Twitter: @ABCscience
Site: www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/scienceshow
246 episodes
2019 to present
Average episode: 51 minutes
Open in Apple Podcasts • RSS
Categories: Broadcast Radio Programs • Story-Style
Podcaster's summary: The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to prime ministerial biorhythms.
| Episodes |
| 2024-Apr-20 • 54 minutes Two inspirational books and new powers for Parkes dish Two inspirational books for younger readers show an intruiging world and the thrill of chasing a dream. |
| 2024-Apr-13 • 54 minutes The science of friendship Friendship led ancient humans to cooperate and gain an edge over predators. Compassion is seen among 25 primates and other animals. Today we explore these qualities and meet scientists investigating the role of friendship in our evolution and our lives in the modern world. |
| 2024-Apr-06 • 54 minutes The amazing world of alpine plants Today we meet the people at the forefront of studying alpine plants - including how trees and plants survive in deep snow and ferocious winds. We visit the mushroom lab to discovery why fungi are essential to life on earth and find out what seed collection in the Colorado mountains is teaching us how to adapt in a changing climate. And while we're talking plants - Professor Peter Bernhardt of Missouri describes the thrill when the seventh millionth species was revealed and listed at his own formidable herba... |
| 2024-Mar-30 • 54 minutes Meet the man who changed the world forever Sir Mark Oliphant of Adelaide was the main person missing from the film Oppenheimer. It was Sir Mark who carried the letter from European scientists to New York to convince the American President that Hitler was trying to make an atomic bomb and needed to be beaten to the chilling quest. It led to the Manhattan Project.Mark also gave us microwave power, initially to equip planes, later to give us microwave ovens; he helped establish the ANU; was the first President of the Australian Academy of Science and b... |
| 2024-Mar-23 • 54 minutes Big things The Iter Tokamak nuclear fusion reactor is due for completion next year. In the US, a smaller cheaper reactor is also gearing up. |
| 2024-Mar-16 • 54 minutes US National Center for Atmospheric Research Join Robyn Williams and meet scientists at one of the world’s centres for the study of climate and weather. |
| 2024-Mar-09 • 54 minutes Microorganisms support all life, and plastic in creatures’ guts Microplastics are everywhere and impacting ecosystems. |
| 2024-Mar-02 • 54 minutes Supernova! A supernova has been observed in great detail just 3.5 light years from Earth… and that’s close! |
| 2024-Feb-24 • 54 minutes The Science Show They’ve lived since the time of the dinosaurs. But the outlook is grim for Tasmania’s Maugean skate. |
| 2024-Feb-17 • 54 minutes How Chinese science was revealed to the world A great range of scientific and technical achievements were made in China hundreds of years earlier than in Europe. |
| 2024-Feb-10 • 54 minutes Improved photosynthesis may increase crop yields More efficient molecules inside plants could bring a big increase in crop yields. |
| 2024-Feb-03 • 54 minutes Climate forces change to traditional lifestyles in PNG Failing crops and dwindling water supply are forcing change to the traditional lifestyles of PNG highlanders. |
| 2024-Jan-27 • 54 minutes The Science Show’s Top 100 Australian Scientists People know their sports stars, and their rock stars. Why don’t they know the stars of science who have helped shape our world? The Science Show’s Top 100 Australian Scientists hopes to generate discussion and raise the profile of Australia’s world class scientists. |
| 2024-Jan-21 • 23 minutes Science Extra: Aspects of psychology: ADHD diagnosis explosion—and singing to babies Aspects of mental health and psychology.Diagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) doubled over the past year, and the cost of doing that increased substantially too.And why do parents take so readily to singing to their babies—especially when it's time to change the nappy?With Presenter of All in the Mind Sana Qadarand Investigative Journalist Ange LavoipierreHosted by Science Editor Jonathan Webb |
| 2024-Jan-20 • 54 minutes H. G. Wells – father of science fiction He imagined the atomic bomb, believed in a world government, wrote books about science and science fiction and was the first popular communicator of scientific ideas. Today we commemorate the life and achievements of Herbert George Wells. |
| 2024-Jan-14 • 21 minutes Science Extra: falling antimatter, chimps, Beethoven's hair, Jupiter, and that telescope Clearly, there's no such thing as too much AI, you can't escape it; and we can't ignore avian 'flu, or 2023 being the hottest year on record; But, meanwhile ... CERN measured the dynamics of falling antimatter; primatologists measured menopause in chimps; Jupiter got new moons, Beethoven's hair gave up genetic intel, and the James Webb telescope filled in some knowledge gaps.We're with Science Journalist Genelle Weule and Science Reporter Belinda Smith |
| 2024-Jan-13 • 54 minutes Portrait of Isaac Newton He developed laws of motion, gravitation and mathematical calculus. But with his genius came myths and legends. Sharon Carleton presents a portrait of Isaac Newton. |
| 2024-Jan-07 • 19 minutes Science Extra: One semaglutide please If there’s one medication that’s got everyone talking it’s the antidiabetic medication semaglutide. The drug is often better known by one of its brand names, Ozempic, and it’s exploded in popularity mainly because of its weight loss effects. So what’s happened due to the popularity and what could be coming next?Also, while COVID has become less relevant in everyday discussions it certainly hasn’t gone away. We haven’t seen the rise of a major new variant, but SARS-CoV-2 hasn’t been sitting still. This week ... |
| 2024-Jan-06 • 54 minutes What to do when science doesn’t cut through Tim Flannery and Robyn Williams discuss how to communicate in a world of denialism, disinformation, and deep fakes. |
| 2023-Dec-31 • 19 minutes Science Extra: The rise of the thinking machines The hottest tech story in 2023 has been the rise of artificial intelligence. ChatGPT burst onto the scene and became the fastest-growing internet app of all time, reaching more than 100 million users in only a few months. So what has been the result of ChatGPT and other generative AI? |
| 2023-Dec-30 • 54 minutes The Anglo-Australian Telescope – approaching 50 years Robyn Williams visited the telescope site prior to its completion in 1974. In 2014 he returned as astronomers celebrated 40 years. |
| 2023-Dec-24 • 21 minutes Science Extra: It's gettin' hot in here It’s been a big year for environment news: records broken, a new El Nino, and dire forecasts for a hot summer.In this bonus episode, we’re diving deep into what happened in environment news in 2023, including ... the next frontiers of mining and potential environmental outcomes, possible good news about Amazon deforestation, and very worrying news about black swans. |
| 2023-Dec-23 • 54 minutes The bigger Australian story - Odyssey down under Historian Tom Griffiths says a new kind of history is called for in the year of the Voice referendum. He wrote his essay Odyssey down under for Inside Story. |
| 2023-Dec-16 • 54 minutes Transitions At the age of 87, award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster David Suzuki has stepped down as host of CBC TV’s The Nature of Things. In May, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto hosted an evening with David Suzuki - Reflections of an Elder. |
| 2023-Dec-09 • 54 minutes The Future Is Now Carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise. Antarctic ice shelves melt and the Amazon burns. Bob McDonald says the future is now. |
| 2023-Dec-05 • 29 minutes 2FC now Radio National celebrates 100 years We revisit a bold new Sunday night program in 1975, and coverage of the Apollo missions. |
| 2023-Dec-02 • 54 minutes The Bragg Prize for Science Writing, and we remember Sir Clarence Lovejoy Nicky Phillips has won this year’s Bragg Prize for Science Writing. |
