Things You Can't Live Without
by Rio Tinto / Listen
How do the objects we rely on come to be made? What goes into creating them? How did they become so vital to us? And what is the environmental impact of living with them, now and into the future? Join material scientist Dr Anna Ploszajski as she welcomes different guests including scientists to discuss the truths about our reliance on the earth’s resources – and to look at what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on. Things You Can’t Live Without is brought to you by Rio Tinto. Available wherever you get your podcasts.
Episodes
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BONUS: Ed Conway on the future of sustainability
In this special extended episode, journalist, author and economics expert Ed Conway joins Dr Anna to explore the future of sustainability. Alongside Rio Tinto’s Chief Scientist, Nigel Steward, and Froydis Cameron-Johansson, Rio Tinto's Global Head of Health, Safety, Environment and Security, they...
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Sabrina Ghayour on her favourite knives, learning from others and butternut squash best practice
Chef and food writer Sabrina Ghayour’s knife is an indispensable partner in her kitchen. Sabrina tells Dr Anna about her journey toward finding her favourite type of knives and how to look for the right knife for you. She is joined by Rio Tinto’s Chief Scientist, Nigel Steward, who delves into…
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Cornelia Funke on plastic pens, storytelling and sustainability
Global bestselling author Cornelia Funke (Dragon Rider, Inkheart) says she has hungry hands and that she cannot live without her pen to conjure up her magical worlds. Cornelia tells Dr Anna about the importance of the physical process of writing and illustrating, before committing her work to a...
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Beatrice Galilee on nature-inspired sustainable design and future architecture
Beatrice Galilee, founder of architecture and design platform The World Around is dedicated to inspiring and supporting the next generation of architects. She introduces Dr Anna to 'Botanica', a nature-inspired vase, which exists to prompt conversations around the future of sustainable design and...
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Mark Mangini on Hollywood sounds, innovation and suspending disbelief
Oscar-winning sound designer Mark Mangini uses highly specialised microphones to capture the sounds we know and love in some of Hollywood’s most successful films. In an episode focusing on reuse and recycling, Mark tells Dr Anna about the unlikely, everyday sources behind some very famous film...
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Ruby Wax on laptop addiction, mindfulness and community
Comedian, author and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax OBE is addicted to her laptop - and here she explains to Dr Anna about the positive and negative impacts it has on her mental health. They are joined by Rio Tinto’s Chief Scientist, Nigel Steward, who explains the material science behind...
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Edward Burtynsky on using one camera tripod across 50 countries and 30 years
Revered photographic artist Edward Burtynsky shares how his carbon-fibre camera tripod has become indispensable in his documentation of human impacts on the planet. He tells Dr Anna about his artistic approach to industrial landscapes, especially those affected by fuel production. They are joined...
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Jon Lampley on blowing his trumpet, outdoor venues and the ethics of AI in music
Renowned trumpeter Jon Lampley performs on national TV in the Stephen Colbert house band, to stadiums of people, and alone in his small home studio - but which does he prefer? Jon tells Dr Anna about the significance of his custom-built trumpet, his unique sound and his most memorable…
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Dr Adam Rutherford on bodies, blue-sky projects and blue-blooded crabs
Geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford relies on refrigeration to preserve the unique DNA samples that underpin his lab work. Furthermore, as he explains to Dr Anna, fridges are good for keeping his beer cold! In an episode all about research and development, Adam and Anna are joined by Marie-Pierre…
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Get ready for Series 2
Series 2 of Things You Can’t Live Without is coming soon. Here’s Dr Anna Ploszajski with a preview of what you can expect. Make sure you follow the show to hear new episodes as they launch.
