Boiling Point

Did you know that plants and ecosystems have memory? Not the same memory as you or I, but a type of memory nonetheless. Join us in this episode as we chat to Postdoctoral researcher Jon Page, who uses observations to explore the carbon, water, and energy cycles of terrestrial ecosystems, and importantly, the memory of [...] Read More... from The role of memory in terrestrial ecosystems

Sci fi movies make blockbuster hits. But how much are they Sci and how much are they fi? Find out in this episode. [...] Read More... from Zombification and Museum Collections: the Sci and Fi

Kangaroos are iconic Australian animals that have interesting behavioural characteristics. They live in communities, and their environment plays a factor in their interactions. We are going to take a closer look at the environments kangaroos live in and how certain factors in their environment affect their behaviours. Daphne Willemsen will tell us about their research [...] Read More... from Spyin...

Humans are affecting animals in multiple different ways. Our infrastructure is bleeding into forests and our way of life is changing how animals adapt to their environments. But are we aware of how we are impacting animals? In this episode of Boiling Point Anastasia is joined by Dr. Dominique Potvin, a Behavioural Ecologist, Evolutionary Biologist, [...] Read More... from What’s in a song? H...

Join our host, Inna as she chats with Antonia Parker who explores the ancient history of Australian marsupials... By looking at their teeth!! [...] Read More... from By tooth and nail: Uncovering the ancient history of marsupials

What is it about fungi that make them an exciting conversation piece in today’s media, movies, and video games? In this episode Anastasia chats Vanessa McPherson all about the natural history of fungi. Vanessa McPherson is a Research Assistant in the Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Analysis Laboratory in the School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University. [...] Read More... from F...

They’re small, they’re blue, and they’re stingy, but they’re not a jelly fish! What are they? They’re bluebottles of course. They’re a prominent feature of summers spent by the beach, but what brings them to Australian beaches remains a bit of a mystery. Join us in this episode as we chat to two ECRs, Kim [...] Read More... from What’s blind, buoyant, and brainless? Bluebottles!

Hailstorms are some of the costliest natural disasters that occur in Australia. One of the most infamous examples is the Sydney hailstorm of 1999 which dumped hailstones over 11cm in diameter and caused $1.7 billion in insurance damages. It’s quite surprising therefore, that we don’t have great observations or understanding of hailstorm probability. In this [...] Read More... from What the hail is...

Some words we hear these days are “machine learning” and “automation”, but what do they actually mean, and where do they come from? In this episode, we take a closer look at the history of machine learning in automation. The origins of automation date back to the industrial revolution, and machine learning has played an [...] Read More... from The History of Machine Learning in Automation

Dreams of visiting Mars have been part of human imagination for centuries. But now that these dreams are closer to realization than ever before, so are the concerns of how we will treat the planets we will visit. Join us, as we chat to Clare Fletcher. Clare studies the exciting and new field of the [...] Read More... from Conserving Mars

Ecosystems are under threat of collapse from human stresses and climate change. Is your favourite ecosystem at risk? In this episode of Boiling Point, Sammy and Liz speak with Dr. Aniko Toth, a research fellow at UNSW Sydney who works in ecosystem conservation. Aniko uses modeling to combine satellite data with local species data to [...] Read More... from Ecosystems at risk

Plants are signaling and communicating with their environment in unique and remarkable ways, we just don’t always know how to interpret their signals. But observing flowers and pollination is the easiest way to tap into their secret language. In this episode Inna and Hannah chat to Ruby E. Stephens about the weird and wonderful world [...] Read More... from Understanding the secret language of pla...

A risk-taking pilot sounds like the last thing anyone would want on their flight. However, if we ever want the plane to take off, some risk taking is necessary and even crucial. In this episode of Boiling Point, Griff and Inna chat to Yassmin Ebrahim. Yassmin studies the risk behavior of pilots and how it [...] Read More... from Head in the skies: exploring the psychology of pilots

It’s getting hot in here, but how do plants continue to thrive? In this episode of Boiling Point, Sammy and Inna chat with fire ecologist Sarah McInnes! Sarah is a researcher at UNSW Sydney who studies the impacts of fire regimes on plant re-establishment and how these may change with climate change.   Catch up [...] Read More... from Fire – Friend and Foe?