| 2023-Nov-25 • 54 minutes The Science Show They were close to extinction. Now seashorses in Sydney Harbour may have survived. |
| 2023-Nov-18 • 54 minutes Getting your rocks off Landscape may be an important unrecognised contributor to climate change. |
| 2023-Nov-11 • 54 minutes Ultrasound moves immune cells and triggers their response and more Prime Ministers Prizes for Science The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate. |
| 2023-Nov-04 • 54 minutes Maths is here, it's there, it’s everywhere Mathematics is a key tool in every scientific discipline |
| 2023-Oct-28 • 54 minutes Australia may join world coalition of collaborative research Life Scientist award for work on microbes and their role in regulating climate plus Varroa mites – a positive for native bees? |
| 2023-Oct-21 • 54 minutes Prime Minister’s Prize for Science and new insights into the benefits of social interaction Michelle Simmons had received The Prime Minister's Science Prize for her work on quantum electronics. |
| 2023-Oct-14 • 54 minutes Lockdown behaviour, vaccines for new variants, and evidence for coronavirus source The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate. |
| 2023-Oct-07 • 54 minutes Here come the superstars Nobel Prizes, Covid good luck and Mars Rover's link to QUT |
| 2023-Sep-30 • 54 minutes Why do textbooks leave out so many scientists with one thing in common? Researchers have found school curriculums are missing the contributions of female scientists. Why is it so important we know the people behind the discoveries? |
| 2023-Sep-23 • 54 minutes What counting trees tells us about the health of the planet Mathematicians and their models might just be the world's most inconspicuous climate heroes. |
| 2023-Sep-16 • 54 minutes A battle between consciousness theories, and harnessing resources from thin air What happens when two theories are pitted against one another? Are we any closer to knowing where consciousness arises? |
| 2023-Sep-09 • 54 minutes Sir John Eccles and the invaluable work of his daughter Rose This Australian father-daughter duo played a huge part in the science and philosophy instrumental in the mind-brain problem. |
| 2023-Sep-02 • 54 minutes Sir John Eccles, one of the big brains in neuroscience Sharon Carleton takes a look at his decades of work in this 2003 feature, coinciding with this year's Eccles Institute seminar at ANU. |
| 2023-Aug-26 • 54 minutes Cyber hygiene, deep sea parasites and what weeds can teach us about cancer All the science underway to protect our health, our environment... and our smartphones? |
| 2023-Aug-19 • 54 minutes Big ideas at Beaker Street Festival Some of the science on display at this year's Hobart-wide celebration of the big, small and occasionally glowy. |
| 2023-Aug-12 • 54 minutes What can we learn from five minutes of silence? Sometimes we all need to sit in silence ... but is there ever really silence? Take a seat and let your ears provide the answer. |
| 2023-Aug-05 • 54 minutes The Oppenheimer who influenced our modern science centres The Exploratorium in San Francisco opened in 1969, and went on to inspire our own science centres in Australia. |
| 2023-Jul-29 • 54 minutes Pioneering particles, time-travelling molecules and outer space poets Scientists are harnessing the very small to explore very big things — from faults in massive structures to time reversal at the molecular level. |
| 2023-Jul-22 • 54 minutes There's no age limit to science From a teenage enthusiast to a 100-year-old Nobel Prize winner, The Science Show explores the agelessness of wonder. |
| 2023-Jul-15 • 54 minutes Protecting habitats and the creatures that dwell within Climate change is already having far-reaching consequences, for our forests, our oceans and ourselves. |
| 2023-Jul-08 • 56 minutes Torres Strait VR, taming CERN's magnets and Fiji's fight against varroa mite Testing magnets for CERN'S Large Hadron Collider is a high-stakes job, with serious consequences. |
| 2023-Jul-01 • 57 minutes Where science can lead: An isolated island, the slimy forest floor, and centre stage for stand-up Come along for a midnight hunt at a secluded resort, and a dawn boat trip to the speck of land where Hollywood Blockbuster Castaway was filmed. |
| 2023-Jun-24 • 55 minutes Communities team up with scientists to tackle flooding Meet two groups — one in Scotland, the other in the US state of Georgia — using science against floodwaters. |
| 2023-Jun-17 • 54 minutes Helping marine life thrive — from Fiji to Goondiwindi Tag along for a trip out to sea to meet a woman from the Solomon Islands who is tracking this looming danger in the Pacific Ocean. |
| 2023-Jun-10 • 54 minutes Come inside the vault preserving Pacific plants for future generations Carl Smith takes a trip to the Pacific to catch up with scientists working to conserve the region's biodiversity. |
| 2023-Jun-03 • 54 minutes The surprising past — and promising future of women in science A woman was among Australia's first three science graduates. But it's still far from a level playing field. |
| 2023-May-27 • 54 minutes The botanist behind Dame Edna's favourite flower, and the virtuous side of weeds There's a scientific story behind Dame Edna's famous Gladioli, and it involves one of Australia's top botanists. |
| 2023-May-20 • 54 minutes Nearer the Gods: The enduring legacy of Isaac Newton He's one of the most famous scientists ever. But who was Isaac Newton, really? Sharon Carleton presents a portrait like no other about the myths surrounding the genius. |
| 2023-May-13 • 54 minutes Unravelling the mysterious workings of the epigenome — and the universe Dark matter is assumed to be responsible for holding the universe together. So where is it? |
| 2023-May-06 • 54 minutes Celebrating David Attenborough on his 97th birthday Reflecting on Sir David Attenborough's decades-long contribution to our understanding of the natural world. |
| 2023-Apr-29 • 54 minutes A lab for seas and winds, measuring carbon dioxide and monitoring animal ecology Dave Keeling started measuring carbon dioxide in 1958, Dave’s son Ralph continues his father’s work today. |
| 2023-Apr-22 • 54 minutes Astronomers watch as black hole pulls dust cloud apart And bee venom shows promise treating a range of cancers. |
| 2023-Apr-15 • 54 minutes Beaming energy to Earth from space And one hundred years ago, a scientific expedition in Australia showed Einstein was right. |
| 2023-Apr-08 • 54 minutes Technology helps scientists discover new species As pressure on the natural world increases, new technology is bringing fast results as scientists monitor fauna and flora and identify new species. |
| 2023-Apr-01 • 54 minutes Bees communicate intricate information with their dance and Moon mission to map water By performing their waggle dance, bees communicate information about direction, distance and quality of a food source. |
| 2023-Mar-25 World’s biggest coal port could become the world’s biggest hydrogen port. And Vale Will Steffen And soft tissues can be fossilised. They help piece together the history of life on Earth. |
| 2023-Mar-18 Academy calls for increased science funding, DNA used to nab wildlife smugglers, and worms reveal secrets of brains and memory. The Australian Academy of Science has called for a review of science funding in Australia. |
| 2023-Mar-11 Helping young children after burn injury, inside the minds of teens, and behind the scenes at London’s Natural History Museum In the final Strange Frontiers, Carl Smith takes us into the vault at one of the world’s greatest archives of natural history. |
| 2023-Mar-04 Visit the world’s biggest fission reactor under construction in France and discover the wonders of algae If successful, ITER promises to provide abundant clean energy. |
| 2023-Feb-25 The value of seagrasses, fish with remarkable powers and how parasites threaten aquatic life Small unremarkable fish use light to detect and avoid predators. |
| 2023-Feb-18 Autonomous minibus and predicting the behaviour of pedestrians Carl Smith takes us to the Estonian capital Tallinn to ride an autonomous minibus. |
| 2023-Feb-11 Harry Butler honoured and how a scientist fell in love with a fossil Murdoch University's Harry Butler Institute honours the well-known warrior for the environment. |
