Podcast · Tech & Science

Sci_Burst

Sci_Burst is an Australian podcast and startup all about science, popular culture, and entertainment! We’re your hosts, Isabel & Ella, two science communicators and solarpunk enthusiasts taking you on a journey into sustainable, hopeful futures. This podcast is meant for you, no matter your level o

New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 1 hr 5 min
Latest: 3 Jun 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

3 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 15 min

S3 E12: Aussie Solarpunk

We saved the best for last: welcome to our episode on Aussie Solarpunk! In this season finale of Sci_Burst we record live from the Woden Library to bring you a joyous episode close to our home & heart. Join us in a chat on community owned solarfarms, Mad Max, reconciliation, science communicators, men’s sheds, and of course, the famous Hills Hoist clothesline. Australia has some serious Solarpunk potential! To complement this special episode, we’ve created a little game of Aussie Solarpunk themed BINGO: https://www.sci-burst.com.au/solarpunk-in-australia-bingo/ Episode time stamps: 0:00…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S3 · E11 · 3 May 2026 · 1 hr 25 min
S3 E11: Gardening, DIY, & Tangible Solarpunk
Hold solarpunk in your hands as you listen to this episode, where we dive deep into the aspects of a tangible solarpunk future that are already here! Discover soilpunk, permaculture, gleaning, friction-maxxing, mending circles, analogue media curation, junk journalling and more as we discuss why physical, tangible and intentionally crafted living is SO necessary right now. A brighter, greener, more sustainable future is in reach! Episode time stamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:56 Soil, Gardening, and Permaculture 33:43 Return to Analogue Media 1:01:10 Thriving DIY 1:13:24 Good News Stories Want…
S3 · E10 · 3 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 14 min
S3 E10: Why We Need Solarpunk Now
Why Solarpunk? Why now? Discover the compelling journey of climate change discoveries, following actions (and lack thereof), the stories that have been told about climate breakdown, and what alternatives to those stories are now surfacing. Tune in to hear about why facts aren't always enough, why media literacy is a necessary climate communication skill, and why new inspiring, connecting, and hopeful stories might just be the solution... There are hundreds of reasons for solarpunk, and right now there are more than ever before! Episode time stamps: 0:00 Introduction 04:40 A brief history of…
S3 · E9 · 3 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 18 min
S3 E9: Solarpunk Gaming
Dive into the world of solarpunk games and ‘playing’ imagined, hopeful futures in this episode of Sci_Burst! We talk about solarpunk (and solarpunk-adjacent) video games, board games, RPGs, and more - including what already exists and what is soon to come… Tune in to also learn why gamers are particularly solarpunk ready and how we can make a sustainable future through play. Plus discover a whole bunch of radical games to add to your wishlists! Episode time stamps: 0:00 Introduction 6:24 Why gamers are solarpunk ready 11:08 Solarpunk video games 42:40 Solarpunk board games and RPGs 56:26…
S3 · E8 · 3 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
S3 E8: Optimism
In this episode we bring you a ray of sunshine all about solarpunk optimism, resilience, and staying defiantly hopeful about our future. Being optimistic has several benefits (backed by extensive science!) for your health, wellbeing, and overall experience of life. And sharing optimism and hope is inspiring and contagious. So tune in for a breath of fresh air from all the negativity and dystopian narratives that tend to dominate today’s media, how to find radically good news, and what you can do to start building our hopeful future. This episode will truly brighten up your day! *sorry for…
S3 · E7 · 3 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 15 min
S3 E7: Ochrepunk with Matthew Ngamurarri Heffernan
Happy New Year friends! To kick off 2026, we bring you a fantastic episode on Indigenous Futurisms, optimism in First Nations storytelling, and 🧡Ochrepunk🧡 with our very special guest, Matthew Ngamurarri Heffernan 🖤💛❤️ Matt is a Luritja man, software developer, board member, creative technologist, playwright, poet, and PhD student at The Australian National University’s School of Cybernetics 💻✍️🎭 He is a developer at Indigemoji – a sticker set of 90 emojis representing life, culture and language of Arrernte Country in Central Australia – and creator of The Robot Do g, an intercultural sci-fi…
S3 · E6 · 2 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 8 min
S3 E6: Solarpunk at Night
