Curiosity Killed the Rat

Have you ever wondered what Aboriginal Australian culture looked like thousands of years ago? Thanks to the end of the last ice age and rising sea levels, so much of what was once dry land is now underwater. But that doesn’t stop archaeologists from discovering and learning from artefacts found under the sea! This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by archaeologist Patrick Morrison to chat about an...

Come on a journey with us… into the immunoverse! Inside our immune system we have a whole host of characters: from assassins to superheroes, hipsters to butlers. Kate and Matt are joined once more by singing scientist Catriona Nguyen-Robertson. Cat is an immunologist who tells us about some of the cool immune cells she studies, and the role they play in our internal immunoverse. Kate also answers...

What does your brain look like… on music? Have you ever wondered why music makes you feel the way it does, or what exactly is going on in your brain when you hear a bangin tune that you vibe with? How about playing music… what does that do? And are there differences between the brains of musicians and non-musicians? To answer all of these questions and more, Kate and Matt are joined by James aka s...

Everyone knows that plants belong at the bottom of the food chain… but what about when they don’t? This episode, Matt and Kate talk all about carnivorous plants. That’s right… plants that eat animal flesh to get the juicy nutrients that they need to survive. We all know about the venus fly trap, but HOW does it work? And what about some of the other 600+ species of carnivorous plant? How do they a...

The Hubble Space Telescope has contributed to some of the most exciting science from the last 30 years, but technology has evolved. Now, we have Hubble 2: The Hubbling… more officially known as the James Webb Space Telescope. Friend of the show and return guest Benji Metha chats to Kate and Matt about this exciting telescope, all the amazing things it will be able to do, and all the trials and tri...

Exercise: one of the four acceptable reasons to leave the house during COVID-19 lockdowns. We know exercise is good for us, but what is actually happening inside the body? Specifically, what impact is it having on our immune system? Joined by immunologist Catriona Nguyen-Robertson, Kate and Matt chat about exercise, and what working out might do to immune function. They also chat muscle memory; do...

Boomerangs have been around for tens of thousands of years… but how exactly do they work? What is it about the simple but clever design that keeps them flying through the air… and why on earth do they come back to you!? This episode, Kate and Matt chat about some of the physics behind these incredible tools, and how that very same physics applies to much more modern pieces of technology like aerop...

Despite what we announced last episode, we will not be dropping a new episode this weekend. The reason is simple: our voices are just not the ones that need to be heard most right now. So, we’re going dark for episode 11. Instead, we will be posting some resources to our social media pages which you can look to if you want to understand more about the black lives matter movement. It's important th...

Welcome to the third and final instalment of our Pint of Science special episodes! If you don’t know what Pint of Science is, you can find out more via their website: https://pintofscience.com.au/ This week, we have our very own resident scientist Kate talk to us about the area of research they’re most passionate about and actually involved in: addiction neuroscience. What happens in the brain whe...

Welcome to the second of our special episodes brought to you in conjunction with Pint of Science! If you don’t know what Pint of Science is, you can find out more via their website: https://pintofscience.com.au/ What makes someone who they are? Is it their genes? Is it their lifestyle? Is it all of the above… and how on earth does someone research this!? This episode we are joined by Luke Whiley,...

Welcome to the first of our special episodes brought to you in conjunction with Pint of Science! If you don’t know what Pint of Science is, you can find out more via their website: https://pintofscience.com.au . Have you ever wondered how the cells in your brain and nervous system talk to each other? Neurons connect and communicate with each other via tiny structures called “synapses”. Elysa Carr...

What do a facebook group, a superhero movie, and a science podcast have in common? ANTSThat’s right, this episode we dive deep into the world of ants! What is really going on inside an ant’s nest, deep below ground? How do ants carry out epic heists when they can’t really plan or communicate? How accurate WAS Marvel’s Ant Man? Both in ant science… but also in physics? Episode Sources: https://www....

Kate and Matt are joined this episode by the chemical cowboy Declan Burke, who tells us all about the wonders of Hydrogen. Why is Hydrogen such a good fuel? How do we make Hydrogen fuel? Why hasn’t the world fully embraced it yet? We also tackle a listener question that builds on our previous episode as we plunge briefly back into the world of soap… can germs grow on a bar of soap? If so… can soap...

Amidst the madness of the COVID-19 pandemic, we keep hearing the constant message of “wash your hands”… but why is this so important?! How does something as simple and ancient as soap manage to become our most effective weapon against this virus? To understand this, Kate and Matt delve into the chemistry behind soap and what is actually going on when you wash something with soap. Our listener ques...

In the final instalment of our epic 3-part coronavirus special, once again joined by public health expert Ellie Duckworth, Ellie and Kate tackle all your questions! We plough through most of the questions we got, which range from molecular-based to philosophical to basic advice. We then go over some of the best conspiracy theories we’ve heard - is there any truth there? We then wrap up with the po...

This is part 2 of a 3-part series on the coronavirus pandemic currently sweeping the globe. Joining us again we have Ellie Duckworth – our epidemiologist – weighing in with educated opinions on the matter. This episode the Duck teaches the Hucks about the specifics of this novel coronavirus, SAR-CoV-2, and the resulting COVID-19 illness. We give a brief outline of how this thing has unfolded, and...

This is it. Our biggest and most ambitious episode so far. In this massive multi-part special episode, we talk all things coronavirus. Matt and Kate are joined by Ellie Duckworth: A Master of Public Health graduate, specialising in epidemiology and biostatistics. In our opening episode, we try to give a bit of background and context to the current situation. We give a brief history of other corona...

Almost everyone has experienced being tickled at some point in their lives, but what exactly IS tickling? Is it pleasure, or is it pain? Is it possible to tickle yourself? This episode, Kate and Matt talk about tickling, and some of the research exploring what it actually is. They also talk about fish… do they sleep? Episode Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23313827 https://journals.pl...

In an episode where Kate and Matt are joined by astronomer Benji Metha, the big hitting questions are asked. Are we living in a simulation? Is the matrix real? Can people really get super-human strength and lift cars off the ground in emergencies? Handy Links: https://www.tng-project.org/media/ - Pretty pictures/videos from the IllustrisTNG simulation. https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/729...

Hypnosis: Pseudoscience or real thing!? This episode, Kate and Matt deep dive into the world of hypnosis. Is hypnosis just a stage trick? Are people just playing along? Or can you be made to do/ think/ feel things just by being lulled into a trance? And if so, how the hell does it work?! They also chat coffee and caffeine – what is it doing in your brain and why can it give you the jitters? Episod...

In a slightly longer and more serious episode than usual, Kate and Matt are joined by the lovely Dr Linden Ashcroft to talk about the tragic Australian Bushfires. Is this just business as usual for an Australian summer, or is something more serious going on here? Is Climate Change to blame? Or is there more to the story? They also dive into how climate and weather can affect our mood, and why a la...

This episode Kate and Matt discuss the appendix! Is it truly just an outdated and useless organ that can be removed with zero consequence? Or does it still actually have a function in humans? Learn all about the latest scientific thoughts about what this little dangly bit of tissue might do! There is also some nifty intel about paper cuts – why do they hurt so dang much!? Laugh as you learn, and r...

Welcome to our first episode! In this episode, sibling duo Kate and Matt delve into the fascinating science behind Pins and Needles. Learn all about what might be causing this strange feeling, as well as how you can fix it! They also chat about the moon, and what it might mean for Earth if our moon was supersized. All of this, with a good smattering of banter and laughs along the way! You can foll...