The Conservation Council organised this protest to pressure the ACT government into drawing boundary that protects areas to the west of the city.

They are hosting a documentary on this issue, 12 May at the National Film and Sound Archive.  https://conservationcouncil.org.au/event/premiere-screening-on-the-edge/

There are a few ways to get involved:

• Landcareact.org.au the landcare Calendar for activities in your area.
• Parkcare Hub at parks.act.gov.au to work on a patch with Rangers, assist the Wildlife Team in managing wildlife or volunteering to work with park visitors. Ph 62057384. 
• Friends of Botanic Gardens 

In this interview, one of the earliest station technicians, Kimmo Vennon describes those early days. Recorded by Rod from the tower in Canberra where 2XX first broadcast in 1976. The building nearby housing communications equipment was destroyed by probable arson in 1988.

That tower dates back to 1928, making it a historical artefact, especially significant because it's a rare example of a free-standing radio tower. As Kimmo tells us, there's a surprising amount going on under the ground at this site.

Our guest on Fuzzy Logic today is an expert on how memories are laid down and recalled. It's a subtle, complex thing with many facets that we don't entirely understand. For one thing, there are different types of memory, and it's far from an immutable record. It has links to autism and PTSD, among other things.

We discuss the recent pronouncements from the USA about Tylenol 'causing' autism. Official Fuzzy Logic policy states that we support critical thinking, which means we strongly reject assertions made without evidence, especially where they relate to public health.

Dr Shaam Al Abed is a Postdoctoral Fellow from the Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, at the ANU.

Interview by Tara and Rod

With some justification, people are afraid of their venom which can be lethal. But if you look at it from the snake's point of view, it's not in their interest to bite a human. They just want to go and do their own thing, unmolested.

Emma Carlson is a registered snake catcher. In a surprise visit, she brought Cooper the rough-tailed python into the studio and after our interview, we were able to handle him. Cooper then slithered across the audio console without interfering with any vital buttons.

Cooper, we can assure you, has the most appealing face like a big cheerful puppy.

Interview by Rod, who did not require medical attention as a result.

Tara is studying at the Centre for Ageing Research and Translation at the University of Canberra.
Interview by Lucy and Rod. 

To answer these questions about deep time, we need, not just sophisticated techniques, but the skill and passion of people like our guests today. Dr Alex Wall and PhD Student Jalen Nalbant are paleoecologists.

In this interview by Sophia and Rod, we look at what that means and why it matters today.

You can help our paleoecology friends by putting a pollen trap in your garden. The samples you collect will be used to refine the models showing how pollen is distributed over an area. Simple & fun for both urban and rural.

https://www.jcu.edu.au/college-of-science-and-engineering/vegemap

There are a few possible answers, but our guests today might argue that the list should include soil. Humble, dirty dirt, crawling with larvae, fungus and bacteria is an under-appreciated champion because, without it, we would not be here.

To celebrate the magic of soils, Sophia Dacy-Cole has just submitted her PhD which includes an exhibition that celebrates soil (Instagram and website).

Joining us is Dr Alex Wall, a paleoecologist from the ANU. We want to know more about paleoecology; stay tuned.

Interview by Lucy and Rod.

Image source: https://physics.anu.edu.au/news_events/?EventID=457

One of the joys of science is delving into the deepest mysteries of the universe. What holds it all together? Part of the answer, of course, is gravity. That's the force that allows us to sit or stand without floating off into space. But it's much more than that, because without gravity, there would be no Earth and no Sun.

In this episode we enjoyed a conversation with Distinguished Prof Susan Scott from the ANU. Professor Scott is one of the key people involved with the first confirmed detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO detectors.

She is a passionate advocate for science and mathematics and promoting the cause of women in science.

Interview by Rod.

For fifty years, the partnership between Geoscience Australia and the United States Geological Survey has revolutionized our understanding of the Earth from space.  

Through the Landsat program, we’ve gained invaluable insights into our environment, from monitoring deforestation and urban growth to managing water resources and agricultural lands.  

Tune in to hear David Hudson, Medhavy Thankappan and Eloise Birchall from Geoscience Australia chat to Broderick about Landsat and Landsat Next.

That's when we should hail the invisible, unsung heroes of this story. That's right, these are the people that go down into the bowels - literally - of a city's plumbing to do what must be done.

We can do our bit, it's not difficult... think before you flush.

Here, Rod interviews Davina McCormick, General Manger Customer Engagement at ICON water.

If you're in Floriade this weekend (21-22 Sep), be sure to see their display. Gritty, but highly recommended.

This podcast offers reflective space to consider the relationship between sustainability and 
spirituality. Is there one? Could practising sustainability nurture spirituality? Could practising 
some form of spirituality help us to live more sustainably? Could spirituality help us to give 
right place to all that is losing sustainability? 
Contributors from a cross section of professions and viewpoints share their knowledge, 
perspectives and wisdoms: a Heritage Officer Anthropologist Activist; a gardener; a writer 
and artist; a priest; a physics teacher, and some Australian Aboriginal healers I have had the 
privilege of learning with. 
Share your sustainability and spirituality reflections at www.theoceansofenergy.com 
Thank you contributors. 
Music: Tony O’Connor Uluru. 

Governments around the world are increasingly committing to achieve net-zero emission targets. But what does that mean and can clean energy help achieve this? 

Join Broderick as he discusses the move to net zero in Australia with Dr Andrew Feitz, Director Low Carbon Geoscience and Advice and Dr Marcus Haynes, Computational Geoscientist.

Thanks to Geoscience Australia for this week's guests.

This episode Broderick talks to two event holders for National Science Week. Heather Massie shares her story in bringing the life of Hedy Lamar to the stage through her one-woman play HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr. Then, Liz Lea and the Chameleon Collective share their experience telling a story of a reef through dance in the show Reef Up!

For more details on HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr and to book tickets head to www.HeatherMassie.com/Hedy 

For more details on Reef UP! and to book tickets head to https://www.thestellarcompany.com/

More National Science Week events can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au 

This wide ranging talk is based on the book co-authored with Mark Diesendorf, The Path to a Sustainable Civilisation.

