Chef and farmer Matthew Evans explores the polarising nature of milk, we unpick what parliamentary design means for democracy, and visit artist and scientist Mary-Jane Walker in her studio to explore her art project on Geelong's threatened bir

A modern grand tour, Sam Cox on garden design, and plants in space

11 days ago 54m 4s

We go on a grand tour for the 21st century, discuss better apartment design, visit landscape designer Sam Cox in his naturalistic garden, and look to the future when plants can survive on the Moon and sustain us as we journey Mars.

Mourning fashion, for the love of cemeteries, and Jamie Oliver's last supper

18 days ago 54m 4s

We explore a Blueprint for death on this special episode: why black is the colour of mourning, cemeteries as a boon for the living, Colin Bisset's world tour of monuments, and Jamie Oliver's last supper.

The future of weeds, native seeds, and restaurant feeds

24 days ago 54m 4s

Feeds: Will Aussie cafes and restaurants survive?Australian restaurants and cafes are grappling with the impacts of the cost of living, COVID, immigration reform, and wages, jeopardising their survival. Wes Lambert is the head of a new peak bo

Gut health, croissants, concrete and life after the flood

Jun 15th, 2024

Tim Spector – The Gut and the New Science of Eating WellWhat exactly is the gut microbiome and why is everyone talking about it? Nutrition expert and genetic epidemiologist Tim Spector debunks common dietary myths, and gives his top 5 tips for

Birds: Watching them, painting them… eating them

Jun 8th, 2024 54m 4s

Painting birds: Australian Birds in WatercolourArtist and former regional doctor David Freeman shares his sense of place – a setting which led to his exquisite new collection Australia's Birds in Watercolour.Eating birds: How to roast a duck w

The long shadow of Rome, an 1856 system garden, and designing for dignity

Jun 1st, 2024 54m 4s

The long shadow of RomeWhy are tourists so obsessed with Ancient Greece and Rome? Might some of the more obscure archaeological sites, for example from medieval times, be missing out on the attention they deserve - both in terms of the eyes of

Cooking with fire: Michelin stars, American BBQ, and the history of the stove

May 25th, 2024 54m 4s

From the flickering flames of ancient hearths to the glowing coals of modern barbecues, fire is more than just a tool; it's an elemental force that has shaped our diets, our culture, and our very way of being. Today we'll meet people from acro

Matt Preston, Baker Bleu, and an architectural history of student protests

May 18th, 2024 54m 4s

Uni student protests: An architectural historyWhat impact has the built environment had on student protests on campus? How have universities responded architecturally in order to curb dissent?Matt Preston: Big MouthThe former MasterChef judge,

Charcuterie, a mid-century modernist icon, and permaculture as a beacon of hope

May 11th, 2024 54m 2s

Annie Smithers cooks Elizabeth David - CharcuterieWhat’s your relationship like with your local sausage maker? Learn about French techniques and recipes that bring to life the art of charcuterie, celebrating its rich flavours and cultural sign

Viking cinnamon buns, Bruce Pascoe's object of desire, and can churches solve the housing crisis?

May 4th, 2024 54m 4s

Breaking news: Vikings enjoyed cinnamon bunsWhy is vanilla a byword for boring? How did peppercorns end up next to salt on every western table? Did you know the Vikings were rather partial to cinnamon buns? Food writer Eleanor Ford explores th

Paul Bangay tours the Murdoch family farm, and the meat name game heats up

Apr 27th, 2024 54m 2s

Your weekly expedition to the heart of modern life through buildings, design, gardens and food.

Future-proofing our beloved cities, and Hetty Lui McKinnon's last meal

Apr 20th, 2024 54m 4s

From ancient Roman aqueducts to futuristic vertical farms, how can we blend historical wisdom and cutting-edge technology to make our cities resilient places to live? What would food writer Hetty Lui McKinnon eat if it was her last day on Eart

Saudi Arabia’s 'The Line' and architectural megalomania

Apr 13th, 2024 54m 4s

Stretching for 170 kilometres and soaring 500 metres into the sky, how does The Line rank among the most grandiose architectural efforts in history? The story behind a Vogue editor's beloved Chanel jacket; and who wields the real influence whe

Re-designing the nature strip and re-inventing the suburban backyard

Apr 5th, 2024 53m 56s

Re-inventing the suburban backyard with regeneration and community in mind; re-designing the nature strip; Elizabeth David's Gratin Dauphinois and Besha Rodell's love of vintage glassware.

The lost art of dress and a tour of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

Mar 29th, 2024 54m 5s

If you are dressed head to toe in black, polyester, nylon or some combination thereof, you may need a dress doctor. Linda Przybyszewski - Dress maker, historian and author of The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish - dis

The alt right diet, meat and masculinity and chef Jo Barrett's last supper

Mar 22nd, 2024 53m 57s

Raw meat, egg slonking, seed oil panic and the war on “soy globalism” - welcome to the obscurantist dietary fixations of the alt right. Jan Dutkiewicz, Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Department of Social Science and Cultural

Paris' radical climate plan and a design history of the bicycle

Mar 15th, 2024 54m 4s

The city of Paris is about to enact an ambitious new climate Plan and we discuss the commitment to building a cyclist friendly urban centre; We also delve into the design history of the bicycle; and visit a man who makes penny farthings.

Nam Le on Iowa City, Provincetown and becoming a writer and hors d'oeuvres with Elizabeth David

Mar 8th, 2024 54m 4s

Internationally renowned designer Bethan Laura Wood is building a library like no other; she gives us a tour of Kaleidoscope-o-rama; Nam Le, award winning author of The Boat, takes us to the two places that shaped him as a writer; and Annie Sm

Optimistic design the Solarpunk way, trend cycles spinning out and a museum of disgusting foods

Mar 1st, 2024 54m 4s

Solarpunk's vision for a brighter future, the churn of aesthetic trends online and why we find some foods disgusting.

Besha Rodell predicts 2024 food trends, Nathan Thrall on Jerusalem and Guy Grossi's last supper

Feb 23rd, 2024 54m 4s

Besha Rodell casts her gaze back on the food scene that was 2023 and makes her predictions for 2024; Journalist and author Nathan Thrall takes us to the city he calls the most divided in the world – his home city of Jerusalem.

Aesthetic uniformity, hipster cafes and Neutraface, the ubiquitous signifier of gentrification

Feb 16th, 2024 54m 4s

Exposed brick, smashed avocado, hanging Edison bulbs, the patina of industry and reclaimed wood furniture – this is the algorithmic aesthetic writer and critic, Kyle Chayka investigates in his new book, Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Cu

Kevin McCloud on good design, Yanis Varoufakis' sense of place and Annie Smithers' homage to Elizabeth David

Feb 9th, 2024 54m 7s

Kevin McCloud on the definition of good design, why Grand Designs is such a compelling proposition; Yanis Varoufakis reflects on growing up in the shadow of the Parthenon, on his idyllic childhood and its contrast to the brutal political reali

A psychoanalytic account of comfort eating, the fate of COVID-core comfort wear and the design history of the comfy chair

Feb 2nd, 2024 54m 4s

Psychoanalyst Josh Cohen reflects on the contradictions, conflicts and the disordered and divided appetites of the modern individual and Colin Bisset gives a design history of the comfortable chair.