Still Curious

In this episode: What's involved in being an artist, academic and activist on YouTube and TikTok. Musical influences from Bob Dylan to Public Enemy. Why make songs and videos about the history of words and ideas? Getting naughty for nature. Performing rap on tap. Teaching as performance. Meditations on the self and social media. BONUS: Nathan and Danu collaborate on a song about the history of school.

About the Guest:  Nathan Dufour Oglesby (aka 'Nathanology') is a poet, producer and professor based in Brooklyn, NY who has built a distinctively didactic approach to hip-hop, using the form to explore concepts drawn from philosophy, history and the physical sciences. He is also one half of 'Nate and Hila' - eco-rappers who take a musical approach to environmental activism.

Nathan's socials:
- Nathanology YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/NATHANOLOGY
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nathanology_
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2CMSPILf0X39kpdhdxVue2?si=ZrSLshY8SNi74OFd7YdedQ
- LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/nathandufour

Recorded 25 March 2022

Links:

• Event Rap [https://www.eventrap.com/]
• Billboard interview on the album Naughty for Nature [https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/nate-and-hila-new-album-naughty-for-nature-interview-9335689/]
• Die for that pussy (Honeybee Sex) music video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1blN7GURdk]
• BBC article on the history of 'meta' [https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211112-facebook-and-the-true-meaning-of-meta]
• Meditation Mag article on social media and the self [https://www.meditationmag.com/buddhism/social-media-and-the-self]
• Sneak preview video of the video for Old School School [https://youtu.be/O79ch1CbtEA]

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About the Host: Despite never letting school interfere with his education, Danu has nevertheless acquired two social science degrees and an executive MBA. He toils at the intersection of education, technology and society and has worked at various times in teaching, research, project management, business development and customer service. He has so many interests that he has started to outsource them, and his life plan is rapidly running out of alphabet.  [Danu's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danupoyner/]

Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

Website: grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast | Email: [email protected] | Socials: @grokkist
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

In this episode: Journey from a humanities background in libraries to technical integrations specialist for a global corporate. Building a chatbot and losing everything in a server crash. Importance of communication and soft-skills when working on technical projects. A love of problem solving and an avoidance of boredom.

About the Guest:  Being forever curious about how things work has taken Cristina Huidiu from various roles within the library to technical roles in the corporate environment, where she now works as an Integrations Consultant at Elsevier. Cristina has discovered her biggest passion is to humanise data, metrics and tech so it works for us rather than people having to adjust their lives around them.

Cristina's socials:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinahuidiu/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CristinaHuidiu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristina_huidiu

Recorded 29 March 2022

Links:

• 'Velocity' - Agile terminology [https://www.planview.com/resources/articles/lkdc-velocity-agile]
• BRAT - a Web-based Tool for NLP-Assisted Text Annotation [https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/brat%3A-a-Web-based-Tool-for-NLP-Assisted-Text-Stenetorp-Pyysalo/a97c7876ebf9ae6c468db92c3c6dc1c0be832192]
• Cris' favourite resource on visualising data [https://www.bigbookofdashboards.com/]

--
About the Host: Despite never letting school interfere with his education, Danu has nevertheless acquired two social science degrees and an executive MBA. He toils at the intersection of education, technology and society and has worked at various times in teaching, research, project management, business development and customer service. He has so many interests that he has started to outsource them, and his life plan is rapidly running out of alphabet.  [Danu's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danupoyner/]

Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

Website: grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast | Email: [email protected] | Socials: @grokkist
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

James Birt is an Associate Professor of Computer Games in the Faculty of Society and Design at Bond University, Australia. We discuss how gaming shaped James’ career in education, and the value of games in learning and fostering innovation.

Episode Summary

• James' passion for computer games and technology began at a young age, leading him to pursue a career in the field. He was captivated by the immersive and interactive nature of games, which sparked his curiosity and set him on a path to explore the potential of games as a medium for education and innovation.
• He initially aimed to become a medical doctor but shifted his focus to computer science and IT during his university years. This decision was influenced by his fascination with the power of technology and its ability to shape and transform various industries, including healthcare.
• James embarked on his academic journey, completing his honours and PhD degrees, specialising in quality assurance and optimisation using machine learning techniques. His research focused on leveraging emerging technologies to improve the performance and user experience of computer games, laying the foundation for his future work in the field.
• After experiencing the challenges of the IT job market, he found his passion for teaching and joined Bond University in Queensland, Australia, specialising in computer games and film, screen, and creative media. This transition allowed him to combine his expertise in technology with his love for education, empowering students to explore the creative and educational potential of games.
• James is dedicated to exploring the intersection of games and education, utilising his expertise to promote the value of games in learning and fostering innovation in the field of education. He believes that games have the power to engage and motivate learners, providing immersive and interactive experiences that enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills.

Key Themes

• The tensions and interplay between formal and informal modes of learning, the value of games in education, and the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of education.
• James' personal experiences with gaming and how it helped him acquire important life skills.
• The benefits of game jams and hackathons in fostering creativity, collaboration, and real-world application of knowledge.
• The use of virtual reality in education, the parallels between e-sports and traditional sports, and the importance of standards and governance in the field of education.

Full Show Notes
Visit the Grokkist podcast hub for a full digest of this episode including highlights and links to stuff we discussed: https://grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast/s2e5-james-birt/

Recorded 8 March 2022

Website: grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast | Email: [email protected] | Socials: @grokkist
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

In this solo episode, Danu discusses how his own squiggly career is animated by his troubled personal relationship with education, and reflects on the traits that people who are 'still curious' have in common.