Other links: 
Sustainable Population Australia https://population.org.au
Steady State ACT https://steadystateact.org
Touching the Void https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHYwxoYsK0A&ab_channel=WackyWanderlust

1) We will work towards a sustainable future

2) We will pursue economic growth

The evidence is overwhelming:  we cannot do both of these things because economic growth is the antithesis of sustainability. Pasting a veneer over this chasm are terms such as green growth and weightless economy.

Jonathan Miller is the Director of Steady State ACT.

How do you cope with the dire trajectory of climate change? It's a tough question that we all now face. In this episode, ACT Greens MLA tells the story of her climate journey.

This is part of our series, Rethinking Sustainability.

So it's okay to clear the Amazon jungle?

Almost certainly you disagree with that statement, but how do you respond when someone says that to you? In this episode we think about 'that' conversation. How do you convince somebody that they're wrong?

But first, is it even worth even trying?

You'll find a summary of Fran Peavey's Strategic Questioning at commonslibrary.org/strategic-questioning

and the full PDF commonslibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/strat_questioning_manual.pdf.

From our series Rethinking Sustainbility.

When somebody makes a statement that is foreign to your thinking, how do you react? In this episode, Rod Taylor recounts a conversation with the Brazillian, Fernando. What does it mean to raze the Amazon jungle, why should somebody like him care? Why should anybody care?

The answer of course, is that it this cannot be sustained. While we hear that word thrown around so often, we should remember the end point of something that is unsustainable - is literally - the end.

Andrew is author of Deep Listening to Nature. 

Artist and thinker Jeremy Barrett ponders these things as he wanders through his local shopping maul.

Jeremy's exhibition of paintings & mono prints is at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 2 February - 28 March. The opening Talk & Tea will be Tuesday 13 February, 12 — 1pm

This podcast is part of the Rethinking Sustainability series.

This episode is part of the Rethinking Sustainability series.

* Federal governments of monetary sovereign countries.

Stephen Williams and Rod Taylor are editors of Sustainability and the New Economics.

In this episode of our new series, Rethinking Sustainability, Robin Krabbe describes an initiative of Live Well Tasmania. 

So are we intelligent but not wise? These are questions Sue Ferris ponders as part of our new series Rethinking Sustainability.

Sue Ferris is the author of Let’s Not Lose Them

This podcast marks the start of a new series, Rethinking Sustainability, where each week we'll be broadcasting a new episode. And if you'd like to contribute an episode, please get in touch.

https://rethinkingsustainabilitypod.blogspot.com/

Can you see the parallels to our civisliation today?

Proceedings from the NENA conference, November 2023 in Canberra.

More about the book, The Path to a Sustainable Civilisation here.

What then, does ‘sustainability’ really mean? A fundamental problem requires fundamental solutions - yet these are often completely ignored.

In this talk at the Conservation Council, sponsored by Sustainable Population Australia, Rod Taylor digs into the themes of the in The Path to a Sustainable Civilisation co-authored with Mark Diesendorf.

Suzanne Ferris' book Let's Not Lose Them: Endangered Species in Australia embodies both the joy of life and a warning that we are unwinding our life support system.

Joining us in this conversation is Jeremy Barrett, in which we touch on the economic thinking that is driving environmental destruction.

For more on the economy, we recommend the upcoming NENA conference to be held in Canberra, 17-19 November.

Also mentioned in - and highly recommended - is the Rethinking Capitalism weekend run by Steven Hail and Gabrielle Bond.

Interview by Rod.

For all its prodigious advances in medical science, what do these cultures have to teach us? This is a theme that has driven Valerie Albrecht for many years across many countries. And now she's distilled much of what she's learned into a beautiful new book One Voice Medicine Conversations with First People Healers.

Visit her at https://www.theoceansofenergy.com/

Interview by Rod

The Rocks that Shape Australia exhibition explores how rocks can be valued by Australians for many different reasons, including their economic, historical, cultural and environmental significance.

The seminar is introduced by Professor Lorrae Van Kerkhoff from the ANU Fenner School with keynote speaker Dr Richard Denniss from The Australia Institute.

Recorded at Thor's Hammer in Canberra, 4th July 2023.

These are having impacts on people - and the economy - which are largely ignored by neoclassical economics and neoliberalism

Dr Mark Diesendorf and Rod Taylor discuss their new book The Path to a Sustainable Civilisation (Palgrave Macmillan) out now in eBook and soon as paperback. This book tackles the fundamental drivers of this crisis, and what we can do about it.

Pre-order copies are now on special.

Professor Gordon Waddington and PhD student Ashleigh Marchant walk us through the beautifully synchronised dance that coordinates parts of your body to make this happen. Muscles, tendons, joints, bones and, of course, your nervous system.

We highly recommend being part of Ashleigh's research project at the University of Canberra, where she tests your proprioception skills and be part of a real lab experiment. Ashleigh.Marchant@canberra.edu.au

Interview by Rod. And sorry about the puns.

And then, why should we care whether a river or stream is in good condition?

Leon Metzling was a Victorian EPA senior water ecologist for 30 years. Here he's talking to Rod.

Octavio is a Marie Sklodowska Curie Action postdoctoral fellow who has been based at the  Australian National University in Canberra for the last few years and is just about to head to Paris to continue his work there.

You can find him on twitter at https://twitter.com/OJimenez_Robles

Fossil fuel companies are driving the planet - and us along with it - towards climate induced oblivion. While the anti-science tactics of the tobacco industry inflicts death and illness among a huge number of people, climate change is doing that on a global scale. In the process, they have co-opted the levers of government and public institutions that should be steering us towards a safer future.

The question is why? Why drives industry and captive governments towards disaster? In this, the true meaning of 'sustainability' has been ignored.

With his history inside the coal industry, Ian Dunlop has a unique insight into this story and today is an ardent voice for action on climate change.

Ian Dunlop is a contributing author of Sustainability and the New Economics, edited by Stephen Williams and Rod Taylor.

