Curiosity Killed the Rat

Did you know that - botanically speaking - Halloween Jack O’Lantern Pumpkins are more closely related to zucchini than they are to Kent / Jap pumpkins, butternut pumpkins, or giant pumpkins? This episode, Kade and Matt chat about some awesome PUMPKIN science! Like, speaking of giant pumpkins… how and why do they get so giant?!  What does it take, according to science, to grow amazing pumpkins? We...

Epilepsy: you've heard of it, you likely know people who have it, but do you know the science behind it? This month, Kade and Matt are joined by Dr Lauren Bleakley to find out just that. Stick around to the end of the episode for our listener question looking at the surprising benefits of chocolate milk! As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on X, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener...

This month, Kade and Matt are joined once again by Bodhi for a very special episode: The Philosophy of Science. This will be part 1 of 3 in a special series where we delve into some of the more abstract ideas about science itself. What is science? How effective is peer review? What is burden of proof? And much, much, much more. Make sure to check out the reference list below for further resources...

This month Kade & Matt take a break from recording to give listeners a blast from the past with their episode all about crying. Why do our eyes leak when we feel emotions, chop onions, or get poked in the eye? Do these scenarios lead to the creation of different types of tears? How are tears created? WHY? This episode, Kate and Matt delve into all these questions and so many more, as we chat a...

Acetylcholine: the greatest neurotransmitter you've never heard of. This month, Kade and Matt deep dive into what makes this chemical fascinating enough to make Kade spend the last 5 years of their life researching it. What does it do? How was it discovered? What makes it special? Listen to the end of the episode to hear Matt take on the role of asking the listener question, further picking Kade's...

This episode on curiosity killed the rat, join Kade, Matt and Riley for a deep dive into the science of Narrative. How are human brains wired to understand the world via narrative, and how is this used both for and against us? We break down the concept of “narrative” into the components of setting, characters, and plot, and chat about some of the research being done in all of these areas. We also...

Welcome to season 5 of Curiosity Killed the Rat! To kick off the year, Kade and Matt welcome special guest Dr Jarrod McKenna onto the show once again to talk about his recent amazing experience visiting Antarctica: a place so cool it deserved another whole episode. What's it like to visit one of the most isolated places in the world as a tourist? How is climate change affecting this beautiful cont...

In one final episode for 2023 / season 4 of Curiosity Killed the Rat, Kade and Matt bring you an extended special reflecting on one of the biggest Australian milestones of 2023: the re-classification and approval of MDMA and Psilocybin to assist therapy. Kade leads us through the science accompanying the historical journey of these drugs; from their discovery and synthesis, through their recreatio...

This episode, join Kade and Matt as they spin their way into the world of spider webs – just in time for Halloween! Learn about the absolute wonder that is spider silk: its incredible properties, how it is made, why humans can’t yet mass-produce it, and some of the interesting efforts scientists are trying to change that! Stick around for a listener question all about glow sticks. As always, you c...

Link for Kade's video: https://youtu.be/rdOc2HB5sx0?si=-4B_koSDMxPxyNMi This month on Curiosity Killed the Rat, we are taking a break from our usual content to present the audio from the YouTube video made by host Kade Huckstep this month in response to Channel 7’s blatant spread of disinformation and misrepresentation of science. It breaks down the “documentary” aired about detransitioning, and g...

This month on Curiosity Killed the Rat, Kade and Matt tackle a more serious issue: the science of antidepressants. What is depression? How is it caused? How do antidepressants work, and are they actually effective? Stick around to the end of the episode to hear sound guy Matt answer a listener question about the science of noise cancelling headphones! As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on tw...

Join Kade and Matt on a wondrous wintery episode where we talk all about snowflakes! How are they formed? What makes them so unique and special? Is everything we think we know about them true? Stick around to end to hear Matt tell some fun facts about native Australian trees! As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curios...

