Science Friction

In 2000, people who visited the Melbourne Aquarium started to get sick. Really sick. This outbreak would go on to become the largest of its kind in Australia. This story goes back 50 years to a mystery that stumped scientists in Philadelphia.  How did they crack the case, and why are we still struggling to stop this disease? Got feedback? Email us sciencefriction@abc.net.au Guests: Professor Rober...

From mystery illnesses to flesh-eating bacteria and the looming threat of bird flu — outbreaks can push scientists, communities and health systems to their limits.  For Science Friction on ABC Radio National, Belinda Smith looks back on some of the disease outbreaks that shaped Australia. Hear about the scientists racing to find answers, the unusual diseases they're hunting, and the everyday peopl...

When it comes to the often incomprehensible world of quantum, it can be hard to distinguish hype from reality.  We might be on the verge of a breakthrough ... or tech start-ups might be trying to drum up momentum for the benefit of their stakeholders. Hype is important in science, but can it go too far? And has AI knocked the wind out of the sails of quantum computing? Got feedback? Email us scien...

You might not know it, but Australia is an unexpected frontrunner in the race to build a quantum computer.  Despite our isolation, leading quantum experts have called Australia home for decades, chipping away at this massive challenge.  What have we learnt, from our first digital computer CSIRAC, to now? And will it all culminate in the world's first million-qubit computer? Got feedback? Email us...

It's 1994, and a mathematical algorithm puts a spotlight on quantum computing for the first time. Defence departments, spy agencies and cybersecurity experts are on edge over the explosive Shor's algorithm. They spend decades and billions of dollars searching for a solution before something called "Q-day" arrives. Got feedback? Email us sciencefriction@abc.net.au Guests: Dr Henry EverittSenior tec...

Google announces it has achieved something game changing — quantum supremacy. But not everybody agrees. The company claims its quantum computer called Sycamore has solved a problem that no classical computer could manage in hundreds of thousands of years.  IBM wants this stricken from history. A war of words breaks out as two tech giants race to build a useful quantum computer that could change ho...

Quantum computers could be the next giant leap in technology — transforming how we heal people, how we grow food, how we get around our cities. So how close are we to the quantum future we've been promised? For Science Friction on ABC Radio National, Jacinta Bowler unpacks how the weird world of quantum physics could change everything. Hear about the surprising twists, the quantum cat-fights and t...

The Integrity astronauts are back on Earth recovering from their journey, while NASA prepares for Artemis III.  Belinda and Jacinta answer some of your questions in the wake of a successful moon orbit mission.  To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to the moon, search ‘Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast’ from Radio National...

There wasn't a dry eye in mission control as the Artemis II astronauts safely returned in what NASA called a "perfect" splashdown. Belinda and Jacinta relive the historic re-entry, and dig into the wild physics associated with blasting through Earth's atmosphere and plopping into the ocean. To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Belinda Smith and Jacinta Bowler about the Artemis II mission to th...

Nine days down … only one to go. The Artemis II mission is currently hurtling through space back to Earth, and is expected to land in the Pacific Ocean off the Californian coast tomorrow morning, Australia time. Belinda and Jacinta find out what the four astronauts on board have been doing as they make their approach, including being sent on an impromptu scavenger hunt, and what they can expect to...

With under two days to go, the Artemis II astronauts are making the most of their remaining time in space.  Belinda and Jacinta take a look at what they've been up to in the lead up to re-entry, and what they can expect to feel as they return to Earth. And if you've ever wondered what urine looks like as it's sprayed into space, well, we have you covered. To hear more podcast episodes from hosts B...

After the high of the lunar flyby, the four Artemis II astronauts are now on the return leg of their mission while scientists pore over the thousands of images sent back to Earth so far.  Belinda and Jacinta delve into some surprising observations from the flyby, and answer more listener questions about everything from space navigation to the need for belts in weightlessness. To hear more podcast...

It’s been a big day for the Artemis II astronauts. They broke a 56-year record for the furthest distance humans have travelled from Earth, successfully looped around the Moon, and capped off the flyby with a solar eclipse.  Belinda and Jacinta break down what the crew saw as they gazed upon the Moon’s far side and why they lost contact with mission control for 40 minutes.  To hear more podcast epi...

We’re at the pointy end of the Artemis II mission now: It’s the eve of the lunar flyby.  With the four astronauts now looped into the Moon’s gravitational clutches, they’ll have an intense few hours observing the lunar surface, taking photos, and breaking Apollo 13’s record for humans furthest from Earth.  Artemis Explained is a daily podcast from ABC Radio National.  From lift-off to splashdown,...

Alongside taking snaps of Earth, chatting with mission control and fixing the toilet, the Artemis II astronauts are also taking part in all kinds of scientific research. So what experiments are running on the Orion capsule, and what do Australian lasers have to do with anything?  Artemis Explained is a daily podcast from ABC Radio National.  From lift-off to splashdown, we'll bring you daily Artem...

The Artemis II astronauts have passed the halfway point between Earth and the Moon, and still have around another day's travel time before they approach their lunar flyby.  So what do they get up to while they’re hurtling through space? And how do astronauts go about their daily routine in a cramped Orion capsule? Artemis Explained is a daily podcast from ABC Radio National.  From lift-off to spla...

Just over a day after blasting off, four astronauts encased in an Orion capsule have veered away from Earth and are now on course to fly around the Moon. Bel and Jacinta unpack what the "trans-lunar injection" manoeuvre involved, and take a look at some of the highly relatable challenges faced by the astronauts during their first day in space. Because when you're flying towards the Moon, email pro...

And we have lift off! Four astronauts successfully blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center and have started their journey to the Moon. But it wouldn't be a Moon launch without a couple of hiccups. We walk through what went down (and up!). Artemis Explained is a daily podcast from ABC Radio National. From lift-off to splashdown, we'll bring you daily Artemis II mission updates and answer your que...

For the first time in 50 years, humanity is on the cusp of returning to the Moon, with the Artemis II lunar flyby mission set to launch in the coming days. But if we've already been to the Moon, why bother going back now? And who will be on board when the spacecraft blasts off? Welcome to the first episode of Artemis Explained. From lift-off to splashdown, we'll bring you daily Artemis II mission...

What's the point of space exploration? Would you fly on a space shuttle? How did they fix the joints after the Challenger disaster?  For this special bonus episode of The Challenger Legacy, hosts Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and Fiona Pepper answer your questions. To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster left...

NASA is gearing up for the Artemis II mission — where it will send astronauts around the moon for the first time in 50 years. While space exploration is never without risk, a retired astronaut is warning that NASA is "playing Russian roulette" with the lives of the crew.  So have lessons been learnt from the Challenger and Columbia disasters? To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper a...

In the wake of twin disasters two decades apart, how do we make sense of why they happened? In episode four, we find out what happened on the very first flight after Columbia — and ask whether NASA changed at all. To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster left on culture, space exploration and high-ris...

In 2003, close to two decades after the Challenger disaster, seven astronauts were killed in another space shuttle accident.  History has repeated itself and NASA faces another reckoning — the parallels between the two disasters are undeniable.  To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster left on culture...

In a conference room in Utah, space shuttle Challenger engineers watch in horror as it explodes live on TV. These engineers are more than 3,000 kilometres from the launch site - but they're about to become the centre of this story. Because they had tried to stop the launch from happening in the first place. To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the le...

It's the morning of January 28th, 1986. On board the space shuttle Challenger are seven astronauts, including teacher Christa McAuliffe. She is set to be the first ever teacher in space. But Christa never makes it to orbit. In the wake of an unprecedented disaster, questions start to be asked. Should this mission have been launched in the first place? To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona...