Best Invention Army Podcasts (2026)

1
Holiday Listening: Nerida's nudibranchs, sea dragons and siphonophores 52:00

Play Pause

19m ago52:00

52:00

As a marine molecular biologist, Dr Nerida Wilson spends a lot of her time getting acquainted with the mysterious creatures lurking in the dark depths of the sea. From nudibranchs, to sea dragons and a UFO-looking spiral that's around 150 feet long, Nerida doesn't need to know why these weird and wonderful creatures exist, that they made it here in…

1
Ancient Athens Picked Its Leaders by Lottery for Over 200 Years. Some Think This System Should Replace Electoral Democracy 51:51

2d ago51:51

51:51

For almost two centuries, Ancient Athens—the most successful democracy in history—selected citizens by lottery to fill government positions. Athens adopted sortition—a random lottery system—to select most public officials and the members of the Council of 500, a reform pioneered in 508 BC to break aristocratic control and distribute power equally a…

1
Holiday Listening: Lee Berger, the real-life Indiana Jones, and the Case of the Lost Hominids 51:48

37m ago51:48

51:48

When Lee Berger entered the field of palaeoanthropology there was a one in 10,000,000 chance he would discover anything 'worthwhile' digging around South Africa. But this real-life Indiana Jones kept bucking the odds. First, he found a pair of hominid teeth in southern Africa, and then after a fossil-hunting dry spell, his 9-year-old son Matthew fo…

1
Holiday Listening: Fishing for feelings -- the many ways fish are smarter than you think 50:17

2d ago50:17

50:17

Dr Culum Brown is a leading researcher in the field of fish cognition, his research has shown that even that smallest fish are capable of learning and can retain memories for months. His fascination for fish stems from growing up in parts of south-east Asia, where he would spend every possible hour in the ocean with a snorkel. As an adult, Culum's …

1
How Would Nixon Have Handled the Cuban Missile Crisis? 28:39

4d ago28:39

28:39

The "Madman Theory" was Richard Nixon's foreign policy strategy during the Vietnam War era, where he deliberately cultivated an image of being unpredictable and irrational—hinting he might escalate to nuclear extremes—to intimidate adversaries like North Vietnam and the Soviet Union into concessions. Nixon instructed aides like Henry Kissinger to s…

1
Holiday Listening: The flying vet from Outback Queensland 51:00

33m ago51:00

51:00

Dr Campbell Costello's work as a vet has taken him out of his family's station in North Queensland to places as far flung as Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Patagonia. He's acted as the official vet for a sled race in Alaska, for epic horse races in Mongolia and Argentina, and he has run a cattle station in the former Soviet Union. But after a family trag…

1
Why Small Powers are Not a Walkover in the Era of Technologies 6:10

6d ago6:10

6:10

Incremental adaptation in modern warfare has astonished military observers globally. Ukraine's meticulously planned Operation Spider Web stands as a stark reminder of how bottom-up innovation combined with hi-tech solutions can prove their mettle on the battlefield. It has also exposed the recurring flaw in the strategic mindsets of the great power…

1
Holiday Listening: Slime moulds—the brainless blobs that can move and solve mazes 48:00

2d ago48:00

48:00

Dr Tanya Latty is an insect scientist with a quirky taste in pets, and a keen eye for detail, but it's the lessons from her brainless pet slime mould that she's most fascinated about. Tanya studies the behaviour of ants and bees and she's particularly interested in their ability to work effectively as a team to achieve a common goal. But her pet pr…

1
Holiday Listening: David Bindi Hudson on playing his didgeridoo at the Taj Mahal 49:24

7d ago49:24

49:24

When his elders named him Bindi, David Hudson had no idea his future would involve performing with his didgeridoo at the Taj Mahal, or a role in a film starring Marlin Brando Western Yalanji and Ewamian man David Bindi Hudson is a performing artist and musician. His parents were born on Mona Mona mission, near Cairns. David's mother didn't like bei…

