How do public finance and tax policy shape everyday realities—for families, labour, and inequality?

In this episode of Podcast or Perish, I talk with Prof. Kevin Milligan of the University of British Columbia. His work spans universal childcare, parental leave, income distribution, and tax fairness. We examine how economic theory meets policy design, the communication challenges of economics, and the implications of his research for social justice and public debate.

How can satellite imagery help us count penguins, and what does that reveal about ecosystems under stress?

In this episode of Podcast or Perish, I speak with Dr. Michelle LaRue, Lecturer in Ecology at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. She uses high‐resolution satellite imagery to model populations of emperor penguins, and explores how computational tools, field validation, and ecological theory intersect. We also discuss the challenges of translating complex methods into public narratives and the emotional stakes of being a science communicator.

How do international criminal trials shape our understanding of justice and human rights?

In this episode of Podcast or Perish, I talk with York University’s Dr. Heidi Matthews, Assistant Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. She is a scholar of international criminal law and political theory, and an outspoken social critic. We discuss her critical approach to the politics of international justice, the role of trials in constructing historical memory, and what her research reveals about the intersections of law, power, and global human rights discourse.