| 2023-Feb-04 A tour of the antimatter factory and John Wheeler remembered Carl Smith takes us to the Antimatter factory. |
| 2023-Jan-28 Hope from COP27 and atmospheric research from Germany’s highest peak Hope from COP27 and atmospheric research from Germany’s highest peak |
| 2023-Jan-21 The surprising Huxley family, certainty, and climate prospects for 2023 From T. H. Huxley - ‘Darwin’s Bulldog’ – to author Aldous Huxley to Nobel Prize winner Andrew Huxley, a new book tells the tale of this remarkable scientific family. |
| 2023-Jan-14 The evolution of galaxies and chasing the big cosmological questions A cosmological Science Show and competition emerging for Haydn’s Creation! |
| 2023-Jan-07 Celebrating Gregor Mendel the father of genetics Following experiments with peas and other plants, Gregor Mendel proposed a theory of inheritance which became the basis of modern biology. |
| 2022-Dec-31 Celebrating Charles Todd and the overland telegraph The overland telegraph connecting Australia to the world was completed 150 years ago. It was built due to the dedication of a public servant, Charles Todd. |
| 2022-Dec-24 A portrait of Dame Miriam Rothschild She was a world expert on fleas. Despite being self-taught, she was awarded doctorates from Cambridge and Oxford. |
| 2022-Dec-17 Human impact on and response to changing climate By mid-century, human activity will have doubled atmospheric greenhouse gases compared to the pre-industrial level. |
| 2022-Dec-10 Smart cameras watch for anomalies, Prime Minister’s awards for top science teachers and DNA reveals the history of disease DNA analysis suggests tuberculosis may have jumped to humans from seals. |
| 2022-Dec-03 PM’s Prizes for Science, koalas, COP27 and Catherine the Great PM’s Prizes for Science, koalas, COP and Catherine the Great |
| 2022-Nov-26 Recovering aluminium from tailings, aluminium formate to absorb carbon dioxide from power station exhausts, and a Neanderthal family like us The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate. |
| 2022-Nov-19 Best Australian Science Writing winners and prospects for computing Subconsciously humans learn from their experiences. Giving this same information to computers is a big challenge. |
| 2022-Nov-12 New technology brings added value to museum collections More than 5 million specimens have been digitised at London's Natural History Museum. Just 75 million to go. It’s a slow journey, but the benefits will be immense. |
| 2022-Nov-05 How crows use deception, saving freshwater turtles and the history of horses Around 4,200 years ago, horses began accepting humans. Greger Larson describes the change in a species which changed the course of human history. |
| 2022-Oct-29 Storms changing our coasts, plastic in the ocean, and a call for geoengineering The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate. |
| 2022-Oct-22 How carbon is our friend and unravelling the mystery of communication in plants The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate. |
| 2022-Oct-15 Grid batteries made in Australia and pumped hydro using abandoned underground mines The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate. |
| 2022-Oct-08 Nobel Prizes, climate extremes and how science can help save us The Science Show presents unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate. |
| 2022-Oct-01 Vanillin from plastic, battery trailers for EVs, and UK fossils rewriting the story of life The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate. |
| 2022-Sep-24 Cheap solar, materials to capture carbon dioxide and a cancer test based on breath Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr... |
| 2022-Sep-17 UN Peacekeepers train with virtual reality, drones for the battlefield and the transformation of Newcastle Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr... |
| 2022-Sep-10 Testing Einstein, designing a lunar rover and help for stretched emergency departments Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr... |
| 2022-Sep-03 2022 Eureka science awards, new insights in the giant dinos and AI concerns Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr... |
| 2022-Aug-27 Australia’s megafauna, new building materials, and dung beetles Unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to pr... |
| 2022-Aug-20 • 54 minutes The story of mammals, how they coexisted with dinosaurs for 225 million years and survived when dinos couldn’t |
| 2022-Aug-13 Trees – allowing native species to return in Scotland, clearing them away in the Amazon, and seeing how they work in Tasmania |
| 2022-Aug-06 • 54 minutes Vale James Lovelock We celebrate the life of James Lovelock, father of the Gaia hypothesis which describes how the Earth keeps things in balance favourable for life. |
| 2022-Jul-30 • 54 minutes Best approach for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere Climate change to bring mass migrationAdrian Smith leads the Royal SocietyExhibition shows the role of microbes in chocolate productionAussie Stem Stars - Emma JohnstonProsthetic device offers help for people with damaged or missing fingersWe need to fix this. Fast. |
| 2022-Jul-23 • 54 minutes Celebrating Charles Todd and the overland telegraph The Australian overland telegraph was a 3,200 km line connecting Port Augusta in South Australia to Darwin. It was completed in 1872 and allowed communication between Australia and the rest of the world. It was one of the great engineering feats of 19th-century Australia and was a significant milestone in Australia’s development. The line was built due to the determination of one man, a government employee, Charles Todd. As we celebrate 150 years since the line was completed, Sharon Carleton looks at the Ch... |
| 2022-Jul-16 • 54 minutes The physics of music - part 6 In the final part of his series on the connections between developments in physic and music, the late Ian Johnston, physicist from The University of Sydney, explores developments in the twentieth century. In physics, communications technology saw valves come, and go, replaced by transistors, then silicon chips, leading to increased capacity and miniaturisation. In music, accepted conventions of harmony came under attack and composers experimented with more freedom. Musical styles developed using new electro... |
| 2022-Jul-09 • 54 minutes The physics of music - part 5 In the nineteenth century western music moved from classicism to romanticism, and our knowledge of physics progressed in electricity, electromagnetism and the wave properties of sound. We also began to understand how the ear and brain work allowing us to perceive and appreciate music. |
| 2022-Jul-02 • 54 minutes The physics of music - part 4 We continue our series of programs about the connections between physics and music presented by the late Ian Johnston from The University of Sydney. |
| 2022-Jun-25 • 54 minutes Celebrating 200 years of honeybees in Australia The first European honey bees arrived in Australia on 20th May 1822. Four bee experts recount the effects on Australia's native bees, on honey production, on ecology and farming. And a new $2 coin is being released featuring bees, golden honeycomb and Eucalyptus flowers. |
| 2022-Jun-18 • 54 minutes Environmental laws fail future generations and the history of Antarctic exploration * Environmental laws for today, not tomorrow |
| 2022-Jun-11 • 54 minutes Cameras used to count feral cats, and how much of pain is in the mind * Hobart - Australian city of science* New ways of thinking about pain* Getting the cameras right to count feral cats* Boab nuts used to reflect on archaeology |
| 2022-Jun-04 • 54 minutes Goodbye giant kelp – 95% lost in fifty years * Primary students present E=mc2 The Musical* Giant strides in energy storage and plastic recycling* Seaweeds – thousands of species many with untapped potential* Giant kelp in massive drastic decline* UV light reveals rare fossilised spiders* Tasmania home to 2,499 species of beetles |