1
Diogenes, the Father of Ancient Greek Stoicism, Loving Trolling His Audience and Could Out-Shock Borat 49:18

9d ago49:18

49:18

The famous street artist Banksy shocked the art world in 2018 when his painting, Girl with Balloon, partially shredded itself moments after selling it for over a million dollars. at a Sotheby's auction in London. Banksy had secretly built a mechanical shredder into the painting's ornate frame, turning the destruction into a piece of performance art…

1
Holiday Listening: Learning from the mighty matriarchs of the animal kingdom 51:20

15h ago51:20

51:20

Erna Walraven was one of the first female zookeepers to work at Sydney's Taronga Zoo in the 1980s. Despite practical jokes from her male colleagues, like animal dung in her gumboots, Erna kept her nerve. She was born in The Netherlands, to parents who were involved in the Dutch resistance during World War II. Erna's love of languages took her to Sp…

1
Blown Off Course: How History’s Windy Turning Points Sank the Armada and Saved Japan from the Mongols 46:23

11d ago46:23

46:23

The greatest energy source for civilization before the steam engine was wind. It powered the global economy in the Age of Sail. Wind-powered sail ships made global shipping fast and cheap by harnessing free, reliable ocean winds to propel large cargo loads over vast distances without needing fuel or frequent stops. It also powered windmills, the fa…

1
Freeform Episode 22 - Looking Back, Looking Ahead 25:57

3d ago25:57

25:57

Jon sits down to talk about some changes coming to the podcast and how the past shapes the future of Welsh History. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: @Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter at: http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic…

1
Best of 2025: Mike Doleman on surving the Blythe Star 53:00

6d ago53:00

53:00

At 18 years old, Mick Doleman miraculously survived when his ship capsized in the freezing Southern Ocean off Tasmania. But as he floated in a life raft with his nine crewmates, his ordeal at sea had only just begun. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, the Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It covers ship wreck, overcr…

1
Maps Have Bigger Problems Than the Mercator Projection. They Invent Mountain Ranges and Usually Eliminate New Zealand 45:39

16d ago45:39

45:39

Maps have always had problems. Five hundred years ago, maps were wildly inaccurate simply because cartographers were drawing the edge of the known world, limited by slow ships and nonexistent satellite data, resulting in continents that were too large, too small, or entirely misplaced. All of those problems have been solved thanks to new technology…

1
Best of 2025: How I became a brainwashed cult bride 53:31

7d ago53:31

53:31

Liz Cameron was 18 years old when a stranger approached her in a book shop. It was the beginning of her induction into a cult, and it was an experience Liz barely survived. The process of brainwashing happened gradually, first came the love-bombing and the allure of finding a new purpose in life. Then came the isolation from friends and family, alo…

1
As Russia's war continues, Great Powers are Competing. 10:02

8d ago10:02

10:02

As Russia launches the next phase of its Campaign, Great Powers are Competing. So why is the UK on the Bench? With overt and covert probing across Europe, a newly undeterred Russia has entered the next phase in its War with the fracturing West. Rapidly developed on Ukraine's battlefields, Russia is deploying its newfound technological advantage ove…

1
Best of 2025: The young boat builder who rowed across the Pacific 52:16

8d ago52:16

52:16

Tom Robinson was a 14-year-old living in the Brisbane suburbs when he made a promise to himself to become the youngest person ever to row across the Pacific Ocean. Nine years later Tom set off from Peru bound for Australia without a support crew and limited communication. Tom navigated by the stars, made eye contact with a shark and rowed up to 15 …

1
The Great Mathematicians of the Early 1900s Ran into an Unsolvable Problem. They Realized Math Made No Sense 45:38

18d ago45:38

45:38

In the 1800s, it seemed like mathematics was a solved problem. The paradoxes in the field were resolved, and even areas like advanced calculus could be taught consistently and reliably at any school. It was clearly understandable in a way that abstract fields like philosophy weren’t, and it was on its way to solving humanity’s problems. Mathematica…

