Shows
Science Write NowCognitive Conversations #10 A Final Note from the He(art): Music as Medicine with Dr Sue Wilson and Helen CarringtonThis week on the podcast, SWN’s Bianca Millroy joined by Dr Sue Wilson and Helen Carrington for our final conversation in this series – and on that note, if you’ve been a regular listener of Cognitive Conversations, thank you for coming along with us on this journey for ten whole episodes!This episode focuses on the role of music as a therapeutic intervention, and perspectives on somatic symptoms and chronic or persistent pain from two experts in the field - and how they came to specialise in a field at the in...
2025-12-101h 01
Science Write NowSWN special: Meet Queensland's Chief Scientist, Professor Kerrie WilsonOn the back of National Science Week 2025, we’re bringing you a special episode this week featuring our exclusive interview with Queensland's Chief Scientist, Professor Kerrie Wilson, whose role it is to champion the importance of science for our society, our economy and environment, to promote Queensland’s leadership in scientific research partnerships, and to facilitate that translation of research to the general public.SWN's Editor-in-Chief Dr Amanda Niehaus and co-host Bianca Millroy had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Professor Kerrie Wilson, who gave generous insi...
2025-09-2345 min
Science Write NowCognitive Conversations #9 Language Matters: Re-writing the Narrative of Functional Neurological Disorders (FND)This week on the SWN podcast, we chat to neurologists Dr Alex Lehn and Dr David Palmer with sociolinguistic expert, Dr Shelley Dawson on re-writing the narrative of functional neurological disorders (FND) and why labels — and language — matter. Functional neurological disorders are one of the most common disorders you’ve never heard of. But an estimated 4 to 12 out of 100,000 people develop FND, and it’s the second most common presentation in neurology clinics worldwide. Tests and scans such as MRIs and EEG can’t pick up function...
2025-07-301h 06
Science Write NowCognitive Conversations #7 On Brain Preservation and Existential Optimism with Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-JohnstonBrain preservation. It sounds like science fiction, right? Neuroscientist and author Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston is determined to prove otherwise in his recent, game-changing book, The Future Loves You: How and Why We Should Abolish Death.This week on the SWN podcast, we chat to neuroscientist, author and passionate advocate for brain preservation, Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston. Over at Monash University’s Neuroscience of Consciousness Lab (MoNoC), Ariel is investigating the ways in which we characterise the nature of consciousness, or what it is like “to be”— from the decline, preservation and resc...
2025-06-201h 08
Science Write NowSWN Live at Books@Stones: 50 Ways to Die in Space with Dr Eileen O'Hely, Nico O'Sullivan & Jacinta dan BestenSpace: the final frontier. Beautiful. Intriguing. Mysterious… but if you go there, YOU WILL DIE!Join astrophysicist Dr Eileen O'Hely and graphic artist Nico O'Sullivan in-conversation with Jacinta den Besten LIVE at Books@Stones! The human body is perfectly adapted to the conditions on Earth. But blast that fragile body into the extreme and varying environments of space and it won't fare so well – and that’s only if you survive the take-off! From scorching million degree temperatures, to pressures that would instantly SQUISH you to the size of a ping pong ball, O'Hely...
2025-05-2956 min
Science Write NowCognitive Conversations #6: Exploded View - Philosophies of the Brain and MindThis week on the podcast, Bianca is joined live by two psychiatrist-creatives, Dr Warren Ward and Dr Rory Hutchinson, discussing philosophies of the brain and mind. Journey into the labyrinth to learn what incited these two creative/medical practitioners to pursue a career devoted to the science of the mind and brain. Hear their generous insights on using narrative techniques in their day-to-day practice, and where the creative process, autonomy, ethics and philosophy all fit into this picture. Finally, we explore how scientific and medical practice could be approached differently ...
2025-05-1358 min
Science Write NowCognitive Conversations #5: Ooh, ah, um, ouch! On speech pathology and the language of pain with Dr Jules Mead and Diane ClarkeIn this episode of Cognitive Conversations, Bianca Millroy (SWN) is joined by Dr Jules Mead and Diane Clarke for a deep dive into how speech pathology informs dialogue in creative writing and the rather touchy subject of pain: why our human vocabulary seems to fall short of describing it, and why we find it so hard to answer “on a scale of one to ten, how much pain are you in?” In this fascinating interview, Jules and Diane share their expertise as creative and clinical practitioners, and how they came to specialise in paediatric pain and...
2025-03-2555 min
Science Write NowSWN LIVE: The Best Australian Science Writing 2024 with Carl Smith & Amanda NiehausWhat lurks in a house of slime hidden in the middle of a forest? Is there a place for psychedelics in our medicine cabinets? Why are scientists talking about the formula p(doom) – and what does it mean for humanity? SWN In-Conversation: The Best Australian Science Writing 2024 with Carl Smith, Amanda Niehaus and Bianca Millroy – LIVE from Books@Stones, 12 DecemberThis week, we’re excited to share a special bonus episode on the podcast, coming to you live from Books@Stones, a local indie bookshop in Brisbane where w...
2024-12-1658 min
Science Write NowCognitive Conversations #3 Narrative Medicine: On Writing the Mind and BodyWriting through the body, about life and death, illness and everything in-between is what connects people and allows us to see humanity anew. Come along for this deep dive on Narrative Medicine and writing mind and body with three fascinating storytellers… In this episode, Dr Fiona Reilly takes us through the fundamentals of what Narrative Medicine is, and what it looks like in practice, describing the tremendous work she and colleague Dr Mariam Tokhi are doing at the forefront of delivering the country’s first dedicated narrative medicine program. Awa...
