Lost in Science

Manisha looks into research that further shows we should be concerned about how intelligent ravens might be. Claire talks to Tilly Boleyn about current exhibits at the Powerhouse museum in Sydney. Chris looks into research around Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and finds that long standing advice is ignoring the cause of the illness. 

This week on the show Claire talks about the best drummers in the animal kingdom, Palm Cockatoos! New research published recently in Science Advances shos Palm Cockatoos to be the only animal to make a rhythmic beat using sticks as drumsticks and tree hollows for a drum. Also on the show Stu takes on the Flat-Earthers and shares experiments of the past, and ones you can do at home to prove the cur...

Chris goes on a journey in search of the lost planets of our own solar system. Manisha looks into a difference kind of space in an effort to understand how PTSD may be treated, and Stu talks to Dr. Renaud Johannes Boyau about new discoveries regarding the origin of the human species. 

This week Claire talks to Melanie Mackenzie from Museum Victoria about an expedition to the deep sea abyss and the collection of weird animals like zombie worms, sea cucumber herds, and faceless fish (currently on display at Melbourne Museum).Also this episode, Manisha talks about studies showing the mental health problems experienced by farmers and investigating some of the possible causes.

Dust is a part of our lives, but how much do we know about it, and what it is made up of? Claire investigates this seemingly innocuous part of life. Also this week, Stu introduces us to geneticist George Price, whose equation is used by evolutionary genetics to predict how useful a genetic trait will be for a population. And Chris speaks to physicist Dr Magdalena Zych about her research designing...

Senator Malcolm Roberts has called for scientific proof of climate change, but he misunderstands the meaning of proof in science by doing so, and also misunderstands how scientific consensus is reached. The brush turkey seems to be coping well with a changed environment, and newly discovered fossils show its ancestors were also adaptable to changes in their environment.  Why has medical advice on...

This week, Chris looks at a weird way quantum physics could let you take a picture of something without looking at it, Claire chats to the Vichyper team who are working on supersonic vacuum tube transport, and Stu speaks to Dr Ray Steptoe about curing allergies.

This week on the show we speak to Lisa Bailey from Australia's Science Channel about SCINEMA the International Science Film Festival. Stu talks about new research looking at monkey brains, which shows how our brains react to see and recognise different faces. And Chris deep dives into the Cochrane Library to gatehr evidence for the Salt Wars. Not the actual Salt Wars, but looks at the evidence for...

Is it true that some people don't get hangovers? We look at some research into why that might be. Also, everybody knows that salt makes us thirsty, but new research suggests that may not actually be the case. And Chris talks to Musician Charlie Marshall about his new album of science related songs, and how science can give a deeper understanding of the universe. 

Could declining insect populations be the reason windscreens don't seem to be as bug-splattered as they used to be? Two recent publications in Science—an article in 2014 and another in 2017—suggest that's the case. This may also relate to the decline in House sparrow populations overseas—see work by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the British Trust for Ornithology.(If you're inte...

Dogs may be our best friends, but they are one of the more ecologically destructive species we don't talk about. Microwaves, how do they work? We find out how they warm up your food, and why it isn't a good idea to stick foil in them. And we speak to Professor Stewart Frusher from the University of Tasmania about how our already changing climate and warming waters are changing where we find specie...

How does a worker's daily commute impact their risk of cancer and heart disease? Researchers in Glasgow wanted to find out. Claire finds out from Dr. Oliver Jones what parabens are, and whether we waqnt them in our cosmetics or notManisha discusses the impact of roads on the natural environment. 

Claire speaks to Anna Sexton about the Pint of Science events happening in pubs around the country on the 15, 16 and 17 May 2017. Find out more at pintofscience.com.au. Also, Chris spots a mention of a bizarre but profound physics concept hidden in a blockbuster movie, and Manisha speaks to the people about why they chose to March for Science on 22 April.

Claire gives the inside scoop on the Naked mole-rat. Although it is a mammal, the naked mole-rat lives in a social structure comparable to an ant, thermoregulates like a reptile, and now researchers have found it can survive in very low oxygen environment using a plant-like pathway. Also this week, Chris asks the question - what is negative mass? This comes after claims that scientists have create...

Stu Looks into the science of running a marathon, and whether there are any health risks with thsi increasingly popular race. Manisha finds out more about a common and sometimes deadly parasite Toxoplasma gondiiChris looks into a commonly quoted psychological study and finds it is often used in an ironically incorrect way by those using it as evidence.  

In this episode, Chris speaks to James Cook University's Dr Sandra Abell, who is conducting a scientific search for a Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger, in Far North Queensland. Also, Claire explains how the smartphone assistant Siri can understand human and possibly cat speech, and Manisha tells us about her PhD research on how wildlife deals with urbanisation, or why did the bat cross the road.

This week on the show climatologist and weather data rescuer Dr Linden Ashcroft talks about her research discovering old (and often lost) Australian weather records to get a better understanding of what our climate was like before we had a bureau of meteorology taking standardised measurements. We chat about how historic weather data is hugely important for understanding weather events today and f...

This week on the show Claire uncovers what is really going on with those felshy melon shaped protrusions on the side of male orangutans faces, and why do only some males have 'em? Manisha talks about new research into how climate change caused dwarfism in mammals based on data and fossil records from over 50 million years ago. And a truly cerebral moment as Chris goes head to head with science com...

Can you believe the many, many news reports that tell you certain foods can cause or prevent cancer? A 2013 paper analysed the evidence for 50 common ingredients to find out whether the claims stack up. We also dig up a new discovery of fossils of mysterious human ancestors in China, and we find out why kale is so nutritious and different from other members of the species Brassica oleracea.

The unusual Velvet worm may be a mystery to many, but this weird creature has been around for 500 million years, hiding in the undergrowth. Find out what sets it apart from most other animals. How does the blood of Komodo Dragons offer the promise of a new kind of antibiotic? Claire finds out. And the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, how did it happen and why did it cause so much havoc? Chris explain...

Another Earth moving episode of Lost in Science! This week Stu talks us through how digging holes and damming rivers is fundamentally changing the Earth's geology and seismic activities. That's right - more frequent Earthquakes from human activities. Also Claire gives the lowdown on the new continent in town - Zealandia. It might be 94% under water but Zealandia stands up to scrutiny when pitted a...

This week, Chris reveals why we're so sure black holes exist, Manisha explains how to use visualisation to achieve your goals, and Claire reports how scientists can make tomatoes tasty again.

Why is Australia's landscape so susceptible to fire, and how will a changing climate alter the risk of bushfires? Stu talks to Dr. Trent Penman a forest scientists with the University of Melbourne to find out. Chris describes the non-newtonian characteristics of frog spit and how it helps them catch their dinner. Manisha continues her series on the psychology of keeping resolutions by looking at d...

This week we talk to Dr Matthew Currell about how manufacturing in China has led to unprecedented water pollution throughout thw entire country. This is now causing widespread health effects including a phenomenon known as cancer villages - which are small communities in China close to polluting factories where cancer rates are far above the national average. You can read more about the water poll...