Happy silly season! This December we’re exploring what a solarpunk community looks like when the sun goes down, and the delightful subgenre that is ~lunarpunk~ 🌃🌙💜. We touch on human-nature relationships after dark 🦉, solarpunk technologies at nighttime (think bioluminescence, decolonial space travel 🛰️🪼🍄), and also what evening culture and festivals could look like in a solarpunk/lunarpunk future 🪅. Press play to learn more! Episode time stamps: 0:00 Introduction 7:37 Human-nature relationships at night 21:08 Solarpunk technology at night 41:40 Solarpunk evening culture and spirituality…
S3 · E5 · 2 Nov 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
S3 E5: Is Pokémon Solarpunk?
Just in time for the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, we bring you a sequel Pokémon episode - with a twist! This time we ask the question: is the Pokémon universe truly solarpunk??? 👀👀👀 Press play to hear about the solarpunk elements of Pokémon (including sustainability, clean energy, and harmonious human-nature relationships ♻️🌱⚡️), the not so solarpunk elements of Pokémon (including capitalist💰 and colonialist mechanics), and the future potential of the franchise 🔴⚪️👾 Episode time stamps: 0:00 Introduction 3:28 Solarpunk elements of Pokémon 45:19 The not so solarpunk elements of Pokémon…
S3 · E4 · 3 Oct 2025 · 1 hr 8 min
S3 E4: Greenwashing
What happens when companies lie about their sustainability or pretend to be solarpunk? 🤥 Enter, the deceptive act of greenwashing 🤢⚠️⚠️ Press play to learn where the phrase comes from, why companies might do it, and how countries and communities are already combatting it to make the world a little more solarpunk! Bring your best selves, it’s not every day that a new Sci_Burst episode also coincides with a Taylor Swift album drop AND Mean Girls Day 😉☀️ Episode time stamps: 0:00 Introduction 3:30 What is Greenwashing? 21:45 Solarpunk washing ... it's a thing 45:42 Moving away from greenwashing…
S3 · E3 · 3 Sep 2025 · 51 min
S3 E3: Science, Community, and Third Places
This is a very special episode of Sci_Burst – our first ever live recording!!! Press play to learn about third places, the science and hope of community, and accessible futures. Thanks to our live audience, videographer, and Woden Library staff for making this such a cosy and special recording xx This project is supported by Inspiring Australia ACT and the ACT Government. Our equipment for this live recording was also made possible by YWCA Canberra. Episode time stamps: 0:00 Episode intro 2:53 What are third places? 14:06 The science of community and third places 34:23 Hopeful community…
S3 · E2 · 3 Aug 2025 · 49 min
S3 E2: The Punk of Solarpunk
Loved the Superman (2025) movie and looking for more #punk hope? 👩‍🎤 You've come to the right place! Listen to this episode to learn all about the punk of #solarpunk, where it came from, and how it differs (in a very good way!) from other -punk genres like #cyberpunk and #steampunk 😎🤙 Kindness and optimism, with a dash of #sustainability, are officially IN!☀️🫶💛 Episode Time Stamps: 0:00 Episode intro1:36 What even is 'punk'? Definitions 14:52 Punk in Solarpunk vs punk adjacent genres 35:00 Towards a punk-i-fied future 41:14 Good news segment Want More? Here are some of the things we spoke…
S3 · E1 · 3 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 17 min
S3 E1: Solarpunk Systems
What are solarpunk systems and can they help us toward a more positive future? Join Ella and Isabel in the first episode of this Solarpunk season of Sci_Burst! This episode is for you if: - you're new to Solarpunk - you like Solarpunk and want to explore it more - you're interested in positive stories - you want to imagine a sustainable and attainable future - you see wider connections in the world around you - you LOVE fiction (particularly sci-fi and speculative fiction) Episode Time Stamps: 0:00 Episode Intro 1:57 Solarpunk Recap 6:22 What are Solarpunk systems? 8:03 Fictional Solarpunk…
S3 · 19 May 2025 · 17 min
Season 3 Teaser
Welcome to a teaser for our upcoming third season of Sci_Burst! Here we introduce your Sci_Burst podcast hosts, tease our next season's theme, hint towards some of our upcoming episodes, and even drop a big exciting piece of news. It's Season 3 and we're trying something completely different: video! Whether you like to listen, watch, or somewhere in-between - we've got the podcast for you and this time we're going SolarPunk. Join us as we start this sustainable, punk, and community podcast with a teaser of all that's to come. Sci_Burst is a science in pop culture podcast hosted by Isabel and…
S2 · E10 · 1 Feb 2025 · 56 min
S2 E10: Energy Heroes & Future Cars with Isaac Martin