| 2022-May-28 • 54 minutes Parrots and humans – extreme species with shared behaviours and first image of the black hole at the centre of our galaxy * Black hole images allow theories to be tested* Journals slow to act despite evidence of scientific fraud or misconduct* Parrots and humans – extreme species with shared behaviours* New technology brings new life to exhibits at Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery* Vale Caroline Jones |
| 2022-May-21 • 54 minutes Where did the Universe come from? * Science needs to develop trust for links to grow* Kids space adventure combines human fight for survival with planetary science* Where did the universe come from?* There’s more to geoscience than mining |
| 2022-May-14 • 54 minutes Musk promises brain implants for spinal injuries and AI and help for Australian sea lions * A call for more controls over possible brain manipulation and monitoring* Global risks require new approach to governance* Consumption linked to biodiversity and extinction risk* Missouri Botanical Gardens moves its annual orchid show online* Australian sea lions in an ongoing decline |
| 2022-May-07 • 54 minutes Young scientists forced abroad for work and the twelve experiments that helped make the modern world * Thankyou Australia and goodbye* Lyrebird song a possible indication of population health* Twelve experiments that changed our world – the story of how we came to understand the universe* Science Media Centres – linking the media to scientists |
| 2022-Apr-30 • 54 minutes Celebrating Gregor Mendel the father of genetics Celebrating Gregor Mendel the father of genetics |
| 2022-Apr-23 • 54 minutes Wollongong transformed, secrets of monotremes revealed, and help for Tonga * University plays a key role as Wollongong transforms* New ideas about evolution and spread of monotremes* Space missions excite school students for STEM* High anxiety remains after Tongan tsunami |
| 2022-Apr-16 • 54 minutes How our biggest threat is us * New idea explains the enormous heat of the Sun’s corona* All environmental problems traced to immense human impact* This teenager loves science* Centre for the Digital Child studies impact of technology on children |
| 2022-Apr-09 • 54 minutes Carbon movie explores the misunderstood element which has allowed life to happen * Election hopes for science* Carbon – the element with a nice voice* Secondary science – more analysis, less rote learning, not so much time for history* Catastrophe – higher risk than most people might think |
| 2022-Apr-02 • 54 minutes The end of astronauts? * The end of astronauts?* The First Astronomers* Kiama students' hopes for International Youth Science Forum* Derek Denton – working and publishing science at age 97 |
| 2022-Mar-26 • 54 minutes Electric outboards making a splash and David Stewart celebrates 40 years recording bird calls * Soviet scientists locked up or killed for accepting Mendelian genetics* E-boats bigger and stronger* Birds – today’s link to dinosaurs* David Stewart – 40 years recording bird calls |
| 2022-Mar-19 • 54 minutes The future of scientific collaborations in doubt following Russia's attack on Ukraine, and warnings of dire climate impacts made years ago. * Scientific collaborations in doubt following Russia's attack on Ukraine* Warnings on climate and flooding seen in today’s massive property losses* Parkinson's Disease – it’s like walking through honey* New approach for those with OCD to cope with unwanted mental images* Creswell Eastman discovers iodine deficiency disorder, then helps millions of children* Sea stars and urchins move south with warmer waters changing ecosystems* George Ivanoff helps us survive the supernatural |
| 2022-Mar-12 • 54 minutes Compelling novels highlight ecosystems under pressure and vale Richard Leakey Horridus to help answer questions about Triceratops and other dinosCharlotte McConaghy’s compelling novels built on complex characters in a fast-changing natural worldVale Richard Leakey |
| 2022-Mar-05 • 54 minutes We were warned of pandemic in 1994, and hydrogen for far north Queensland Artificial intelligence – promises and threatsDrone helps control invasive species on Norfolk IslandTriceratops comes to MelbourneHydrogen coming for Cape York communitiesPandemic – how we were warned |
| 2022-Feb-26 • 54 minutes How trees are gold – when alive Human population the driver of greenhouse emissions and all environmental wowsMeg Lowman - a voice for treesFlying foxes crashing |
| 2022-Feb-19 • 54 minutes How tsunami have impacted Australia’s east coast and a new approach to limit the threat Politicians unfairly maligned – Robin BatterhamRisk of tsunami on east Australian coastSubmerged mats could dissipate energy of tsunamiDespite all we know, biodiversity loss is at an all-time highWA to end logging in native forests |
| 2022-Feb-12 • 54 minutes Advice for scientists confronting doubters and the mysterious pulsing object in space Scientists: don’t feed the doubt machineMysterious object in our galaxy sends pulses every 18 minutesFred Watson – celebrating 25 years on ABC radioIQ tests, genes and environment - views from 1984 and today |
| 2022-Feb-05 • 54 minutes Genes help us love nature, geothermal on the cusp, and vale E. O. Wilson Connection with nature linked to genesVale E. O. WilsonGeothermal on the cusp in Australia?Ancient Serbian settlement changes the view of early human society in Europe |
| 2022-Jan-29 • 54 minutes HG Wells – father of science fiction with hopes and fears for how science will shape our future He imagined the atomic bomb, he believed in a world government, he wrote books about science and science fiction and was the first popular communicator of scientific ideas. Today we commemorate the life and achievements of Herbert George Wells. (this program was first broadcast June 2016) |
| 2022-Jan-22 • 54 minutes University geology depts becoming smaller or closing Geology departments becoming smaller or closingWhitley Awards celebrate 50 yearsNorfolk Island – food bowl for Australia’s first European settlers |
| 2022-Jan-16 • 49 minutes Science Extra: Climate compromise, slime in the city and do fish feel pain? Do fish and crabs feel pain, what went down at COP26, and how might climate change dampen the spirits of homeowners in low-lying areas? Plus and environmental scientist explains his theory that the earth has a spirit and we meet a researcher with an unusual obsession with slime. |
| 2022-Jan-15 • 54 minutes Hedy Lemarr actress and inventor who helped develop the modern world Time to take kids more seriouslyNorfolk Island once a convict hellholeHedy Lamarr - actress, inventor, amateur engineer |
| 2022-Jan-09 • 46 minutes Science Extra: The facts on fake news, 3D printed body parts and will Meta be better? What can we learn from fake news, going electric and formerly Facebook's fate. |
| 2022-Jan-08 • 54 minutes New fossil site in NSW and the first computer Rare new fossil site gets palaeontologists excitedThe first computer – a product of Victorian England |
| 2022-Jan-02 • 49 minutes Science Extra: malaria vax breakthrough, surviving snake bite and, of course, COVID-19 A look back at 2021 – a new malaria vaccine and an Alzheimer’s drug get the thumbs up, COVID vax facts and nutritional myth busting. |
| 2022-Jan-01 • 53 minutes The physics of music - part 3 We continue Ian Johnston’s story of the parallel developments of physics and music. Some combinations of notes we find pleasing. Others less so. How is this explained by physics? |
| 2021-Dec-26 • 50 minutes Science Extra: Cosmic explosions, bits and bobs from the Big Bang and space rocks on Earth Why was Mars making news so often in 2021, what sent out mystery interstellar radio signals, and who, if anyone, won the billionaire space race? |
| 2021-Dec-25 • 53 minutes The physics of music - part 2 New thinking in the Renaissance led to a new understanding of physics and with it, a new musical scale and new instruments. Physics and music bloomed. |
| 2021-Dec-19 • 49 minutes Science extra: Quantum computing, lucid dreams and bin-flipping cockatoos How will quantum computing change our lives, why do lucid dreams matter and why do cockies flip bin lids? We have the answers. |
