Lost in Science

This week on Lost in Science Chris dives into the debate over seed oils—are they really toxic villains in your pantry, or just misunderstood kitchen staples? He unpacks the science behind the controversy that's spreading across social media faster than a hot fry in canola oil. Meanwhile, Claire swings back to a fascinating story about great apes and their surprising medical know-how. New research...

Linden Brings some good news about levels of rubbish on beaches and waterways in Australia, and Stu finds out about an exclusive club who have seen a colour nobody else has ever seen. 

This week, Claire examines new data on the detection of a potential chemical bio-signature on exoplanet K2-18b, and whether it strengthens the case for alien life; and Chris responds to media reports of possible over-diagnosis and over-medication of ADHD by looking at the data and current research and best practice. Have We Been Thinking About A.D.H.D. All Wrong? - The New York Times

On this week's show Stu has a look at the impact of US science funding cuts on the Australian scientific research landscape, and Linden talks to Euan Ritchie about the hoopla around Dire Wolf resurrection... just in time for Easter?

In this episode of Lost in Science, Claire chats with Young Australian of the Year Dr Katrina Wruck — a groundbreaking green chemist working to break down harmful "forever chemicals." As the first Torres Strait Islander to receive an Australian of the Year award in any category, Dr Wruck shares her journey, the science behind her research and how she is working to improve environmental and health...

This week, Chris examines claims by Microsoft researchers to be building a fault-tolerant quantum computer chip using obscure physics, and why many are sceptical of it; and Linden speaks to tephrochronologist Saini Samim about using crystals in ancient volcanic ash to determine the age of fossils. Microsoft press release, https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/quantum/2025/02/19/microsoft-unveils-...

This week on the show Cat Nguyen-Robertson regales the team with stories of her trip to Antarctica with Homeward Bound, a leadership initiative for women in STEMM.

This week Linden talks about methane as a greenhouse gas, and a new study showing that rivers with more waterfalls release more methane; and Stu runs us through the different parts of our immune system, including a recently discovered power of proteasomes within cells helping to attack invading bacteria.  Rust, R.L., Frizzell, A. & Kessler, J.D. Waterfalls enhance regional methane emissions by ena...

In this week's Lost in Science Chris looks at a new drug transforming bodies in predictable and sometimes unpredicted ways, while Stu looks into the acceleration of the merging of human bodies with technology in completely different directions. 

This week, we celebrate International Women's Day! Claire explores the global impact of breast cancer, a disease that affects millions of women worldwide, and talks about some of the latest research and challenges in the fight for better treatments and outcomes. Meanwhile, Linden shares the inspiring story of pioneering chemist and Isabel Joy Bear, who defied expectations to become a trailblazing...

This week on Lost in Science, Chris digs into the surprising miscalculations of toxins in black plastic utensils—should we be worried about what’s lurking in our plastic spatulas? Meanwhile, Linden takes us underground (metaphorically, of course) to explore the world of one of Australia’s most beloved marsupials: the wombat! How do we know where they burrow, and what can satellites tell us about t...

This week, Claire comes out of the chrysalis to talk about metamorphosis, and how caterpillars turn into butterflies; and Chris looks into the risk of Asteroid 2024 YR4, which currently has about a 2-3% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. Keep up with NASA's latest risk assessment.

Back in action for 2025, we kick of our first show of the year with Linden talking about the scientific evidence supporting flossing your teeth, and why people got upset it was dropped from US dental hygiene guidelines some years ago. And Chris welcomes us all to the International year of Quantum, but what does it mean, and who is it for? Tune in to find out. 

This week on the show we head back in the archives to hear Claire's interview with Profesor Dee Carter all about her research looking at the unexpected antimicrobial properties of honey ants, and how they could be solution to anitbiotic resistance challenges ahead. Also on the show Stu gets into some of the shameful history of zoology, and the Acclimatisation society of Victoria. 

The summer series continues as we revisit stories from the archives. And this week Chris asks the question, how can time fly without wings? Or more specifically, is there is any scientific basis for feeling like time is passing quicker than each year? Also Claire chats to CSIRO researcher Leo Joseph about sequencing of the complete genome of the Night Parrot, the elusive nocturnal bird thought to...

Lost in Science summer series continues, Catriona talks about satellites causing problems for astronomers who can't see past them, and Claire explains how we can help native animals who can't necessarily see the danger in our roads. 

Our summer series continues with stories from past shows, this week Stu looks into the basic chemistry of alkaline water and why it isn't a panacea for anything much at all. And Chris talks about two historical female figures of scintific importance who may not be the household names they deserve to be. 

Chris tells us about an amazing new discovery of dinosaur tracks in Britain, then we continue our replay of classic stories from the archive: Catriona shows what we can learn about love and affection from the hormones of monogamous prairie voles, and Chris shares the formula for the frequency of flapping wings to fly, and uses it to calculate how fast a human would need to flap their arms.

This week on Lost in Science, dive into our summer series as we revisit stories from the archives. Claire explores the impacts of bird flu on wild and domestic birds, while Catriona delves into the science of inverse vaccines and how they could help the body "forget" harmful immune responses. 

This week on Lost in Science, it’s our final show of the year! Chris challenges the team—and you—to a 2024 science quiz. Have you been paying attention to the biggest science stories of the year? Plus, Claire discusses some of the weird and wonderful research from 2024 worth celebrating. Join us for fun, facts, and a celebration of the science that shaped 2024!

For our Christmas episode, Linden speculates what Santa may see on his journey, such as changes in rivers as described in a recent study; and Cat crunches the numbers on how many houses Santa may need to visit, and how. Dongmei Feng, Colin J. Gleason ,More flow upstream and less flow downstream: The changing form and function of global rivers. Science 386,1305-1311(2024).DOI:10.1126/science.adl572...

This week on the show, Chris dives into the groundbreaking discovery of Homo juluensis, a newly identified hominin species that’s shaking up the story of human evolution. Meanwhile, we delve int the archive to revisit fascinating research detailing the first documented case of an orangutan using medicine on its own wounds. 

This week we welcome our new Lost in Science team member, climate scientist Linden Ashcroft, and learn all about her research compiling historical weather records to understand the patterns in our continent’s past (see lindenashcroft.com); and speaking of weather, Cat reveals some surprising ways to tell the weather, using crickets chirps, drying seaweed and moon haloes.

This week, Claire lets loose on flatulence, what we know, and how you can Chart Your Fart in a new CSIRO citizen science project, https://research.csiro.au/cshw/projects/chart-your-fart/ And Stu tells us about the so-called forever chemicals PFAS, and new research into how to get rid of them.

Cat explains why a changing climate might be changing peoples' allergies, and Chris unravels the reasons string theory has fallen out of favour