This interview by Rod is one of a series with authors from that book. You'll find more interviews at https://sustainabilityandtheneweconomics.blogspot.com/2022/12/sustainability-and-new-economics.html

To find our more about Jay's work in forest therapy, head to https://heldoutside.mailchimpsites.com/

This episode originally aired on 13 November 2022. 

Over the course of human history there have been several major energy transitions and we are in one right now. This time it's urgent because the products of burning are the major driver of climate change.

It's doubly difficult because our growing civilisation is consuming energy at a prodigious rate, increasing by the day.

Dr Bjorn Sturmberg is Senior Research Fellow at the ANU Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program and author of Amy's Balancing Act.

Interview by Rod.

Now the world is facing threats from multiple directions and, if we don't solve them soon, the future will be bleak. That makes community is a critical part of the solution.

On Australia Day, the Federation of Chinese Community of Canberra held a forum invited Rod who spoke about this question.

That's the stark warning issued by Graham Turner in 2008 when he reviewed modelling by the Club of Rome in the early 1970s. Can we avoid that in the short time we have left?

Professor Ian Lowe and Rod discuss how we might avert a looming crisis.

Ian Lowe is a contributing author of Sustainability and the New Economics (Springer, 2022), edited by Stephen Williams and Rod Taylor.

We're sad to hear that Haydn died this week and, in his honour, we post this recording from 2013.

It's interesting and sobering to reflect on how the world looks now, nearly ten years later.

Dr Jane O'Sullivan provides a few eloquent words for Haydn:

"Haydn was a prolific and passionate writer and speaker on sustainability, degrowth, the need for population stabilisation and denialism against both climate and population realities. He wrote or edited many books. He was active in CASSE and the Ecological Economics community.

And he was a generous, humble colleague who supported others to raise their voices. I worked with him over the past couple of months to get a paper published on population denialism.

Thankfully it was published a week before he died. Here is the link to the paper (it is open access): https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4060/3/4/57

Interview by Rod

It's a plot spoiler to say his answer is an "F".

But he goes on to say, not just why it matters, but what are some of the positive steps we can do to fix it. He offers some surprisingly upbeat, optimistic and practical things that can be done. The cost? Minimal. The gain? Enormous.

Interview by Rod, Camille and Eamon.

Prof David Lindenmayer is from the ANU Fenner School and contributing author of Sustainability and the New Economics (Springer, 2022).

Find us on @FuzzyLogicSci

With his theology background Dr Collins offers a lively philosphical view on our diminished connection with nature. And...traffic jams in a national park?

Interview by Rod who is a member of SPA.

The discussion paper is on this link:

https://population.org.au/discussion-papers/how-many-australians-the-need-for-earth-centric-ethics/

But can that really happen? We explore how the SDGs got this way and the thinking behind them.

Dr Kerryn Higgs who is writer and historian, Associate Member Club of Rome (speaking here on her own behalf), and author of Collision Course: Endless Growth on a Finite Planet (MIT Press, 2014).

She's also author of two chapters in Sustainability and the New Economics (Springer, 2022).

Interview by Rod who is co-editor of the Springer book.  @FuzzyLogicSci

Honours student Shweta Venkataraman and supervisor Dr Chloe Goldsmith have been investigating the link between diet, the immune system's T-cells and rheumatoid arthritis.

For this research they recruited Fuzzy host Rod, who agreed to provide a detailed account of his weekly diet. From that, they derived a detailed nutrition analysis. They used a blood sample to measure T-cells and later will investigate his epigenetic profile.

Join Shweta, Chloe, Camille and Rod for a fascinating conversation.

Find out more at www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/faculties/health/research/participate-in-a-research-study

Thanks to Geoscience Australia for providing these two amazing scientists for this week's episode.

That means a transition to a steady state economy. But what does that look like and how do we get there?

Interview by Eamon and Rod.

We talk about a few projects that are creating safe havens for species, helping them to recover from bushfires and cats.

Brought to you by Millie, Camille and Rod.

From up in space to deep beneath the Earth’s surface, scientists at Geoscience Australia in Canberra are working to make our planet more sustainable - through satellites whizzing above our heads to uncovering the low-emission fuels of the future underneath our feet.  

Dr Andrew Feitz and Dr Aleks Kalinowski are part of a team of hydrogen and low carbon gurus at Geoscience Australia, while Dr David Hudson is the Director, Satellite Programs at Geoscience Australia. Tune in to this episode to hear these amazing geoscientists talk to Broderick about how they're helping to save the world!

National Science Week is from August 13 to 21 and event details can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au

In this talk with the Canberra Jung Society, Fuzzy Logic's Rod Taylor discusses the psychology of climate change and the other environmental problems.

What does it mean to have 'hope' and how do we convert despair into action?

These stories are inspired by his book Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet.

With thanks to our friends at the Canberra Jung Society.

Recorded on 17 June

Interviewed by Tom

This episode talks about comics as a form of science communication and explores "Rat Park" and Stuart's newest release "The Town Without Television". Find all of Stuart's work at www.stuartmcmillen.com

Interviewed by Tom

Interview by Tom

Links shared by Tony 

https://app.electricitymap.org/ Interactive map of countries worldwide and Australian States. See emissions/source of generation by technology/imports & exports. Carbon intensity/origin/cost for last 24 hrs. Good for comparing the approach of different countries to reducing emissions.

https://opennem.org.au/energy/nem/?range=3d&interval=30m Chart and data for the east coast National Electricity Market (NEM). Can see individual States over time intervals from 1 day to 1 year, output of different technologies and prices. Good for looking at maximum and minimum renewables generation and how much support is needed when the wind is not blowing and the sun not shining.

www.smrnuclear.com.au My company website. Some useful papers including The Case for SMRs in Australia and  A Just Transition to Low-Emissions Technology – Repowering Coal-fired Power Stations in Australia with SMRs

Contact Fuzzy Logic

To contact us about anything or If you have any questions for Tony that you would like us to air in a future episode please message us at our facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/FuzzyLogicSci/

While exactly how it works, is still not known, it is clear that your lifestyle - diet, exercise etc plays a part. A healthy body seems less likely to attack itself.

