You know when you see someone on social media and you just KNOW they'll be amazing to chat to? Well, that's Bethany Brookshire for you. Bethany is a science journalist, animal behaviorist and author who writes about the animals most people hate. Rats, cockroaches, spiders, pigeons... And how our feelings about them are mostly cultural, not scientific.We talked about where fear and disgust come from and how cute a mouse eating a fruit loop is. Also, how US science funding is collapsing and how bad that's going to be long term, why postgrad burnout is real, and how she wrote a brilliant book.Part two gets a little more controversial, as we talk cats in Aotearoa. What we cover:Bethany’s journey from academic to science journalist.Fear and disgust; how we learn what animals to hate.Rats, lab mice, cockroaches, snakes, spiders… and Fruit Loops.The collapse of US science funding and what that means long term.Quotes from Bethany:“I always tell people my life is an entire story of failing upwards. Or at least failing sideways.”“There is a feeling of disgust and fear around animals like spiders and snakes that we think is evolutionary. It’s not.”“Startlement can become joy, or it can become fear. It depends who’s around you when it happens.”“I have the self-confidence of a mediocre white man.”“Giving a mouse a Froot Loop is like watching a human try to eat a car tyre.”You can find more about Bethany at https://bethanybrookshire.com/.

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