Side of Science

In this final episode for Season 2, Stacey and Clinton journey from the darkness of space to the deepest parts of the sea to untangle the science of cloud computing. Launching with a tale that connects Genghis Khan, the International Space Station, and Steve Jobs, it's not just about servers in the sky; it's a deep dive into Sputnik, submarine cables, and the surprising energy required to stream y...

It’s all about good humour and not a drop of bad blood as Stacey and Clinton pour out the science of the red and white cells pumping through our bodies. They pass on the Cheerios and head straight into a heart pumping oxygenated orchestra of transportation, regulation, communication and protection. From how blood moves through our veins, arteries, and capillaries, the process of plasma leakage, ti...

Stacey brings in a special guest to dive into the human side of science. Ali isn’t just living with Huntington’s, he grew up in a Huntington’s family, watching the disease echo through generations. Ali shares the moment a DNA test turned 'maybe' into certainty and the tight-rope walk between hope and honesty when a partner asks, “Do we try for kids?”.  It’s human, nuanced, and a powerful insight i...

Talk about twisted deoxyribose family drama! The story of Lydia Fairchild and her mysteriously non-DNA related children gives Stacey cause for a double take on some unique science. The chimera chaos leads the team to wander the streets of DNA snips and ancestral alleles that makes us unique. From coding and non-coding DNA to epigenetics, nuclear tides and cloning. Plus, the influence of Sonic the...

The ancient Egyptians, Sistine Chapel, Van Gogh’ s Starry night and Dr Frankenstein have some eye-opening chemistry in common, and it all has to do with colour. Starting from lapis skies and cerulean waves, Stacey and Clinton shine a light on how and why we see colour, the visible light spectrum, additive and subtractive colour and changes to colour underwater. The science of colour is never black...

Scrolling Instagram triggers a deep dive into the world of the Greenland shark, and has Stacey and Clinton exploring the massive world of animal sizes, aging, and even cancer. From the largest animal on Earth, to elephants with super-powered tumour-suppressing genes, they dive into Peto's Paradox and question why bigger isn't always more cancerous. Get ready for mind-bending concepts like hyper tu...

Stacey’s friend has posed an unusual question: Why don’t Flake chocolate bars melt? Turns out, dark, milk, or amorphous solid, there is some decadent science behind the every day chocolate bar. From the 6 crystal structures, the art of tempering, and why some chocolate achieves that perfect snap while others crumble. Then it’s back to Year 7 science for Clinton with a recap on the states of matter...

A near miss with a tiger snake on Clinton's morning run sparks a deep dive into the world of nature’s chemical weaponry. First used for defence and hunting millions of years ago, these substances are now unlocking new medical breakthroughs. Clinton and Stacey explore the science behind venoms, poisons, and toxins, from the neurotoxins of tiger snakes to the lethal dose (LD50) of poison dart frogs....

What's the one thing Ant is most excited about for his upcoming trip to Japan? Taking the shinkansen, or Japanese bullet train, from Tokyo to Osaka. First launched in 1964 and travelling today at 320 km/h, it's a feat of modern science. Ant and Stacey take a whistle stop tour of the science of biomimicry, examining how nature has influenced the bullet train and other modern technologies. From king...

It's summer holidays in Australia, which for some means jumping on a plane and heading overseas. Depending on the destination, that next beachside cocktail might be best avoided. Prompted by recent media stories of holiday makers being poisoned by methanol, Stacey distils the chemistry of alcohol and shakes lose the science behind a fatal beverage. Plus why is beer safe, our bodily response to met...

With Ant prepping more science lessons and binging Chernobyl, Stacey is exposed to a full dose of the science behind radiation. From our microwaves and phones, to medical applications and nuclear catastrophe, Ant covers the good, the bad, and the downright dangerous types of radiation. It’s a full high school science recap with the team discussing atomic structure, ionising and non-ionising radiat...

What’s going on when Ant gets that burning sensation eating a spicy curry? And why are his mates so insistent on pushing through the burning pain? From chilli eating contests to tattoos and heartache, Stace serves up the science behind everyday pain. The role of nociceptor triggers, the adrenaline response, the nocebo effect, and the curious role the male platypus might play in helping science bet...

Stacey isn't interested in signing up for a trip to Mars, and Ant does a pretty bad job of selling it. Boiling eyeballs, a diet of lettuce, and sweeping up after mega dust storms, not to mention the ice lasers and giant iron wedding ring in the sky. Ant and Stace ponder the chances of kickstarting Mars' nutrient cycles and dig into the science and sci-fi behind the possible paths to terraforming o...

A snowstorm, a slashed tent, some clothes and then, the discovery of gruesome human remains. Conspiracies abound, including a Yeti attack or failed military exercise. Stacey takes us back to 1959 to the Ural Mountains in Russia, to dig into the science that might explain what tragically happened to 9 frozen hikers. Hypothermia, slab avalanches, the freezing point of water, cellular structure and t...

In prepping a Year 9 Science lesson on conservation of energy, Ant comes across a booklet on heat and bush fires. The science behind the burning of wood naturally has him busting to know whether humans can spontaneously combust. What's involved in pyrolysis, combustion, and the wick effect? And can these scientific phenomena explain why images alleging to show the aftermath of spontaneous human co...

Stacey wonders why the thumbnails in her Netflix account look so different to her partner's - even for the same film, Good Will Hunting. This sets Ant on his own hunting for an answer, and has him pulling back the curtain on Netflix's not-so-secret sauce: data. Dig into the psychology behind why certain images make you click, the science and maths of the algorithms driving your next binge, and the...

At some point, every teacher will find themselves teaching a subject they're not qualified in. Even if it's just one-off to cover a colleague, teaching out-of-field can be daunting. Bez and Chloe share their experiences and strategies for what to do when you don't know the subject you're teaching, the importance of mentors and networks, and the all important 'fake it till you make it'.See omnystud...

The end of the first term is just about here, and in this episode Bez and Chloe share their strategies for making the most of the break. How to balance lesson prep and marking with rest and recovery, things to do to feel human again, and hacks to avoid getting rundown. There’s also the do’s and don’ts for end of term staff social events, how much should you plan for next term, and what’s that abou...

This week Bez and Chloe step out of the classroom and head to school camp. They unpack what to pack and what to expect at school camp, and share tips for managing student behavior, including the all important task of getting students quiet at night. They talk through pre and post camp planning, managing your energy, creature comforts, giant swings and flying foxes. Theme Music composed by Martin L...

Bez and Chloe talk feedback: feeding up, feeding forward, the TAG protocol and WAGOLLs. Plus the often missed student wellbeing side of giving feedback, effective communication strategies, and those special teacher gestures that say it all. Theme Music composed by Martin Landström / Healthy ThroatSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bez and Chloe pull apart the when and why of formative and summative assessment, and offer practical ways to make formative assessment part of your teaching routine. They share their own experience of trying out different formative assessment strategies, tips to avoid rookie mistakes, and most importantly, how to make sense of and use the data you get back. There’s examples of when it works, and h...

Bez and Chloe share stories, tips, and ideas for managing lesson timings and structures effectively. They discuss experiences of lessons ending early, the importance of planning activities managing transitions, and the GANAG lesson structure model. They stress the importance of being flexible with lesson timings and focusing more on hands-on application rather than talking too much! Theme Music co...

Chloe and Bez delve into the art of remembering students’ names, managing students arriving late to class, setting clear expectations for behaviour, and navigating the age-old question of what to wear to class.   Theme Music composed by Martin Landström / Healthy ThroatSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.