| 2021-Dec-18 • 54 minutes The physics of music - part 1 The Science Show presents the first of a three-part series on how physics and music were closely linked in their early development. The series was first heard in 1994 and is presented by physicist from Sydney University the late Ian Johnston. The first universities in Renaissance times offered four subjects - arithmetic, geometry astronomy and music and there were strong connections between each. In a surprising, enthralling and personal way, Ian tells the story of the development of culture and our changin... |
| 2021-Dec-11 • 54 minutes Three scientific gift ideas and prospects for 2030 Fears of new biosecurity threatsAlan Finkel’s vision for Australia in 2030Our chief scientist’s goals and hopes for science in 2030Job insecurity makes science unattractiveCosmos Magazine - the science of everythingCorey Tutt – it started with a book about snakesCarl Smith to Germany for six months journalism fellowshipChennupati Jagadish elected 20th president of Australian Academy of Science |
| 2021-Dec-04 • 54 minutes Stunning capability, variety and beauty in the natural world Sharon Carleton is our guide as we marvel at species all around us and see the efforts of scientists to understand the natural world. |
| 2021-Nov-27 • 53 minutes Books for children about the origin of life and Einsteinian physics and L’Oréal awards for rechargeable batteries and balancing fish stocks with needs of human nutrition L’Oréal and UNESCO For Women in Science award for lithium battery researchL’Oréal and UNESCO For Women in Science award for research into nutrient value of reef fishChildren’s book considers the origin of lifePrimary students see the big picture with Einsteinian physicsNew approach for treating strep A throat infection without antibioticsUnderstanding Machiavellian personalitiesA Complete Guide to Native Orchids of Australia |
| 2021-Nov-20 • 53 minutes Always on? Or better sometimes off? The good and bad of smartphone technology The Science Brief - Hope for the Amazon and kids and their screensAlways On - the smartphone journey and the possibilities which awaitAussie STEM Stars - Alan FinkelAphasia therapy adapted for zoomHow snakes use sound in the environment and the cost of venom as a defence weapon |
| 2021-Nov-13 • 53 minutes How science has been used to justify horrid acts through history The Science Brief – community power takes off and fusion a step closerHow pregnancy shapes the brain – the lifelong effects of motherhoodThe Science of AbolitionMindfulness helps parents of children with behavioural problemsThe Icepick Surgeon |
| 2021-Oct-30 • 54 minutes On a roll - Ceridwen Dovey wins Bragg Prize for Science Writing again The prize winners, the anthology, the history remembered. The Science Show this week is all Bragg. |
| 2021-Oct-23 • 54 minutes More hopes for Glasgow, more value from waste, and a new ship for Antarctic research World sleepwalking into disaster with lukewarm climate actionInformation for families of children with chronic illnessesThe science briefNew approach for helping those addicted to methamphetaminesNew waste sorter recovers 90% of waste previously dumpedNuyina, the Australia’s new icebreaker, supply ship and floating laboratory arrives in HobartAussie STEM Stars – John Long, fossil hunterHow exercise can improve your sight |
| 2021-Oct-16 • 54 minutes Birds, polar ice and hopes for Glasgow climate talks Crisis awaits if the world fails to act on climateShould nuclear power be part of the energy transition?The science briefIdentifying the risks of babies being born smallMonitoring ice north and southTime to count birds in your backyard |
| 2021-Oct-09 • 54 minutes Prizes, prizes, prizes! Nobels, Earthshot and Eurekas 2021 Nobel Prizes for Medicine, Physics and ChemistryPaul Ehrlich reflects after 50 yearsAustralian finalist for first Earthshot environmental prize 2021Different cultures, different maps part 2Eureka Science Prizes 2021 |
| 2021-Oct-02 • 54 minutes New ways to inspire young students about the world of science Avoiding a ghastly futureThe science briefNew communications technology for astronomy and space missionsEinstein musical introduces students to physics through performancePen pal scientists inspire young studentsDifferent cultures, different maps |
| 2021-Sep-25 • 54 minutes As melting ice threatens polar ecosystems hopes emerge that international investment law will help speed transition to clean energy The science briefHopes international investment law will help speed transition to clean energyScience and the public good - mathematicsCosmic Vertigo returnsMelting ice threatens polar ecosystemsCan computers reproduce human culture? |
| 2021-Sep-18 • 54 minutes Acacias a new weapon against climate change The science briefAcacia - another climate solution in easy reachScience and the public good - physicsTargeted heat used to treat brain cancerComputer science born in Australia 70 years ago |
| 2021-Sep-11 • 54 minutes Musical palm cockatoos sing duets and more The science briefRobots for e-wasteScience and the public good - chemistryPalm cockatoos – the singing and drumming parrots on Australia’s northern tipWeight training for general health and therapyCitizen science boosts science literacy |
| 2021-Sep-04 • 54 minutes Authors combine science with popular characters and gripping story lines The science briefScience and the public goodAstrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking introduces young readers to scienceScience the basis of LA Larkin’s crime-thrillers |
| 2021-Aug-28 • 54 minutes The Science Show celebrates 46 years with Douglas Adams, a pit full of snakes and a memory from the start The Science Show celebrates 46 years and recalls a warning given at the startRemembering Douglas AdamsThe fascinating world of snakes The science brief |
| 2021-Aug-21 • 54 minutes Crazy ants, smart birds and an Aussie space mission How basic research can lead to unexpected breakthroughsCarl’s world of scienceCurtin University builds resupply craft for Space StationBird brains more complex than ever imaginedYellow crazy ants threaten ecosystems and agriculture along Queensland coast |
| 2021-Aug-14 • 54 minutes Electrification coming for runabouts and vale Roger Short Electrification coming for runaboutsSlime moulds fascinate the young and oldBotanical Ark in far north QueenslandThe reality of scientific research – 1-yr study blows out to 6yrsVale Roger Short |
| 2021-Aug-07 • 54 minutes The Science Show - Saturday, August 7 The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to prime ministerial biorhythms. |
| 2021-Aug-07 • 54 minutes Slime moulds, soil, Shackleton and snow Slime moulds – important forest dwellers that are neither plant, animal nor fungusThe story of soilShackleton’s Endurance – the extraordinary tale of endurance and unlikely survivalNZ getting serious about its snow |
| 2021-Jul-31 • 54 minutes Drilling beneath volcanoes, reducing the threat of tsunamis, and why the dodo is no more Drilling beneath volcanoesProtection against tsunamisTreasures from London’s Natural History Museum at Melbourne Museum to Jan 2022The demise of flightless birdsMessage to a developing embryoHistory of Manhattan, and continued push to return jaguars to southern US |
| 2021-Jul-24 • 54 minutes Mining minerals with plants and time to supercharge recycling Plants could be used to remediate polluted sitesRecycling brings benefits with low impact livingCivil society will bring a better world |
| 2021-Jul-17 • 54 minutes Solutions here now for the climate disaster Open access science leads to more citationsClimate change impacts WA biodiversitySolutions for the emerging climate disaster |
| 2021-Jul-10 • 54 minutes Deadly heat hits North America, better steel, and solutions to climate change feature in Australian Museum exhibition The 1914 visit that changed AustraliaDeadly high temperatures hit Canada and US northwestNew exhibition presents climate solutionsLighter stronger steel for the construction industryArchaeology could extend knowledge of the history of religionIndigenous kids learn health, nutrition and how to cook for the family |
| 2021-Jul-03 • 54 minutes The simple solution to two big problems — trees Siberian cave reveals secrets of human evolutionary history.Aussie tree book for young readers.One solution for two big problems — trees.Tribute to Edward de Bono.Robert FitzRoy — Captain of the Beagle, Governor of NZ and a better scientist than Darwin? |
