Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod.
by Brianne West
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. It's all interesting.And unlike podcast bros, I have receipts.
Episodes
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So, what did you miss?
A lot of the episodes this year looked at processes we’re supposed to put our faith in – the things that are supposed to make our lives more sustainable or our impact on the planet a bit less terrible. Stuff like supposed “green” solutions, chocolate that’s marketed as ethical, or the wellness...
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Are we doomed? A psychologist’s guide to climate anxiety
The world feels like a really bad parody movie right now – but it’s not funny. There’s a constant background hum of dread – climate change, biodiversity collapse, war – and it’s no wonder eco-anxiety has become a collective condition. Because of all this, I’m replaying one of our most popular...
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Did you fall for the myth? How misinformation & racism made MSG a monster
MSG causes headaches, chest tightness, tingling arms and weakness - or at least that’s what we’ve all been told. For decades, MSG was considered public enemy number one, banned from restaurants and demonised in the media. But why? MSG is everywhere: in tomatoes, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, soy...
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Superfoods, or super scam? How 'superfoods' aren't really super for anyone...
There is a food trend that aims to give you glowing skin, supercharged memory, endless energy, and protection from every disease that you can probably think of. You’ll have seen the word for it stamped on cereal boxes and blended into smoothies, and it’s always talked about by wellness…
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It's not me, it's my star sign
Why do people still believe in horoscopes, even when we know they’re not true? (If this is you, I'm curious, not judging.) For nearly a century, people have turned to horoscopes for all sorts of advice, and they’re actually more popular now than ever. But how is this still so widespread when it’s...
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Cycling is the solution to all our problems
I have the best news: we already have the solution to all of our problems. This could save over 8 million lives a year, make us live longer with fewer sick days, save billions of dollars, and make us all a lot happier to be around... I feel like this should be front-page news? The problem is…
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Is bottled water really better for you?
So, bottled water is kind of a scam. People think it’s healthier and safer, despite zero evidence to back that up. So… is it all just one giant marketing con? Well… kinda. In this episode, I’m taking you through the wild history of bottled water to show exactly how we ended up here - and why it’s...
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You asked: coffee vs tea, milk choices & the bioplastic myth
Welcome to another This or That episode! I break down the least impactful options from things you’ve been asking about. This episode is actually a repost, because some of you have sent in these questions - clearly, we all have choices that keep us up at night. And often, what we expect isn’t...
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You asked: 3 sustainability questions - lightbulbs, bags & food
Welcome to a This or That episode! I break down the least impactful options from things you’ve been asking about. This episode is actually a repost, because some of you have sent in these questions - clearly, we all have choices that keep us up at night. And often, what we expect isn’t actually…
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The $20,000 microplastic hoax and other 'wellness' scams
Welcome to the first episode under the brand-new banner, Because Why?! The show where my curiosity gets the better of me, and I drag you along for the ride. (You're welcome?) We’re still talking about the environment, but now the scope is much wider: science, ethical business, politics (even when...
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Physics myths busted: 5G, airplane toilets, and cats with toast
A few weeks ago, we had the amazing physicist, science writer, and communicator Laurie Winkless on the podcast. She was so great, one episode wasn’t enough... so she’s back to do some mythbusting! In this episode we talk about: If glass is really a liquid A bunch of physics myths that have been...
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Animals you hate that are actually awesome - with Bethany Brookshire (Part 2)
Welcome back to Part 2 of a fascinating kōrero with science journalist and author Bethany Brookshire. This one gets a smidge more controversial... We talk about the animals we hate because they’re successful (looking at you, pigeons), the cultural weirdness of how we define pets vs pests, and how...
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Animals you hate that are actually awesome - with Bethany Brookshire
You know when you see someone on social media and you just KNOW they'll be amazing to chat to? Well, that's Bethany Brookshire for you. Bethany is a science journalist, animal behaviorist and author who writes about the animals most people hate. Rats, cockroaches, spiders, pigeons... And how our...
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How to tell science stories that make people care, with physicist Laurie Winkless.
Today's guest is Laurie Winkless. She's a physicist, a science writer and she's the only person I know who's actually made writing about friction interesting. You could say she's a science friction writer... She’s appeared everywhere from Forbes to Wired to BBC, and she has written two books. Oh...
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Politics and positivity with Dave Richards
I wanted to talk about politics and combating polarising opinions… but I didn’t want to get dark about it. So, to help, I’ve called in my friend and optimism security blanket, Dave Richards. He’s one of those people who has realistic but optimistic insight into the world. He’s lived all over the...
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The ocean makes half your oxygen - should we really mine it?
About half of the oxygen that you are breathing right now is made in the ocean. And last year, scientists found that some of it is made three kilometres down in total darkness by microbes that live on the seabed. We had no idea about any of this before then, and now, next month, the United…
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Need a break from bad news? Positive stories you might have missed
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the last few episodes have been somewhat… bleak. There’s been a lot to discuss around climate change, governments, and corruption, but I realised if we kept focusing only on that, it was going to get all-consuming. So this week, I’m welcoming back Kate to help…
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You're not immune to disinformation: 6 ways we all fall for it
You reckon you’re immune to propaganda and disinformation, right? A critical thinker who sees through the rubbish. I thought the same - until I realised I’m way more likely to believe something if it backs up what I already think. That’s not a personal flaw. It’s how we’re all wired. But we need…
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We’re halfway through, so how is this Government doing?
