more controversial...

We talk about the animals we hate because they’re successful (looking at you, pigeons), the cultural weirdness of how we define pets vs pests, and how control - or our lack of it - shapes our relationship with the natural world.

Plus, there's a story involving Burmese pythons and a pair of trousers (you’ve been warned) and yes, we talk about cats in Aotearoa.

In this episode we cover:

• The rise and fall of the humble pigeon - and why we hate them now
• Cats and conservation in New Zealand (yes, it’s a problem)
• Pets vs pests - what’s really the difference?
• Why “invasive species” is more about us than the animals
• The real reason we hate common animals
• Empathy, ethics, and ice cream trucks on every corner
• And the man who hiked pantless through the Everglades with snakes in his trousers

For more about Bethany find her via her website

And don’t forget to head to our Instagram ⁠for a chance to win her book Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains

You can get involved with the podcast online too of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen⁠

You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/⁠

Tiktok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest⁠

Linkedin: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/⁠

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: ⁠https://incrediballs.com/⁠

You know when you see someone on social media and you just KNOW they'll be amazing to chat to? Well, that's Bethany Brookshire for you.

Bethany is a science journalist, animal behaviorist and author who writes about the animals most people hate. Rats, cockroaches, spiders, pigeons... And how our feelings about them are mostly cultural, not scientific.

We talked about where fear and disgust come from and how cute a mouse eating a fruit loop is.

Also, how US science funding is collapsing and how bad that's going to be long term, why postgrad burnout is real, and how she wrote a brilliant book.

Part two gets a little more controversial, as we talk cats in Aotearoa.

What we cover:

• Bethany’s journey from academic to science journalist.

• Fear and disgust; how we learn what animals to hate.

• Rats, lab mice, cockroaches, snakes, spiders… and Fruit Loops.

• The collapse of US science funding and what that means long term.

Quotes from Bethany:

“I always tell people my life is an entire story of failing upwards. Or at least failing sideways.”

“There is a feeling of disgust and fear around animals like spiders and snakes that we think is evolutionary. It’s not.”

“Startlement can become joy, or it can become fear. It depends who’s around you when it happens.”

“I have the self-confidence of a mediocre white man.”

“Giving a mouse a Froot Loop is like watching a human try to eat a car tyre.”

You can find more about Bethany at https://bethanybrookshire.com/.

Today's guest is Laurie Winkless. She's a physicist, a science writer and she's the only person I know who's actually made writing about friction interesting. You could say she's a science friction writer...

She’s appeared everywhere from Forbes to Wired to BBC, and she has written two books. Oh and she won a scholarship to do some training at NASA. As you do.

I am very excited to talk about her transition from scientist to science communication and why she thinks that's so important.

In this episode she shares:

- Her background and how she got into physics

- What actually is a PhD and if she'll ever get one

- What science communication is, how she got into it and why we need more people in it

- Why she brings creativity into her job and why sexism prevented her from doing it earlier

- Her (brilliant) books and what you should know about them

- How she wrote her first book

- Her very interesting favourite friction fact.

- One science myth that she wishes would die

- What shark inspired swim suits are and why they help swimming

Key Quotes

“Most of the noise that we hear on the roads is not actually from the engines it’s from the interaction between the tyre and the tarmac.”

“So much of the universe is defined by the interaction between surfaces.”

“I think sometimes people are afraid to be a bit weird.”

More about Laurie

Find her via her website or on social media.

And don’t forget to head to our Instagram for a chance to win one of her signed books.

You can get involved with the podcast online too of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen

You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

I wanted to talk about politics and combating polarising opinions… but I didn’t want to get dark about it.

So, to help, I’ve called in my friend and optimism security blanket, Dave Richards. He’s one of those people who has realistic but optimistic insight into the world. He’s lived all over the world, has a deep cultural understanding, and just makes me feel better about the state of things.

So I thought I’d have him join me for a bit of a wide-ranging, mostly optimistic chat about the state of the world.

In this episode we talk about:

• The importance of maintaining optimism amid global and local challenges
• Why politics often seems theatrical, but politicians may genuinely care about making change
• The fact that environmental progress over decades shows improvement, even if it’s hard to see in the short term
• The significance of media literacy, critical thinking, and recognising manufactured divides and misinformation
• The potential of podcasts and open dialogue to foster understanding across political and ideological lines
• Why we should meet people where they are, find common ground, and avoid polarisation
• The myth of political and societal "us vs them" divides
• The importance of science-based policies and genuine conversations, even with those holding opposing views
• How media, algorithms, and social platforms influence polarisation and radicalisation

If you want to check out Dave’s incredible photography head along to his Instagram.

Giveaway! This week, I'm giving away copies of Talking Across the Divide, by Justin Lee. It’s a brilliant read on how to actually talk to people you disagree with - something we all probably need a bit more of. Join me over on Instagram to enter.

Find our full podcast via the website here: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/

You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

About half of the oxygen that you are breathing right now is made in the ocean. And last year, scientists found that some of it is made three kilometres down in total darkness by microbes that live on the seabed.

We had no idea about any of this before then, and now, next month, the United Nations International Seabed Authority is deciding whether they will let industrial rigs strip minerals out of the seabed. But is that a good idea when it turns out we know so little about it?

Surely there are smarter options, right? And what do we even need those minerals for anyway? Well, that’s what we’ll be discussing in this episode.

