Human bacteria

Human bacteria

From The Fink Tank by Cam and Col Fink

May 28, 2026 · 4 min · Season 4 · Episode 15

About this episode

Col discusses the impact of environment on human creativity and inspiration, comparing people to bacteria thriving in the right conditions.

Col thinks we're all basically bacteria. Put bacteria in a warm, nutrient-rich environment and it thrives. Put it in a cold, sterile Petri dish and it stagnates. Your conference in the beige hotel function room with polystyrene ceiling tiles sucks. You can’t put a bunch of humans into a Clifton's venue and ask them to feel inspired. There’s a reason every good house party ends up crammed in the hallway, the laundry, the kitchen. The tight spaces create an intimacy an expansive lounge room can’t. Right now a delightful bunch of solo pros are twinkling and shining at The Dale Loft in Redfern Sydney. We’d love to be masters of our own destiny, unaffected by trifling matters like the room we’re in. But the choice of Petri dish matters. Yesterday was inspiring. Today we ferment. P.S. For those wondering, Bluey is Col's homemade Catchbox mic. She's got a lav mic in her guts so the people online can hear things clearly. A side benefit is her role as "The Conch" to indicate who has the floor.

People in this episode

Hosts: Col, Cam

Topics covered

  • bacteria
  • environment
  • inspiration
  • intimacy
  • conference
  • creativity

Keywords

  • bacteria
  • environment
  • inspiration
  • conference
  • intimacy
  • creativity
  • Redfern
  • Catchbox mic

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Bluey

Books & works: Catchbox mic

Places: Redfern Sydney

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