| 2021-Jun-26 • 54 minutes Spinifex, ticks and the important role of fathers in wild animals Safe cladding and plant-based foods among winners of Academy of Technology and Engineering awardsSoil microbes suspected to cause inner plant die-off in spinifexTicks offer microorganisms a free rideVale Edward de BonoWild animal fathers more than just sperm donorsKangaroo Island was nearly French! |
| 2021-Jun-19 • 54 minutes Biased botanists, a new blue kangaroo paw and playing birds have bigger brains and longer lives Botanists biased towards pretty plants more than the ugliesKings Park Botanic Garden Perth great for a stroll and does top-notch botanical and horticultural researchPlay behaviour linked to brain mass and life span in a sample of Australian birdsAncient tree-climbing marsupials reveal hints of past environments |
| 2021-Jun-12 • 54 minutes New ideas about plant conservation, the immense diversity of Ashmore Reef, and how ocean noise could threaten whales and dolphins The legacy of Andrei Sakharov and the state of Russian science todayHigh levels of ocean noise a possible threat to whales and dolphinsRace to map Ashmore Reef as aquatic worlds change fast with warming watersNew ideas challenge traditional views about plant conservation and restorationLarge scale art works take visitors on a journey of ecological awarenessAsteroid sample lands in South Australian desert |
| 2021-Jun-05 • 54 minutes Fears environmental laws to be weakened, burning practices threaten ecosystems and learning from Indigenous knowledge A call for strengthened environmental legislationRegular forest burns reduce chances for endangered plants and animals, impact human healthLinking modern science with Indigenous knowledge to care for the landVale Ross TaylorWA Shipwrecks Museum charts early European encounters with AustraliaForensic evidence playing an increasing role in criminal investigations |
| 2021-May-29 • 54 minutes Methane 120 times worse than carbon dioxide, plus the changing world for frogs, bees and human relationships Politicians need to see linkages in our worldMost Australian frogs intolerant of human modified habitatsNatural gas not a clean optionCoronavirus becomes musicHow much artificial intelligence will affect our romantic livesPollinators and PollinationNative bees of south-west Western Australia |
| 2021-May-22 • 54 minutes Alan Turing – thinker ahead of his time Alan Turing – thinker ahead of his time |
| 2021-May-15 • 54 minutes Professor Roger Short, reproductive biologist He is now over ninety, having done work on AIDS, on elephants, on population and condoms. We return to a feature interview from 2011 with Professor Roger Short in Melbourne. |
| 2021-May-08 • 54 minutes Botanical tales, tariffs for renewable energy and extracting fossils Proposed tariff a disincentive for household renewable energyExtracting fossils from their rocky tombsPeter Raven - Driven by NatureRetired botanist becomes word doctor |
| 2021-May-01 • 54 minutes Full-on assault against natural ecosystems Conservation, what’s that? Natural ecosystems now being removed fasterSmart irrigation keeps Adelaide’s parks greener and coolerScientists petition to end political persecution in RussiaRussian science a shadow of its former selfFungal art featured at the Royal Botanic Garden SydneyLockdown allows David Suzuki to reconnect with nature |
| 2021-Apr-24 • 54 minutes Suzuki on racism, Darwin on psychology and saving the pines on Norfolk Island. David Suzuki deplores racism, explores its roots and prevalence todayThe Psychology of Charles DarwinAussie Stem Stars – Gisela KaplanThe return of sea birds may save Norfolk Island’s iconic pinesWinery takes a low impact approach |
| 2021-Apr-17 • 54 minutes Seaweed a hope to capture carbon and help cool the planet Seaweed a strong hope for drawdown of atmospheric carbonFestival reveals the beauty, wonder and potential of seaweedKey indicators of planetary health getting worse fasterDo trade unions speak to scientists?Climate change is f*%#ing terrifying. Has the media failed in telling the truth?Saving the threatened plants and animals of Norfolk Island |
| 2021-Apr-10 • 54 minutes Adelaide car plant closes and becomes an innovation hub employing more people than before ANU plans to end neuroscience researchThe arts, humanities and sciences dance togetherCatastrophic scene as rainfall decreases on Norfolk IslandHow to fix a brain in 5 minutesAdelaide car factory becomes innovation precinctA guide to finding, identifying, collecting and preparing mushrooms for consumption |
| 2021-Apr-03 • 54 minutes Restoring shellfish reefs and a helping hand for the green parrots of Norfolk Island Economic arguments help win funds to restore shellfish reefsLife After Gravity - The story of Isaac Newton's decades in LondonOverlooked astronomer Vera Rubin showed existence of dark matterOverview effect offers reassurance in hard timesGreen parrots make a comeback on Norfolk Island |
| 2021-Mar-27 • 54 minutes Ecological repair for Australian islands east and west Stem cells - a mix of promise and hypeCanberra doctor buys fish fossil site in central NSWNative animals reintroduced on Dirk Hartog Island WAInvasive animals removed, now vegetation being reintroduced on Phillip IslandUnderstanding internet trollsPhilosopher Michael Strevens charts how science began in The Knowledge Machine - How Irrationality Created Modern Science |
| 2021-Mar-20 • 54 minutes $2.4 billion proposal to commercialise science and the importance of infant gut bacteria $2.4 billion proposal to commercialise scienceGut bacteria in infants play a vital role for life-long healthGenetic study answers key questions about the pink cockatooDung beetles. Without them, we’d be buried in it.Microscopic animal demonstrates UV resistance |
| 2021-Mar-13 • 54 minutes Fossil fish site in central NSW now in safe hands and Manly festival celebrates beauty and importance of seaweed Less security than a barista for early career researchers in AustraliaFossil fish site in central NSW now in safe handsA tribute to Japan’s father of seismologySeaweed festival celebrates importance and joy of seaweed |
| 2021-Mar-06 • 54 minutes How Rosalind Franklin aided our pandemic response and attracting the world’s top researchers, despite COVID COVID pandemic an apt time to rewrite the significance of Rosalind FranklinIceberg introduces children to AntarcticaScheme attracts the world’s top researchers to AustraliaChanging language brings pain for someThe Botany of Gin |
| 2021-Feb-27 • 54 minutes Changing climate questions where and how we build close to forested areas, and investigating the top speed of sound New approach needed for urban settlements after apocalyptic bushfiresPlans for the Australian Space AgencySharing the overview effectInvestigating the upper limit to the speed of sound |
| 2021-Feb-20 • 54 minutes Fish moving polewards and 3D printing of body parts 3D printers now producing body partsFish moving polewards so they can breatheWhat led to Greta? Perovskites promise new ways of generating solar powerTen Journeys on a Fragile Planet |
| 2021-Feb-13 • 54 minutes We’ve removed 90% of all large fish from the oceans. Just 10% to go. |
| 2021-Feb-06 • 54 minutes Consciousness amongst animals and the story of the dire wolf |
| 2021-Jan-30 • 54 minutes As mining causes roads to crack and houses to collapse, a Swedish city is moved |
| 2021-Jan-27 • 22 minutes Science Extra: The Moon is more fun than Venus Three missions to Mars, phosphine on Venus and water molecules on the Moon. ABC senior science reporter Genelle Weule looks back on the big space news of 2020, with science editor Jonathan Webb. |
| 2021-Jan-23 • 54 minutes Howard Florey - the Australian researcher who developed penicillin Serendipity, brilliance and hard work led to the development of penicillin, a drug that has saved billions of lives. |
| 2021-Jan-20 • 19 minutes Science Extra: What happened to the COVIDSafe app? What is QAnon and what’s it doing in Australia? What was behind the spread of misinformation during the Black Summer bushfires? And what went wrong with Australia’s ‘sunscreen’, COVIDSafe? Jonathan Webb speaks with the science unit's tech reporter James Purtill about 2020 in technology news. |