Honours student Shweta Venkataraman and her supervisor Dr Chloe Goldsmith are investigating the link between diet, the immune system's T-cells and rheumatoid arthritis. In this conversation we learn how they're doing that, and the role of epigenetics.

If you want a look at how a lab study works, plus things about your own diet, you can be part of their research. Email:
Shweta Venkataraman   Shweta.Venkataraman@canberra.edu.au
Chloe Goldsmith   Chloe.Goldsmith@canberra.edu.au

Learn more here www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/faculties/health/research/participate-in-a-research-study

Interview by Rod.

But even if we ignore that, is endless growth really good for us? Where does it end?

When we talk briefly about MMT (Modern Monetary Theory), we refer to 'monetary sovereign' nations - for a definition, see Wikipedia.

Philip Lawn is Adjunct Professor at Torrens University, a Research Scholar at the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity, and a member of the Wakefield Futures Group (South Australia).

Interview by Rod as part of the series with authors in our book Sustainability and the New Economics.

And yet there is much more that can be done. Nuclear weapons remain a dire threat while climate change marches on, largely unchecked by the inadequate responses thrown at it.

Some countries such as Australia do not have a constitutional bill of rights, depriving citizens of a key platform. The alternative is a patchwork of legislation that makes the job harder.

In this interview we speak to the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, former Justice of the High Court of Australia.

Interview by Rod as part of the series with authors in our book Sustainability and the New Economics.

The answer is both remarkably clever and surprisingly simple. While bee vision has been studied for many decades, there is still much to be learned. One of the hardest perhaps, is to let go of the assumptions that bee vision is just a simpler version of what human do.

Emeritus Professor Adrian Horridge has a distinguished career in many areas of science, including years in the company of bees.

Interview by Rod.

In all, these are symptoms of a more fundamental problem: our addiction to growth. The mad, relentless drive for an ever bigger population, consuming ever more on a finite planet will not end well.

Dr Colin Butler is Honorary prof ANU and a contributuning author to the new the book Sustainability and the New Economics..

Interview by Rod.

But, according to Modern Monetary Theory, central governments must create the dollars before they can be taxed: money that does not exist cannot be taxed.

That means a central government budget is not like a household, business or even a state government budget.

While it's still controversial in some corners, MMT has profound implications for how governments spend and whether they run deficits. There are also a few caveats.

To navigate us through a complicated topic, you couldn't ask for a better guide than Dr Steven Hail who is an economist at MML and Adjunct Associate Professor at Torrens University Australia.

Interview by Rod as part of a series for the book Sustainability and the New Economics.

A very short speech by Rod on Australia Day 2022 to the Federation of Chinese Community of Canberra Inc at the Canberra Labor Club.

Few philosophies have had a more profound effect on our current world. Yet it is now crumbling, and what it morphs into remains to be seen.

Professor John Quiggin is the author of a chapter on neoliberalism in this Springer book. His book Zombie Economics: How Dead Ideas Still Walk among Us sold over 20,000 copies and was translated into eight languages. His latest book is Economics in Two Lessons: Why Markets Work So Well, and Why They Can Fail So Badly.

John Quiggin is UQ Laureate Fellow at the School of Economics, University of Queensland.

Interview by Rod who is co-editor of the Springer book.

In this interview we talk to a world expert on why economics is central to this problem. Professor Steve Keen reveals the astonishing incompetence embedded in the IPCC economics analysis. The impacts of neoclassical economics are profound and ongoing.

Prof Keen is one of the emminent authors in this new Springer book that examines this topic in depth. He is also a senate candidate for The New Liberals in the election this year.

Interview by Rod who is co-editor of the Springer book.

That can be hard enough for most people, but even harder if you're not mobile.

Sathiyakumar Rahanan is researching for his PhD with the University of Canberra where he is looking at the role of local shops.

If you're a small shop owner, you can help by being part of his study fooduc@gmail.com (or 0475 614 047).

In this episode Rod also interviews documentary maker Derek Muller, who produced Vitamania, on SBS.

Today on Fuzzy Logic we met people from different backgrounds who demonstrate their own approaches to the problem.

Guests include Dr Steve Hill, Chief Scientist at Geoscience Australia, Dr Claire Phillips, a remote sensing scientist, and Amy Peterson, Team Lead for the Global Navigation Satellite Systems.

Interviewed by Tom 

You can hear more from Taryn on her monthly comedy podcast 'The Uncertainty Principle'

Interviewed by Tom

Each week on radio 1RPH, Camilla presents her gardening program. On this occasion she talks to Rod about his book Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet.

While Canberra has shown itself to be a world leader, there's still a very long way to go. How do we get there?

In this wide ranging discussion, ACT Environment Minister Rebecca Vassarotti and Dr Ann Hill from the University of Canberra share their thoughts with Rod.

In this conversation we mention an online event at 3pm 5 August with themes around Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet.

More details soon via Twitter @FuzzyLogicSci.

The rate of change has been stupendous and the implications deep. It has profoundly changed society in ways we did not predict. With our guest, Tom Worthington, we talk about how we are dependent on working system. What happens, and why do they sometimes fail?

Tom Worthington is an independent computer professional, educational design consultant and an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of Computing at the Australian National University. 

Interview by Rod

While renewables are clearly the future, it's crucial to fill the gaps in variable demand.

That's where batteries and pumped hydro step in, but are they enough?

Tony Irwin is Associate Professor at the ANU and Technical Director at SMR Technology.

For a slice of nuclear history, our earlier Fuzzy Logic begins with an interview by Professor Robert Street. His is a remarkable story, having worked on the first nuclear reactor at Harwell, UK.

Interview by Rod

Through the emerging field of epigenetics we are learning that the health of parents affects the health of their children. And surprisingly, this applies to the father as well as the mother.

Lamarkian theories aside, this notion goes back to the Dutch Famine of 1944-45 that revealed how nutrition can be linked to offspring.

