

Quick Smart
ABC listen
Quick Smart is the show that feeds you big ideas in bite-sized pieces. Get up to speed on some of the biggest issues from psychology, money, health, history, pop culture, in just 10 minutes. Siobhan Marin guides you through!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 17, 2024 • 1min
How did Australia's housing crisis get so bad?
The harsh reality of being an adult in Australia is spending a huge chunk of time talking about house prices! So what’s the deal with our housing obsession? Is it possible to afford a home anymore without getting help from the bank of mum and dad? And how is the housing crisis further entrenching our growing class divide?Guest: Richard Aedy for the Money

Jan 10, 2024 • 10min
Why are we addicted to cheesy, salty foods?
For better or worse, ultra processed foods are the backbone of many of our diets. But much like their effect on our cholesterol, blood pressure and waist lines, the evidence that they do us harm is rapidly increasing. Guest: Jen Leake from Rear Vision

Jan 3, 2024 • 10min
The brave new world of AI in cinema
AI is impacting every creative indsutry - and movies are no exception. If a young Harrison Ford can be churned out of a computer, what does the future of film look like? And would you feel differently about your favourite TV show if you knew the characters in it were created by a computer?Guest: Bev Wang from Stop Everything!

Dec 27, 2023 • 10min
The rise of the Disney adult
There are people who love Disney and then there are people who really really love Disney. Disney adults are a rapidly growing group who have all the costumes, they know all the songs and some have even sprinkled a loved ones ashes in a Disneyland. So it is possible to love Disney a little too much?Guest: Rohan Salmond from Soul Search

Dec 20, 2023 • 10min
The mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie
If you’re a fan of detective novels you’ll know this name almost as well as you know your own: Agatha Christie. She’s the mind that created Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and she put the Orient Express on the map... But there’s one Agatha Christie mystery that’s never been solved – and you’ve probably never heard of it. It’s the story of her own disappearance, on one December evening in 1926.Guest: Bec Armitage for ABC Online

Dec 13, 2023 • 10min
The truth behind your favourite Christmas songs
Jingle Bells, Rocking Around the Christmas Tree, Walking in a Winter Wonderland....You know it's almost the end of the year when you can shamelessly blast your Christmas playlist.We know all the words to the songs, we sing them every year, but have you ever given much thought to where those songs came from? And isn’t it about time we had some tracks about Australian Christmas?Guest - Anna Levy for ABC Online

Dec 6, 2023 • 10min
Is your boss secretly surveilling you at work?
Legal expert Sophie Kesteven explores the impact of workplace surveillance on employees' mental health and performance while discussing the necessity and invasion of privacy associated with monitoring remote workers. The podcast delves into the inconsistency of laws across different states in Australia and the challenges faced by employees who believe they are being monitored inappropriately.

Nov 29, 2023 • 10min
Is life coaching a sham?
Scrolling through Instagram it's impossible to avoid people giving their unsolicited advice - about fashion, the news or the latest food trend. But with the rise of the hot take comes the people trying to monetise this advice in the form of life coaching... and unfortunately a lot of people looking for real help are falling into the trap.Guest: Kellie Scott for All in the Mind

Nov 22, 2023 • 11min
Isn't it about time we had driverless cars?
Driverless cars feel like they've been "two or three years away"… for the last 10 years. So why don't we have them yet? What technical and ethical hurdles do we still need to overcome to finally make robots our designated drivers?Guest: James Purtill from Science Friction.

Nov 15, 2023 • 12min
Why is the alt-right eating so much meat?
What makes a man, a man? Well eating copious amounts of red meat of course – at least according to certain corners of the internet. The alt-right has made mass beef consumption their business, and this comes at a time when climate scientists and animal activists are urging people to eat less meat to help the planet. So why is the alt-right so focused on eliminating "soy boys" and getting into that Bronze Age Grindset?Guest: Jonathan Green from Blueprint for Living