This week’s guest makes a splash

This week’s guest makes a splash

Author: JOY 94.9 - Rainbow Community Podcasts for our LGBTI, LGBTIQA+, LGBTQIA+, LGBT, LGBTQ, LGB, Gay, Lesbian, Trans, Intersex, Queer Communities September 14, 2025 Duration: 45:28

Want to be dam well-informed about floods and dams? How do we protect our homes and communities from disastrous floods? Why do insurance companies seem to know more about whether your house is at risk than you do?

Water engineer Erin Hughes helps us wade through the world of floods and dams. Erin is a Senior Surface Water Engineer at Hydrology and Risk Consulting. She has led many projects around Australia and the world to help predict floods and assess dam safety. Growing up in the Torres Strait, Erin was surrounded by water and saw first-hand the impact engineering could have on local communities when trying to manage water challenges. Her chat with Dr Cat will give you plenty to soak up!

Originally aired 9th September, 2025.

The post This week’s guest makes a splash appeared first on Science Queeries.


Curiosity meets community in Science Queeries, a space where the wonders of the natural world and the vibrant spectrum of human identity intersect. Hosted by Cat, this podcast from JOY 94.9’s Rainbow Community collection approaches learning with a warm, questioning spirit. It’s less a formal lecture and more a series of engaging conversations that unpack scientific concepts through an inclusive, queer lens. You’ll hear explorations that connect the dots between biology, sociology, technology, and lived experience, making complex ideas both accessible and personally relevant. Each episode invites you to consider how science shapes and is shaped by the diverse LGBTIQA+ communities it seeks to understand. The tone is thoughtful and welcoming, designed for anyone who’s ever felt on the outside looking in at traditional science communication. Whether discussing the latest research or the fundamentals of how things work, this podcast consistently centers a perspective that is often overlooked. It’s a place for learning, questioning, and finding connection in the shared pursuit of knowledge. Tune in for a refreshing take that proves science is for everyone, and that some of the most insightful discoveries begin with a simple, open-minded query.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 55

Science Queeries
Podcast Episodes
Innately You: Depathologising Being Intersex [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:36
Around 1.7% of babies born in Australia have innate variations in sex characteristics. That’s roughly one in 60 babies. For decades…and to this day, intersex people have been treated as medical problems that need solving…
One Planet, Three Crises [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:33
We are facing a triple planetary crisis. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution aren’t separate problems – they’re interconnected threats that are unravelling our world. This week, we’re exploring how these thr…
Skull and Crossbones: Brains, Bones & Teeth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:50
Let’s get into the marrow of bone structure and its link to osteoporosis, learn about some un-nerve-ing mutations that can spark brain tumours and epilepsy, and crown our conversation with cutting-edge dental solutions t…
Toad-ally Thirsty: Going Out with a Bang [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:44
When frogs face a life-threatening disease, you’d expect them to hunker down and focus on survival. But nature sometimes has other plans. A deadly disease caused by a chytrid fungus has decimated 500+ amphibian species.…
Good Moon Rising: The Science of Lunar New Year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:55
Chúc mừng năm mới! 恭喜发财! 새해 복 많이 받으세요! Happy New Year! Lunar New Year is celebrated by millions of people around the world. The celebration isn’t just cultural — it’s also astronomical. It’s tied to the night sky and is…
Sea-ing Change in Sydney Harbour [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:20
Sydney Harbour is one of the most iconic waterways in the world — but beneath the postcard views lies a complex ecological story of sea-rious degradation, recovery, and renewal. In this episode of Science Queeries, we ho…
Slay the Binary: Inside the Animal Queendom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:33
Biological sex in nature is far from simple – and the animal queendom proves it. From fish that change sex, to intersex whales, to species that reproduce without males at all, this episode dives into the wonderfully non-…
Waddle We Know About Penguins? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:40
Penguins may live at the bottom of the world, but they’ve risen to the very top of our hearts. For Penguin Awareness Day, Dr Cat and archeologist Dr Wenjing Yu are sliding onto the Antarctic ice to celebrate these iconic…
Paws for Thought: Are Dogs Happy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:50
We spend over $20 billion a year on our dogs in Australia — but are our dogs actually happy, or just very well accessorised? This week on Science Queeries, Dr Cat is sniffing out the science of dog happiness with interdi…
Past Weather, Future Problems [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:31
What if the key to Australia’s climate future is hidden in its past? When we talk about climate change, we often picture satellites, supercomputers, and graphs stretching into the future. But this week on Science Queerie…