| 2021-Jan-16 • 54 minutes A portrait of Sir John Eccles - Australian pioneer of neuroscience EnviroTeens take young readers on fun adventures learning about the environmentA portrait of Sir John Eccles - Australian Nobel Laureate who devoted his life to unravelling the complexities of the human brain |
| 2021-Jan-13 • 21 minutes Science Extra: When your flatmate is Homo erectus What happened when three human species met in South Africa? What caused the biggest gravitational waves we’ve detected so far? Also, alligators on helium. That’s it. That’s the story. Science reporter Belinda Smith reviews her favourite stories from 2020 with science editor Jonathan Webb. |
| 2021-Jan-09 • 54 minutes A book for children about environmental change, and the discovery of mauve |
| 2021-Jan-06 • 17 minutes Science Extra: A mountain in the deep Could you survive for a month living off the land? And what’s the skyscraper-sized object found in the waters off Cape York? Also, everything you need to know about carbon accounting. Science editor Jonathan Webb speaks to environment reporter Nick Kilvert about his top stories from 2020. |
| 2021-Jan-02 • 54 minutes Writing science Beatrix Potter – author and amateur pioneer mycologistPeering through the looking glass at Lewis CarrollA tribute to Terry PratchettA nod to Dylan Thomas |
| 2020-Dec-30 • 18 minutes Science Extra: Inside a frantic year in health news What do we know about the origins of the coronavirus? How promising are these new vaccines? And what’s taken the wind out of the sails of one of the most promising treatments for Alzheimer’s disease? Health reporter Olivia Willis speaks with science editor Jonathan Webb about the big health stories of 2020. |
| 2020-Dec-26 • 54 minutes Two scientists, a man and a woman, who changed the course of history Portraits of two scientists who changed our view of the world - Rosalind Franklin whose photograph illustrated the double helix structure of DNA, and James Clerk Maxwell, who was up there with Newton and Einstein. He pioneered our understanding of the kinetic nature of gases, studied the rings of Saturn and described the importance of electromagnetism. |
| 2020-Dec-19 • 54 minutes A portrait of Dame Miriam Rothschild |
| 2020-Dec-12 • 54 minutes Would you take a ray gun to ringworm? Radiation used to treat benign conditions up to the 1960s has led to illness and deathBig push into nano medicine at The University of SydneyChildren’s book celebrates pioneer of surgical osteointegrationAustralian trees growing all over the worldSimilarities between COVID-19 and climate changeSpace weather a risk for lifeThe fine line for the scientific illustrator |
| 2020-Dec-05 • 54 minutes After the AM, here comes the WAM The path towards reduced waste in AustraliaNew technology for recycling composite materialsWestern Australian Museum opens after rebuildNew theories about human originsCommunicating science and health messages in AfricaHow humans have changed natural environments |
| 2020-Nov-28 • 54 minutes Australian Museum reopens, a new monkey named and an emu tries to fly More screen time increases risk of myopiaAustralian Museum Sydney opens following major transformationRare monkey finally namedNSW Premier’s Prize for battery researchNSW Premier’s Prize for research and leadership in medical biological scienceJourney to Australia, then New Holland by Joseph Banks leads to the publication of hundreds of drawings of new plants and animalsHenry the Flying Emu |
| 2020-Nov-21 • 54 minutes The 21st century so far Twenty years of climate extremesBarry Jones tracks changes since the 1980sHow debating helped in the transition yearsThe Carbon Club exposes those behind Australia’s toxic carbon politics |
| 2020-Nov-14 • 54 minutes The profound versus the preposterous - Life vs loony. What is life? Revisiting the great Carlos hoax |
| 2020-Nov-07 • 54 minutes Three Prime Minister’s Science Prize winners |
| 2020-Oct-31 • 54 minutes The Prime Minister’s Science Prize Prime Minister’s Prize for Science awarded for discovery of gravitational waves.Celebrating Ruby Payne-Scott and the birth of radio astronomy. |
| 2020-Oct-24 • 54 minutes Hope in Hell? Hope in HellWorking towards bigger, better lithium batteriesShould scientists take a position in the US election?The Human Body Survival Guide |
| 2020-Oct-17 • 54 minutes No more fish? Fish of the eastern PacificWild fish catch easily replaced by aquacultureBarramundi breeding restocks our tropical northern riversNational Youth Science Forum boosts young people keen on scienceFixing the climate emergency must start now - Johan Rockström part 8, final |
| 2020-Oct-10 • 54 minutes The North Pole, gentle robots and the future of AI 2020 Nobel Prizes. Ten steps for best chance of climate stability - Johan Rockström part 7. Designing our AI future. New roles for robots. The Pilbara - test ground for NASA with school students keen to learn about their ancient land. |
| 2020-Oct-03 • 54 minutes Three exceptional women Lecture - Futures Past and Possible: Histories of and for Tomorrow |
| 2020-Sep-26 • 54 minutes Venus - another prompt for the regeneration of science? |
| 2020-Sep-19 • 54 minutes How to eliminate CO2 emissions from agriculture? The answer lies in the soil! US west coast ablaze.The Amazon regulates the planet’s climate and we’re burning it - Johan Rockström part 4.Soils can play a major role in storing carbon.Conservation co-op provides connection to community and nature.Meteorites bring information about the early solar system. |
| 2020-Sep-12 • 54 minutes Pipsqueak dinosaurs – How did they become top monsters? Urgent action required to steer clear of climate tipping points - Johan Rockström part 3.Thermal bricks could assist transition to renewable energy.Young people at risk from online gambling.Dinosaurs - from pipsqueaks to monsters.Children’s book features adventures with reptiles. |
| 2020-Sep-05 • 54 minutes Can you have a BBQ 40,000 years before people land? Stressed planet sending clear warning signs – Johan Rockström part 2.The nudge which opened the door to mathematics.Shells and blackened rocks on the Victorian coast dated to 40,000 years before first people believed to be in Australia.STEM Superstar says go for it!Patient Zero |
| 2020-Aug-29 • 54 minutes Lithium potential for Australia and time running out climate change action Window closing for action to stabilise the Earth’s climate. Cleaner air delivers LA health and economic benefits.Lithium processing a new opportunity for Australia.Children’s book about surgeon Fiona Wood.STEM Superstar prompts government probe on masks.South Georgia Island once rat infested, becomes a rat-free bird sanctuary. |
| 2020-Aug-22 • 54 minutes New ideas about our food choices and how taste and pleasure have helped drive evolution What really controls our eating decisions? How our bodies tell us what to eat. Taste and pleasure of food offer a new way to understand evolution. |
| 2020-Aug-15 • 54 minutes Shall we join the quantum revolution? Scientists urged to keep waving the flag. UNSW launches new degree in quantum engineering. Startup building the infrastructure for quantum computing. Reducing the data, energy and emissions of big data computing. Designing the computers of tomorrow. Lasers support our modern way of life. |
| 2020-Aug-08 • 54 minutes Dr Dolittle turns 100 and the complex behaviour of birds Dr Dolittle turns 100, The Bird Way: a new look at how birds talk, work, play, parent and think and flies dance to lure their mate |
| 2020-Aug-01 • 54 minutes The seaweed revolution and keeping brains fit The stars that time forgot – at the edge of our galaxy. Protect your hippocampus with exercise, diet, socialising and sex. Rope-like filaments common to rouge brain proteins. Kinky proteins suspected cause for Alzheimer’s. Microalgae the basis for fuels, food and more. New seaweed processing plant opens in southern NSW. Singing frogs bid farewell to Mike Tyler. |
| 2020-Jul-25 • 54 minutes The history of Boeing and the future of passenger flight Basics of naming in biology, museum returns human remains to traditional communities, the history of Boeing and the future of passenger flight, space rockets being developed in Queensland. |