On this sunny Sunday morning we bring you our final episode for Season 2! Join us, and special guest Isaac Martin, as we talk all things renewable energy ☀️, technologies of the desert 🐪, and the future of Australian car culture 🚗✨ We explore Australia’s #potential as a sustainability hub & clean energy superpower 💚💛, the impacts & innovation of initiatives like the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge & ANU Solar Racing 🏎️, and all this alongside #popculture like Max Max and Summernats 😎 …and if you listen till the end, you’ll discover our theme for Season 3 😉😉
S2 · E9 · 2 Jan 2025 · 51 min
S2 E9: Archaeology with Phoebe Barnes
To kick off 2025, we bring you a fascinating episode on archaeology and pop culture, featuring special guest and budding archaeologist Phoebe Barnes!🏺⛏️🦴 Do you love Tomb Raider? 🪦🧩 Indiana Jones? 🤠🛕 Jurassic Park? 🦖🦕 Then this episode is for you. We touch on archaeogaming 👾, representations of archaeologists on screen vs archaeologists irl 🗿📜, and the mix and bleed of scientific thinking and the humanities. We hope you enjoy it!
S2 · E8 · 2 Dec 2024 · 59 min
S2 E8: SciComm for Kids with Dr Chloe Lim
What do ballon art and storytelling have in common? They are both great avenues for Science Communication AND are skills of this episode's guest: Dr Chloe Lim. Join us as we enter the amazing world that is SciComm for Kids! We're talking DIY science kits, STEM themed books, and even baking. This feel good episode also touches on being a business babe and a shining light for CALD voices in STEM. So press play and enjoy :)
S2 · E4 · 2 Nov 2024 · 1 hr 13 min
S2 E7: Teaching Maths with Will Roberts
Does thinking of maths make you spiral? Don't worry! This episode we are joined by teacher-in-training and maths enthusiast Will Roberts to talk to us about maths anxiety across reality and fiction! Struggling to think of maths teachers in your favourite high school tv show? Scarred by maths classrooms? The two may be more related than you think! Join us as we look for the beauty in mathematics, and have hope in the future of maths classrooms with empathetic and passionate teachers like Will. All this & more, just press play >> Add to the conversation! Let us know your thoughts on our…
S2 · E6 · 2 Oct 2024 · 57 min
S2 E6: Protoscience with Lilia Walsh
Why do science labs look like *that* ? What is alchemy? What came before the science we know today? And what does spiderman have to do with all of this? Our guest Lilia deep dives with us into the history of science talking about alchemy, astrology, greek myths, spiderman, star trek and so much more. If you've ever wanted to know why evil/mad/genius science labs look like *that* in fiction - you've come to the right place! Add to the conversation! Let us know your thoughts on our socials @sci_burst or via our gmail [email protected] ✨ Stay nerdy and we'll see you in the next episode.
S2 · E5 · 2 Sep 2024 · 1 hr 11 min
S2 E5: Movie Music with Professor Kenneth Lampl
In this cinematic episode of Sci_Burst our special guest Professor Kenneth Lampl from the ANU School of Music joins to talk about the history of music in movies. From John William's handwritten music to Hans Zimmer's film score digital revolution, learn with us how technology, cinema, people, and sound, continue to influence each other throughout time. Curious to know how King Kong and Star Wars changed how we listen to movies forever? You need only to press play! Add to the conversation! Let us know your thoughts on our socials @sci_burst or via our gmail [email protected] ✨ Stay…
S2 · E4 · 2 Aug 2024 · 1 hr 13 min
S2 E4: Sign Language with Bailey Kennedy
Today marks the release of our 20th full length episode, all about sign language! 😲🎉🙌 Ever wondered how sign languages like Auslan communicate scientific concepts and handle technobabble? Or how signing is represented on screen & fictional pop culture media like Bluey, CODA and Dune? Join us and our special guest Bailey Kennedy - who has a vast array of knowledge in these areas - to find out! Add to the conversation! Let us know your thoughts on our socials @sci_burst or via our gmail [email protected] ✨ Stay nerdy folks and we'll see you in the next episode.
S2 · E3 · 2 Jul 2024 · 58 min
S2 E3: Fables with Professor Chris Danta
Did someone say episode 3?! Join us and our special guest Professor Chris Danta from the ANU School of Cybernetics for a deep dive on fables and science, literary anthropology, animals and machines in literature, and even fridge music! 🐷🦊📚🤖 Add to the conversation! Let us know your thoughts on our socials @sci_burst or via our gmail [email protected] ✨ Stay nerdy and we'll see you in the next episode.
S2 · E2 · 2 Jun 2024 · 1 hr 1 min
S2 E2: AI PANIC with Adrian Schmidt
Don't PANIC ! 😎✨It's Sci_Burst time Join us and our very special guest Adrian Schmidt in this episode as we explore Artificial Intelligence (AI). Together we dive into AI's recent surge in popularity, its appearances in popular culture, and its use in art installations across the globe. Add to the conversation! Let us know your thoughts on our socials @sci_burst or via our gmail [email protected] ✨ Stay nerdy and we’ll see you in the next episode of Season 2!