• Curiosity, love of learning, and privilege
• Why Front Row and Back Row are useful categories
• How we can recognise people who are 'still curious'
• Learning as a superpower
• Danu's squiggly career and troubled relationship with education

Recorded 29 March 2022

Episode Summary
Visit the Grokkist podcast hub for a full digest of this episode including highlights and links to stuff we discussed: https://grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast/s2e4-danu-poyner/

Website: grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast | Email: [email protected] | Socials: @grokkist
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

Ann Collins is an Executive and Leadership Coach who helps senior leaders to get clarity on their next career steps and transition into new roles with confidence and ease. We discuss the importance of setting expansive goals, understanding one’s values, and letting go of limiting beliefs.

Key topics

• What happens when executives and senior leaders start receiving coaching.
• Moving from 'to-do list' goals to transformational goals.
• Volunteering adventures from providing care in a rest home to advising on education policy in Nepal.
• Moving to France and starting an English language school.
• Starting and abandoning a PhD in girls' education.

Full Show Notes
Visit the Grokkist podcast hub for a full digest of this episode including highlights and links to stuff we discussed: https://grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast/s2e3-ann-collins/

Recorded 9 February 2022

Website: grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast | Email: [email protected] | Socials: @grokkist
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

Amanda Young is a former linguist now working on risk mitigation and problem solving. We discuss the importance of trying new things, embracing mistakes, and finding joy both inside and outside of work.

Key Topics

• Amanda's focus on finding joy both inside and outside of work
• The importance of trying new things and embracing mistakes
• Amanda's mix-and-match approach to learning new skills
• The values of openness, adaptability, and continuous learning that Amanda embodies

Detours and Tangents

• Our mutual dislike of book editions with 'Now a Major Motion Picture' covers
• Amanda's mixed-race Australian identity and her first trip to Vietnam to visit family

Full Show Notes
Visit the Grokkist podcast hub for a full digest of this episode including highlights and links to stuff we discussed: https://grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast/s2e2-amanda-young/

Recorded 25 January 2022

Website: grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast | Email: [email protected] | Socials: @grokkist
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

1-minute trailer showcasing what the Still Curious Podcast is all about. [Updated 25 May 2022]

Website: grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast | Email: [email protected] | Socials: @grokkist
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

Maxine Bryant is an experienced team leader, project manager, and research management professional with fifteen years experience in the tertiary sector, specialising in operations management, system development, and policies and process. We talk about having an unplanned career and what's involved in leading science teams.

Key topics

• The business of science, why research management isn't anybody's Plan A, and what happened when Maxine decided to step off the treadmill of life as a scientist.
• How Maxine follows what interests her while going with the flow, and how opportunities arise from others recognising her abilities before she did
• What's involved in leading science teams and how Maxine's relationship-based leadership approach is influenced by her cultural heritage

Detours and Tangents

• The complexities of Māori engagement in science and why Māori scientists work a cultural double-shift
• Maxine's interest in molecular genetics and why she chose to study the genetics of pāua (a Haliotis mollusk)
• The joys and discoveries of changing jobs after a long period in one place

Episode Summary
Visit the Grokkist podcast hub for a full digest of this episode including highlights and links to stuff we discussed: https://grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast/s2e1-maxine-bryant/

Recorded 8 December 2021

Website: grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast | Email: [email protected] | Socials: @grokkist
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

Travis is a special education teacher who trained as an early childhood educator. We talk about building relationships with special needs kids and what Travis learned by migrating from Taiwan to New Zealand.

Key topics

• What happens in a special needs classroom and why every day is about both careful planning and also throwing the plan away most days
• How Travis helps kids learn and grow through play and how he gets to know them by exploring their interests together
• What Travis has learned by migrating from Taiwan to New Zealand and why he made sure he was a top student all the way through school in Taiwan so he could get out of the system as soon as possible.

Detours and tangents

• Why Travis left early childhood teaching to become a flight attendant and how he celebrated a 50-hour birthday across timezones and continents
• Travis' many hobbies, from making his own clothes to learning new languages to connect with far-flung friends and relatives

Episode Summary
Visit the Grokkist podcast hub for a full digest of this episode including highlights and links to stuff we discussed: https://grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast/s1e11-travis-yuan/

Recorded 16 November 2021

Website: grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast | Email: [email protected] | Socials: @grokkist
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

Kat is the Program Manager for the Bachelor of Youth Work and Youth Studies at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. We discuss how 'street wisdom' and lived experience of chronic disadvantage, child abuse and homelessness helps Kat and her students tackle systemic injustice for young people.

Key topics

• How growing up in poverty taught Kat from an early age about the need to tackle injustice and stand up for others (and why that got her into trouble)
• How Kat became an academic by accident and how a typo in her university enrolment changed the course of her career
• What it means to have a sociological understanding of young people - making sense of young people as a collective group, how policy is made in relation to young people and how young people are included or excluded in that process

Detours and tangents

• Why curiosity is a privilege that comes with having time and economic security
• What's involved in running the largest youth work degree program in Australia

Episode Summary
Visit the Grokkist podcast hub for a full digest of this episode including highlights and links to stuff we discussed: https://grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast/s1e10-kat-daley/

Recorded 5 November 2021

Website: grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast | Email: [email protected] | Socials: @grokkist
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon