In this episode, John and Simon chat with award-winning author and science communicator Cristy Burne. With 18 books under her belt, a stint at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, and a mission to ignite curiosity in kids and adults alike, Cristy brings her signature mix of energy, humour and insight. The conversation goes everywhere from how to spark creativity in everyday life, to why we all need to play more and embrace the chaos of being human. Also, there’s a leech-in-your-eyeball story. Of course there is.

In this episode, they chat about

• Why fun and play are the gateway drugs to creativity and curiosity

• The role of adults in showing kids that growing up can be joyful

• How to find creativity in the corners and gaps of your day

• Why perfection is the enemy of progress (especially when dancing)

• How to reframe drudgery by reconnecting with your higher purpose

• Giving yourself permission to try, fail, and keep going

• The Large Padron Collider, Bonbon Collider and other very real science experiments

• Why Cristy recommends you don’t visit crustybum.com

Along the way, they cover Bluey, book week, Barack Obama’s suits, marshmallow metaphors, AI bosses, and the very underrated joy of sitting in dirt.

About Cristy Burne

Cristy is a science writer, presenter, former patent translator and a STEM ambassador who has worked with astronauts, Nobel Prize winners and yes, a surprising number of chefs. She’s passionate about science communication, joy, adventure, and bringing stories to life. Her work includes everything from graphic novels to science thrillers, and she recently launched a creative stage show with Trudy Boatwright for World Expo in Japan.

Find Cristy Burne at cristyburne.com Cristy on Goodreads Cristy on Instagram

Mentions and references

• Bluey – ABC Kids

• The book Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

• World Expo Osaka 2025

• Large Hadron Collider – CERN

Say Hello

www.occupationalphilosophers.com

Their day jobs

JOHN Bowland Consulting SIMON www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL

Ep. 110:

Have you noticed how almost anything can now be turned into a LinkedIn Business lesson?

The Occupational Philosophers sure have and decided to explore this phenomenon, and in the process created a template for anyone to do this (and turn your own mundane life experiences into LinkedIn GOLD)

The template is as follows:

• Something happens...

• Which made me think...

• Insight:

• Question?

Once you start, it's so easy to turn every day, mundane experiences into LinkedIn lessons and importantly, you will never be short of inspiration for business wisdom again, well on your way to thought leadership.

John and Simon truly enjoyed making this show and they hope you can now mine your everyday life for business metaphors, to be shared 3 x week on LinkedIn.

Say Hello

www.occupationalphilosophers.com

Their day jobs

JOHN Bowland Consulting SIMON www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL

In Episode 109, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Eric Weiner, an award-winning journalist, a New York Times bestselling author, and much sought-after keynote speaker on a variety of topics, including happiness, innovation strategies and the "power of place." He regularly leads writing workshops around the world.

He is a former foreign correspondent for NPR and reporter for The New York Times. He's reported from more than 30 nations, from Iraq to Indonesia, covering some of the major international events of recent times. He is the recipient of several journalism awards, including the Angel Award for coverage of Islamic affairs in Asia.

His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Atlantic, National Geographic, AFAR, among other publications.

And his books include The Geography of Bliss, The Geography of Genius, Man Seeks God and The Socrates Express. His latest book, Ben & Me, has recently been published this year.

In this episode, they explore:

• What colour is Tuesday?
• The philosophy of place
• How many bags Eric has….and whether he has a collection or an obsession
• Narrative truth vs factual truth
• Moving between being a journalist and being a writer
• How creative genius springs from place and environment
• Why openness to experience is at the root of creativity
• What Benjamin Franklin can teach us about curiosity, creativity, imagination and play
• How rituals can help focus your creative energy
• Creating a ‘sandbox’ to experiment in
• The meaning of life….purpose and gritty bits…

And as ever, enjoy the Thought Experiment …this time it’s:

• Your place or mind?

Learn more about Eric

http://www.ericweinerbooks.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-weiner-17aa8639/

References

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/michelangelo-leonardo-raphael

https://www.independentthinking.co.uk/speakers/ian-gilbert/

https://europa.nasa.gov/mission/about/

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/133768-one-s-destination-is-never-a-place-but-a-new-way

https://www.carryology.com/

https://freedom.to/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi-Fu_Tuan

https://www.celticglory.com/thin-place