We’re all about the good life – but we’re not heading to a wellness retreat in Byron Bay. We’re measuring our quality of life using cold, hard stats, and looking at our brains with a portable scanner. No ice baths required! Champagne encouraged.

See images discussed in the episode and more on the website.

In this live recording of the Australian Highlights series for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival we’re exploring local medical innovations, from a portable brain scanner currently being tested by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, to advancements in statistical measurements of patient outcomes: can the numbers really be centered on what is important to patients?

Dr Freda Werdiger, who was at the University of Melbourne at the time, takes us through the numbers and dials of her field to illuminate the promising leaps in human health happening across Australia right now, including improving care for Indigenous peoples in aged care and reducing the effects of strokes in emergency situations.

Host Rachel Rayner may faint (she’s quite squeamish, despite having her own aneurysm problems) but she’ll be joined by local comedy legend, Laura Davis, to laugh at how amazing and ridiculous the human condition is.

Credits

Producer: Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer

Guests: Freda Werdiger, Laura Davis

Venue: The Library at the Dock, Australia’s first six Green Star-rated public building

Tech: Luke Morris

Music: Michelle Cashman

Editing: Graham Hunt

Made possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer and confidante, Kirsty Kapp, catch up on a flash of five episodes.

They consider the statistical definition of deadly, argue about the failures of communicating acid rain, poke at Rachel's hatred of Paul Gauguin, and get excited about ancient trade routes.

Head to each individual episode for more information on our website: Australian Highlights, Season 2.

Credits

Producer: Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer

Guest: Kirsty Kapp

Music: Michelle Cashman

Editing: Graham Hunter

Made possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Innovation in Australia has been happening for tens of thousands of years.

Professor Lynette Russell is the co-author of Innovation: Knowledge and Ingenuity, which is part of the First Knowledges series.

In conversation with comedian Luke Morris and host Rachel Rayner, we explore the rich history and innovations of Indigenous Australians, particularly in the areas of language, trade, land management, and technology. We discuss how Western historical narratives have often overlooked or dismissed the sophistication and ingenuity of Indigenous societies, and how recent research is finally bringing this all to light.

Lynette shares her story of becoming an anthropological historian rather than an archaeologist, and her current line of research into trade relations between Australia and Indonesia thousands of years ago, while Luke spends much of the episode aghast at how little he knew of all this.

Transcript

Links for more:

Get the book, or get the whole series

Find out more on Lynette

Follow Luke and Comedy Victoria

Credits

Producer: Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer

Guests: Professor Lynette Russell AM, Luke Morris

Music: Michelle Cashman

Editing: Graham Hunter

Made possible through Meta Australia Journalism Fund, administered by the Walkley Foundation, with support from Comedy Victoria.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.