This month on Curiosity Killed the Rat, Kade and Matt are joined by Oliver Anagnostou and Benji Metha to talk about rockets! What is a rocket? How does a rocket actually work? Listen to find out how rocket science really is out of this world! Stick around to the end of the episode for a listener question that answers: what is it that gives us butterflies in our belly? As always, you can find us @c...

This episode on Curiosity Killed the Rat, Kade and Matt talk about bones! Bones may in fact be one of the most under-appreciated parts of the body. Not a bunch of dry pieces of scaffolding holding our bodies together, bones do all sorts of weird and wacky things you may not expect! As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to...

Welcome back to season 4 of Curiosity Killed the Rat! This episode, Kade and Matt are chatting all about Testosterone: a hormone that makes you sweaty and hungry and hairy and horny. We often learn about testosterone and its effects on the body in the context of a cisgender male puberty. But testosterone can be important for other individuals, too! This episode, our resident scientist Kade – who h...

During the holiday season in Australia, it's hot and summery, and we're all told to slip slop slap. But what is sunscreen, and how does it actually work? What does SPF mean? Does sunscreen cause cancer? Kade and Matt are joined once again by friend of the show, Dr Catriona Nguyen-Robertson, to talk all things sunscreen. If you loved what Cat had to say and want to find more from her, you can follo...

Just in time for halloween, Kade and Matt are joined by Arin Oliver to talk about weird, gross, and curious aspects of working in a pathology laboratory. From dismembered toes, to human soup, and a deep dive into working in science & sci-com in between, tune in for a spooktacular conversation. Stick around till the end of the episode to find out some of the scientific explanations for why vampires...

This episode, Kate and Matt discuss stomach ulcers, gastritis, the bacteria h. pylori, and one man’s decision to use HIMSELF as a lab rat. That’s right, we tell the tale of Barry J Marshall, winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine for his work uncovering the cause of stomach ulcers… and, more importantly, the absolutely insane way he went about proving his hypothesis. We also ta...

In light of science’s latest and greatest big project on everybody’s lips right now – the James Webb Space Telescope – Kate and Matt are joined by astronomer Stephanie Bernard (and our regular space consultant Benji Metha) to talk about some of the OTHER telescopes out there! What is the Hubble Space Telescope and why was it made? What advantages do space telescopes have over the ones here on eart...

This time on Curiosity Killed the Rat, Kate and Matt discuss all things muscle. How do we grow bigger muscles? How to our muscles actually make us move? How do steroids effect our bodies? Stick around to the end for a listener question on how much of our brain do we really need. As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to cur...

Way back in 2020 we did an episode all about the James Webb Space Telescope. Since then, this Bad Boi has been launched, is in space, unfolded, and ready to deliver it’s first data to the world! Given this, we thought it was time for an update, getting the low-down from high-up about the current status of the James Webb Space Telescope! With Kate out this episode due to an unfortunately timed case...

The refrigeration cycle is so fundamental to human society, but it can be very easy to take for granted. This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by Mark Kelly, who teaches us all about the science and history of refrigeration. We dive into thermodynamics and heat transfer, as Mark explains just why he thinks refrigeration is amazing and how it relies on what feels like a bug in the physics engine o...

This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by Ulysse Thivisol to chat about the brain and some of the cool research he is doing to learn about it! We talk about everything from brain development and substance use to schizophrenia, and how those things overlap. We also tackle a listener question about the mysterious “alcohol jacket”… does drinking actually warm you up? If you enjoyed what Ulysse had to...

This episode, join Kate and Matt as they take a deep dive into the world of Stingrays! The many species of stingray range so greatly in size and habitat, but they share some common incredibly cool features. Just how exactly do they hunt for their prey? How do they sense it? Of course, we also discuss the tragedy of Steve Irwin’s death. But just how dangerous are stingrays? What usually happens if...

Kate and Matt bring in a brand new season of Curiosity Killed the Rat with the help of this week's guest, Brandon Richards, to talk about all things fear. What's the difference between fear and anxiety? Why do adrenaline junkies love fear so much? What actually occurs in the brain when we're scared, and how could we use this knowledge? Stay tuned till the end of the episode for our Listener Questi...