1
Best of 2025: Claire Keegan on bravery, writing and the single life 53:10

9d ago53:10

53:10

The bestselling Irish author grew up on a farm set on “50 acres on the side of a hill”. Growing up, she witnessed a harsh, misogynistic country that convinced her she would never marry. Claire shares what she has learned about writing from a litter of newborn piglets. Her works Small Things Like These and Foster have both been made into movies. Cla…

1
Episode 255 - The Turning Century 27:03

12d ago27:03

27:03

The last decade of the nineteenth century was a period of immense change across Wales. It was a decade shaped by industry, migration, global tensions, political transformation, and cultural shifts. To contemporaries, the time felt restless, uncertain, and filled with possibility. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: @Welshhist…

1
Best of 2025: How Vincent Fantauzzo's life was saved by love and painting 52:00

10d ago52:00

52:00

When artist Vincent Fantauzzo was a boy he was a street-fighting petty criminal with dyslexia and a blazing talent for drawing. He escaped jail time, and grew up to become one of Australia's most well-known portrait artists. VIncent Fantauzzo is one of Australia's most successful portrait artists. For his luminous, photo-realistic paintings he's wo…

1
Encore: the life of Norman Swan 51:00

13d ago51:00

51:00

How a boy from Glasgow named Norman Swirsky grew up to become Australia's most famous doctorWhen Norman was 10 years old his dad decided to change the family's surname to Swan in a response to ongoing anti-Semitism in Scotland after WWII. Norman wanted to be an actor growing up, but his parents encouraged him to study medicine. After he completed h…

1
The American Revolution was a World War in All but Name 56:43

23d ago56:43

56:43

The Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, known as the "shot heard round the world," marked the first military engagements of the American Revolution. Ralph Waldo Emerson named it that because it launched revolutionary movements in Europe and beyond, marking it as a key moment in the fight for liberty and self-governance. But this moment …

1
William McInnes' bittersweet summers — budgie smugglers, boardies and bumming around 50:30

14d ago50:30

50:30

The author and actor thinks summer in Australia is done bigger, better and weirder than anywhere else. For three months of the year, life slows down and heats up. But for William, summer in Australia is an imperfect paradise where more than anything, people yearn to connect. Summer can be a hellish time in Australia, where temperatures soar and fir…

1
The Thinking Soldier: Why Intellectual Curiosity Belongs In Your Belt Kit 8:43

25d ago8:43

8:43

"The nation that will insist on drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking by cowards." ~ Lt Gen Sir William F. Butler (1838-1910) In the British Army we pride ourselves on our readiness. Prowess in physical fitness, tactical decision-making and spe…

1
How living like a Stoic changed my life 51:19

15d ago51:19

51:19

Journalist and author, Brigid Delaney looked into the ancient philosophy during an assignment from her editor. What she discovered led her to years of study and a brand-new outlook on life that focuses less on happiness and more on meaning and contentment. Brigid is devoted to the Stoics, a philosophy that encourages its followers to focus on what …

1
How Napoleon and Churchill Used Neuroscience to Make a Better Soldier and More Loyal Public 45:23

25d ago45:23

45:23

The brain acts in strange ways during wartime. Even in active combat situations, when soldiers are one mistake away from death, many can’t fire on their enemies because their brain is triggering compassion centers against other soldiers. Studies of World War II show that while soldiers were willing to risk death, only 15% to 20% fired their weapons…

1
The Rajneeshees and me — why Martina thought she needed a guru to heal 53:00

16d ago53:00

53:00

Cult survivor and psychotherapist Dr Martina Zangger on her ten years devoted to an Indian mystic and how she learned to stand on her own two feet. When Martina Zangger was 19 years old she became a devotee of the Rajneeshee Movement led by the Guru, Bhagwan. The cult had its headquarters in a huge ashram, built in rural Oregon, and Martina decided…

1
Roman Britain Episode 4 – Victoria Paratur 34:19

17d ago34:19

34:19

This episode we are going to talk about the structures and configuration of the Roman Army that was about to invade Britain in 43 CE. Follow us on social media:Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: WelshhistorypodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcastPlease consider becoming a supporter at:http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Imp…

