Lost in Science

Revisiting some past stories from episodes of Lost in Science Fiction, we look at the science contained in (and the science inspired by) Star Wars, 2001: a Space Odyssey, and Ad Astra 

This week the team explore the science behind some science fiction classics. How strong would a tornado have to be to suck up the shark from Jaws? Would murderous robots in the future really be human-like? And what is the best science fiction movie, according to quantum physicists? 

This week, Linden reveals a new study into predicting the tipping points when mathematicians have a sudden “ah-ha!” moment when working on a blackboard; and Claire stuns us all with research that found a single ant was able to lay eggs for two different species. S. Tabatabaeian, A. O’bi, D. Landy, & T. Marghetis, An information-theoretic foreshadowing of mathematicians’ sudden insights, Proc. Natl...

This week we pay tribute to the science winners at this year's Nobel prizes, though possibly not as much fun as the Ignobels from last week, they will definitely get people thinking (and solving problems) if not laughing as much about the research. 

This week on Lost in Science, we dive into the delightfully weird world of the Ig Nobel Prizes — awards that celebrate research which first makes you laugh, then makes you think. From testing whether babies prefer garlicky milk, to exploring the science of perfect pasta, and discovering if a few drinks can improve your foreign language skills, we’re unwrapping the year’s most curious and clever di...

In this week's episode we welcome two more students from the University of Melbourne's Science Communication program. Carola explores her own family history through the story of Mendel's peas, while Lucy spills the tea on how the world's scientists rejected the idea of the Anthropocene as a geological era. 

A recent study suggests elephants have nicknames for each other. Find out more with Jessica on this week's episode. Photo by Nam Anh on Unsplash In this week's episode we welcome two students from the University of Melbourne's Science Communication program. Jessica and Niqi discuss the amazing communication styles of elephants, and try to quash bad news stories about ravens from around the world. 

Stu talks to Ted Vanderfeen, a Palawa man from Peerapper lands in Northern Tasmania who has shifted his sights to space exploration. He tells us about his work in the US at the NASA jet propulsion laboratory through the Australian National Indigenous Space Academy and his current work on mechatronics with CSIRO. 

This week, Chris speaks to climate scientist Michael E. Mann and vaccinologist Peter Hotez about how their common challenges with denialism and anti-science influences led to writing their new book, Science Under Siege: How to fight the five most powerful forces that threaten our world.

This week Linden talks to Clancy "The Bee Man" about native pollinators and how to look after them, while Stu finds out about how we can "Scan for life signs" in the 21st century without having to actually see any living things directly. 

This week on Lost in Science, Claire speaks with researcher Saskia Gerhardy about her fascinating new work revealing that the critically endangered plains-wanderer has a much wider habitat than previously thought – including the discovery of a new population in South Australia. And from the archives, Chris revisits a conversation with animal reproductive biologist Jarrod McKenna, exploring the bol...

This week on the show we continue our Quantum for Dummies series, celebrating the International Year of Quantum. Claire takes the “dummy” seat once again, putting Chris, our resident quantum physicist, to the test with questions about the mysterious principle of uncertainty. Plus, we head into the archives to revisit Stu's interview with Dr Ellie Paine who researchers the role kelp could play in c...

In this National Science Week episode, Linden unmasks some famous performers who also have a science background; and Chris shares some new research into how static electricity works, which is still unsolved after thousands of years. Sobarzo, J.C., Pertl, F., Balazs, D.M. et al. Spontaneous ordering of identical materials into a triboelectric series. Nature 638, 664–669 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1...

This week on Lost in Science, Linden explores fascinating new evidence that Homo naledi may have buried their dead 250,000 years ago—over three times earlier than we thought humans developed such rituals. What does this mean for our understanding of cultural evolution? Meanwhile, Chris dives into the curious world of convergent evolution—why do so many creatures evolve similar traits, like ant-eat...

Claire looks to the animal kingdom for leadership strategies, and Stu explores ancient creatures who developed their own version of something almost completely unlike feathers millions of years before feathers appeared

This week, Chris breaks down the latest experimental results from the Large Hadron Collider, which confirmed an asymmetry between matter and antimatter, but not enough to explain the imbalance seen in the universe; and Linden explains the power of clouds, and new research showing that how they respond to climate change can make it worse.  LHCb Collaboration. Observation of charge–parity symmetry b...

Claire talks to Dr. Jess Marsh abotu eyeless invertebrates under the Nullarbor, and Chris looks into the dark sky for a new interstellar visitor to our solar system

This week to celebrate International Year of Quantum, Claire gets all her most basic quantum questions answered by Chris - what is Quantum, why should we be celebrating, and when will quantum technology teleport pizza to my door? Also on the show we head back into the archives and a story from Claire on new research using gut bacteria to switch blood A and B blood types to 'universal'.

Linden talks about a recent study into the effect of generative AI use on cognitive function and Stu talks to Kim Dyball, Executive Manager of the Young Indigenous Womens' STEM Academy and how a Churchill fellowship is going to help improve outcomes for young indigenous women in STEM in Australia

This week, Claire reveals new research that discovered 20 unknown viruses in the kidneys of bats in China; and Stu digs into recent studies of how weight-loss drugs like Ozempic work in the brain, and what this tells us about how our appetites function.

This week on Lost in Science: Did you know the Andromeda galaxy is heading straight for us? Chris unpacks new research that pushes the expected Milky Way-Andromeda collision a few billion years further into the future. Meanwhile, Stu investigates cannonball fungi—tiny but mighty organisms that launch their spores over six metres! Find out how these fungal sharpshooters can stain your house and fru...

This week, Claire shares the great news that the critically endangered Leadbeater's possum, which is Victoria's faunal emblem, has been found living in NSW; and Chris explains the risks of sleep apnoea, and how the social media trend of mouth taping probably doesn't help.

This week on Lost in Science, Stu plunges into the cold truth about ice baths and athletic performance, while Claire revisits an interview with cave-diving palaeontologist Meg Walker, who searches underwater caves for fossils of Australia’s extinct megafauna – including giant wombats, marsupial lions and one-toed kangaroos.

Linden talks to radio astronomer Natasha Hurley-Walker about all things radio telescopy, and Stu brings a story about a new potential species that may not actually be alive. 

This week, Linden talks to researcher Michael Wheeler about the dangers of too much sitting, whether it really is the new smoking, and how to aim for more exercise; and Chris updates us on the search for a ninth planet in our Solar System (not counting) Pluto, why some astrophysicists believe it exists, and a dot seen in old telescope data that may be the missing planet.