Shows
Wandering Lights#1 - Advice From a Sex Coach2025-04-091h 33Wandering LightsEpisode 19: #6 - The Feather (Sleep Story)2024-11-3009 minWandering LightsEpisode 18: #6 - A Journey of Purpose, Wealth, and FamilyIn this episode, I speak to Russell Staley, an Australian engineer and businessman. Russell was a founding member of what is now named Worley-Parsons, the largest global engineering firm, employing over 60,000 employees. He was on Australia's Rich List and has been part of numerous ventures.
During the podcast we discuss Russell's journey from a small coalmining town in England to Australia, working at Parsons, building a company, being a leader vs a manager, juggling work and family, the importance of drive/purpose, the influence of wealth, and other topics.2024-07-061h 29Wandering LightsEpisode 17: #5 - Alternative Medicine and Healing PracticesIn this episode, I speak on the topic of alternative medicines and healing practices, referencing examples like acupuctunure and raiki. I discuss how these practices differ, clarifying the real mechanisms by which they act on the mind or body (or don't), physiological vs psychological affect, their appeal and validity as remedial practices, and ultimately truth vs delusion in this realm.2024-05-1634 minWandering LightsEpisode 16: #4 - Political Identity and Changing BeliefsIn this episode, I speak to Zoe Booth, a community engagement officer at Quillete. In this episode, Zoe and I talk briefly about Quillete before moving on to her past 'woke' beliefs, how she formed those beliefs, the idea of patriarchy, common beliefs held by university students, identity catalysis, and the education system.2024-04-3051 minWandering LightsEpisode 15: #3 - Thoughts on Social MediaIn this episode, I share my thoughts on social media. I cover how it impoverishes our communication, increases and decreases connectedness, preys on cognitive biases in our thinking, creates false perceptions of reality, encourages political polarisation, fragments our attention and happiness, and more.2024-03-1748 minWandering LightsEpisode 14: #2 - Thoughts on SpeakingIn this episode, I share my thoughts on the nature of speaking as a form of communication, the value of speaking well, and how our ability to speak affects various aspects of our lives.2024-02-2830 minWandering Lights#1 - Conservation, Science, and Meaning with David LindenmayerIn this episode, I speak to David Lindenmayer, a world renowned Australian conservationist and forest ecologist with over 1400 published papers to his name. We discuss David's upbringing, how he come to love forests and science, the importance of good science communication, sustainable forestry, biodiversity and carbon markets, scientific leaders, and drive.2024-02-1559 minWandering LightsNo More Exams: Profits vs Pedagogy | Jason Choo | The Storytellers Podcast #8Our conversation sees us investigating this change, exploring the assumptions implicit in the old system of examination-based assessment and learning, the assumptions underpinning the new one, the integrity present in both, what this means for students, and ultimately the conflict between profits and pedagogy.2023-06-061h 32Wandering LightsTime To Grow UpIn this article narration, I explore misleading sentiments about the ideas of youth vs adulthood, and how an optimistic view on the onset of adulthood is well justified.2023-05-0113 minWandering LightsRecession, Inflation, and the Housing market | Steve Keen | The Storytellers Podcast #62022-12-1054 minWandering LightsSOI #3 EmpathyHow should we think about empathy? Empathy can be distinguished into its two forms, cognitive (theory of mind) or emotional empathy. Each has different consequences in terms of how it makes us behave, and thus it's affect on our lives (as well as the lives of others).2022-12-0604 minWandering LightsSOI # 1 Moral IntuitionIn short, how does our sense of morality, of right and wrong, work? Do we consciously make such decisions, or are we merely subject to flushes of feeling that dictate our reasoning.
Recommended reading: The Righteous Mind, by Jonathon Haidt2022-12-0405 minWandering LightsSOI: Something Of InterestA little series where I share some some of the interesting (worth knowing) things that I've learnt sometime recently, taken from the books/podcasts I've been making my way through2022-12-0401 minWandering LightsSOI #2 Neuroplasticity and LearningUnder what circumstances do our brains retain the most information? What is the key to effective learning, and how do we get there?2022-12-0403 minWandering LightsCovid-19 In 2022 | Peter Doherty | The Storytellers Podcast #5In this episode, I speak to Australian medical Nobel laureate, Peter Doherty. Peter and I focus on the theme of Covid-19, rehashing its nature as a pathogen, where we sit with it at this point, and what we can expect from the future. We also cover vaccince hesistancy, vaccine efficacy, long covid, and Peter's thoughts on our response to the pandemic.2022-09-2658 minWandering LightsBad Climate Economics | Steve Keen | The Storytellers Podcast #4In this episode, I talk to the internationally acclaimed, post-keynesian Australian economist Steve Keen. During the conversation, we hone in on the current state of climate economics, which Steve reveals to be defunct and dangerouslymisleading. We review the criticisms he has published in academic journals, and get to the bottom of the true state of things.
We also touch on some of the failures of environmentalism, and cover the nuclear energy debate.2022-07-161h 30Wandering LightsFossil Foods | Douglas MacFarlane | The Storytellers Podcast #3In this episode, I talk once again to Chemistry professer Douglas MacFarlane. We touch on the topic of fossil fuel use for fertiliser production, a fundamental element of global food supply. Doug enlightens me as to the consequences of that use, and the implications a renewable future has for that industry, which may currently be more dire than hopeful.2022-05-0838 minWandering LightsThe University Experience | Chris Thompson | The Storyteller's Podcast #2In this episode, I talk to an old lecturer of mine, Chris Thompson. Though Chris is a chemist by trade, he has a passion for education research and improving education systems within universities. We cover a range of topics, including: student experience, lecturing vs educating, the shortcomings of the univeristy system, improvements to be made, and advice for current students.2022-04-101h 51Wandering LightsA Renewable Future | Douglas MacFarlane | The Storytellers Podcast Episode #1In the first episode of the Storytellers Podcast, I talk to an old Chemistry lecturer of mine.
We discuss a variety of topics, centering on the the theme of renewable energy sources. We take a brief look at the current status of solar in Australia, go over new battery technologies, and explore the nature of hydrogen as a renewable fuel. We also touch on ammonia, and it's potential to revolutionise sustainable energy globally.2022-02-181h 57