Well, we are officially halfway through the election cycle. The coalition government has been in place for about 18 months now. David Seymour is our Deputy Prime Minister. So, how are things going? I did my first ever political roundup episode - I think it was episode three - and it ended up…
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Still arguing about climate change? Listen to this first (Microgreens)
Are you tired of arguing about climate change with your uncle, or your co-worker, or that weird person online? Welcome to the club. Now, if you really want to keep banging your head on that wall, I'm not here to stop you, but I am here to try and give you some facts that might help - because even...
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What will life at 1.5+ degrees look like?
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...
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8 of the weirdest deep sea creatures you’ve never heard of (Microgreens with Melissa Márquez)
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…
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How to go from Tide Pools, to TedX, to TV, with sharks. With Melissa Márquez.
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…
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Microgreens: fungi that bleed, glow, and hijack brains (yes, really)
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...
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Fungi: the weird, ancient lifeform that runs the world
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.…
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Microgreens: the guy who f*ed the planet
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...
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Who killed the electric vehicle?
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...
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Fast beauty sucks! What is it, why is it and how can you be a better beauty consumer
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...
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NAD+ Super supplement or wellness scam?
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...
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What nuclear energy actually offers (the not-so-silver bullet)
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…
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Nuclear energy: who’s using it, what’s true, and what’s next?
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...
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The real fallout: how nuclear energy got its bad reputation
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...
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Nuclear energy mini-series: episode 1 - what is radiation?
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...
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Can rewilding save the planet? Wolves, wildflowers & “going feral?”...
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...
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How to eat chocolate without supporting child labour (easter edition)
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...
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Antibiotics are failing us: here’s what comes next
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...
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Backyard biodiversity: how to create a wildlife haven (even in small spaces)
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...
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Recycling: one of the greatest environmental myths of all time
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...
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Women who changed science, business, and sustainability but you’ve never heard of them
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…
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The invention that feeds (and threatens) the world: the story of fertiliser
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…
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How is a gin company going to change the world? With Dr. Jo Davy and Dr. Helen Gower
What do marine biology, menopause, and gin have in common? More than you might think! In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Jo Davy and Dr. Helen Gower – two marine biologists turned gin distillers and ethical entrepreneurs. They met in a university lab studying marine ecosystems and coral diseases,...
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Plastic pollution, microplastics & the mess we’re in – with Dr Olga Pantos
There have been a few big news stories circulating, claiming that microplastics have reached such a level that 5% of our brain is now made up of them. While that data is… questionable, it’s undeniable that plastic pollution is a major concern. That’s why, in this episode, we’re digging into the...
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How to spot media BS: a crash course in media literacy
Separating facts from bias in the news is harder than ever, so this week's episode is all about media literacy. I break down a Stuff article on “the healthiest type of milk” as an example of just how subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) media bias can be. Spoiler: It’s not about which milk is…
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Sustainable floristry: what’s green, what’s not, and how to do better with Melanie Stapleton
It’s nearly Valentine’s Day, but before we all rush out and buy flowers for the special people in our lives, it’s worth thinking about the environmental impact of the flowers we buy. I’m not saying don’t go and buy them, but it’s worth being educated about the industry so we can make informed...
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Bugs aren’t the problem - we are
Bugs get a bad rap. Sure, they’re small, sometimes unsettling, and often unwelcome in our homes. But they’re also doing some of the most important jobs in our ecosystems – jobs we rarely think about, let alone appreciate. This week, I’m joined by Dr Leilani Walker – entomologist, arachnid expert,...
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Welcome back: let’s make 2025 Incrediball
It’s 2025, and the drastic changes in the world might have many of you feeling a bit hopeless. I know I am - but I’m also feeling angry and ready to make some change. This year is set to bring some big things from our end, so I wanted to give you a heads-up as well as explain why plastic…
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Facing climate anxiety: practical tools for hope with Dr. Susie Burke
This is a surprisingly uplifting conversation about climate change—yes, really. I spoke with psychologist Dr Susie Burke on managing climate distress (anger, sadness, anxiety) while staying hopeful, because unchecked, these feelings often lead to apathy just when we need action most. After recent...
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Carbon inequality kills: the Oxfam Report, super-rich, and the climate crisis
This is an episode that is probably going to make a lot of you angry. I know it’s making me angry right now. A few days ago, Oxfam released their latest report called “Carbon Inequality Kills,” and we’ll be talking about that today. This is a damning report on just how much carbon the…
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The beauty industry sucks: packaging, marketing, and supply chain solutions (part two)
Welcome to part 2 of my mini-series on the beauty industry. In the last episode, we discussed all the issues with the beauty industry, and I’ll be honest, it wasn’t super cheerful. So, for this episode, we're changing things up and exploring the various solutions currently available to the…
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The beauty industry sucks: the reality of packaging, marketing, and supply chains (part one)
In this episode, we’re kicking off a mini-series on the beauty industry, focusing on what’s wrong with it. But don’t worry—it won’t be all doom and gloom! We’ll also be looking at solutions to these problems. I’ve spent over a decade in this industry, and to be honest, it really kind of sucks....
About this show
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. It's all interesting.And unlike podcast bros, I have receipts.
Hosted by
Brianne West