In this episode let's talk about:

• What Dark Oxygen is and why we should be worried
• What is found in the deep sea
• What deep sea mining actually is and why we do it
• The dangers of deep sea mining
• Why there is a need for the metals gained from deep sea mining
• Why everyone is panicking about it
• Who wants to deep sea mine and who doesn't
• Trump’s executive order that is allowing fast-tracking of deep sea mining applications
• Other countries’ responses to deep sea mining
• What you can do about it

Find our full podcast via the website here: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/

You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the last few episodes have been somewhat… bleak.

There’s been a lot to discuss around climate change, governments, and corruption, but I realised if we kept focusing only on that, it was going to get all-consuming.

So this week, I’m welcoming back Kate to help me share some good news stories instead!

In this episode, we cover:

• What are drop bears?
• Some fun community topics
• What happened at the UN Ocean Conference
• Reasons why Kate was put off getting solar and myths about solar
• How knowledge and access to information about the environment have changed
• Comparing emissions per person in China and India vs. Australia and Aotearoa
• Breaking down environmental stereotypes about other countries

When I talked about “marine saviour pirates,” I was thinking of Captain Paul Watson - he founded Sea Shepherd and now runs the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.

Giveaway! This week, I'm giving away copies of Rewilding the Sea by Charles Clover - a fascinating look at how rewilding our oceans can restore ecosystems, protect marine life, and even help tackle climate change. Join me over on Instagram to enter.

Find our full podcast via the website here: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/

You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

You reckon you’re immune to propaganda and disinformation, right? A critical thinker who sees through the rubbish.

I thought the same - until I realised I’m way more likely to believe something if it backs up what I already think.

That’s not a personal flaw. It’s how we’re all wired. But we need to get better at spotting it, because it’s fuelling polarisation and making it harder to have real conversations with people we disagree with.

And with AI making it even harder to tell what’s real, it’s only going to get trickier.

If we want to tackle big issues together, we’ve got to become more sceptical, more media literate, and better at asking:

Where’s the evidence? What’s the source? Is there consensus?

This episode is designed to help you do exactly that - understand and analyse the information out there.

In this episode I talk about:

• What confirmation bias actually is
• A proper breakdown of propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation
• How extremist disinformation groups take hold
• Real examples of how disinformation can (and does) cost lives
• How it delays action on the things that matter most
• What to look for when spotting disinformation
• The six main tactics companies and governments use to spread it
• And how we can start pushing back

Giveaway! This week, we're giving away copies of Six Conversations We’re Scared to Have by Deborah Francis White - a practical guide to having honest and respectful discussions on tough topics like politics, climate, and social issues. Join me over on Instagram to enter.

Find our full podcast via the website here: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/

You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

Well, we are officially halfway through the election cycle. The coalition government has been in place for about 18 months now. David Seymour is our Deputy Prime Minister.

So, how are things going?

I did my first ever political roundup episode - I think it was episode three - and it ended up being one of our most popular ever.

Interestingly, you lot seem to care about what's going on out there, which is nice. So I thought we’d do a check-in, because it's been a year, right?

Just to set some guardrails: I'm very much talking about environmental and social issues. I'm not really diving into the economy (though it might get a mention), or the cost of living, or anything else like that. All big problems, all important topics - but I'm absolutely not educated enough to speak on them.

Much like the first time I did this, I'm going to try to be unbiased. I will probably fail, because I’m human, I’m violently sarcastic, and I’m obviously quite left-leaning.

Everything in here is factual. It’s been fact-checked. But as my mother would say: I might have a tone. Please forgive me.

In the episode let's talk about:

• Budget 2025 - the "no BS budget"
• What was cut in this budget?
• What were some budget additions that impact the environment?
• Some of the new legislation we should know about
• The Fast Track Approvals Act and what it means
• The shifting of the government's climate policy
• The agricultural legislation and how it impacts the environment
• Other changes including waste management, bottled water, and live animal exporting
• The impact of these changes on NZ's reputation and credibility
• The nonsense political narrative
• Some of the good things the government has done

The University of Canterbury submission's on Gene Technology Regulation:

https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/0e1aa118-5e68-4b43-b395-2a4487d90aa4/content

https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/fb5002ba-2e21-4a45-be4e-56d6259b4571/content

https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/05dd6485-82e0-4f54-844b-8860e8548b68/content

Find our full podcast via the website here: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/

You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

Are you tired of arguing about climate change with your uncle, or your co-worker, or that weird person online?

Welcome to the club. Now, if you really want to keep banging your head on that wall, I'm not here to stop you, but I am here to try and give you some facts that might help - because even though you are almost certainly not going to convince those people, it is often worth trying to combat some of that misinformation.

You are probably not going to convince the guy who thinks that all scientists are evil and funded by, like, solar - but that's not really why we do it. Misinformation is fricking annoying, and it spreads four times faster than facts. But most importantly, it also stops us doing what we need to do to stop the planet heating up and boiling the oceans. Every fraction of a degree makes a difference.

So today, for this episode of Microgreens, I thought I would talk about some of the myths I see quite often in my comment section, parroted by climate change deniers - but also how you can talk about things like climate change a little bit more effectively.

Let's talk about:

• The term 'climate change denier'
• How the scientific process works and how to know who to trust
• How and why climate change became so politicised
• How fossil fuel companies hid the evidence of climate change
• The various myths and why they are false

Find our full podcast via the website here: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/

You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/