Lost in Science

We answer some questions from the kids at Coolbinia Primary in Western Australia, and Chris tells us how to win (almost) every time when cracking Christmas crackers!

Chris shows us the surprising similarities between music from different cultures around the world (find out more at www.themusiclab.org); Claire shares how bushfires have devastated koala populations, and how some scientists hope to preserve them; and Stu tells us about efforts to create chimeras combining different species for organ transplantation.

This week on the show Chris speaks to world renowned theoretical physicist Sean Carroll about multiple worlds, the possibility of time travel, and whether the last Avengers film got the science right. Also,  Claire chats to geochemist Hayden Dalton about his research looking at the chemistry of diamonds that have travelled from the mantle to the surface via volcanic explosion, and what these can t...

Claire talks to Dr. Krystal de Napoli about what thousands of years of indigenous understanding of astronomy can teach science, and Stu investigates the chilling case of the Atomic Bunker Cannibals! 

Chris fills us in on the discovery and identity of the mysterious, semi-mythical cat-fox of Corsica; Claire frightens us all with the highly venomous Irukandji jellyfish from northern Australia, which threatens to become more dangerous due to climate change; and Stu tells us about how it's possible to incept zebra finches with false memories of songs.

This week on the show Claire talks about how the bin chicken was a sacred bird in Egypt, and the Australian genetics research helping to tell this story. Chris looks at things in black and white and striped all over, by reviewing the research around why zebras have evolved stripes. And Stu discusses where DNA and RNA evolved from, and how German scientists are recreating primordial RNA creating so...

Stu finds out why some German neuroscientists put algae in a frog's brain, Claire investigate's an eagle's massive phone bill, and Chris looks into a new story of human origins in Africa. 

It's our annual Lost in Science Fictions special! In celebration of the lunar landing 50th anniversary, Stu gives us the rundown on fictional voyages to the Moon throughout history, Chris fact-checks David Bowie's Space Oddity, and Claire gives a spoiler-filled science review of the movie Ad Astra.

This week we honour the winners of the 2019 Nobel prizes in the science categories, and Stu takes a trip to space to explore some new discoveries, and mark the passing of a space pioneer. 

This week, Chris speaks to palaeontologist Hazel Richards about the bizarre features of extinct Australian marsupial megafauna, the Palorchestids; and Stu tells us about a mind-controlled cyborg exoskeleton that's given a Frenchman with a spinal cord injury the ability to move again.

Stu investigates a bacterial disappearing act that has impaired doctors treating chronic infection patients, Chris Talks about how science really advances based on a study of changes in biomedicine after researchers die, and Claire fills us in on a new super oyster that can handle changed water conditions and how they might be useful in the future. 

Claire and Stu discuss a grisly mystery in Western Australia that leads to a benefit for Australian ecology, and Chris tries to untangle the mystery of why headphone cables get tangled up in your pocket. 

This week, Chris explains how recent media reports about a possible higher stroke risk for vegetarians missed the big news of their lower rates of heart disease; Claire shocks us with the discovery of new, high-voltage species of electric eels – sorry, "knifefish"; and Stu tells us about research into developing an anti-ageing pill that targets the thymus gland.

It is the Eureka Prizes once again, Australian Science's night of nights, and Claire catches us up on the who the winners were! Chris takes us to Scotland and to the science making headlines to uncover Lochness Monster DNA. And ever wanted to clone your beloved dog or cat? Stu talks about the costs, the science, and the progress of the pet cloning industry.

Claire talks to Linden Ashcroft about the recent IPCC report on climate change and what it means, and Stu tries to see what is the smallest animal on earth. 

This week, Chris tells us how online hate networks follow the same physics as milk curdling, and this could help us fight them; Claire speaks to chemical engineer Gabriel da Silva about air pollution, its health impacts and how bad it is in Australia; and Stu shares the disturbing but potentially useful idea of growing teeth on tongues.

This week on the show we hear from Chris and the impactful Australian discovery of feeding pink seaweed to cattle reduces methane emissions by up to 90%.Also on the show Stu draws our attention back to the periodic table of elements, this time to Selenium and Tellurium - two elements named after the moon and the Earth, and which have a special significance in the production of solar cells. And Cla...

Chris looks at the recently awarded Breakthrough Prize in Physics and why some physicists are doubtful of its merit, and Stu talks to the conductor of the Victorian Youth Symphony Orchestra about their upcoming performance with the presenters of the Curiosity Show

On this special episode for National Science Week, Stu gives us a run-down of events around the country; Chris speaks to Melbourne Museum fish expert Dianne Bray about the research she'll talk about at their events; and Claire speaks to Tilly Boleyn, curator of Science Gallery Melbourne about their new program called Disposable. Find out about this and other events at scienceweek.net.au

This week, Claire tells us where to find bacteria in apples, Chris looks at a near miss from an unexpected asteroid and what the chances of one hitting us are, and Stu finds out how to make liquid magnets. No, not this stuff: https://youtu.be/ensd-258iGQ

Stu finds out about Elon Musk's latest plans to tap into peoples' brains directly, Chris looks into the science behind the search for alien life and guest Jacinta explains how meteorites are valuable in terms of money, but also to scientific research. 

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing, we go full moon: Chris looks at the science of getting to the Moon and what we learnt from it; Stu takes us back to the Space Race with the competing Soviet missions; and Jacinta introduces us to the amazing Moon Trees from Apollo 14, which are still alive today.

This week on the show Claire talks about Australia's ancient Indigenous eel aquaculture site in South Western Victoria - Budj Bim, and its recent UNESCO World Heritage status. Chris has another anniversary on his mind, 100 years since the Spanish Flu epidemic started in Western Europe, killing over 50 million people world wide. And Stu introduces us to the recently discovered oldest multicellular...

Stu discusses the advantages of New Zealand's geothermal activity, and some of the more immediate disadvantages, Claire finds out why some animals eyes shine back in demonic ways in the dark, and guest Jacinta Bowles talks about how some players of card game Magic: the Gathering have used it to build unpredictable algorithms to trap other players.