| 2020-Jul-18 • 54 minutes The Pilbara - used by ancient people and NASA, blown up by Rio Tinto Pilbara used by NASA to prepare for Mars missions. Pilbara Aboriginal site destroyed by Rio Tinto. Predicting earthquakes. Evolution of angiosperms. Mike Tyler reflects on Joseph Banks. |
| 2020-Jul-11 • 54 minutes The Frog Man remembered + global genomes |
| 2020-Jul-04 • 54 minutes Are physicists bonkers? |
| 2020-Jun-27 • 54 minutes Could there be a Goldilocks Universe? And how to save our seahorses |
| 2020-Jun-20 • 48 minutes The Science Show shares some of its favourite books From mathematics and mammoths to the woman who found out what stars are made of: Robyn Williams and Carl Smith talk about books with Eddie Woo, Sharon Giltrow, Zofia Witkowski-Blake, Craig Cormick, Danielle Clode and Chris Flynn. |
| 2020-Jun-13 • 54 minutes Vale the professor of everything |
| 2020-Jun-06 • 54 minutes Climate grief 3 - How comedians approach climate change |
| 2020-May-30 • 54 minutes Tiahni Adamson - first ever Indigenous Time at Sea Scholarship recipient and how hard it is to read faces. |
| 2020-May-23 • 54 minutes Fear for the Amazon, and a chance to compost yourself! The plunder and destruction of the vast Amazon forests have been so terrible, that by 2035, they will cease to be a sink for CO2. The burning was so bad last year that the holocaust featured on the cover of The Economist magazine. This week The Science Show receives its first report from Ignacio Amigo who lives in Manaus and writes for the journal Nature. |
| 2020-May-16 • 54 minutes Climate grief 2 - Singer-songwriter Missy Higgins Talk to our top creative people – writers, musicians, comedians even (especially them) and you find most are deeply concerned about the massive threats to environment. Last week we heard the concerns of marine scientist Ove Hoegh-Guldberg. This week one of Australia’s greatest young singers, Missy Higgins, tells Dr Jonica Newby how climate grief has been at the heart of her most recent songs. Don’t Look Down is a breathtaking example. Missy describes the emotions – and the science – that have inspired her. ... |
| 2020-May-09 • 54 minutes Climate grief This week professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg from the University of Queensland, a world-renowned marine scientist and contributor to IPCC assessments, talks about the likely loss of the Great Barrier Reef. How does a determined, optimistic researcher keep going amid the upsets.WARNING: This episode contains language that may cause offence to some listeners. |
| 2020-May-02 • 54 minutes A tribute to Australian doctor Catherine Hamlin who dedicated her life to helping young African women damaged by traumatic births Catherine Hamlin was born in Sydney. She worked in Ethiopia pioneering medical treatment for young women damaged by unsuccessful childbirth. In 2000, Pauline Newman visited Catherine Hamlin and her famous hospital in Addis Ababa. Catherine Hamlin died in March 2020 at the age of 93. By way of tribute today we revisit Pauline’s program from nearly 20 years ago. |
| 2020-Apr-29 • 5 minutes PREVIEW RN Presents — Hot Mess: Why haven’t we fixed climate change? It has been just over three decades since warnings were first raised about global warming. The 20 hottest years on record have all occurred in the last quarter century. So why aren’t we serious about climate change? Richard Aedy goes looking for answers in a 4-part series on RN - Sunday mornings at 8am from 3rd May and podcast. |
| 2020-Apr-25 • 54 minutes Jane Goodall, Christof Koch and an app to save dollars How can Jane Goodall have hope for the future, especially for the animals she loves, when the news about extinctions is so bleak? As The Hope, a 2-hour film about Jane and her life, is launched this week by National Geographic Jane joins Robyn on The Science Show to discuss the film, her work and her hope. |
| 2020-Apr-18 • 54 minutes Three superstars – and one’s only 18! Patrick Webster was head boy at Albany Senior High and became deeply involved with the waters of SW Australia. Which led him to think about climate (yes, we are obsessed by the virus, but this is even bigger). Hear Patrick’s speech to a packed hall in Albany and realise there is hope. |
| 2020-Apr-11 • 54 minutes Asteroids chock full of water, multiverses, and our planet full of life – deep as you go! A large asteroid carrying plenty of water will be worth millions of dollars we’re told. But it’s not sloshing around. Instead, the water is carried in chemical form within the rocks themselves. Now Dr Katarina Miljkovic from Curtin University has analysed gases coming off asteroids when they are bombarded as they fly through space. She has found there will be enough water to support human explorers when they venture through the galaxy. |
| 2020-Apr-04 • 54 minutes A schoolgirl’s plea, a flying monster and kids on screens Despite shutdowns caused by that virus, we are gaining little benefit in emissions reduction. Rebecca Ford, age 16, who’s at The Senior High School in Albany WA tells The Science Show why she is so concerned and how much young people need our support. Yes, we are distracted, but climate change won’t go away and could make corona seem like a mere passing sniffle if we’re not careful. |
| 2020-Mar-28 • 54 minutes Fear! Should we be frightened? ...and survive? |
| 2020-Mar-21 • 54 minutes Why is it so cold in here? Besides the virus, what’s bothering people in offices and cabs around the world? Well, it’s freezing. Especially for women. Tom Chang at the University of Southern California did the tests and found there’s a marked drop in productivity if people are uncomfortable because the air-conditioning is berserk. He published his findings and was astounded to find there were millions of responses. Is there a gender difference? Do men in suits really not feel the freeze? Can we afford to waste the energy on unwanted ... |
| 2020-Mar-14 • 54 minutes The arts meet the sciences - and ads in the sky? White dwarfs reveal composition of gobbled planetsHow light pollution impacts animalsPlan to create advertising messages in the sky using satellitesTragedy of the commons now being played out in spaceThe arts and sciences dance together with inspiring resultsCuriosity the cornerstone for artists and scientists |
| 2020-Mar-07 • 54 minutes Our superginormous black hole is hungry again |
| 2020-Feb-29 • 54 minutes The grid is wobbling – what to do? And here comes the WA Scientist of the Year, and he’s running! |
| 2020-Feb-22 • 54 minutes The USA, and Australian forests under extreme pressure |
| 2020-Feb-15 • 54 minutes A wire around the world |
| 2020-Feb-08 • 54 minutes The formula - the new science of success |
| 2020-Feb-01 • 54 minutes A journalist’s view of The Australian’s anti-science campaign, changes in energy and transport, and a boost for innovation. |
| 2020-Jan-25 • 54 minutes The Coastline – as vital as your skin. Keep it healthy or we die. |
| 2020-Jan-18 • 54 minutes How bees see, how fish change their sex and a poem on bushfires, climate, politics and society |
| 2020-Jan-16 • 17 minutes Science Extra: 2019 in space The first image of a black hole, Apollo 11 celebrations, and the successes and failures of 2019's satellite missions. Plus what to expect from the Mars-bound missions in 2020. |
| 2020-Jan-11 • 54 minutes Carl Zimmer explores the history of our understanding of heredity |
| 2020-Jan-09 • 16 minutes Science Extra: 2019 in environment Droughts, fires, and discussions around climate change intensified in 2019. A recap of the year in environment news, and a glimpse of what's to come in 2020. |
| 2020-Jan-04 • 54 minutes Melting ice and burning forests signs of a changing world 3. The importance of Antarctica for the Earth’s climate |
| 2020-Jan-02 • 18 minutes Science Extra: 2019 in science From quantum 'supremacy' to deep life, catch up on the big themes from a busy year of science. Plus will scientists build a brand new eukaryote in 2020? |
| 2019-Dec-28 • 54 minutes Identifying cholera and de-extinction - should we bring back extinct animals? |