Fuzzy Logic Science Show

In the scheme of things 230 years is a mere blink, but that's all it's taken for Europeans to utterly transform Australia. In another 230 years, what will we say? Whatever the answer, the word sustainability is important. Dr Kate Auty is ACT Sustainability Commissioner . We talk about what that means for the ACT, and how we meet the forces that oppose it. Dr Auty shares some life stories from the...

Still waiting for the energy revolution? While the federal government wants to burn coal, the community voice grows. We visited the Hepburn wind farm, and the Community Energy Congress in Melbourne. The Town Hall was a-buzz with excitement. At Hepburn, James took a few moments away from his icecream. We talk  smart energy systems with Hillary Platt, co-operatives with Anthony Taylor. Then we hear...

February 12 is Darwin Day, celebrating the anniversary of the birth of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin. This show, originally broadcast on Darwin Day, sees Dr Emma Sherratt join Broderick to discuss the life and science of Charles Darwin. Emma is a postdoctoral researcher from the Research School of Biology at the Australian National Unviersity, Canberra

We are of course, talking about food! The immense pleasure of tucking into a good meal. It's the taste, the texture, the shared social experience, and nutrition. This a topic as rich as a fine meal. Today's conversation is with Dr Nenad Naumovski, Assistant Professor from the University of Canberra, and psychologist Jacqeline Naumovski. Interview by Rod.   You can read Dr Nemovski's Ask Fuzzy colu...

Hepatitis is a tenacious disease, but with basic knowhow, it can be prevented.  And with new drugs it can be treated, but the cost is far higher. Given the people at risk, it's as much a social issue as it is a health issue. It's one of the reasons that Hepatitis ACT Executive Director John Didlick has thrown his energy into the cause. Interview by Rod at the Multicultural Festival in Canberra. Fo...

At a time when we're facing so many dire threats, it's easy to give up and think we're powerless. In the face of such large forces, how can one person do anything? It turns out there are lots of ways. Our guest today describes a few. Simon Sheikh was driving force behind the Getup movement, and in 2013 was the Greens candidate in the ACT federal election. Now, he's founder and manager of Future Su...

Last week, millions of people worldwide participated in Women's Marches to raise awareness, celebrate diversity, and demand equality. Eleanor and Mitchell decided to show their support by discussing their favourite women in science. Tune in to learn about the women who pioneered X-ray crystallography, mapped the ocean floor, and literally wrote the book on bone microstructures.  These are stories...

Welcome to 2017! In this week's episode of Fuzzy Logic, Eleanor and Mitchell talk about cycles. Whether it's the 365 day cycle around the sun, complex cycles of precession and tilt that alter Earth's climate, or the Sun's natural cycle through high and low activity periods, these kinds of patterns are all around us. Tune in to hear Mitchell's "New Years Resolution" and Eleanor try to explain that...

It's our thoroughly non-Christmassy Christmas episode, and the last Fuzzy for 2016, so we're talking about colour in nature. Why are animals colourful? How did yellow patterns come to mean "please don't eat me, I'm poisonous, I promise" and how did tricksters come to mimic those patterns for their own ends? Eleanor is joined in the studio by Thomas, (a biochemistry PhD student with an encyclopedic...

Today we take a short break from science to bring you a christmas wish. Whatever your creed, this is for you. A personal story recorded by Rod for the ABC in 2006. May peace be with us all in 2017.    

We caught up with Australia's former Chief Scientist, Professor Penny Sackett, and asked her about how we're dealing with looming climate change. Is there hope? Interview by Rod at the recent BZE electric vehicle launch.

What's it like to lose your hearing? Our two guests today share their experiences as they struggle with hearing loss. Sue Daw is from Better Hearing Canberra, and today Rod is on the other side of the microphone. Interview by Christine Daniel from radio 1RPH

It's easy to love a panda, a monkey, or an beautifully coloured bird, but spare a thought for the humble fly.  These tireless workers aren't just the ones  that buzz around your bbq sausage. There's a huge range of species that eat aphids and pollinate flowers. And now Canberra startup Goterra is turning Black Soldier Fly larvae into stock feed. Turn garbage into food, build an industry in Canberr...