2024-12-1157 min
Science Write NowCognitive Conversations #2 – Under the Microscope: Art and Science as Intervention‘Under the Microscope’ is the next episode in Cognitive Conversations, a series where we tackle the big questions in creativity and neuroscience. This conversation delves into the creative process, visual art and storytelling, the science of colour, environmental science, and so much more. This series is hosted and produced by Bianca Millroy, for Science Write Now. Meet our guestsDr Katerina Bryant is a writer based in Adelaide on Kaurna Land. Her first book, Hysteria: A Memoir of Illness, Strength and Women’s Stories Throughout History was published in 2020. Katerin...
2024-11-0159 min
HystericalHysterical: The condition that meant Bianca was disbelieved and made to feel hystericalBianca Millroy lives with functional neurological disorder, or FND - a condition that encompasses a range of neurological symptoms, including limb weakness, tremor, numbness or blackouts, and related to the movement and sensation parts of the nervous system. In this bonus episode of 'Hysterical', Catriona Stirrat speaks with Bianca who shares how her condition was undiagnosed and untreated for 12 of the 13 years she has lived with FND. Bianca says she was met with disbelief and continued misdiagnosis, until she finally found her voice in an unexpected way.
2024-10-2318 min
Headlines on healthHysterical: The condition that meant Bianca was disbelieved and made to feel hystericalBianca Millroy lives with functional neurological disorder, or FND - a condition that encompasses a range of neurological symptoms, including limb weakness, tremor, numbness or blackouts, and related to the movement and sensation parts of the nervous system. In this bonus episode of 'Hysterical', Catriona Stirrat speaks with Bianca who shares how her condition was undiagnosed and untreated for 12 of the 13 years she has lived with FND. Bianca says she was met with disbelief and continued misdiagnosis, until she finally found her voice in an unexpected way.
2024-10-2318 min
Science Write NowCognitive Conversations #1: Synergies - The Art of Living a Double Life'Synergies' is the first episode in a brand-new series titled Cognitive Conversations, where we tackle the big questions in art, creativity and neuroscience. We're excited to be bringing this synergy of minds together discussing the dual occupations writers often hold, and all the fascinating connections in-between. In this episode, we explore the common threads that bring creative and medical practice together. We unpack "day-to-day" creative strategies for switching between cognitive modes, as well as the synergy of the roles we play in life. We compare the work of a GP...
2024-10-021h 04
Science Write NowMichael Brissenden on 'Smoke' - (writing) crime, corruption, and climate-fuelled wildfiresWhat secrets lie in the ashes…? This week on the SWN podcast we chatted to author and two-time Walkley Award-winning journalist, Michael Brissenden about his latest crime-fiction novel, Smoke. Michael worked as a political editor and foreign correspondent with the ABC for 35 years. In fact, you might just recognise Michael from ABC’s 7.30 Report or Four Corners program. He has published two previous novels, The List (2017) and Dead Letters (2021), and a non-fiction book, American Stories: Tales of Hope and Anger (2012). In this episode, we traverse both fiction and nonfiction; we discuss environmental and forest management, climate-fuelled wildfires and the univ...
2024-09-021h 02Science Write NowImprinting Empathy: Art, AI and Fungi with Bianca TainshThis week we chat with open-disciplinary artist Bianca Tainsh about all things Art, AI and fungi, and go behind-the-scenes to explore Bianca’s current work-in-progress, Imprinting Empathy, which asks: How might art and technology manifest an intimate process of interspecies connection with humans, and can an artificial intelligence learn to care and generate empathy by facilitating this nuanced entanglement? Can empathy be imprinted onto an AI through relational experience and guidance, as it is onto humans? …and just what exactly is ‘Bush Turkey Tea’?Engaging audiences in Australia and beyond, Bianca Tainsh is an award-wi...
2024-07-1759 min
James and Ashley Stay at HomeWhere snark meets explosive laughter – a podcast retrospectiveWe made it to 100 episodes! In this celebration of books, reading and creative community, James and Ashley reflect on how the podcast came about, their favourite books and moments from the podcast, and how their lives, health and writing have changed over the four years since episode 1. You'll also hear from a variety of past guests and listeners, and get an update on the newest books from all our incredible range of previous guests. Plus, we announce the winner of our book pack giveaway. Authors and books discussed in this episode: Red River Road...
2024-07-161h 07
Terry Talks FictionTTF29—Lighthouse: An Anthology: A ReviewWhat do you get when you have a bunch of GenreCon Presenters clustered at a table in fancy dress? An incredible anthology of fifteen mesmerising, spooky stories! Here's what I thought of 'Lighthouse: An Anthology'
And what a bunch of talent was involved in bringing the anthology together! Besides Bianca Millroy, the editor, contributors included Kat Carr, Carleton Chinner, Jo Edgar-Baker, Sophia Evans, Kylie Fennell, Chris Foley, Kelly Lyonns, Alyssa MacKay, Brooke Maggs, Anna McEvoy, Bianca Millroy, Lea Scott, Sharyn Swanepoel, Lane Thornton and Jodie Woodward.
Which is your favourite story of the collection (yes...
2021-03-2012 min