Sundus Nizamani is a PhD researcher at the Faculty of Health, University of Canberra. You get involved with her study via her Facebook page www.facebook.com/Fit4Fertility. Fun, informative and an opportunity to learn about heath.

Interview by Rod

For more online Pint of Science events in 2021, further information and registration can be found at  - https://pintofscience.com.au/festival/2021

She offers a multi-faceted view of our current predicament and, listening to her now, she is as relevant she was then.

Interview by Rod

Coal and gas threaten water supply and productive farming land. The people who are seeing this directly, are farmers. Huge opportunities are waiting for a government willing to act.

Charlie Prell is chair of Farmers for Climate Action and features in the recent book Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet.

Interview by Rod.

Declan O'Connell from 2xx Rebel Chorus interviews author, Rod Taylor and two people from his new book Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet. Dr Siwan Lovett is with the Australian River Restoration Centre and Olympia Yarger is founder of Goterra.

More on Facebook www.facebook.com/TenJourneysFragilePlanet

Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet

But will it happen? Or will it be skewered by ideology.

Rod interviews Mark Butler, the Federal Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change.

Recorded on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra, where you can hear how we were interrupted by some vocal climate activists. Tensions are running high, people are worried.

Rod's book, Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet is out this week.
www.odysseybooks.com.au/titles/9781925652789

Now available from https://tenjourneys.blogspot.com/p/where-to-buy.html

Brittany Harriden and Dr Nenad Naumovski are delving into the complex relationships between cognition and the things we eat and, of particular interest, is the Mediterranean diet.

Interview by Rod

And did you know bees are extraordinarily good sniffers? All the better to seek out flowers.

Dr James Hayes is from the UNSW Odour Laboratory

Interview via zoom with Rod

How do we respond to odours, and what can we do if we live near a smelly processing plant? The way we respond to odours is highly subjective, so how can we measure or report what our noses are telling us?

These are questions that concern Dr Ruth Fisher. Dr Fisher is a Research Associate at the UNSW Odour Laboratory.

Interview via zoom with Rod.

Special thanks to Pint of Science for helping us source this week's guests. Find more great Australian science from them at www.pintofscience.com.au

That's an amazing thing, but it hides the hugely complicated system that makes it all happen. The largely invisible process can make us blind to our connection to the land.

Why do we waste so much food, and what can we do about it? What can we do to make agriculture more sustainable?

We tackle these questions with our guests Dr Bethany Turner and Dr Ro MacFarlane from the University of Canberra. Interview by Rod

It's a good start, but the job's not done yet.

Shane Rattenbury roles include being ACT Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability. He tells the story of how we got this far, and where we go next.

Interview by Tom and Rod

Jamie Kirkpatrick, geographer and conservation ecologist from the University of Tasmania talks about bushfires.

Zanna Chase, professor of oceanography at the University of Tasmania, talks about some of her research into oceanic drivers of climate change.

The horrendous current drought, record heat and devastating fires across our country are a hint that we should lose our complacency because Australia is vulnerable. In spite of what our Prime Minister seems to think, climate change is here and it's happening right now.

Julian Cribb's latest book is Food or War. It's a fascinating dive into the history of civilisations that went hungry. With foresight we can avoid it, but how? Spoiler alert: we must act soon.

Interview by Rod and Tom.

We invited Emeritus Professort Will Steffen to put this in perspective. Are the bushfires devastating our country unexpected? Will there be more? And what can we do about it?

Prof Will Steffen is a world recognised authority on climate and the Anthropocene.

Interview by Rod.

Music by Shock Octopus who you can find on Bandcamp.  Proceeds from the single go to Extinction Rebellion.

Alena Kimbrough a paleoclimate scientist who has been researching rainfall in Indonesia over the past 380, 000 years by analysing stalagmites from caves in Sulawesi.

Katharine Grant,also a paleoclimate scientist who uses ocean sediment cores to gain understanding of the earth's past climate even further back in time.

Rebecca Colvin,  a social scientist who is working to understand how human group behavior effects our relationship with issues such as climate change.

This is the question our two guests touch on in these interviews. Clive Hamilton is a the well-known author of books such as Requiem for a Species and Earthmasters. Robyn Williams is the renowned presenter of the ABC Science Show.

Interviews by Rod.

Fears of Peak Oil have largely faded as unconventional reserves are exploited, especially in the USA. But, the day must come when oil declines. In a recent blog post, Robert Rapier refers to US shale oil: "depletion of the best drilling locations, and too many wells drilled too close together for the slowdown."

That's what David Hinwood aims to do with his robotic hand. For now, he's focussing on sorting textiles, which is more complicated than it looks at first sight.

Brought to you by Caroline and Rod.

It's instructive to think about what has - and hasn't changed since then. World population continues to surge, having grown from 7.2 to 7.7 billion. Peak oil has been deferred, largely due to fracking in the US, where production has grown significantly. Populist demagogues hold power in major nations, either denying or ignoring climate change while the Murdoch press has been relentlessly hostile.

In spite of that, the cost of renewable energy has plummeted to the point where it is now out-competing fossil fuels, and installed capacity has vastly increased. Climate change activism has grown into an international movement as people become aware of the dire threat it poses.

Meanwhile, the question of population has remained a fringe issue at the national level although locally, Australians are becoming increasingly concerned.

Interviews by Rod (a SPA member), with thanks to Jenny Goldie from SPA.

Professional dancers Liz Lea and Philip Piggin describe how science informs their work - and how their work communicates science.

To learn more about Dance for Wellbeing which helps people with Parkinson's, Dimention and other conditions, visit BelconnenArtsCentre.com.au.

Liz Lea is Creative Director of Ausdance ACT www.ausdanceact.org.au

Luckily you can't see Rod's Jive during this interview.

Lish Fejer from ABC local radio interviews Rod from Fuzzy Logic.

During the broadcast, Lish mentions Worldometers which shows startling real-time numbers for world population and other statistics.

New Scientist recently ran a story, highlighting the nutrition muddle caused by endless conflicting advice. What are we to make of this? 

Dr Nenad Naumovski and Nathan D'Cunha from the University of Canberra join Tom to untangle some of this.