Getting sick is no joke. Your noise gets stuffy, perhaps you get a sore throat, maybe you feel so bad you have to stay in bed for days! But what happens when coral get sick? Escalating temperatures and climate change are terms that are a part of a scientists daily vocabulary, but what does it [...] Read More... from Beneath the Waves: Unmasking the Coral Disease Maze

There’s an argument among some evolutionary biologists that the reason why modern humans succeeded over other species of humans was because we are such social creatures. But were not the only social animals out there, so how do other animals compare? Do more social animals show higher intelligence? Find out on this episode of Boiling [...] Read More... from Unlocking the Secrets of Intelligence

Australia is universally renowned for its breathtaking underwater environments that are abundant with a diverse array of iconic marine species, such as the Great Barrier Reef. But as ocean temperatures continue to rise and population numbers continue to decline, the greater the need for thorough monitoring strategies to guide our efforts to conserve Australia’s unique [...] Read More... from Talki...

What if detecting lung diseases such as cancer would be as easy as taking a breath? Although this sounds like science fiction, a diseases breathalyser is already under development! Join Griff and Inna as they chat to Merryn Baker who develops methods of detecting diseases with just one breath. Follow Merryn on Twitter: @merryn_baker [...] Read More... from Detecting lung diseases by breath analysi...

Pilates, yoga, lifting weights. What is the right exercise for me? Find out on this episode of Boiling Point! In this episode, Sammy Burke and Anastasia Shavrova chat with exercise physiologist Karen Mackay from the Queensland University of Technology to talk about her work looking into human diet and movement.   [...] Read More... from The Science behind diet and exercise

You’ve probably heard of heatwaves over land before – maybe you’ve even experienced the effects of one firsthand – but did you know that heatwaves also occur in the ocean? Marine heatwaves, a term first coined as recently as 2011, can have devastating impacts on marine ecosystems and societies, yet they remain a relatively new [...] Read More... from Marine heatwaves explained

What do you think of when you hear about Antarctica? Maybe it’s the vast snow planes or the cute pinguins and seals. But one of the most important things about Antarctica, are the ocean currents around it. They transport everything from heat, to debris, to live organisms and affect our whole planet! In this episode [...] Read More... from A Freezing Dive: Hannah and the Antarctic Ocean Currents

They look like short fat worms that lie motionless on the ocean floor. But sea cucumbers are so much more. They are a high-priced delicacy in many countries, can throw up their guts for self-defense, and sometimes have a parasitizing fish living in their bum. In this episode of Boiling Point Inna, Hannah and Cat [...] Read More... from Tash and the Sea Cucumbers!

Glorious gentle giants of the sea. These 700 pound creatures are highly intelligent as they collaborate together to gather food. Yet, these creatures are a threatened species. In this episode we chat about manta rays.   In this episode, Anastasia, Sammy, and Inna chat to Hannah Moloney. Hannah is a marine scientist and researcher at [...] Read More... from Gentle Giants of the Ocean: Manta Ra...

What would you say if I told you that the answer to sustainable meat production may lie in the consumption of products made from exotic animals like alpacas, peacocks and even the extinct woolly mammoth? And that this meat would be made without harming any animals? You may say that this seems very far-fetched, but [...] Read More... from Sam, Vow, and the Future of Cell-Cultured Meat!

You are what you eat. And what you eat we can study. In this episode of Boiling Point, Anastasia, Hannah, and Sammy, chat with Aashi Parikh, a PhD Candidate from Macquarie University. Aashi looks at whale poop to find out how they live. Follow Aashi on twitter Dont forget to follow Boiling Point on: Twitter [...] Read More... from What poop can tell us about whales