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PODCAST

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod.

Curious about, well… everything? Same. Welcome to Because Why?! Where science and nature, meets culture and business. If you care about people and planet, and want to know how the world really works - and how we can do better, you"re in the right place. Because Why?! Because really, everything comes back to science. Expect episodes on everything from climate change and sustainability, to ethical business and history, politics, nature, conspiracy theories, human behaviour and who knows what else

science nature

All Episodes

00:31:23

What will life at 1.5+ degrees look like?

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/06/15

We are officially out of time to prevent hitting 1.5 degrees. Yep - earlier last week, the World Meteorological Organisation said that we are going to hit 1.5 degrees of global heating by 2027, which is just two years away.So I thought we’d have an episode about what that really means - because what actually changes at 1.5 degrees? And what happens if we go beyond that?In this episode:Why scientists identified 1.5 degrees as a milestoneWhat a 1.5 degree increase will actually causeWhere we are today

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00:25:37

8 of the weirdest deep sea creatures you’ve never...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/06/12

There’s a worm that shoots out glowing green slime, a squid that can turn itself invisible, and a fish that literally walks on land. To celebrate World Oceans Day last week, today’s episode is all about the ocean’s weirdest and most wonderful creatures.I'm joined once again by Melissa Márquez - an amazing marine biologist, shark scientist, and science communicator. She’s been on TV, given TEDx talks, written books - she’s just awesome. If you want to learn more about her, make sure you check out our

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00:52:38

How to go from Tide Pools, to TedX, to TV, with...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/06/08

June 8th was World Oceans Day, and if you listen to this podcast, you know this is a day I am very much here for - because I am obsessed with the ocean… for good reason.But rather than going on about it myself, for this episode I thought we could celebrate World Oceans Day with the help of another ocean obsessive: Melissa Cristina Márquez.Melissa is a marine science education expert based in Australia, and is known as "the most enthusiastic shark scientist" people ever meet. Her work has been

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00:09:28

Microgreens: Fungi that bleed, glow, and hijack...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/06/04

Imagine a fungus slipping into your bloodstream, hijacking every single neuron and freezing you alive while it knits its own flesh with yours.If you were an ant or a spider, that could be you — but thankfully, Ophiocordyceps doesn’t (yet) affect humans.In this Microgreens episode, we’re peering into the terrifying and slightly creepy world of fungi.In our main episode, we covered why fungi are important. Today, we’re getting into their dark side...In this episode I share:What the bleeding tooth

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00:24:20

Fungi: The Weird, Ancient Lifeform That Runs the World

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/06/02

Without this one thing, every single thing you know and love would disappear. Soil would fail, forests would starve, antibiotics would, well, vanish, and your morning coffee, bread, beer, and even chocolate would be gone. The thing I’m talking about is everywhere. It’s probably in your lunch. It’s almost certainly in your lungs. It’s in your sourdough starter, your compost heap. Got a clue yet? Most people don’t actually know what these things are. I’m talking about fungi. Fungi are not plants, not

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00:13:19

Microgreens: the guy who f*ed the planet – and how...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/05/27

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 of time answering your questions, or talking about something that may not get a whole, full episode.For

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00:25:10

Who Killed the Electric Vehicle?

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/05/26

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 think you’ll find it very eye-opening.In this episode, I share:The early history of the electric carWhy

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00:19:07

Fast beauty sucks! What is it, why is it and how can...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/05/18

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't worry I do get it, and there are ways to buy beauty products you love, without so much impact

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00:27:02

NAD+ Super supplement or wellness scam?

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/05/11

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 chat about this particular ingredient because it's one of the many pieces of magic in Incrediballs, my new

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00:25:12

What Nuclear Energy Actually Offers (The...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/05/08

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 good old hydropower?As always, the answer isn’t as straightforward as we’d like (and yes, I find that

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00:20:19

Nuclear Energy: Who’s Using It, What’s True, and...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/05/06

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 powerWhat nuclear waste actually is—and why it’s been over-villainisedThe issues around nuclear waste

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00:18:37

The Real Fallout: How Nuclear Energy Got Its Bad...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/04/30

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 source we fear the most. But should we?In the last episode, we explored the science of nuclear — what it is,

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00:13:48

Nuclear Energy, The Mini-Series: Episode 1 - What is...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/04/27

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 birthday, albeit the year before I was born, but still - fascinating.The big fact is that nuclear is a far

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00:33:16

Can Rewilding Save the Planet? Wolves, Wildflowers &...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/04/20

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 goes live, so it feels like a cosmic sign that we should talk about giving the planet some love.But also,

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00:17:01

How to Eat Chocolate Without Supporting Child Labour...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/04/13

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 sustainability and for this episode we are looking at an aspect of sustainability we don’t always discuss

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00:27:34

Antibiotics Are Failing Us: Here’s What Comes Next

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/04/06

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 facing, and most of us are completely unaware of it.In this episode, I share:The history of antibiotic

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00:16:49

Backyard Biodiversity: How to Create a Wildlife Haven...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/03/30

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 how to transform your outdoor space into a haven for wildlife, why insects are far more important than you

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00:30:48

Recycling: One of the Greatest Environmental Myths of...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/03/23

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 know how much I despise the way recycling has been used to deceive the public - but you might not know all the

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00:27:31

Women Who Changed Science, Business, and...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/03/16

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 for this episode I spent a lot of time highlighting all the issues, so I thought this year instead I’d

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00:24:45

The Invention That Feeds (and Threatens) the World:...

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod. ·

2025/03/10

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 going to be giving you a quick run down on everything you need to know, and this will probably also

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