It took 123 years from 1804 to 1927 to add a billion people to the world's population.
It took 12 years to 2011 to add another billion, and now there are over 7.5 billion people on the planet.

Michaeal Bayliss from Sustainable Population Australia talks us through some reasons why we should care. But is that racist? Why not just recycle?

Music we play during the show are from his band Shock Octopus.

Interview by Rod and Tom

Episode originally aired on 23 June, 2019.

Episode originally broadcast on June 16, 2019

None of the above! If you consider the entire lifespan of our planet, the creatures that have spanned the longest are stromatolites. Not only are they are the earliest fossil evidence of life, their time here far outlasts other forms of life. Plus they released vast quantities of oxygen into the atmosphere - which enabled life such as you and I.

Hamelin Station is operated by Australian Bush Heritage to conserve this precious landscape on the edge of the World Heritage area.

Michelle and Ken Judd are the station managers talk to Rod about what it means to run a place like this.

This episode originally aired on May 19, 2019

This episode originally aired on March 24, 2019

Geoff Williams is a self confessed platypus enthusiast from the Australian Platypus Conservancy.

With some citiizen science you can help monitor the numbers of this wonderful creature. www.platypus.asn.au

Interview by Rod

A chat more than an interview; by Rod

We found a large, energised crowd at Gungahlin with some articulate speakers.

Interviews by Rod.

It turns out that the prickly pear could be a valuable nutritious crop that grows in our drying land, and our guest today is a self-admitted fan. Caroline Gouws is a PhD student at the University of Canberra who's looking at its processing and nutrional benefits. Maybe the spikey invader has a place after all if we're prepared to give it a go.

We even sampled some on-air. But careful to not wipe it on our cloths...because it's also a nifty dye!

Interview by Rod

While you're here
Present your research at the New Investigator Forum, 6 June at JCSMR

You can help Fuzzy Logic by subscribing to 2xx. Thanks!

The CarFreeMe program being developed by the University of Queensland. Occupational therapist Any Nussio and PhD candidate Nathan D'Cunha are evaluating this program in Canberra.

If you would like to be involved, contact Amy on 0457 779 766 or a.nussio[at]uq.edu.au. Participation is free.

Interview by Rod

So how do we talk about this without inflicting mass depression? How do we reach those who say that climate change is a socialist hoax or just a bunch of lab coats feather bedding their research grants?

These are questions occupying our guest today, Nic Badullovich (@geo_nic), who's re recently launched into his PhD at @ANU_CPAS.

Interview by Rod @FuzzyLogicSci

This is what researchers such as Prof Panagiotakos face when they study the health effects of nutrition. People are inclined to give untrustworthy answers about what they eat; the human body is an extremely complex physical and chemical system, even before we talk psychology. And if that's not enough, how do you measure health?

Prof Panagiotakos is the Dean of School of Health Science & Education, at Harokopio University in Athens. In this interview with Rod, he describes the huge ATHLOS worldwide study into aging.

Kelvin Thomson was the Labor member for Wills in Victoria from 1996 to 2016, and was outspoken on the issue of population. In this 2012 interview with Rod, he reflects on his life in politics, the environment, and what population growth is doing to the planet and Australia.

Australia's population
2012:  22.9 million  2018: 24.7 million  - ie growth almost the population of Perth

It's an interesting thought but it almost misses the point because - what we do without one? The super computer at the NCI in Canberra is about far more than intellectual curiosity. Models that give us a seven-day weather forcast are developed on this computer.

Weather leads to climate, and climate leads to the environment, water, and productivity in agriculture. Now of all times, this provides crucial information for our future. Then there's health research in fields such as genetics.

Our guest today is NCI Director, Professor Sean Smith whose own research history is in nanomaterials - a field that offers the prospect of clean hydrogen fuel.

Read more about Raijin and weather forcasting in our Ask Fuzzy column in Fairfax.

Interview by Rod.

@FuzzyLogicSci

What makes a disease is a slippery slope of definition, and not for the faint hearted (which could itself be a disease). It makes a vast difference to how - or whether - you're treated. Do you get a day off work? Will you insurance company cover you?

Just as important perhaps, it affects your own well-being, and your perception of whether it's okay to feel crap. Or whether you're a shirker, a malingerer and a sponge bunging on a sickie.

This is no trivial question if you've been told to get over it, come back tomorrow.

Mike McRae is author of Unwell, What makes a disease a disease. Recommended.

We are joined by first year medical student, Eliza who gives us her perspective on childbirth and pain relief.

Interview by Rod.

Problem solved....maybe. The vitamins and supplements industry is huge: this year, global sales will be about $100 billion, and almost a billion of us take one regularly. Think about what all that clever marketing does for sales.

Dr Derek Muller digs into this tangled pile in the new documentary, Vitamania. He travels the world, speaking to experts in every country. Along the way he learned what too much vitamin D can do, nuts in space, and...rotten fish.

Interview by Rod, via phone.

Derek Muller will appear on stage for his debut Australian tour, along with the premiere of Vitamania:
. 30 July in Perth
. 2 August in Sydney
. 3 August in Melbourne
. Or watch it on Sunday, August 12 on SBS at 8.30pm;  and then on SBS On Demand

www.VitamaniaTheMovie.com

We are playing fast and loose with the climate system. To help us navigate this maze, we are joined by Professor Mark Howden, Director of the ANU Climate Institute and Dr Liz Allen, a demographer.

We talk about what's happening while human population is climbing rapidly. How are we going to feed ourselves?

But is it all gloom - what can we actually do? And how do we connect with....political...leadership?

Interview by Rod

Rebecca Lawrence is in her 3rd hear PhD research at the ANU where she's probing into our ability to focus attention. During the show she mentions a visual illusion that tells us something about how cultural background affects what we see  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCller-Lyer_illusion

If you want to be part of Rebecca's research, contact her at Rebecca.Lawrence@anu.edu.au.  It'll take about half an hour and have some fun along the way. You're eligible if you're

•    18 – 40 years of age
•    Have normal or corrected to normal vision
•    Identify as being from an East Asian, or Western cultural background.