Why do we like stories about scary beasts, and why did the US just vote for a man who promotes fear and anti-science? The Trump story we quote is here . Read our Ask Fuzzy on cats.   Brought to you by Rod with Phil Hore from the National Dinosaur Museum .  

At the Living Green Festival in Canberra, our eye was caught by a curvaceous white object. It was a Tesla Powerwall, on display by the Power Saving Centre Canberra .  Energy consultant Ben Luton tells us how you might use solar technology to save money, and do something good for the environment. Interview by Rod

Australian wildlife has been hit from all directions. Loss of habitat, fire, pests, and cats. The  Australian Wildlife Conservancy  is one organisation trying to save our native animals. Senior ecologist for the North West, Dr James Smith tells about how the AWC is helping to fight extinction. Interview by Rod

Humans can go deaf, but what about dogs? Like any other animal, their hearing can go. Especially when we meddle with their breeding. And did you know dogs lipread? Or perhaps that should be faceread. Recorded at the Living Green Festival, Canberra with Michelle from AustralianDeafDogRescue. Find them on FBook. Interview by Rod.

The Pokémon Go craze is sweeping the world, but its success relies on some serious physics and chemistry.  Why do you owe your Eevee to Einstein and his theory of relativity? How did Volta and Galvani pioneer battery-powered devices like smart phones and Pokédexes? Can Pokémon Go players help real life Professor Willows monitor animal populations? We've got the answers for you!  Brought to you by...

The list may seem strange, but it applies to our two featured women. Dorothy Hill was a pioneering Australian scientist who's field was coral paleantology. She also drove rally cars and had a pilot's license.  Hedy Lamarr was a renowned Hollywood beauty. She invented secure frequency hopping radio transmission. Something like it is in your mobile phone. We look at a surprisingly simple way to make...

Two guests spontaneously appeared today. Luckly they were intelligently designed. Lots of people talk about evolution, but lots of people don't really know about evolution. There are many misconceptions. Then there are those who prefer mythical explanations. What does that mean, and why does it matter? Dr Nick Matzke is an evolutionary biologist who's been mapping the large scale history of life (...

What would it be like to find your vision was suddenly infected by strange apparitions?  Lines, shapes, whole buildings, faces, and lizards crawling up the wall. All inventions of the condition called Charles Bonnet Syndrome. No, you're not going mad, these are tricks that the visual system sometimes plays. Rod interviews Scot Muirden, director of the Charles Bonnet Syndrome Foundation , and Ian L...

The third week of May is National Archaeology Week, and to celebrate, Mitchell and Eleanor talk about the art and science of archaeology. We chat about the media hubbub surrounding the Curse of Tutankhamun's Tomb, the grim details of the buried city of Pompeii, and the geothermal vents that the Romans exploited at bath-time. Also features curse tablets and local axes.

It's an obsession, it's a pollutant and it's a problem. On this weeks episode, Broderick looks at the problem with plastic. Featuring interviews with Heidi Taylor from the Australian Marine Debris Initiative, PhD candidate from the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security Karen Raubenheimer and Principal Doug Reckord from the Bournda Environmental Education Centre.  Each of thes...

The ground has shifted, renewables are taking the wind out of fossil fuels. It's now cheaper to generate power with solar and wind. But is it an anti capitalist dream, only for when the sun is shining? Our guest today is a prominent pioneer of solar power technology, and an advocate for renewable energy. Professor Andrew Blakers is Director of the ANU Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems. Hosted...

Science isn't just pretty pictures of cells and stars; it's a thing people do, and you can too. In this episode of Fuzzy, Siân, Mitchell and Eleanor talk about the scientific method and how we can apply scientific thinking to our own everyday lives.  Features porridge alchemy, the Saturn Hexagon, and a ride on the dinosaur train. This episode originally aired on the 17th April 2016.