Local Person: Zoe Kean

by Hobart Magazine

An award-winning science writer and frequent radio guest, Zoe Kean recently published a book that covers her passions in evolution, ecology, and the environment – the idea of which came from the Tasmanian devil.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I was born in Adelaide, grew up in the western suburbs of Melbourne, moved to Tassie at 19 and have been here for over 13 years.

How did your interest in science first develop? I can’t remember not being interested in science. As a very little kid I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to be a marine biologist, volcanologist, palaeontologist, or a zoologist. Science writing means I can learn about it all.

What inspired you to write your book, Why Are We Like This? I’ve always been obsessed with evolution. But the seed was planted when I found out that research into cancer evolution in Tasmanian devils was being used to better understand human cancer. I started pondering a whole raft of questions common to most people. These are questions like: Why do we love? Sleep? Drink? Age? Have conscious experience? Taking an evolutionary perspective on these things was very liberating for me. There are a lot of people tackling these questions and coming up with exciting and novel answers that can empower us to lead kind and connected lives. Plus, there are some great ideas in there for medicine. So, it was really the Tassie devil that started it all.

Was there a moment during your research that blew your mind? I spent the entire research process in a continuous state of mind-blown-ness. The story of life is infinitely fascinating and compelling. But getting to see a 3.4-billion- year-old fossil was high up there. I also had a sea snake swim through my hair while researching in Shark Bay, WA. That was pretty mind blowing.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your job? Most Aussie writers cannot afford to write full time, and that means Aussie readers are not getting the books we deserve. Oh, and we get financial compensation when you borrow our books from the library, so if you can’t buy: borrow.

Why do you think Tassie attracts so many scientists? We are the gateway to Antarctica, you can live by nature and still live close to a research facility, and there are funded jobs.

Who do you admire? My friends.

Favourite podcast or TV show? I’m currently obsessed with the podcasts of Jamie Loftus.

Secret vice? Fantasy novels.

What are you reading now? Deep Water by James Bradley

Do you have any pets? I have a perfect little dog.

What was your first job? I worked the checkout at a greengrocer.

What are your daily news/social media habits? My day job is in journalism, so I’m pretty surrounded by news a lot of the time. I wake up and listen to ABC RN Breakfast. I listen to political analysis and science podcasts. I often scan the local papers. I get a lot of media releases to my inbox, speak to colleagues, go to events, and try to make sure I am getting a diverse media diet. But sometimes it is all too much. If I’m not working I take a break…then freak out when I reconnect. When it comes to social media, I spend far too much time on TikTok. But I do love the community of education content creators there, as well as the fan edits of Matildas players on the pitch.

Your favourite place for…

Breakfast: Bed.

Lunch: Mountain top.

Dinner: Sitting in the car boot, watching the water with my partner and my dog.

Dream holiday destination? Many places. I’m pretty keen on doing an extended trip to Flores, Indonesia. I went there over a decade ago for a week and it was amazing. But I didn’t get to see the site where the ancient human species Homo Floresiensis was found. I would love to check that out and maybe write about it (whoops, I am good at bringing work into holidays). I’d also like to say g’day to those Komodo dragons and reef sharks again.

Favourite Tasmanian secret? The true beauty of Kunanyi is found by wandering its trails, not just driving to the top.

Parting words? Caring, kindness and community is strength and is also part of the deep evolutionary history of this world. Do not let people convince you the history of our species is solely one of individual dominance.

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