Interview by Rod, with guest Caitlin Roy

We visited last week to see what they're up to on a wide range of research areas including immunology, personalised medicine, and nuclear imaging technology.

In this podcast you'll hear
  Dr Benjamin Beobrajdic
  Dr Bahar Miraghazadeh
  Christine Lee
  Zhija Yu
  Dr Si Ming Man
  Josehine Wong
  Dr Farzarneh Kordbacheh
  Tasneem Rahman

Interviews by Rod  @FuzzyLogicSci

Tasneem Rahman is a  postdoctoral research fellow at the UNSW is researching the use of L-SPECT which offers considerable improvements in the technology. If you've ever needed a body scan, you can thank people such as Tasneem who make this possible.

Watch her TEDx talk where she describes her interesting background and motivations.

Tasneem loves cricket. In this episode we talk about the physics of cricket and our Ask Fuzzy on the subject.

Brought to you by Madeleine and Rod.  @FuzzyLogicSci

Register for the AMSR New Investigator Forum: asmr.org.au/asmr-mrw/canberra
7th June 2018
John Curtin School of Medical Research

Ryan Ridden-Harper is researching this for his PhD at the ANU.

And...why did Einstein get a paper rejected?

Brought to you by Andy and Rod.

@FuzzyLogicSci

Professor Frank Bowden, Dr Emma-Kate Potter and Dr Wendy Elford.

Fuzzy Logic is an enthusiastic supporter of #MarchForScience.  Read about the march in the Canberra Times.

#MarchForScienceCBR  @ScienceMarchAu

Interviews by Rod    @FuzzyLogicSci

Today we look at some of the good things science is doing, especially around our marine and coastal environments. Grab shell, dudes. Andrew Leach's qualifications include marine science as well as conversation programs to protect species such as turtles and fish.

We celebrate science leading up to the March for Science. Look out for events near you (14 April in Canberra)

#MarchForScience   @FuzzyLogicSci

With Andy & Rod

It has proven a tough customer with its ability to sidestep the body's immune system.

Harry Sutton is researching ways to combat malaria as part of his PhD at the John Curtin School of Medical Research @JSCMR. You can read his account in our Ask Fuzzy.

Brought to you by Andy Leach and Rod.

@FuzzyLogicSci

To invade a plant cell, a pathogen has to punch its way through the cell's wall. One way they do that is by physical force. Toby studies how cells respond to something pushing on their surface. Hint: it involves needles. Very. Small. Needles.

Tom is all so studying walls - but for him the walls are a fusion reactor. How do you put the Sun in a bottle? Hint: it's tricky and a bit like an air bag. Tom is about to head off to the presitgious Max Planck institute.

So what's a day like on Fuzzy Logic? Keep an eye out for Toby's Youtube.

Brought to you by Rod @FuzzyLogicSci with Andrew Leach.

Professor Will Steffen is a Council of Australia councillor. Read his SMH article about Penrith swelters while Florida freezes. Inez Harker-Schuch is the creator of a game to teaches climate science. Inez describes how the Milankovitch Cycles affect climate.

We play an extract of an interview with Clive Hamilton. You can hear the full interview with Clive here.

Interviews by Rod

How do you sound to others? Your voice is one of your most important social assets. With it, you convey meaning, impressions, emotions, and the image you project. Our judgement of each other is coloured by the sounds of our voice.

Dr Cate Madill from the University of Sydney is voice therapist, coach, and researcher. Joining us is fantasy writer KJ Taylor, with her own take on voices. Hosted by Rod

The question is, should we? Are far can we go, how far should we go? And what about that turkey?

Dr Sebastian Kurscheid @GenomicsIo is a genomics researcher, and Michel Watson @MEWatson9 is researching public attitudes to genetic engineering at the ANU.  Participate in her survey which will influence how research proceeds.

Interview by Rod @FuzzyLogicSci

It's no small question because it affects our treatment of global warming. Plus in some cases genuine research that is closed because it's unpalatable to other scientists.

Inez Harker-Schuch and (soon to be 'Dr') Jacqui Hoepner have both studied this effect.

Make sure you check out their Kickstarter campaign: a game to explore global warming.

Interview by Rod.

@FuzzyLogicSci

We kick off with an interview from our archive with Professor Robert Street. His contemporary Sir Mark Oliphant was associated with one of the most enduring food myths - carrots.

Our guest today is Associate Professor Nenad Naumovski from the University of Canberra. And make sure you check out this week's Ask Fuzzy in Fairfax, can supplements ward off Alzheimer's.

Brought to you by Madeleine Parker and Rod.

How then do we account for it, how do we give it voice?

Professor Kate Auty shares her insights from from Ledbeater's Possum, to cows grazing near New York, and - the Columbian civil war.

Kate Auty is ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, interviewed by Rod

Health Horizon is a hub where you can get in touch with the latest health developments. Hook into a network, see what's available, and track progress.  @HealthHorizon

Dr Matthew McGann and Coco Ho are our guests today, interview by Rod.

Fuzzy is on @FuzzyLogicSci

To hear more from them and other marine scientists, you can catch these speakers at the Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre Annual Marine Science Forum on June 3 & 4 at the Merimbula RSL. Tickets available from 

The term Earth system is crucial to understanding what this means. At one level, this podcast is an oscillating sound wave. It's a simple physical phenomenon, but at another level, it's the words, ideas, and emotions of a conversation. These are things that can emerge from a system.

Clive Hamilton is the author of numerous books including Requiem for a Species and Earthmasters. In this interview we focus on his latest book, Defiant Earth: The Fate of Humans in the Anthropocene.

Read more about Clive and other stories from people in the environment in Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet.

Interview by Rod

The journey has been made possible with the support from a deep network of people bringing skills and commitment.  Rivers of Carbon were there to celebrate years of work at Australind.

Interview by Rod

Meanwhile in Canberra, SolarShare is rolling out a community-energy solar farm. Lawrence McIntosh describes how they succeeded in getting their project running.