1
Encore: Helen Garner's love letter to her grandson, and football 52:10

21d ago52:10

52:10

When Helen Garner began following her grandson Amby's under-16s football team, it was a chance to spend more time with her youngest grandchild before he became an adult and she was fascinated by the spectacle. She went along to all the games, and to every training session, shivering on the sidelines at dusk, it also gave Helen a new writing project…

1
William F. Buckley JR.'s Guide to Friendship in a Polarized Era 39:43

1M ago39:43

39:43

William F. Buckley Jr., the charismatic intellectual who defined modern American conservatism, was famously skilled at forging friendships across the ideological divide, a talent that helped him both shape the political landscape and navigate public opinion. His capacity for personal charm allowed him to be a public extremist and a private moderate…

1
The forgotten men who fought and died in the wild jungles of Borneo 53:00

22d ago53:00

53:00

At the very end of World War Two, Australian soldiers were sent to Borneo to dislodge the occupying Japanese Forces. The story of their brutal fighting was largely forgotten by their own compatriots, who never understood why they went in there in the first place. It was one of the largest amphibious landings of the whole war, and what followed was …

1
Deciding to live—recovery from a decade long battle with anorexia 50:23

23d ago50:23

50:23

While fighting anorexia Lexi Crouch was admitted to hospital 25 times and placed in an induced coma twice. When doctors told her she would die, she began the slow climb up and out to health (CW: discussion of eating disorders) Lexi was 16 when she was first admitted to hospital and diagnosed with anorexia and spent the next decade in and out specia…

1
What it Was Like Living Through the USSR’s Collapse 55:37

1M ago55:37

55:37

The Collapse of the Soviet Union was twice as devastating as the Great Depression for those who lived there. It immediately led to widespread economic chaos and a breakdown of public services, plunging millions into a difficult period where mere survival was the priority. As one Russian described, after hyperinflation wiped out their family's savin…

1
Frosty the supercars legend and his race to the top of Mount Panorama 53:00

24d ago53:00

53:00

Mark Winterbottom grew up in outer Western Sydney, in a family with not much money to spend on expensive hobbies. But by an extraordinary twist of fate, Mark won his first mini motorbike in a shopping centre raffle at the age of 8. Immediately, he was off, speedily rising up from bikes to kart racing, and then to V8 Supercars. Mark won race after r…

1
Episode 254 - Waves in and out of Wales 25:45

1M ago25:45

25:45

In the closing decades of the nineteenth century, Wales was a nation on the move. Between 1880 and 1900, hundreds of thousands of people either left Welsh shores for opportunities abroad or arrived to seek work in the booming industrial valleys. This movement of people, both outward and inward, would reshape the population, language, and social cha…

1
World AIDS Day _ Philip Emeagwali _ December 1, 2006 2:19

29d ago2:19

2:19

World AIDS Day _ Philip Emeagwali _ December 1, 2006 by Philip EmeagwaliBy Philip Emeagwali

1
_How I Invented a New Internet_ _ Philip Emeagwali _ Famous Physicists _ Inventions and Discoveries 8:22

26d ago8:22

8:22

_How I Invented a New Internet_ _ Philip Emeagwali _ Famous Physicists _ Inventions and Discoveries by Philip EmeagwaliBy Philip Emeagwali

1
Encore: Author Heather Rose on the grief lodged deep in her body 52:17

28d ago52:17

52:17

Heather's brother and grandfather died in a tragic drowning accident when she was 12 and from that day, she began looking for a way to commune with what lies beyond. The quest has taken the Stella award winning writer to Buddhist monasteries, Native American dance rituals and sweat lodges, and to the discipline of writing. And Heather has had an in…

