How do carbon credits actually work — and why hasn’t Australia taken the extra step of incentivising whistleblowing with money? Could doing so strengthen our policy and regulatory systems?

Hannah Price has recently graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the ANU Law School and a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences. In this episode, she shares insights from her law thesis research, which examines whether Australia could — and should — adopt a US-style whistleblower scheme, where monetary incentives encourage individuals to come forward. Such a system could help transform regulation from a top-down model into a more bottom-up approach, reshaping the way Australia enforces the policies our politicians create and rely on.

The “Teals” have shaken up Australian politics — but what defines them, and are they really populists?

Benjamin Lloyd-Hurwitz has completed a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics and a Bachelor of Science, and is now finalising his Philosophy honours thesis at ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences. In this episode, he shares his research on Australia’s independents, what their rise means for the nation’s political future, and offers insights into how to get started in political research.

Season 4 - Politics 🏛️ 🎙️

Episode 2 - Neoclassicism, Antiquity, and Women’s Dress 👗🏛️

How did women's dress in the late 18th century affect their agency? How did women assert both intellectual and power through walking and clothing? And how is this all related to neoclassicism?

Ashley Price graduated from Honours in History at the ANU in 2024. In this episode, her thesis makes for some fascinating discussion about the history of neoclassicism not just as a masculine phenomenon, but a feminine one too!

Her work investigates the intersection between women's history and early-modern Europe, and how our views of the past can lead us to ignore their place within it …

How do the policy documents of political parties change over time? What characteristics affect this change and how important are these documents in different democracies? Justin Cementon is currently completing his honours in PPE at ANU, specialising in political science. In this episode we dig into political manifestos across history domestically and internationally, and the importance of contextualising political science and ensuring it’s accessible.

How does an ideal Indigenous Australian health care system differ from its Western counterpart? What is the Aurora Education Foundation?

Mikayla Helms is a Ngiyaampaa woman from Western NSW and a Kambri scholar at ANU. Mikayla is studying a Bachelor of Health Science, aspiring to study a medical degree, become a paediatrician and specialise in First Nations health. She explores various facets of Indigenous Australian health, from intergenerational trauma and cancer research to her upcoming study investigating the properties of emu bush, a traditional medicine from her culture.

How do users of hormone therapy create 'mini-publics' on social media? How have 20th century constructions of gender determined medical attitudes towards non-conforming bodies?

Darcey Hoyle is a fourth-year gender, sexuality and culture student at ANU, and in this episodes tells their experience meeting an ANU researcher at choir rehearsal, the working group they then became a part of, and the paper they'll be presenting in Dunedin next year.

How can we understand endometriosis anthropologically? How do patients materialise the knowledge of their pain in non-medical objects, and how can researchers learn more from these personal experiences?

Josh Green is a recent Anthropology Honours graduate from ANU. In this episode, he discusses his thesis and the object-interview methodology he devised to study patients’ experience with endometriosis.

This episode also sees Archie Horneman-Wren take on the role of host! Archie is 5th Year LLB/Arts student at ANU and we're pleased to welcome him to the team.

What is macular degeneration in the eye? How can we treat multifactorial diseases with gene-regulating transcription factors?

Noah Budd is a first-year medical student at ANU who recently completed an honours year at the John Curtin School of Medical Research in Neuroscience. In this episode, he provides an overview of the eye, discusses breakthrough technologies in neuroscience, and shares the outcomes from his thesis.

How does sleep impact the development of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia? Is it better to be a night owl, or an early riser?

Lewis Dobbin is a recent graduate of ⁠ANU Health and Medicine⁠⁠ with two published papers in neuroscience. He discusses his Honours thesis conducted within the Neuroimaging and Brain Lab at ANU. 

What is a disability-adjusted life year, and which Australian demographic is most at risk of not recognising their own mental health condition? Sonali Varma recently completed her Honours year in Population Health with ANU Health and Medicine, earning a University Medal for her thesis. Through her research, advocacy, volunteering, and advisory work, she is helping to drive meaningful change in the mental health space.