The science intersection
This podcast is on a range of issues but generally they fit into one of four categories. The four categories are: Climate change, alternative economic systems, diversity and health. On occasion the podcast has episodes which don't fit into any of these.
The podcast is a mix of science and social science and other elements which impact on well-being.
Episodes
73 episodes
From Good Ideas to Better Outcomes: Testing Social Policy in the Real World
In Part 2 of my conversation with Professor Michael Sanders and Julia Ellingwood, we look at what evidence can show us that good intentions, professional experience and common sense might miss.We discuss why it is not enough to ask wheth...
Evidence, Ideology and Citizens’ Assemblies: How Do We Decide What Works?
In this episode of The Science Intersection, I’m joined by Professor Michael Sanders and Julia Ellingwood for a conversation about evidence-based policy — what it means, why it matters, and why good ideas do not always translate neatly...
Helen Pearson: How Evidence Shows What Really Works
What does it really mean to ask, “Where is the evidence?”In this episode of The Science Intersection, I’m joined by Helen Pearson, award-winning science journalist, editor at Nature, and author of Beyond Belief: How...
Beyond Intervention: Care Teams, Connection and Violence Prevention
In part two of my conversation with Robert Mahoney, founder of TVP Solutions, we look at what violence prevention can mean in practice.Robert explains why top-down intervention can sometimes backfire, and why people need a different “lan...
Violence Prevention, School Safety and the “Small Ripples” We Miss — with Robert Mahoney, Part 1
What if violence prevention is not only about responding to danger, but about noticing struggle earlier?In this first part of my conversation with Robert Mahoney, founder of TVTP Solutions, we talk about behavioural threat assessment, th...
Disability, Bias and the Barriers We Build with Daniel Hodges
In this episode of The Science Intersection, I speak with Daniel Hodges, founder of Pieces of Me, an organisation working to eliminate stigma around disability, physical difference and chronic illness.Daniel shares his ow...
Rhythms of Resistance: Protest, Samba and the Politics of Direct Action
In this episode of The Science Intersection, I speak with Ian Fillingham, who helped found Rhythms of Resistance and was involved with Reclaim the Streets.We discuss the origins of Rhythms of Resistance, the role o...
Science Education? It’s Child’s Play
In this episode, I speak with Phil Wiles and Matteo Menapace about how games can be used in science communication, education and public engagement.We discuss how tabletop games can help people understand complex systems from hospit...
How to Make Friends Without Forcing It: with Ryan from Social Shortcuts
In this episode, I’m joined by Ryan from Social Shortcuts to talk about what actually helps people build better social lives.We discuss why so many people feel isolated even when they live in busy cities, how Meetup and events can...
Living with Long Covid, Invisible Illness and Finding Support
In this episode, I’m joined by Emma Wills Taube, who has been living with long Covid since 2022 and went on to set up Long Covid Solidarity, a peer support project connecting people affected by the condition.Emma talks abou...
VirWave Founder Kate Julia on Breathwork, Journaling & Connection-First Wellbeing Tech
In this episode, I’m joined by Kate Julia, founder of VirWave, to talk about “emotional regulation technology” and how wellbeing tools can feel more accessible when they’re designed for different learning styles. We di...
Psychological Safety Under Pressure: Handling Difficult Questions (Interlude)
With thanks to Michael Dodd this episode’s guest. This week is a short interlude episode due to a scheduling change: something practical and a bit different. Next week we’ll be back with our usual format.Communication is a we...
Advice, Health & Housing: Why Welfare Systems Are a Public Health Issue
What happens when debt, housing insecurity, and benefit delays become a health issue?In this episode of The Science Intersection, I’m joined by Louise, Head of Business and Fundraising at Citizens Advice Barnet, to explore the r...
Rewriting the Future of Cancer Care: STEM, Equity and the Fight Against Lung Cancer Disparities
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Eugene Manley, founder of the STEM & Cancer Health Equity Foundation, for a powerful conversation about representation, health equity, and the structural barriers that continue to shape cancer outcomes.<...
Replicating Literacy Success: Neurodiversity, Academic Specialisation, and the Future of Learning (Part 2 with Russell)
In this episode of The Science Intersection, we continue our conversation with Russell, exploring whether innovative literacy and learning approaches can be successfully replicated across education systems.The Science Intersection explor...
How Dyslexia Can Become a Cognitive Advantage: Rethinking How We Learn
In this episode, I speak with Russell Van Brocklen, a New York State-funded dyslexia researcher whose own educational journey challenges traditional assumptions about learning ability.Russell struggled to read and write until law school,...
What Courtwatch Reveals About Delays, Efficiency, and Justice (Part 2)
In the second part of this interview, we continue our conversation with Courtwatch about what volunteers observe when they sit in on magistrates’ courts across England and Wales.This episode focuses on court efficiency and delays ...
Inside the Magistrates’ Courts: CourtWatch, Compassion, and the Hidden Justice System (Part 1)
In this episode, I’m joined by Finola from Transform Justice, a UK charity working to make the justice system more humane, transparent, and effective.We explore how the criminal justice system actually functions at its “bulk end”&...
From Concrete to Canopy: Greening the Future of Our Cities
Cities were never meant to be lifeless landscapes of concrete, steel, and heat. In this episode, we speak with the founder of Leaf Island, an award-winning urban planning initiative that’s transforming rooftops, walls, and underused spaces into...
They Could Be Saviours: Billionaires, Psychedelics, and the Ethics of Urgency — with Diana Colleen
With thanks to Diana Colleen who joins me in this episode, she is a novelist, essayist, and psychedelic facilitator whose work explores transformation, responsibility, and social change.We discuss her latest novel, They Could B...
Different Ways of Knowing: Evidence, Bias, and DEI
In this first reflective episode, I step back from the usual guest format to explain why I’m including reflection episodes in this series.I come from a science background, and something I’ve always cared about is not just what w...
Bonus episode
This is a bonus episode that sits slightly outside the usual theme of the podcast.It’s an interview I recorded that doesn’t neatly fit with my core topics, but I’m including it because it’s genuinely useful especially at this time of yea...
Stories of Strength: Reflections with Lynn
In this episode, Lynn shares stories from her work with clients: moments of resilience, humour, and connection that remind us what it means to support one another through life’s challenges.I’ll also be doing a solo episode soon to talk a...
💪✨ Fitness isn’t just for the young: it’s for living better, longer.
In this episode, Lynn shares her expertise on training older adults — why strength, balance, and mobility matter more than aesthetics, and how simple exercises can make everyday life easier and safer. From preventing falls to building confidenc...
Breaking the Matrix: Money, Power, and Choice with Arunjay
What does it really mean to live outside the system? In this episode, I sit down with Arunjay to explore capitalism, money, and how we’re conditioned to equate success with wealth. From smoking analogies to the Matrix, we unpack how corruption ...