Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod.

Leaded petrol has made us measurably dumber. Scientists suspect that leaded petrol has also made us more aggressive and of course it kills people as well. And the same guy who put lead in fuel also created a miracle refrigerant that tore a hole in the one thing that protected our planet from runaway radiation from the sun. This is the first of our Microgreens episodes where I spend a short amount...

Most of the cabs on the streets of New York back in 1899 were electric, so why did they disappear? And why has it been so hard to bring them back? In this episode, I am diving into the history of electric vehicles to reveal why a cleaner, quieter, and generally better technology got stamped out almost as quickly as it arrived. This is part of our series, “Inventions That Changed the World”, and I...

Fast beauty may look pretty on the surface, but there is a massive catch; the real cost of keeping up with these ever-changing trends, to people and planet. I'm having a chat about the not-so-pretty side of fast beauty – from the piles of plastic packaging to the pressure on our planet. I've got some stats that might just make you rethink that next 'must-have' beauty buy. But don&#...

You've probably heard of vitamin B3. It's a molecule that's in your cells right now, quietly helping keep you alive. It goes by other names such as nicotinamide. You've also heard of niacinamide, particularly if you're a skincare girly on social media. Sometimes it's just called vitamin B3, or occasionally you will see NAD plus booster. It's all largely the same thing. Kind of. I wanted to have a...

Kia ora kaitiaki and welcome to the final episode in my nuclear energy mini-series. Over the last three episodes, I’ve taken you through the science, the messy history, and the chaos of radioactive disasters - but today? Today I’m answering the question I’ve been dancing around since the start: Do we actually need nuclear energy to hit our climate goals - or can we just stick with solar, wind, and...

It’s part 3 of our mini-series on nuclear power, and we’re talking about what’s going on in the reactor world and what the future of nuclear looks like. That might seem dull, but we’ll be discussing questions we need to know like: will we all have mini reactors to run our houses? Or nuclear batteries to power our phones? In this episode, I share: How different countries are currently using nuclear...

Part 2 of the Nuclear Mini-Series This is part two of my mini-series on nuclear power and whether it could be the clean energy solution we’ve all been waiting for. As I said before (and it bears repeating): fossil fuels kill about 8 million people every single year — more than the populations of Aotearoa and most of the Pacific Islands combined. Despite that, nuclear power remains the energy sourc...

Fossil fuels kill about 8 million people every single year, which is more than the populations of Aotearoa and most of the remaining Pacific Islands put together. Nuclear power, though - it’s the one that evokes all of that terror and fear, and, well, fair enough because radiation sickness is terrifying. But I am fascinated by nuclear energy ever since I found out that Chernobyl happened on my bir...

Kia ora, I’m Brianne – and I’m the kind of irritating person who wants to talk about rewilding. Particularly wildflowers. If you follow me on social media, you might be over this topic. And if you are… I’m sorry, but you’re probably in the wrong place today — because that’s exactly what this episode is about. This one’s a little bit special. For one, Earth Day is basically right after this episode...

It’s Easter time and we are all rushing to the stores to buy over packaged Easter eggs. While we love the taste of chocolate it’s a sad fact that every sale further supports forced labour and environmental destruction. I have spoken about this before and received a cease and desist letter from a chocolate company, even though everything I said was factually correct. This podcast focuses on sustain...

This one’s probably a bit of a bleaker episode, but it’s about something absolutely fascinating that we should know more about: Antimicrobial resistance. By 2050, it could kill more people than cancer. Now, in this episode I use the terms antimicrobial and antibiotic interchangeably. Technically they’re not the same thing — but for the sake of this episode, they are. This is a huge issue we’re all...

Biodiversity is a big deal - and no, it’s not just about having a few more birds in your garden. It’s about creating ecosystems that are healthier, more resilient, and able to withstand environmental stress. The good news is you don’t need acres of land to make a difference. Even a small backyard can become a thriving habitat if you know what to do. In this episode, I’m sharing practical tips on h...