S2 · E1 · 2 May 2024 · 50 min
S2 E1: Science Goes Pop with Dr Anna-Sophie Jurgens
Welcome to Sci_Burst Season 2! We're kicking off this season by talking all things popular culture, science, and how the two combine in weird, wacky and wonderful ways! Our very first guest Dr Anna-Sophie Jurgens from the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science joins us to talk about circus, clowns, and even science tattoos... We hope you come away from this episode with curiosity for the unexpected places that science appears inside and outside academia. Add to the conversation! Let us know your thoughts on our socials @sci_burst or via our gmail…
S1 · E16 · 30 Nov 2023 · 58 min
16. Solarpunk - Radical Sustainability
For our final episode of Season 1, we’re ending on an uplifting note with a sustainable and optimistic vision of the future 💖 This one’s a little intro to the emerging sci-fi subgenre, aesthetic, and movement that is ☀️ Solarpunk ☀️ Join us in exploring solarpunk worlds in pop culture, where we might see them in the near future, and what a harmonious relationship between nature, community, and technology can look like. As always, let us know your thoughts on our socials @sci_burst or via our gmail [email protected] ✨ And while we are taking a break from releasing episodes for a…
S1 · E15 · 30 Oct 2023 · 1 hr 1 min
15. What Makes a Hero? - Science in Comic Characters
Our penultimate episode of season 1 is now here! Listen to learn all about the (science and technology) formulas that make superheroes and supervillains in popular comic universes 🦸‍♀️🦹‍♀️ This episode is being released as part of the National Film and Sound Archives’ science and film night on the 1997 adaptation “Batman & Robin” — an event featuring yours truly!
S1 · E14 · 30 Sep 2023 · 55 min
14. Elemental Stories - Ancient Chemistry & Magic
The elements - a scientific concept that emerged from natural philosophy and alchemy - permeate pop culture to the nth degree. In this episode, we discuss chemistry's roots, science and magic, and the colourful portrayals of the 'classical' elements in contemporary pop culture💧🔥🌬️🪨 Join us in exploring the wonderful metaphors that come with these representations and what they say about our understanding of science - from Pixar's "Elemental" and "Avatar: The Last Airbender" to "Potion Permit" and Pokémon"!
S1 · E13 · 18 Aug 2023 · 1 hr 5 min
13. Mars, Board Games, & Space Colonisation
Happy Science Week 2023! And happy episode 13! Bring your ears along for a discussion on humanity's current Mars endeavours and space colonisation themes... in board games 🚀🪐🎲
S1 · E12 · 7 Jul 2023 · 1 hr 14 min
12. Street Art & Science Engagement
Our exciting Uncharted Territory episode on science and street art has officially dropped! Listen to explore the mathematical, technological and environmental (solarpunk may make an appearance 👀) genres found in science-themed street art. Using examples from Australia and around the globe, we discuss street art's potential as a highly accessible avenue for science communication.
S1 · E11 · 22 Jun 2023 · 1 hr 1 min
11. Queer Science - Depictions in Fiction & Beyond
Proudly announcing that episode 11 has come out 🌈💖💅 #HappyPride Join us as we dive into depictions of queerness in science, both in sci-fi & beyond! We chat about what types of media have great LGBTQIA+ characters, what identities are depicted, and why this representation isn't more prevalent in mainstream media. We also chat about the blossoming movement to queer science, and particularly to queer science communication! The future is bright!
S1 · E10 · 30 May 2023 · 59 min
10. Xenotransplants - Human-Animal Organ Transplantation
Welcome to our 10th Episode of Sci_Burst, where we delve into the horror-coded topic that is Xenotransplantation. Yep, you heard us - we're talking fiction and realities of human and animal organ transplants! Explore with us from classics like H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau to modern masterpieces such as Margret Atwood's Oryx and Crake. Though this is our 10th episode, it is our first one to touch properly on Medical Science, so get keen. There is a content warning on this one for gore, graphic descriptions, and animal cruelty. Be kind to yourselves <3

About Sci_Burst

Sci_Burst is a English tech & science podcast from Sci_Burst. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Sci_Burst
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 1 hr 5 min
Latest episode: 3 Jun 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1636879199
Rights: Sci_Burst

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