Dr Rebecca Colvin is from the ANU Climate Change Institute. You can read her paper here.

Brought to you by Rod, with help from Marcus Anderson.

Tune in to hear Mitchell's Mary-trifecta; one who used maths to get us to the moon, one who was doing alchemy before it was cool, and one who rocked Queensland.

Also featured are Eleanor's picks; a modern day scientist (and Dame) pioneering the technique of mass spectrometry, an astronomer who classified over 300,000 stars in her lifetime, and a quirky Australian botanist with a penchant for passive-agressive tree maintenance. 

Join us in celebrating the stories of some excellent scientists this International Women's Day.

Whatever the answer, the word sustainability is important. Dr Kate Auty is ACT Sustainability Commissioner. We talk about what that means for the ACT, and how we meet the forces that oppose it.

Dr Auty shares some life stories from the Kimberleys, and what happened when she held her ground as the Victorian Environment Commissioner.

Interview by Rod

We visited the Hepburn wind farm, and the Community Energy Congress in Melbourne. The Town Hall was a-buzz with excitement.

At Hepburn, James took a few moments away from his icecream. We talk smart energy systems with Hillary Platt, co-operatives with Anthony Taylor. Then we hear community energy groups from Seymour and Euroa plans for pumped hydro storage.

Rod talks pumped hydro with Prof Andrew Blakers on Radio National.

Visit c4c2  Twitter     Website   Facebook

Emma is a postdoctoral researcher from the Research School of Biology at the Australian National Unviersity, Canberra

It's the taste, the texture, the shared social experience, and nutrition.

This a topic as rich as a fine meal. Today's conversation is with Dr Nenad Naumovski, Assistant Professor from the University of Canberra, and psychologist Jacqeline Naumovski. Interview by Rod.

You can read Dr Nemovski's Ask Fuzzy columns on tea and pectin.

@FuzzyLogicSci

Given the people at risk, it's as much a social issue as it is a health issue. It's one of the reasons that Hepatitis ACT Executive Director John Didlick has thrown his energy into the cause.

Interview by Rod at the Multicultural Festival in Canberra.

For more information, go to hepatitisact.com.au

It turns out there are lots of ways. Our guest today describes a few.

Simon Sheikh was driving force behind the Getup movement, and in 2013 was the Greens candidate in the ACT federal election. Now, he's founder and manager of Future Super.

Interview by Rod

These are stories of scientists who not only performed world-changing research, but did so when everything was stacked against them. 

Note: Eleanor incorrectly states that Sally Ride was the first woman in space. She was the first woman astronaut (1983), but cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova went into space (piloting the Vostok 6) 20 years earlier. My apologies for the mix-up.

In this week's episode of Fuzzy Logic, Eleanor and Mitchell talk about cycles. Whether it's the 365 day cycle around the sun, complex cycles of precession and tilt that alter Earth's climate, or the Sun's natural cycle through high and low activity periods, these kinds of patterns are all around us.

Tune in to hear Mitchell's "New Years Resolution" and Eleanor try to explain that the Gregorian Calendar was *not* invented by a guy called Gregor.

Eleanor is joined in the studio by Thomas, (a biochemistry PhD student with an encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world and a penchant for awful puns), and Mitchell, who was probably a dinosaur in a previous life.

Enjoy, and Happy New Year from Fuzzy!

A personal story recorded by Rod for the ABC in 2006. May peace be with us all in 2017.

Interview by Rod at the recent BZE electric vehicle launch.

Sue Daw is from Better Hearing Canberra, and today Rod is on the other side of the microphone.

Interview by Christine Daniel from radio 1RPH

And now Canberra startup Goterra is turning Black Soldier Fly larvae into stock feed. Turn garbage into food, build an industry in Canberra, and slow the dumping of waste into land fille.

Dr Bryan (the Fly Guy) Lessard's mission is to celebrate the true worth of the fly. Read his story in Fuzzy Logic's Fairfax column.

Olympia Yarger from Goterra joins Bryan and Rod for today's celebration of flies.

The Trump story we quote is here.

Read our Ask Fuzzy on cats.

Brought to you by Rod with Phil Hore from the National Dinosaur Museum.

Fuzzy Logic is on Twitter: @FuzzyLogicSci

Why stop at Dinosaurs, what other cool animals can we bring back from extinction? What about Woolly Mammoths, the Tasmanian Tiger or Sabre-toothed cats?

We discuss this and more in this very fun episode of the Fuzzy Logic podcast and also talk about how we can avoid more animals and wildlife from becoming extinct in the future and some awesome campaigns currently in train to stop this from happening, including Canberra's very own Bettong Bungalow.

This episode is brought you by Ian and Eleanor.

Dustin and co-author Will Grant analysed over 400 science communication video YouTube clips and published their results in the Journal Public Understanding of Science. They came up with a list of seven essential criteria to make that /entertaining/engaging/education YouTube clip and channel, keeping your audience coming back for more.

Have you ever wanted to break YouTube, just like Psy? Well listen to this great podcast to find out more.

Hosted by Ian McDonald

Dr Jane O'Sullivan's research has challenged beliefs about the 'demographic transition', the impact of ageing on workforce and the '3Ps' of population, participation and productivity. She is most widely recognised for quantifying the infrastructure cost of population growth rate.

Dr Haydn Washington  is the author of Climate Change Denial: Heads in the Sand (2011) and Human Dependence on Nature (2013). He is keenly interested in why societies deny environmental problems.

Dr Simon Michaux is a consultant in the mining industry, with a strong interest in industrial sustainability.

Dr Michael Lardelli  has been active in spreading awareness of peak oil since 2004 and worked with Prof. Kjell Aleklett to produce the English version of his book, Peeking at Peak Oil published in 2012.

Today we combine two personal stories, one on sleep apneoa, and the other hydrocephalus (literally "water brain") with expert commentary from Prof Lynne Bilston (check out her interesting bio). Plus a look at seatbelt and motorcycle helmet safety.

(Note this podcast includes interviews with Debbie and Karl which were posted earlier).

Interview by Rod