Fuzzy Logic Science Show

In this episode we talk to some experts about what happens when the planet gets grumpy. Big waves and volcanoes: Dr Barry Drummond and Dr Adele Bear from Geoscience Australia share some fascinating insights. Did you know there's such a thing as an inland tsunami?  What will happen when Krakatoa goes off again?  Already it's 500m out of the sea. Then we talk to Dr Michael Lardelli about the human c...

Imagine what it'd be like to lose your hearing. The first thing is how it affects your ability to communicate with family, friends, and people at work. Less obvious is what does to enjoyment of your music. Your favourite band or composer now sound like an over-amplified shoe box. People with cochlear enjoy the great benefit of having their basic hearing restored, but music no longer sounds the sam...

Today's episode covers the physics of Ancient Egyptians, new elements on the periodic table, fast mites, and cheeky drongos.  All that and more from Jarrod & Broderick on Fuzzy Logic.

With ANZAC day celebrated on Friday, we thought we'd celebrate ANZAC science- that's science performed by Aussies and Kiwis.  Listen to Jess and Broderick talk about new advances with the Aussie cochlear impant, a Kiwi version of the Mars rover to use on farms and even more Aussie & Kiwi inventions.

Chocolate, rabbits and more! Fuzzy talks about the science that affects Easter.  Tune in to hear Alice and Broderick talk about why American chocolate tastes different and discuss some of the scientific tests chocolate companies use to make sure their eggs are of eggs-cellent quality!

This year is the international year of crystallography and to celebrate Fuzzy Logic presenter Broderick has brought crystallography expert Dr Darren Goosens into the studio.  Dr Goosens shares his knowledge of some of todays applications for crystals, discusses what makes a crystal and also talks about some of the interesting history surrounding this science.

Imagine what it'd be like to lose your site or hearing, to live with chronic pain, Parkinson's Disease, or epilepsy. Any of these can make life miserable for those who have them. What then, of cures? They are complicated, and the result are mixed, but there are treatments available now, or on the horizon. Each involves tapping into the body's nervous system in some way. This is the mission of Aust...

Dementia is a difficult disease, especially those affected by it. It's also difficult for researchers trying to find treatments.  Our conversation today ranges over dementia, Huntington's Disease, and the nature of the brain, and consciousness. Dr Jeff Looi is Associate Professor, and Fiona Wilkes is PhD candidate at the Medical School, ANU. Interview by Rod.

We dropped in to the BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Awards, which are Australia's most prestigious prizes to school students for innovative research in scientific and  engineering. On show was some great talent for projects including three high school finalists. Angela Liao's on Something to chew on: Effects of gum’s flavour on salivary flow rate and pH levels,    Ian Arachi on his project U...

Of all human skills, our ability to communicate is one of the most important. Stuttering is a difficult condition for those who suffer from it, but there are ways to treat it.  It's especially important if it can be tackled early, before it becomes esatablished in the adult. Still, there's much that can be done to help adults, as you'll hear. Our first guest is Professor Mark Onslow, foundation di...

Why are many economists world addicted to watching GDP?  It's a simple measure, but a hopelessly flawed indicator of the health of a nation. It tracks a limited number of economic indicator while ignoring important things such as pollution. You wouldn't go to a doctor who only tested your pulse, so why do we believe in GDP? Australia and other nations, the entire world are a complex brew of enviro...

This episode features Broderick discussing all the latest research including brain-changing emoticons, shivering to lose weight, flying snakes and social lizards.

This week on Fuzzy Logic the heat causes Broderick's mind to stop working, while Alice & Jarrod try to calm him down with stories about water and ice. Originally aired on 19 January 2014.

This week Fuzzy Logic looks at stressed snails, echidna spurs, cold mice and tail-wagging dogs.  It's a menagerie of animal science this week with Siân, Phoebe, Nina, Dan and Broderick in the studio.

This week Broderick and Alice talk mathematics with Lashi Bandara and Alex Amenta from the ANU.  Find out what a mathematician actually does and whether maths can actually be useful!

It seems the first priority of every government is to light the fire under economic growth. This means extracting as much as we can from what we always imagined as being an infinite planet. But where is this leading us? We bring you interviews from the 2013 Fenner Conference held at the Shine Dome in Canberra. Dr Jane O'Sullivan's research has challenged beliefs about the 'demographic transition',...

There's something appealing about the idea of Music of the Spheres , that the universe follows harmonic principles. It may not apply everywhere, but one place it has been found is in the arrangement of the Solar System in Titius-Bode 's law. Our guest today Tim Bovaird has been looking for this pattern among the range of extra-solar planets discovered in recent years. Guiding us along on this jour...

In today's Fuzzy Logic, we go in search of a high altitude balloon launched from Albury a couple of weeks ago during Science Week. You can track the balloon's flight here . We talk to the pilot(?) Robert Brand who also has interests in space flight with TeamStellar . Photos of the recovery are here .   Did you watch the movie The Dish ? We have an interview with John Sarkissian who is based at the...

How far would you go to modify your body with technology? Maybe it hasn't occurred to you, but you already have. You're wearing cloths, right? Maybe you can pick a point along the continuum from shoes, to bionic eyes, all the way to full brain transplant. In this special  Fuzzy Logic, we explore what happens to us as we merge with wires, with chips, and artificial intelligence. Join our A-list pan...

Our oceans seem so vast, it's hard to imagine them ever running out. We say there's always another fish in the sea, and when we dump our waste, the solution to pollution is dilution. But can we really afford to treat them as infinite? With world population growing with year on year compound interest we'd better think again. And... did you know you're wearing a space suit? Professor Richard Kenchin...

Your body is an attactive store of energy. It's packed with nutrients and is a good place to live for alien invaders if they can evade surveillance.  Somehow our immune systems are able to beat out the bad bugs, and leave alone the helpful ones. They are welcome as long as they behave. And what of those claims that immunisation causes autism? Today's guest is Associate Professor Matthew Cook resea...

Most of us never notice the incredible work it takes to serve our daily needs. Flick the switch, and we have light. Go to the supermaket, and the shelves are lined with every imaginable good. In a disaster, we expect emergency services to take care of us. All these come through the system we call civilisation. It works, but it can always be improved to make it more efficient, and more robust. How?...

Getting people on to busses is important, right?  But what can you do when the bus doesn't go near your front door? In a spread-out city like Canberra, this is a big issue.  Today on Fuzzy we interview Dr Phil Kilby from NICTA with some innovative ideas. We also learn some interesting things about caviar, the great sturgeon fish, and the element vanadium. Plus, we get a special guest visit from th...

Today, we look at a favourite animal, the turtle. Our guest is doing his PhD on the Eastern Long Neck Turtle, common through much of Australia. Bruno Ferronato tells us some great stories from his fieldwork in the wild rivers of Peru. He travelled by boat and canoe, and lived among the villagers for his research on river turtles. Mosquitoes, leaches boa constrictor, and the occasional piranha are...

We all love a a good distraction, amusing ourselves with the little things to take our minds off looming problems.  We need those moments to rest, but what happens when the nation descends into trivia, forgetting to tackle the big ticket items heading our way? In today's Austalia, we have been consumed by petty politics, virtually ignoring the approaching road trains.  Issues such as peak oil and...