Lost in Science

The final Summer Series for the year, Chris talks Physics vs evolution, Claire talks about pathogens defrosting in long frozen ice and Stu discovers nematodes lurking everywhere, and some that can jump!

This week on our Summer Series Claire speaks to Dr Kylie Cairns all about dingoes, and her groundbreaking research using new genetic tools that has changed the way we understand the lineage of dingoes, as well as discovering endangered dragons with Jo Sumners from Museum Victoria.

This week on the summer series we reach back into the archives to hear from microbiologist Dee Carter about her research into the active antimicrobial and antifungal molecules produced by the honeypot ant. Also on the we revisit Chris's story, which explains the new clinical trial taking place in NSW using gene therapy to treat muscular dystrophy in children.

This week on our summer series we bring back one of our favourite interviews with geologist Ashleigh Hood and her research studying the origins of life on Earth and how it has been sustained for billions of years. Also on the show Stu takes a look at the research showing that the humble seagulls might be a lot smarter than we give them credit for.

It's the Lost in Science Summer Series, in which we replay some of our favourite stories from the past year! This week, Claire tells us why certain things, like fats and oils, leftover paint, flushable wipes, bamboo nappy liners and cat poo should not go down the drain or sewer; and Stu runs down research about how to prevent or pull people away from beliefs in conspiracy theories.

Our last show for the year looks back at one of the big themes of the year, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning - it is having an impact on society, but what environmental impact does it have? And Chris tests our listening skills with an end of year quiz. 

Stu looks at the sustainability of artificial vs real Christmas trees and why they might be an odd choice for Australia. While Chris looks into why the El Niño climate cycle is acting strange for us in Australia this year. 

This week, Claire tells us about new evidence for the leading theory of how the Moon was formed, through a collision of the early Earth with the Mars-sized protoplanet Theia; and Catriona updates us on where water can be found in our Solar System, and where it may have come from. Qian Yuan et al. 2023. Moon-forming impactor as a source of Earth’s basal mantle anomalies. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41...

This week, Catriona tells us about the health dangers of sitting, and new research giving the good news that any alternative form of activity is beneficial; and Chris looks into why bats harbour such dangerous viruses, with a new study that predicts high virulence for viruses from them and a surprising other order of mammals. Blodgett et al. 2023. Device-measured physical activity and cardiometabo...

This week on the show we speak to Dr Ellen Mather about the huge birds of prey that ruled ancient Australian skies, including the new discovery of an Australian vulture and giant eagle. Also on the show, Stu talks about the new research helping to protect potatoes against disease like the horrid potato blight.

Chris looks into the new theory that supposedly bridges the potentially non-existent gap between physics and biology, and Stu talks to Jeremy Barr about his research into bacteriophages and what impact they may have in our own bodies. 

This week on the show we are going EXTREME (all caps needed) as we take a look at life living on the edge, at the extremities of existence. Stu talks about some of the weirdest plants living in the most extreme salinity conditions. And Cat chats us through how extremophile life around the world has surprised us and helped humans innovate new technologies. 

This week, Claire speaks to zoologist Julie Old from Western Sydney University about finding out more about wombat populations and the threats they face, through the citizen science project WomSAT, which you can join at https://www.womsat.org.au/. And Chris talks to ecologist Hannah Fraser from the University of Melbourne about her new study on research reproducibility in which hundreds of researc...

Chris looks into the unlikely origin of human brain cells, and Claire looks at the possibility of unlikely threats to our modern brains

This week on the show it's Lost in Science Fiction, our annual Halloween extravaganza where we deep dive into what's real and what's dubious in the scifi world. Stu brings us the years hottest topic, Artificial Intelligence, and how it has been treated by scifi cinema. And ever wondered if we could really travel to different galaxies faster than the speed of light? Could hyperdrive be real? Chris...

This week Catriona looks up into the increasingly bright night sky and asks how much light pollution is coming from the new satellite constellations being launched by private companies, and Stu pulls on a thread about the origins of silk, what animals it comes from, how that might be changing, and why. 

This week, Chris introduces us to quantum dots, the nanoparticles whose discovery won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 for Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov; and Claire explains the story and significance of NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex mission that recently returned to Earth samples from the asteroid Bennu.

This week on the show it's a double creature feature. Chris answers a question we have all wondered; why are dinosaurs so big, and looks at some new research along the way. And Stu delves into the world of hybrid species. You might have heard of a mule, or a liger, but why do some animals hybridise and some do not?

Stu runs through the winners of the least most wanted prize in science, the Ignobel prize for 2023, and Chris takes a look at some new research about water on the moon which might help the numerous missions currently underway to find it

Neptune is too far from the sun to support life, apparently, but a recently discovered Neptune-like exoplanet has shown signs of life in recent surveys, what does this mean? Chris explains in this week's show. While Stu returns from a holiday with a tale of disease control measures and people who have a beef with them, and why they should think twice about why quarantine exists. 

This week on the show Claire is joined by author and compost educator Kate Flood, aka Compostable Kate, to get down and dirty on the science of compost. Kate talks about some of the misconceptions of composting and how you can create a biodiverse ecosystem in your own home! Also on the show Chris revists one of our most hard hitting stories of all time, cat taste buds! That's right, our feline fri...

This week, Catriona tells us about exciting new developments in using chimaeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells against all forms of blood cancer; and Chris shares what physics can tell us about hand clapping, particularly the best way to clap for measuring acoustics. Wellhausen et al. 2023 “Epitope base editing CD45 in hematopoietic cells enables universal blood cancer immune therapy”: https://doi...

This week on the show Claire takes a look at a controversial and hot topic - natural gas! Specically about some of the research that shows the adverse health risks of using methane to heat and cook at home. Also on the show, Chris revisits the latest research around the elusive room temperature superconductors. Could it be too good to be true? Only science knows!

Gotta get back in time: one from the vaults this week, Chris talks to Mark Edmonds about topological switching, Claire chats to Catriona in her first appearance on the show about her PhD research and Stu talks to Adam Cross about Albany pitcher plants from WA in these flashbacks from 2019.

This week on the show Claire chats to Professor Dee Carter about an unlikely candidate in the fight against antibiotic resistance - the honeyant, and new research showing the unique antimicrobial activity of their honey. Also on the show, Stu gets historical and chats about some of the big mistakes of the past in zoology and botany, and how we are still paying them.