Today, I want to talk about one of the greatest environmental myths ever: recycling. When I say myth , I should probably say scam . We’ve been told that if we just recycle, we can solve the plastic crisis. But is that really true, or just a greenwashed lie designed to shift blame away from those responsible? Spoiler: it’s the latter. If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you’ll kno...

A few weeks ago, it was International Women’s Day which of course meant the usual corporate fanfare where they say how much they support women while simultaneously asking women to MC their events for free. It should go without saying that we are a long way off of closing the gender gaps in pay and investment and reaching gender equity…sadly it doesn’t and a lot of people need reminding. Last year...

Today we’re talking about something ingrained into modern civilisation that has huge impacts on climate change and human rights, but is something you may never really think about. Synthetic fertiliser. Yep, it’s responsible for feeding billions of people but it is also driving climate change, it's poisoning waterways, and it plays a major role in global conflicts. It’s impacts are huge, so I’m goi...

What do marine biology, menopause, and gin have in common? More than you might think! In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Jo Davy and Dr. Helen Gower – two marine biologists turned gin distillers and ethical entrepreneurs. They met in a university lab studying marine ecosystems and coral diseases, spent decades working in science and public health, and then went on to start a gin company – but not...

There have been a few big news stories circulating, claiming that microplastics have reached such a level that 5% of our brain is now made up of them. While that data is… questionable, it’s undeniable that plastic pollution is a major concern. That’s why, in this episode, we’re digging into the scientific evidence to separate fact from fiction. In what might be a slightly bleak but necessary conve...

Separating facts from bias in the news is harder than ever, so this week's episode is all about media literacy. I break down a Stuff article on “the healthiest type of milk” as an example of just how subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) media bias can be. Spoiler: It’s not about which milk is best. It’s about how language, framing, and missing context can manipulate your perception without you eve...

It’s nearly Valentine’s Day, but before we all rush out and buy flowers for the special people in our lives, it’s worth thinking about the environmental impact of the flowers we buy. I’m not saying don’t go and buy them, but it’s worth being educated about the industry so we can make informed decisions. I personally love wildflowers and would just have us all buy those, but it’s not always an opti...

Bugs get a bad rap. Sure, they’re small, sometimes unsettling, and often unwelcome in our homes. But they’re also doing some of the most important jobs in our ecosystems – jobs we rarely think about, let alone appreciate. This week, I’m joined by Dr Leilani Walker – entomologist, arachnid expert, and all-around invertebrate champion. She’s a Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology and...

It’s 2025, and the drastic changes in the world might have many of you feeling a bit hopeless. I know I am - but I’m also feeling angry and ready to make some change. This year is set to bring some big things from our end, so I wanted to give you a heads-up as well as explain why plastic packaging is truly, truly terrible - and why we should be doing much more about it. In this episode, I share: A...

This is a surprisingly uplifting conversation about climate change—yes, really. I spoke with psychologist Dr Susie Burke on managing climate distress (anger, sadness, anxiety) while staying hopeful, because unchecked, these feelings often lead to apathy just when we need action most. After recent events, this episode feels especially timely. With years of experience in climate psychology, Dr. Susi...

This is an episode that is probably going to make a lot of you angry. I know it’s making me angry right now. A few days ago, Oxfam released their latest report called “Carbon Inequality Kills,” and we’ll be talking about that today. This is a damning report on just how much carbon the billionaires of the world are producing and why it dwarfs any possible emissions you could be producing on your ow...

Welcome to part 2 of my mini-series on the beauty industry. In the last episode, we discussed all the issues with the beauty industry, and I’ll be honest, it wasn’t super cheerful. So, for this episode, we're changing things up and exploring the various solutions currently available to the problems we previously mentioned. In this episode, I share: What circular beauty is and whether it helps redu...

In this episode, we’re kicking off a mini-series on the beauty industry, focusing on what’s wrong with it. But don’t worry—it won’t be all doom and gloom! We’ll also be looking at solutions to these problems. I’ve spent over a decade in this industry, and to be honest, it really kind of sucks. That’s actually where Ethique came from—a desire to tackle all the waste the beauty industry creates. So...