1
The Battle of Agincourt, 1415: Longbowmen, Bands of Brothers, and Henry V’s Triumph 53:15

1M ago53:15

53:15

From Shakespeare's 'band of brothers' speech to its appearances in numerous films, Agincourt rightfully has a place among a handful of conflicts whose names are immediately recognized around the world. The Battle of Agincourt, fought in 1415, is famous for the decisive role of the English and Welsh longbowmen, who—despite being significantly outnum…

1
A former army psychologist on ketamine therapy, PTSD and her surrogate twins 49:18

29d ago49:18

49:18

Louise O'Sullivan spent 10 years with the ADF, including deployments with the Special Forces in Afghanistan which eventually left her with PTSD, but a bigger battle lay ahead, the fight to save her premature twins. After leaving the military, Louise wanted to begin a family but cancer treatment had left her unable to carry her own children so she f…

1
Dad, Bob Marley and me 45:32

30d ago45:32

45:32

After the death of her father, a spiritual moment with the life-size wooden statue of Bob at Nine Mile convinced queer rapper, Jamaica Moana that everything would be alright. Jamaica was born to the music of Bob Marley on the Central Coast of NSW. Her dad loved Bob’s music more than anything else and would listen incessantly on his interstate truck…

1
Clarence Dillon: The Roaring 20s Wall Street Baron Who Wrote the Rules for Corporate Takeovers, Junk Bonds, and Bankruptcy 45:11

1M ago45:11

45:11

J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and Charles E. Mitchell are names that come to mind when thinking of the most prominent icons of wealth and influence during the Roaring Twenties. Yet the one figure who has escaped notice is an enigmatic banker by the name of Clarence Dillon. In the 1920s, as he rose in wealth and influence, Dillon became one of t…

1
How a pair of disobedient missionaries invented Australia's most iconic road trip 52:12

1M ago52:12

52:12

Tens of thousands of 'van lifers' and 'grey nomads' drive around Australia each year. But the iconic road trip has a surprising origin story involving a pair of missionaries, a retired butcher and a gun-slinging mother-daughter duo. David Riley is a pastor and father who was on a lap around Australia with his wife and three children when he heard a…

1
Freeform Episode 21 - Holidaze 32:22

1M ago32:22

32:22

Rambling around the later half of the year and the holidays that surround it.Follow us on social media:Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: WelshhistorypodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcastPlease consider becoming a supporter at:http://patreon.com/WelshHistory Music: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creati…

1
Mission Partnerships in UK Defence: How to make them work 15:53

1M ago15:53

15:53

Introduction: Defence as an engine for growth The government's Defence Industrial Strategy 2025 (DIS25) is clear that "business as usual" in procurement is no longer an option. Defence has been placed at the heart of the UK's modern industrial strategy, identified as one of eight priority sectors to drive economic growth and resilience. The strateg…

1
Encore: How Johnathan Thurston became one of the greats 51:33

1M ago51:33

51:33

Despite being a stand-out young player, many NRL clubs initially rejected Johnathan Thurston because they thought he was too small and wiry but he went on to become one of the best rugby league players of all time. Johnathan showed his rare talent for rugby league early on but his parents didn't have the money to help him travel to games. So in his…

1
A Utah Indian Chief Controlled the 1800s Mountain West Through Slave Trading, Building Pioneer Trails, Horse Stealing, and Becoming Mormon 1:00:05

1M ago1:00:05

1:00:05

The American Indian leader Wakara was among the most influential and feared men in the nineteenth-century American West. He and his pan-tribal cavalry of horse thieves and slave traders dominated the Old Spanish Trail, the region’s most important overland route. They widened the trail and expanded its watering holes, reshaping the environmental and…

1
How Aunty Rhonda learnt to cry 51:12

1M ago51:12

51:12

Artist, author and Stolen Generations survivor, Rhonda Collard-Spratt, on bush hugs, beehives, emu bumps, and finding peace. Aunty Rhonda Collard-Spratt is a Yamatji-Noongar elder and Stolen Generations survivor who grew up on the Carnarvon Native Mission in Western Australia. As a little girl she would escape from her dormitory into the bush to fe…