These are trying times, and there’s no shortage of research to show us how compromised the future might be; No lack of surveys showing how disheartened and pessimistic many people feel.
In classic stories a hero reluctantly takes up a cause that is bigger than themselves, faces challenges for the greater good, and sometimes falls, yet, despite the odds, they rise to fight again. It's one thing to be inspired that the hero got back up, it's another thing entirely to understand how, why, and at what cost? This podcast is an exploration of hope in a hopeless time, a celebration of tenacity, bravery, and stubbornness. There is light still in this growing darkness, let it give you strength.
Some personal thoughts on heroes and hope, both in literature and in history.
30 Oct 2026
Matt Cornish from C.R.O.C
You'd be hard pressed to find a bigger underdog in environmental conservation than the apex predators. Ugly animals may not get a lot of love, but they'll never inspire the same fear or hatred as an animal that can kill and eat you. Matt is a police officer and part time tour guide, wildlife educator, and crocodile conservation advocate who has committed himself to a Sysyphusian task. We sat down to talk about why and how.
20 Oct 2026
Blood in the water
In 2009 I wrote this as a poem whilst in Brazil. I was lost and confused, and grappling with the fact that I had invested myself heavily into something that couldn't really be my future.
It's still a pretty unpolished song, but I really like the feel of it. Lyrically, I doubled down on acknowledging that what I'd committed to was foolhardy; sharks aren't attracted to human blood, but even if they were they certainly wouldn't be in a backyard swimming pool looking for it.
A very important consideration that comes along with hope, disappointment, and desperation is asking whether what you're aiming for is realistic in the first place.
23 Aug 2026
Frank, Dianne, and the red-tipped banana farm
It's no secret that globally, agriculture is in trouble. That being said, it's also not discussed anywhere near as much as it should be considering a) every human on Earth needs to eat, b) industrial agriculture contributes a significant percentage of greenhouse gas emissions, and c) there's more than one way to farm food.
Frank and Diane are the incredible powerhouse couple behind Australia's Red-tipped bananas. In this recording from an educational presentation they delivered, they talk about what makes their farming system different, how it came about, and why it matters so much. It's very easy to get the impression sometimes that we don't have many options left but these guys have already proven that that might not be the case!
7 Aug 2026
My mate Paul
One of very few mentors I aspire to be like, my mate Paul is a phenomenally interesting human and he and I have worked together in multiple ways. This chat was a deeply personal and incredibly inspiring one for me.
4 Aug 2026
Dr Abbi Scott
I have shared the stage with Abbi, been involved in the FNQ STEM hub with her, and performed at one of her Pint of Science events, but this was the first time I got to sit down and actually chat with her, and I only found out on the day of recording that she was pregnant, which came as a very pleasant surprise.
3 Aug 2026
Hope: a prologue
Hope is a complex idea.
What does it mean, what does it offer, why is it important? Why would anybody make an interview-based podcast about it? All these questions and hardly any others will be answered in less than 10 minutes time if you press play now...
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