In this Totally Cooked episode, Sarah and Iain talk with Professor Lesley Hughes, exploring the concept of biodiversity—what it means, why it matters, and how it connects all life on Earth, from genes to ecosystems. They cover how climate change is accelerating biodiversity loss, particularly in Australia, and the real-world consequences this has for ecosystems, communities, and the economy.

Lesley shares insights from her career in climate science and public advocacy, including her role in the Climate Council and the political challenges surrounding climate communication in Australia. The episode also unpacks how scientists engage with the public and policymakers, and the importance of clear, accessible communication in driving action. Ultimately, it’s a story about resilience, evidence-based advocacy, and how climate scientists have navigated political resistance to keep critical conversations alive.

Whether you want to start your own climate change organisation, learn how one of Australia's best functions, or just love successful women in STEM, this episode is for you.

Iain records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation. Sarah records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging and recognise their unique and continuing connection to the land, skies, waters, plants and animals.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Totally Cooked movie special, hosts Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick and Iain Strachan are joined by returning guest Dr Tim Raupach of UNSW Sydney to revisit the 1996 tornado blockbuster.

Twister features Helen Hunt driving into a mesocyclone, Philip Seymour Hoffman blasting music from a convoy of beat-up trucks, and Cary Elwes as the most devastatingly handsome villain in meteorological cinema history. Scene by scene, they separate the jargon from the nonsense: the dryline explanation? Surprisingly solid. The tornado warning time argument? Actually one the film's researchers won, and scientists are still fighting today. Hiding under a highway overpass? Absolutely not — do not do that.

Along the way, the team unpacks how tornado science has evolved in the three decades since the film's release, what real instruments like Dorothy actually exist now, and why the film's meteorological jargon — while occasionally mixed up — is mostly grounded in real science. There are Wizard of Oz callbacks, a frank discussion of whether an F5 tornado would actually bisect you via a leather belt, and a quiet acknowledgement that the movie's core premise — that getting better data from inside storms saves lives — is as relevant as ever.

Whether you loved the film as a kid, are seeing it for the first time at 41 and missed the entire plot, or just want to know what a dryline actually is, this one is for you. Nostalgic, nerdy, and Totally Cooked.

Iain records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation. Sarah records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging and recognise their unique and continuing connection to the land, skies, waters, plants and animals.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join hosts Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick and Iain Strachan of the Totally Cooked team for part 2, as they explore Australia’s path to net zero emissions with Monash University expert Roger Dargaville. The discussion goes deeper into the technologies and hard choices shaping Australia's energy future. Unpacking why nuclear power doesn't stack up economically or technically for Australia's high-renewables grid, how pumped hydro acts as a giant rechargeable battery, and where hydrogen really fits into the mix—hint: it's not grid storage.

The conversation also covers EV battery degradation and the emerging recycling industry, the challenges of decarbonising aviation with sustainable fuels, and the frustrating reality that fossil fuels can't simply be switched off overnight. Roger shares what cutting-edge research is happening in his lab—from optimal energy system modelling and EV charging infrastructure to building-integrated solar and green steel—before the hosts close with a frank discussion on the political, economic, and intergenerational barriers that have slowed climate action for decades.

Iain records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation. Sarah records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging and recognise their unique and continuing connection to the land, skies, waters, plants and animals.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.