TuneFM

The NSW Government is seeking input on a proposal to grow the state's hemp industry. Ash sits down with Dr Alison Bowman, the Associate Group Director of Research Assurance  for Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's Agriculture and Biosecurity department.  They discuss the benefits of this crop on the economy, and the ways in which the state and public input ca...

Ollie sits down with the one and only Ruby Fields to discuss her upcoming appearance at the Big Chill music festival, the aussie festival scene, and her passion for science and music. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How attached to your wood heater are you? A new pilot study being conducted in Armidale aims to examine the impacts of wood heaters on air quality and air pollution by offering homeowners the chance to switch from traditional wood heating to reverse cycle air conditioning.  Ash sits down with Dr Sharon Campbell from the University of Tasmania to discuss her work and what the study will look l...

For World Book and Copyright Day, Ash sits down with Dr Wellett Potter and Dr Sophie Masson to discuss the intricate relationship between literature, copyright, and the impact of artificial intelligence. They explore the evolution of copyright law, the challenges posed by AI, the nuances of fan fiction, and the role of copyright in literary adaptations.    Support the show: https://buyme...

For World Art Day Ash catches up with Dr Marty Branagan, who in addition to being the convenor of peace studies at the University of New England is also an artist and a writer with a long history of drawing inspiration from the climate and environment.  Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UNE PhD student Nathan Enriquez has published a paper on dinosaur feature scales, alongside lecturers Dr Nic Campione and Dr Phil Bell. The paper looks at the nature of these feature scales and what role they may have played in dinosaur life and development. Ash sits down with Nic to discuss his role in the paper as Nathan's supervisor, along with an exciting opportunity for students later this ye...

As climate change continues to be at the forefront of many peoples minds, philosophical lines of thinking are beginning to open up, looking at the rights and responsibilities not just of those impacted by climate change and climatic events, but also the responsibilities of all people. Ash sits down with UNE PhD candidate, Harrison Munday, to discuss his research into climate justice and climate di...

What makes peace, and how can we contribute? These are the questions that academics and students discussed at the Peace and Justice: the Sixth Biennial Peace Studies Conference, held in Sydney earlier this month. Ash sits down with Associate Professor in Peace Studies, Dr Marty Branagan, about the conference, peace as a cultural revolution, and his latest book The Cultural Dimensions of Peacebuild...

Goodness sits down with fellow UNE PhD student, Elandri de Bruyn, to discuss her research into cattle genetics, and creating the best steak. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following a study being released from the University of NSW and Deakin University, Ash sits down with PhD student Anjuli Muller from Massey University, whose expert reaction to the study was cited by Scimex.  Anjuli is researching co-production and participatory public engagement through the subject of women’s health in Aotearoa New Zealand. She tells us about her research, the need for...

While the biosecurity risk of the varroa mite and it's impact on European honeybees is well-known and documented, the knock-on effects of the parasite on native bee and plant species isn't as highlighted. Ash sits down with Dr Tom Le Breton to discuss his latest paper, published in the Australian Journal of Botany, and the citizen science project that was borne from his research. Support the show:...

Ollie sits down with Shane from DZ Deathrays to have a chat about their music, current regional tour Weekend Warriors, and their upcoming album hopefully dropping later this year.  Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TuneFM volunteer Tashi Dema sits down with four incredible women from UNE, Dr Lucie Newsome, Director of Oorala Sam Fowler, Professor Susan Wilson, and Dr Somayeh Ba Akhlagh, to discuss their experiences, achievements, and advice on supporting women in academia and beyond.  Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UNE's Professor Karl Vernes and colleagues Dr Rex Mitchell and Professor Vera Weisbecker from Flinders University have recently published an article on the Conversation looking at the desert rat-kangaroo. Rediscovered in the 1930s, the creature was re-declared extinct in the 90s - but researchers think there's a good likelihood it still survives in pockets of habitat in the Sturt Stony Desert. Ash...

Ben Lewis sits down with Professor Annette Cowie, globally recognised climate scientist, UNE academic, and 2025 finalist for the Premier's NSW Woman of Excellence Award.  Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The iconic Ningaloo Reef is experiencing a widespread coral bleaching event, believed to be caused by an ongoing marine heatwave along the Western Australian coast. Coral bleaching occurs when polyps that make up the colony become stressed, generally due to increased temperatures. We spoke with Dr James Gilmour from the Australian Institute for Marine Science, who has over twenty years of experien...

Ash sits down with alternative Aussie singer songwriter Adam Newling. The two chat about the music industry, the importance of musical connections, as well as Adam's upcoming album Love Takes Care, and his previous album, Dorothy's Painted Portraits. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the decision by the Queensland Government to restrict access to hormone therapy for gender diverse individuals under the age of 18, thousands of people across the country came together for a national day of action on the 8th of February. Ben and Ash spoke with a number of people at the local rally in Armidale about their thoughts, and what words of advice they have for young trans people...

Bush Heritage Australia has been working to protect environmentally significant habitats along the Murray-Darling Basin, ensuring their preservation and protection. Thanks to Bush Heritage Austraila's recent acquisition of the property Nil Desperandum, they'll be able to better manage places like the Yantabulla Swamp, which is a nationally significant wetland in the region. We spoke to Bridget Rob...

Ash sits down with Yuwaalaraay man and Narran Lake Nature Reserve Aboriginal Joint Management Chairperson, Jason Wilson, and Jabirr Jabirr man and CSIRO indigenous scientist Max Fabila to discuss the ways in which CSIRO is using cultural knowledge to deepen their understanding of drought resilience." Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

Tune's resident agricultural report, Goodness, sits down with Cass Donaldson, an agriculture student at UNE.  Together they go over Cass's experience in soil science and her time competing in the Soil Judging competition in 2024, run by Soil Science Australia.  Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

University of New England researcher Dr Lou Streeting and her team has hatched over 600 endangered Bell’s Turtles as part of an ongoing conservation effort to save the species. TuneFM’s Ash Taylor caught up with Dr Streeting in the lab to learn more about these turtles, and how the project has evolved. All turtles were handled under scientific direction, following all ethics guidelines...

Note: this episode does contain discussion of some mature topics. Ever heard a word and gone 'what the hell does that mean?' Well, you're not alone. New words are created pretty regularly, particularly on the internet, but they don't all make it into mainstream speech.  We caught up with UNE's Dr Sally Dixon, who teaches linguistics, to chat about some of 2024's words of the year, including '...

We caught up with Dr Tanya Latty from the University of Sydney about the Christmas Beetle Count project that sees people getting involved with collecting data on Christmas beetle populations. Since our conversation last year, sightings have increased, and Dr Latty hopes that this trend will continue on. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

As part of our conversation on universal basic income, we spoke with Sustainable Australia Party Founder, William Bourke, about it's place in SAP's policies, and how they would like to see it implemented.  Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.