Shirtloads of Science

2020 is a milestone in space travel. The International Space Station received astronauts from a privately owned mission. So how do the USA's shuttle, Russia's Soyuz and Musk's Dragon stack up ? Doctor Karl and Professor Geraint Lewis review the modern history of human space flight.      http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/ http://drkarl.com

Ninety years ago we first measured the rate of our expanding Universe. Today our accuracy is better but the new techniques are producing different numbers. Are there gremlins in our measurements or is it the Universe travelling in unexpected ways ?  Dr Karl and Prof Geraint Lewis discuss this huge question. http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/ http://drkarl.com

First observed in 2007, FRBs are becoming a very useful astronomical tool. In 2020,  flashes were analysed and suggested an answer to that age-old question about the Universe. Most of it is unobserved - so where is it hiding ? Dr Karl and Prof Lewis take a walk through the FRBs and Magnetars, the new phenomena making headlines . Drkarl.com   https://theconversation.com/half-the-matter-in-the-unive...

What does "proving" a theory  really mean ? Is there a difference between Scientifically proving or proving it Mathematically ? Dr Karl and Prof Geraint Lewis discuss the meanings of these ideas and how they are applied today. From pandemics to climate change, we depend on solid science - so how do you tell if something has been proved?  http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/ http://drkarl.com

Solar PV Panels have transformed our energy mix in the 21st century. Efficiency is up and costs and carbon emissions are lower.  What next ? Imagine a solar film that squeezes 10% more out of the sun ? Professor Anita Ho-Baillie walks Dr Karl through solar PV and this phenomenal new approach. Barely 10 years in development, is there a Perovskite Solar efficiency race already ?  

They're Cosmic ... but are they Rays ? Dr Karl gets the briefing from a recent University of Sydney astrophysics graduate, Dr Jessica Bloom. Cosmic Rays were found ages ago and still baffling us with more questions. Dr Jessica and Dr Karl go to the ends of the earth on this cosmic quest.      https://drkarl.com/ https://www.facebook.com/astrokitten/photos/  

Lockdowns are a rational first response to a pandemic but what happens while we wait for a vaccine or treatment to be developed ? Dr Karl joins Prof Holmes in Part 3 of this series looking at Covid-19 tests. What is the difference between them ? Professor of Virology, Eddie Holmes also explains how our immune system fights a virus and why this one has been so hard to beat - so far.  @EdwardCHolmes...

Pandemics are complex so we rely on statistics to manage them. So how come the numbers vary so much around the world? Dr Karl asks Virology Professor Holmes why and also discovers which local factors also affect Covid-19 statistics.  Australia's secret national chook stockpile is revealed and Professor Holmes estimates the rubbery-ness of some well known figures. Note: episode recorded in late May...

Virology and evolutionary biologist Professor Eddie Holmes takes Dr Karl time travelling to visit a deadly virus. Many of today's treatments took thousands of years to develop.  Smallpox proved to be a tough virus to manage but it also taught us how to fight back. From skin scratching to cows, the American Civil War, Baltic mummies and DNA -  Science finally stopped smallpox in its tracks.  @Edwar...

A-Prof Alice Motion explores the chemistry and properties of the 29th element for Dr Karl.  This persistent contact killer is amazingly passive (nothing else is needed). We've known of its benefits for thousands of years and yet chrome, plastics and stainless steel prevail in our healthcare facilities.  @all_isee @_breakinggood https://drkarl.com/

Dr Simon Murphy explains to  Dr Karl the extraordinary behaviour of a star in the early stages of life.  Observed only recently, it widens our understanding of new stars.  https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/03/10/astronomy-new-type-of-pulsating-star-discovered.html http://drkarl.com  

We can't see the Great Attractor but we've measured its presence. We're falling into Virgo and Virgo can't resist its force. Is Dark Energy involved? What is the "zone of avoidance"? Professor Geraint Lewis helps Dr Karl with his homework.   http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/ http://drkarl.com

Dr Karl & Prof G. Lewis discuss the gaps and guesses that string together our understanding of the Cosmos. So what happens if we find a mistake in one of Einstein's predictions ? It's one of the discussion points in Geraint Lewis' latest book written with Luke Barnes. https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-cosmic-revolutionary-s-handbook-luke-a-barnes/book/9781108486705.html drkarl.com http://www.physic...

It's part two of the Neutron star exploration with Professor G. Lewis. He takes Dr Karl layer by layer down to the core. Things are so squashed in there that quantum physics takes over. Escape from the lockdown inside a star where things go subatomic. http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/

What happens when you squeeze a star ?  Dr Karl gets inside one with Professor G. Lewis. They travel from the subatomic level up with the latest on Neutron Stars. Trigger Warning - Quarks and Bosons are mentioned . It's part one with more from the Neutrons next time.   http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/

To study the stars, look to the ocean. Water ebbs and flows under the influence of gravity. Astronomers see tides in moons, stars and around black holes. Dr Karl talks with two astrophysicists who recently measured a bulging star with earth-like tides.   

A perfect poo has metrics. Dr Clare and Dr Karl describe the best solid expressions. Length, thickness, mass and diet. What makes the perfect poop ?  https://theconversation.com/had-constipation-here-are-4-things-to-help-treat-it-123364

Seventy-five percent can be described by Einstein. The remainder? It drove Albert to question his work till his dying day. Dr Karl and Dr Lewis discuss evidence for the missing theory .  http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/

They're back ! Dr Karl on why carbon dioxide is so insidious in the atmosphere. Dr Alice Motion on the best Instagrams yet of our sun and Dr Jessica Bloom on the rise of bio-robots. The original shirtloads gangsters are in the lab.

American climatologist  Michael Mann drew a chart  back in 1999 .   It's called "The Hockey Stick Graph" because of the way it shoots up.  There was no new information in it and it drew on agreed international temperature data.  Like Charles Darwin, Dr Mann dared to publish. His "hockey stick" still makes him a target for fossil fuel lobbyists.  So what happens when a scientist is taken on by powe...

One star, observed in outback Australia, may hold new clues to dark matter and black holes. It's a milky way neighbour but moving very fast. Prof Geraint Lewis takes Dr Karl on his quest for answers. http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/

The Young Australian of the Year Award recognises 16- to 30-year-old Australians. It rewards their achievements and contributions. Dr Karl meets Corey Tutt, the NSW winner for 2020. Corey has already made an extraordinary difference with his Deadly Science initiative.

The Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990. It is named after the American astronomer who found our universe was expanding. Ninety years on, with much better kit, Hubble's ideas still hold. The question is how fast are we inflating? This is the Hubble tension and Prof Geraint Lewis leads Dr Karl through the deep space discussion. http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gfl/

What is the science behind warning pregnant women to stay away from cat faeces ? It involves a parasite (called "Toxo" for short)  that migrates between humans and their cats. The risk to unborn children is real and world renowned expert, Professor Justine Smith, takes Dr Karl through the life cycle from Kitty Litter to the eyeballs. https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/justine.smith

A dietary study in Europe reveals a connection between processed foods (and drinks) and cancers. 8 years of research they tried to eliminate factors such as socioeconomic and diet preferences from the data but the link remains strong. What does it mean for you ? Doctor Karl and Professor Claire Collins discuss.  https://theconversation.com/research-check-will-eating-ultra-processed-foods-give-you-...