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Hod Lipson’s Graphics Processing Unit: AI, robots eating robots and the unsung material that helps power our computers
Hod Lipson - Columbia University professor and award-winning robotics researcher - shares with Dr. Anna the one item he can’t live without - his Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). The conversation reveals how much GPUs underpin our electronic world, and how one somewhat unsung element - boron - is…
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Dr. Leah Alconcel’s Lasers: Missions to Jupiter, space junk and the future of communications
Spacecraft engineer Dr. Leah Alconcel joins Dr. Anna to tell her about the one item she can’t live without - her lasers From sending spacecraft to Saturn to the possibility of being able to watch TikTok in outer space, Dr. Leah shares the critical role that lasers have in her life. We are joined...
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Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza’s Field Microscope: Boiling rivers, ancient Chinese water microscopes and working with communities to ensure ecosystems into the future
Chemical biologist and explorer Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza shares with Dr. Anna the one item she can’t live without - her field microscope. Dr. Rosa takes us on an expedition to the Amazon as we understand how integral her microscope is to her day-to-day work searching for the tiniest creatures,...
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Buddha Lo’s Salt: Thanksgiving turkeys, open-water swimming and a material fundamental to our survival
Cooking sensation and two-time Top Chef winner Buddha Lo joins Dr. Anna to share the one item he can’t live without - salt. Buddha takes us to his kitchen in New York where he explains its critical role in food not just today, but throughout history. Rio Tinto’s Chief Advisor Process Development,...
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Alie Ward’s Insulated Flask: Nicknames, vacuums and the reality of low carbon steel
Daytime Emmy Award-winning science communicator, podcaster, TV presenter, writer and food buff Alie Ward joins Dr. Anna to share her unquenchable love for the item she can’t live without - her insulated flask. As a self-confessed ice fiend, Alie shares the daily amazement her flask provides…
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Cerys Matthews’ Climbing Equipment: Everest, foie gras and our collective responsibility for the planet
Singer, songwriter, author and broadcaster Cerys Matthews joins Dr. Anna this week to share the items she can’t live without - her climbing equipment. Mark Davies, Chief Technical Officer at Rio Tinto, and climbing curator Nigel Buckley also join Cerys and Dr. Anna to discuss the days of climbing...
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Shelley Roden’s Trash: Spaceships, Mrs Incredible and the power of the circular economy
Award-winning Foley artist Shelley Roden joins Dr. Anna on the podcast to explain why she can’t live without trash. As a Foley artist, Shelley spends her days using trash to make the sound effects for live action and animated films. She’s worked on over two hundred titles such as Black Panther…
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OJ Borg’s E-Bike: World Record attempts, Lycra mishaps and how to keep the planet charged
BBC broadcaster and cycling obsessive OJ Borg joins Dr. Anna to share the item he can’t live without - his e-bike. Alongside bike historian Tony Hadland and Rio Tinto’s General Manager of Technical Development, Jared Osborne, they unearth the explosion in the popularity of the e-bike, investigate...
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Rudy Garcia-Tolson’s Prosthetic Legs: Gold medals, pirates and the price of movement
Paralympic gold medallist and ambassador for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Rudy Garcia-Tolson joins Dr. Anna to share the one item he can’t live without - his prosthetic legs. Rio Tinto’s Chief Advisor of Discovery, Marie-Pierre Paquin also joins the conversation. As they track the…
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Susie Dent’s Dictionary: Demons, flatulence and the complicated future of our electronic devices
World-renowned lexicographer and viral tweeter Susie Dent joins Dr. Anna to wax lyrical about her favourite thing - her dictionary. Joined by Chief Scientist Nigel Steward, they mine into the components of Susie’s electronic dictionary, explore the etymology of ‘electricity’ and investigate the...
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Welcome to Things You Can't Live Without
Follow the show to be the first to hear episode one on the 28th February.
About this show
How do the objects we rely on come to be made? What goes into creating them? How did they become so vital to us? And what is the environmental impact of living with them, now and into the future?
Join material scientist Dr Anna Ploszajski as she welcomes different guests including scientists to discuss the truths about our reliance on the earth’s resources – and to look at what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on.
Things You Can’t Live Without is brought to you by Rio Tinto. Available wherever you get your podcasts.
Hosted by
Rio Tinto / Listen
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