In this episode of Defining Boundaries, Peta sits down with Jan Francke, a geophysicist, inventor and self described explorer who has spent more than 35 years working with ground penetrating radar and near surface geophysics.

Born in Vancouver and raised between Canada and Australia, Jan shares how curiosity, competition with himself, and a desire to explore what others were not looking at shaped his unconventional career path. From mineral exploration in the Arctic and Africa to scanning beneath Mayan temples in Mexico and working inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, Jan explains how he designs custom radar systems for environments where standard tools are simply not enough.

The conversation explores innovation, risk taking and the importance of education in a rapidly evolving industry. Jan reflects on modifying equipment when the market did not yet offer what he needed, the responsibility of communicating science clearly, and the challenge of maintaining rigour in a world often drawn to spectacle.

Together, Peta and Jan unpack the breadth of ground penetrating radar applications, from mining and infrastructure to autonomous vehicles and even lunar exploration. They also discuss curiosity as a driving force, the role of resilience in a global career, and why after three decades in the field, there is still so much beneath the surface waiting to be discovered.

This episode is a fascinating conversation about science, exploration and the power of asking better questions.

You can find Jan on LinkedIn and through his global geophysics work.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-francke-gpr/