Science  Write  Now

What lurks in a house of slime hidden in the middle of a forest? Is there a place for psychedelics in our medicine cabinets? Why are scientists talking about the formula p(doom) – and what does it mean for humanity?

SWN In-Conversation: The Best Australian Science Writing 2024 with Carl Smith, Amanda Niehaus and Bianca Millroy – LIVE at Books@Stones, 12 December 2024

This week, we’re excited to share a bonus episode on the podcast, coming to you live from Books@Stones, a local indie bookshop in Brisbane where we recently hosted an in-conversation event with two incredible humans of the science and storytelling world to celebrate the launch of The Best Australian Science Writing 2024.

This much-loved anthology – now in its fourteenth year – selects the most riveting, urgent science stories from Australian writers, poets, and scientists. As the book says, 'The best science writing doesn’t just answer questions, it cracks them open. It dissects them, probes them and solves their mysteries. It takes you on a journey of discovery...'

In this conversation, SWN’s Bianca Millroy is joined by co-editor and science journalist Carl Smith along with contributing writer and co-founder of Science Write Now, Dr Amanda Niehaus.

Over one science-packed hour, you’ll hear a reading from ‘Dog People’, Amanda’s superb braided essay that placed runner-up in this year’s Bragg Prize for Science Writing, alongside Dr Dyani Lewis for her piece ‘The World’s Oldest Story is Flaking Away – Can Scientists Protect It?’ and winner Cameron Stewart, for his heart-wrenching feature ‘Heroes of Zero’. We also put Carl and Amanda in the hot seat to discuss the current state of science journalism, the challenges facing writers with the rise of misinformation and AI, and why we we need quality and compelling science journalism right now, more than ever. But what can be done to combat this and strengthen the argument that science-informed storytelling and journalism is fundamental for these times? How can we ensure better representation for First Nations stories, scientific contributions and knowledge-sharing?

Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go on that journey… (and stick around to find out who wins “p(doom)” bingo!)

Meet our guests

Carl Smith is a science journalist working for ABC’s Science Unit and Radio National. He makes audio documentaries, podcasts and written features with original photography. He’s won a Young Walkley Award for Longform Journalism and jointly won a Eureka Prize for Science Journalism. Carl’s been an ABC News cadet, a geneticist, a reporter on Behind the News, a ‘journalist in residence’ in Germany and an animated presenter on the ABC Education series Minibeast Heroes. His most recent audio series are Strange Frontiers and Pacific Scientific. He also co-writes and co-hosts the ethics podcast for kids, Short & Curly.

Dr Amanda Niehaus is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Science Write Now. She is a writer, scientist, and author of the novel The Breeding Season—a story of resilience based on the reproductive biology of northern quolls. Her essays and stories have been published in Griffith Review, Overland, The Guardian, Creative Nonfiction, Best Australian Essays, and more. Amanda was runner-up in 2024 for the Bragg Prize for Science Writing, and her essay ‘Dog People’ (Griffith Review) is published in The Best Australian Science Writing 2024.

Bianca Millroy (host) is a freelance writer, editor and podcaster with a passion for science communication. Her work appears in Science Write Now, Visible Ink and Writing Queensland. Bianca was a finalist in the Queensland Literary Awards in 2020, although she has traded fiction for nonfiction and is now perilously undertaking her PhD in creative nonfiction (science writing).

Thanks so much for tuning in to this bonus episode of Science Write Now – we had such a blast doing this event, and our p(doom) bingo was a hit… let us know what you think, we might even make this an annual event!

In the meantime, you can buy your copy of The Best Australian Science Writing online or at your local independent bookshop (limited signed copies available at Books@Stones!).

The Science Write Now podcast is proudly produced on Jaegara and Turrbal Country, with funding from Creative Australia.